The Tennessee Vols started off the final two weeks of the regular season with a huge win against the Auburn Tigers on Wednesday night.
Tennessee looked like they were heading for a disappointing loss as they were trailing 63-55 in the second half. Vols guard Dalton Knecht, however, took over and willed Tennessee to victory.
Knecht scored 39 points on the night, including a stretch where he scored 11 straight while leading Tennessee's comeback.
After the game, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said Knecht's performance dispelled the myth that for Tennessee to win, everyone has to contribute throughout the game.
"Dalton was terrific and he was very hard to stop one-on-one," said Pearl. "He hit a lot of tough shots -- a lot of shots that were contested."
"When Tennessee wins, they typically win when everybody contributes," added Pearl. "Tonight, he sort of dispelled that.”
Tennessee received solid scoring performances on Wednesday night from Zakai Zeigler (17 points) and Jonas Aidoo (14 points). It was Knecht, however, that took over when the Vols needed points in the worst way.
To make a run in the NCAA Tournament, you almost have to have a player like Knecht that can turn a loss into a win. No one knows how March Madness will play out, but it sure seems like Tennessee is one of the few teams with a legitimate chance to win it all this spring.
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