Barnes Hits 850: Tennessee Outlasts Georgia 86-85 in Overtime Thriller
By SportSphere24 Editorial Team | Jan 29, 2026
ATHENS, Ga. — History was written in the red clay of Georgia. Behind a gritty 21-point performance from Ja’Kobi Gillespie and a monstrous night on the boards, the Tennessee Volunteers (14-6, 4-3 SEC) secured an 86-85 overtime victory over the Georgia Bulldogs (16-5, 4-4 SEC).
The Scoreboard: Tennessee vs. Georgia
| Team | 1st | 2nd | OT | Final |
| Tennessee Volunteers | 28 | 46 | 12 | 86 |
| Georgia Bulldogs | 34 | 40 | 11 | 85 |
Game Analysis: Dominance on the Glass & OT Heroics
Despite shooting a lower percentage than the Bulldogs, the Volunteers used sheer physicality to bully their way to a second straight road win.
1. Rick Barnes’ 850th Career Win
The 39-year veteran joined an elite fraternity of coaches, reaching 850 wins in one of the most stressful environments of the season.
"It wasn't pretty, but that’s SEC basketball," Barnes said. "This team showed the kind of resilience you need to survive in March."
2. The Glass: A 52-27 Beatdown
The most staggering stat of the night was the rebounding margin. Tennessee outrebounded Georgia 52-27, including a massive 26-7 advantage on the offensive glass.
3. Gillespie and Ament Step Up
Ja’Kobi Gillespie: Continued his hot streak with 21 points and 6 assists, including crucial free throws to ice the game.
Nate Ament: The freshman was fearless in his first Athens appearance, dropping 19 points and hitting a massive corner three in overtime to give the Vols the lead for good.
J.P. Estrella: Provided the interior muscle with 17 points, scoring five of those in the overtime period.
Stat Leaders & Performance Metrics
| Player | Team | PTS | REB | AST | STL |
| Ja’Kobi Gillespie | TENN | 21 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| Kanon Catchings | UGA | 22 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Nate Ament | TENN | 19 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Marcus Millender | UGA | 19 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Bishop Boswell | TENN | 13 | 10 | 3 | 1 |