Tennessee forward Armani Moore (4) drives past Vanderbilt forward James Siakam, left, in their game Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015, in Nashville.NASHVILLE – Kevin Punter hit two free throws with 1:18 left in overtime, giving Tennessee the lead for good as the Volunteers rallied and beat Vanderbilt 76-73 Wednesday night.
The Volunteers (14-9, 6-5 Southeastern Conference) finally showed they can close out an opponent after losing their last three when they failed to tie or take the lead in the final minute. This time, they trailed 65-60 with 16.4 seconds left in regulation before Robert Hubbs III dribbled up-court and beat the buzzer with a 3, forcing overtime.
Then Josh Richardson opened overtime with a 3-pointer capping a 10-2 spurt by Tennessee.
Vanderbilt (13-11, 3-8 SEC) missed its chance at a third straight win, going 3 of 6 at the free throw line in the final seconds of regulation. They also led 73-72 with 1:57 left in overtime after a layup by James Siakam but didn’t score again.
Richardson finished with 27 points.