ATHENS, Ga. — No. 5 Tennessee came from behind to beat Georgia 85-79 on the road on Saturday afternoon.
The Vols started the game with Dalton Knecht picking up where he left off. After scoring 28 points against Mississippi State, he scored 9 of the Vols' first 14 points. He made two-three pointers and scored on an and-one, giving UT an early 134-6 lead.
After the Bulldogs rattled off five straight points, UT scored on a three-pointer from Santiago Vescovi and an and-one from Zakai Zeigler. The Vols led 20-11. Tobe Awaka got the Vols up double-digits later on with a bucket inside to make the score 24-12.
Georgia trimmed the deficit to seven points, but then Awaka scored on back-to-back baskets to make it three shots made in a row to get the lead to 11 points for UT at 28-17.
Georgia trimmed the deficit to six points after that, this time Knecht scored on back-to-back field goals. He made a hook shot and then drilled a three-pointer to put Tennessee up 33-22.
Zeigler gave UT their largest lead with a steal and coasted to a layup on the other end, putting the Vols up 42-28.
Georgia chipped into the lead once again. Knoxville native Blue Cain hit a three-pointer for the Bulldogs to get the score to 42-35 with 1:15 left in the first half. Georgia ended the half on a 9-0 run and Tennessee led 42-37 at halftime. The Vols had a strong shooting half but didn't make a field goal in the last 4:01 of the first half.
Georgia extended it to a 15-0 run and took the lead following back-to-back three-pointers from Jabri Abdur-Rahim and Noah Thomasson as UGA led 43-42.
The Vols steadied the ship after Josiah-Jordan James and then made free throws from Jonas Aidoo for a 46-43 lead.
Georgia would reclaim the lead and got up 61-54 following an emphatic dunk from Silas Demary Jr. He made another impact play, drilling a three-pointer as the shot clock expired to put Georgia up 64-56. Thomasson put them up double-digits, scoring on a layup to make it 66-56.
Despite a barrage of three-pointers from Georgia, the Vols were able to trim the deficit to five points after Vescovi made a three-pointer to make the score 75-70.
Cain once again made a big three-pointer to extend Georgia's lead to 78-70. After two made free throws from Zeigler and a layup from Knecht, the Vols only trailed by four points at the under-four-minute timeout. After the timeout, Aidoo scored on a wide-open dunk to make it 78-76. Knecht then made two free throws to tie the game at 78-78 with 2:33 left in the second half.
Knecht hit a three-pointer with UT down 79-78 to give the Vols an 81-79 lead. Knecht then made two free throws to make it 83-79. Zeigler made two free throws to get the Vols the 85-79 win.
Knecht finished with 36 points.
Aidoo had an impressive day with ten points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks. Zeigler also picked up 18 points to add to the Vols total. This was his sixth-straight game scoring in double-figures.
The Vols only allowed one point to Georgia in the final 5:03 of the game.
Tennessee falls to 2-1 in SEC play. They host Florida on Tuesday inside the Food City Center for their next conference matchup. Game time is at 7 p.m. inside the Food City Center.
