NASHVILLE — Before its players could even break their first sweat, Tennessee found itself again facing a double-digit deficit and an uphill climb.
What would have been an even more unlikely rally than the one the Volunteers pulled off on Thursday night came up just short at the end.
After falling behind 13-0, Tennessee’s second-half rally that trimmed what once was a 20-point deficit down to four came up short as second-seeded Arkansas survived to earn a a 80-72 victory against the 10th-seeded Vols on a Friday night Southeastern Conference tournament quarterfinal at Bridgestone Arena.
The loss dropped Tennessee to 16-16, and the Vols will have to wait and see if they get an invite to the National Invitation Tournament, though that seems unlikely.
Josh Richardson led the Vols with 22 points and tied a career high with 10 rebounds, and Kevin Punter chipped in 13, while Bobby Portis, recently anointed the SEC’s player of the year, finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds and did most of his damage in the first half.