No. 4 Tennessee won the outright SEC regular season championship on Wednesday night in Columbia with a 66-59 win over No. 17 South Carolina.
The Vols got out to a lead with strong play over the first few minutes and never gave the lead to the Gamecocks throughout the contest. Tennessee led South Carolina for 38 minutes and 27 seconds out of the 40-minute game.
Tennessee’s win on Wednesday showed the resiliency and toughness that the Vols have battled with the entire season. Despite a few runs from the Gamecocks throughout the game, particularly in the final few minutes, Tennessee’s veterans were able to close out the game over the last 10 minutes with strong defense.
Tennessee’s toughness is exactly what Rick Barnes spoke about after the game. Barnes gave credit to the team as a whole but honed in on the veteran’s ability to close out the game as a differentiating factor in the outcome. South Carolina was ready to make a comeback behind a roaring Colonial Life Arena but Tennessee was able to stand its ground and fend off the attack.
The Vols’ toughness on Wednesday led to the program’s first outright SEC regular season title since the 2008 season.
After the game, Tennessee’s Rick Barnes and South Carolina head coach Lamont Paris met with the media to give their thoughts on what unfolded on Wednesday night in Columbia. Barnes spoke about his team’s fortitude while Paris complimented Tennessee while praising the effort that his team put up.
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Check out both postgame interviews below:
Tennessee HC Rick Barnes
a few words from 3x SEC champion Rick Barnes pic.twitter.com/wdusGTiGzk
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) March 7, 2024
South Carolina HC Lamont Paris
