Vols Return Home Against LSU Seeking Sixth Win in Seven

Image: Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics

By Aidan Sidoti

Vol hoops returns to Thompson-Boling Arena at FCC on Saturday night looking to keep its mid‑season rise rolling, hosting an LSU team for a dark mode game trending in the opposite direction. 

The Vols enter at 17-7 (7-4 SEC) and have won five of their last six, while the Tigers head into Knoxville at 14-10 (2-9 SEC) and fresh off a 29-point loss to Arkansas.

Tennessee, coming off a 73-64 road win at Mississippi State, but the final score surely didn’t tell the full story. 

The Vols led by as many as 23 points with ten minutes left before completely losing its grip on the game, allowing an 18‑0 Bulldogs run that cut the lead to five with under five minutes remaining. What could have been the biggest collapse in recent memory turned into one of the biggest moments in Nate Ament’s young career.

Ament, who finished with 16 points, stabilized the Vols when they needed it most. The true freshman star told senior guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie to get him the ball, and he backed it up with two three-point plays that pushed the lead back to double digits. 

LSU, meanwhile, is spiraling.

The Tigers are 2‑8 in their last ten and have dropped five of their last six. Head coach Matt McMahon’s seat is heating up fast, and Tuesday’s 91‑62 loss to Arkansas only strengthens the pressure surrounding his $7.5 million buyout.

With Ament emerging, Gillespie settling back in, and the Vols returning home in front of a Saturday crowd, the opportunity is there to stack another SEC win and continue climbing the standings.