KNOXVILLE — When former Auburn men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl was leading the Tigers to three Southeastern Conference championships and two trips to the NCAA tournament’s Final Four in the last several seasons, he would still refer to his university as a football school.
Late Saturday night, after Auburn fell 77-69 to Tennessee inside the Food City Center, it was Tigers first-year coach Steven Pearl, Bruce’s son, using a football analogy to describe Volunteers forwards DeWayne Brown II and Jaylen Carey. The 6-foot-8, 251-pound Brown and the 6-8, 267-pound Carey combined to play more than 60 minutes and had a huge role in the Vols posting a 46-30 advantage in rebounds.
“They look like two SEC defensive ends out there who were just ducking in, and you weren’t able to get around them,” Pearl said. “They draw fouls, and the moment they draw a foul, you don’t think it’s a big deal, but then they get to the bonus quickly. Then you get them knocking down their free throws.
“When you get early fouls in a half and you’re trying to guard the post, it leads to them getting in the bonus.”
Brown and Carey were a combined 7-of-9 from the free-throw line, which added to their stellar, all-around performances as Tennessee improved to 15-6 overall and 5-3 in SEC play.