Auburn basketball’s four-game winning streak was snapped Saturday as the Tigers fell to Tennessee, 77-69, at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Auburn once again went with an eight-man rotation, with most of the participants contributing to the Tigers’ point total. Seven of Auburn’s eight players scored in the game, with each of them scoring at least six points. However, Auburn basketball struggled overall from the field despite the diverse production. The Tigers shot 38% compared to Tennessee’s 44%. Tennessee was also more selective from three-point territory and made more trips to the free-throw line than Auburn. Those two stats stood out to Auburn head coach Steven Pearl.
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โCredit to Tennessee. They beat us at our own game,โ Pearl said postgame. โThey got to the foul line 11 more times than we did and they did a really good job of attacking the paint. They hit four early threes and they didnโt continue to settle for 3s like we did. They out physicaled us and had their way.โ
Despite the loss, there are several notable individual performances to mention. Here are the “Tigers of the Game” from Auburn basketball’s loss to Tennessee on Saturday night.
Taylor Jones: Filip Jovic
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE – JANUARY 31: Filip Jovic #38 of the Auburn Tigers blocked by J.P. Estrella #13 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the first half of the game at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 31, 2026 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
Filip Jovic posted another perfect performance from the field in Auburn basketball’s loss to Tennessee on Saturday. Jovic shot 2-for-2 from the field and went 4-for-8 from the free-throw stripe en route to an eight-point outing. He also grabbed seven rebounds, which is a season high for him in SEC play. Jovic is now averaging 7.4 points per game against SEC competition, and his eight-point outing Saturday was his highest-scoring output since 23 in Auburn’s win over South Carolina on Jan. 17.
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Phillip Jordan: Tahaad Pettiford
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE – JANUARY 31: Tahaad Pettiford #0 of the Auburn Tigers dribbles the ball during the first half of the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 31, 2026 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
It was another night of struggle for Tahaad Pettiford shooting-wise, as he connected on just 29% of his shot attempts for 11 points. However, he continues to be a quality teammate by setting up his teammates for successful shots. Pettiford logged a team-high seven assists in Auburn basketball’s loss to Tennessee, which ties a season-high in SEC play.
Jac Myrick: Keyshawn Hall
Auburn forward Keyshawn Hall (7) dribbles the ball past Tennessee guard Amari Evans (1) during a NCAA basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Auburn Tigers at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville, Tenn., on Jan. 31, 2026.
Keyshawn Hall was once again Auburn basketball’s leading scorer by dropping 21 in Saturday’s game at Tennessee. Since scoring just eight points in Auburn’s loss to South Carolina last month, he has now reached double-figures in points in four straight games.
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Fan vote: Filip Jovic
AUBURN, TN – JANUARY 31 – Auburnโs Filip Joviฤ (38) during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena in Auburn, TN on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. Photo by Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers
Auburn basketball fans have spoken, and Filip Jovic is the next winner of “Tiger of the Game.” Jovic received 60% of the vote, beating out fellow Tigers Keyshawn Hall, Tahaad Pettiford, and Sebastian Williams-Adams. To have a say in who wins the next “Tiger of the Game,” visit Auburn Wire on X after every Auburn basketball game to cast your vote.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn basketball’s top players from loss to Tennessee
