University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
11-6, 4-3
Auburn
15-5, 4-3
Slay Leads Vols to 60-57 Win at Auburn
February 01, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 1, 2003
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By BOB JOHNSON
Associated Press Writer
AUBURN, Ala. - Ron Slay scored 21 points, including 15 in the second half, as Tennessee held on to defeat Auburn 60-57 Saturday. The Volunteers led the entire game.
Slay, the leading scorer in the Southeastern Conference, made a layup off a Thaydeus Holden miss with 32 seconds to play to give Tennessee a four-point lead, 60-56. The Volunteers held off a second-half rally by Auburn (15-5, 4-3).
Tennessee (11-6, 4-3 SEC) hit 54 percent of its shots in the first half and held as much as a 13-point lead before the half. The Vols led 32-25 at halftime.
Auburn rallied in the second half, cutting the Tennessee lead to 51-50 on a dunk by Brandon Robinson with 5:25 to play. But Tennessee's C.J. Watson followed with two free throws and a jump shot to stretch the Volunteers lead to 5.
The Tigers pulled to 58-56 with 1:11 left on a jump shot by Marquis Daniels, the second leading scorer in the conference. The Tigers could get no closer. Daniels missed a three-point attempt at the buzzer that would have sent the game into overtime.
Slay and Daniels lived up to their status as the top scorers in the conference, saving their best play for the game's final minutes. Daniels scored nine of his 15 points in the second half. Slay entered the game averaging 21.2 points per game to 18.7 for Daniels.
Robinson also scored 15 points for the Tigers and Derrick Bird had 11, including 9 in the first half.
Watson and Brandon Crump each scored 10 for Tennessee.
Auburn came into the game with a four-game home winning streak, but let the Volunteers jump out to a quick lead.
The Volunteers took a 11-4 lead in the first five minutes. Auburn cut the lead to 13-12 with 11:05 to play in the first half, but Slay then hit a jump shot and the Volunteers went on a 11-0 run and controlled the rest of the half.
