#24/RV Vols Upend Texas A&M, 87-82, in Double-Overtime Thriller

Tuesday, January 13

Knoxville, TN

7 PM ET

University of Tennessee

12-5,2-2SEC

Texas A&M

13-4,3-1SEC

OT 1

OT 2

Texas A&M

Tennessee

#24/RV Vols Upend Texas A&M, 87-82, in Double-Overtime Thriller

January 13, 2026 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Season Stats SEC Stats VIDEO: Rick Barnes Postgame VIDEO: Nate Ament, Bishop Boswell & Troy Henderson Postgame VIDEO: Texas A&M Postgame Highlights Photo Gallery

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee men's basketball team stormed back from an 11-point first-half deficit to take down Texas A&M, 87-82, in a double-overtime classic Tuesday night at Food City Center.

No. 24/RV Tennessee (12-5, 2-2 SEC) dominated the boards, 60-35, and got a game-high 23 points from Nate Ament in its second double-digit comeback win of the season. The freshman forward tallied 10 of his co-career-best point total in the extra sessions.

Texas A&M (13-4, 3-1 SEC) scored the opening eight points in the first 2:40, but the Volunteers responded with eight in a row of their own in 1:50 to level the score at the 14:56 mark. The teams traded points until it was again even at 15, but the Aggies then went on an 11-0 run in 2:20 to go up claim a 26-15 edge with 6:47 remaining in the frame.

Tennessee countered with a 12-2 spurt in just 3:13, capped with seven consecutive points in 71 seconds, to trim the margin to one, 28-27, with 3:19 on the timer. The surge ended with a 3-pointer by senior guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie and the game's next three possessions also featured long-range makes, followed by a scoreless 2:07. That sent the teams into the locker room with Texas A&M ahead by four, 34-30.

Although the Volunteers shot 29.0 percent (9-of-31) from the field in the first half, including 21.4 percent (3-of-14) beyond the arc, they grabbed 12 offensive rebounds—10 came in the initial 12 minutes—and logged a 90.0 percent (9-of-10) mark at the line.

Tennessee scored the opening basket of the second half, but Texas A&M then logged seven points in only 23 seconds to take a nine-point lead, 41-32, with 17:41 left. The seesaw battle continued from there, as the home team scored the next nine points—it made four field goals in a row—in 1:46 to pull even at 41 with 14:35 remaining.

The Aggies soon regained the lead on a 3-pointer 28 seconds later and extended it to five on four occasions, including to 55-50 with 7:49 to go. Tennessee responded with the next seven points in 96 seconds to take its first lead of the night, 57-55, on a pair of free throws by Ament with 5:29 on the timer.

Texas A&M scored 10 points on its next five possession to garner a 64-66 lead with 2:33 left, but Tennessee tied it up seven seconds later on a pair of free throws by sophomore guard Bishop Boswell. After stops each way, the Aggies regained the lead on a layup with 1:39 to go, but Tennessee countered with a go-ahead 3-pointer by freshman guard Troy Henderson 14 ticks later. Just 19 seconds after that, Texas A&M hit two free throws to pull back in front and then, after the two sides combined for three turnovers, added another one from the line with 16.7 seconds to go, earning a 71-69 edge. Ament hit the first of two free throws with 13.0 seconds left, with Boswell grabbing the second and getting fouled, then hitting his first of two to tie the score just eight-tenths of a second after that. Tennessee had a chance to win in regulation, but its shot missed the mark.

In the first overtime, the two teams combined for just two points—a layup by Ament at the 4:09 mark—in the first three-plus minutes. The Aggies scored four of the six points in the last 1:45 of the session and the game went to another stanza, marking the first multiple-overtime contest for Tennessee since Feb. 23, 2013, also against the Aggies.

Ament again opened the scoring in the second overtime, but Texas A&M then hit a free throw and followed it with a 3-pointer by junior Pop Isaacs to go up, 79-77, with 3:58 on the clock. Ament leveled the score on a layup 29 seconds later, Boswell hit two free throws 37 after that and then junior forward Jaylen Carey had a putback basket with 1:14 to go to make it 83-79, giving Tennessee its then-largest lead.

Each team then split a pair of free throws, after which senior guard Jacari Lane hit two from the line to make it a two-point game, 84-82, with 15.8 ticks left, but Tennessee did not allow another point. Two free throws from Ament with 12.7 seconds to play doubled the lead and then, after a stop, Carey added another point from the line with seven ticks to go, sealing the win and giving the victors their biggest advantage of the evening. Tennessee did not allow a made field goal in the final 3:58, forcing misses on the visitors' six final attempts.

Ament's career-high-tying 23 points featured a 9-of-11 mark from the free-throw line, as he also tied his career best in both makes and attempts. He also tied his top mark with seven made field goals and, while setting a new top mark with 43 minutes of action, scored 19 of his points in the final 19:09.

Gillespie amassed 18 points, a team-best five assists and four rebounds to go along with six steals, the latter of which led all players and set a new top mark by any Volunteer this season. He played a career-high 48 minutes, the most of anyone in the contest, before fouling out with 15 seconds left in double-overtime. Meanwhile, Boswell not only recorded his first double-double, but set career highs in points (13), rebounds (11), made free throws (eight), free-throw attempts (12) and minutes (43).

Senior forward Felix Okpara also logged a double-double, finishing with 10 points and a season-best 12 rebounds. He made all three of his field-goal attempts and four of his five shots from the line, while setting a new top mark with 38 minutes of court time. Carey nearly gave the Volunteers a third double-double, notching 10 points and nine rebounds. Henderson added eight points, one shy of his career best, in a career-high 22 minutes.

Lane paced the Aggies with 20 points and added a game-leading nine assists, the latter the most by a Tennessee foe all season. Isaacs scored 16 points, shooting 4-of-11 from 3-point range to match the long-range register from sophomore guard Rubén Dominguez, who tallied 15 points.

Graduate forward Rashaun Agee had 11 points and a team-high nine rebounds, while senior guard Rylan Griffeen scored 10 points to give Texas A&M five double-digit scorers. Both Agee and Griffen fouled out, as did graduate forward Zach Clemence.

Both teams finished under 38.0 percent from the floor and under 31.0 percent beyond the arc. Tennessee, though, shot 31-of-42 (73.8 percent) at the line, compared to a 21-of-32 (65.6 percent) clip for Texas A&M.

Additionally, Tennessee's plus-25 margin on the glass included a 24-10 figure on the offensive end. That led to a 22-5 cushion in second-chance points. The Volunteers also made 16 of their final 33 field-goal attempts after a 9-of-34 start through 21-plus minutes.

Up next for Tennessee is a second consecutive game at Food City Center, as it is set to host Kentucky in a Saturday matinee, with action slated to begin at noon, live on ESPN.

To keep up with the University of Tennessee men's basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.

TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS POSTGAME NOTES
• Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes now owns 848 victories in his career, regaining sole possession of first place among all active Division I head coaches and of sole ninth place all-time (min. 10 years in Division I).
• Barnes now owns 34 victories over Texas A&M, eclipsing Texas Tech for sole possession of his most wins against any foe.
• The Volunteers improved to 14-8 in their all-time series with Texas A&M, including 11-7 since the Aggies joined the SEC and 10-7 in league play.
• Tennessee moved to 9-3 in its last 12 contests against Texas A&M, a stretch that comes after dropping four in a row.
• The Volunteers now own four separate three-game winning streaks versus the Aggies, again tying their longest mark in series history.
• With Tuesday's victory, Tennessee has now started (at least) 2-0 at home in SEC play in each of the last five seasons.
• Tennessee has logged double-digit offensive rebounds in 16 of 17 games this year, with 15-plus in 10 outings, 18-plus five times and 20-plus our times, with a new high of 24.
• The Volunteers have grabbed at least 35 total boards in 14 of 17 contests, with 43-plus in nine, 47-plus in seven and 50-plus in five, with a new top tally of 60.
• Tennessee's last overtime game was on Nov. 24, 2022, against Southern Cal in Paradise Island, Bahamas, in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals, with the Volunteers earning a 73-66 victory.
• The team's last SEC and/or home overtime contest came on Jan. 5, 2022, when it defeated Ole Miss, 66-60.
• The Volunteers' most recent multiple-overtime game was also against the Aggies, as they earned a 93-85 road win in quadruple-overtime on Feb. 23, 2013.
• The last time Tennessee made 30-plus free throws in a game was Nov. 20, 2025, when it went 31-of-35 against Tennessee State, as its 31 makes Tuesday tied that affair for a season high.
• Tennessee's 31 made free throws tied for third-most of the Barnes era (2015-26) and marked its 10th time notching 30-plus, including its fifth with at least 31.
• The Volunteers last attempted 40-plus free throws on Dec. 7, 2022, when they posted a 31-of-41 line against Eastern Kentucky, while the 42 were their most since Dec. 15, 2018, when they shot 39-of-46 against Memphis.
• In total, Tuesday was the fourth time Tennessee has attempted 40-plus free throws under Barnes, joining the aforementioned games against Eastern Kentucky and Memphis, along with a 30-of-40 showing versus Chattanooga on Nov. 11, 2016.
• Tennessee last grabbed even 55-plus rebounds in a game on Nov. 18, 2008, when it pulled down 58 versus UT Martin.
• The Volunteers' 60 rebounds tied for the second-most by an SEC team this season and marked the fourth time any SEC school had 60-plus.
• Tennessee's 60 rebounds are four more than any other SEC team has amassed in league play this year, as the prior high was 56 by Florida in a Jan. 6 game versus Georgia.
• Lane's nine assists far eclipsed the previous season high by a Tennessee foe, which was a five-way tie at five.
• Tuesday marked the second time in the last five outings two Volunteers had double-doubles in the same contest—Carey and redshirt sophomore J.P. Estrella did so Dec. 30 against South Carolina State—after it had not previously happened since Feb. 4, 2024.
• Five Tennessee players set new career bests in minutes: Gillespie (48:14), Ament (43:00), Boswell (42:30), Okpara (38:17) and Henderson (21:41).
• Okpara registered the 100th start of his career, including his 61st in a row and his 55th across two years as a Volunteer.
• The 12 rebounds for Okpara set a season best—his previous high was 11 in a Nov. 8 matchup with Northern Kentucky—and tied for his third-most as a collegian.
• Additionally, Okpara's 12 rebounds equaled his count on Jan. 21, 2025, against Mississippi State for his most as a Volunteer.
• Okpara now owns four double-doubles as a collegian, including two as a Volunteer—the other was Nov. 27, 2024, against UT Martin—and one this season.
• The 38:17 of action for Okpara surpassed his previous best of 35:37 in a Jan. 25, 2025, road game at Auburn.
• Before scoring a career-best 13 points Tuesday, the only other time Boswell even reached double figures was with a 10-point performance Nov. 25, 2025, against Houston in Las Vegas.
• Prior to grabbing 11 rebounds versus the Aggies, Boswell had eclipsed five just twice, with his previous high mark an eight-board showing Nov. 3, 2025, against Mercer.
• Boswell's first collegiate double-double made him one of six current Volunteers with at least one as a collegian, including one of five—counting Okpara's against the Aggies—to log one this season.
• Before playing 42:30 versus the Aggies, the highest mark of Boswell's career was 32:28 against Houston in a Nov. 25, 2025, affair in Las Vegas.
• Boswell's eight made free throws quadrupled his career high of two, which he logged four times previously, most recently in the team's last outing, Jan. 10 at Florida.
• In addition, Boswell's 12 free throws triple his prior career best of four, which he set Nov. 25, 2025, against Houston in Las Vegas.
• Boswell not only recorded the most free-throw attempts by a Tennessee player this season—the prior figure was 11 by Ament in a Jan. 3 game at Arkansas, as well as versus the Aggies—but also marked the most by any Volunteer since Zakai Zeigler had 12 on Jan. 22, 2025, at Texas A&M.
• Gillespie's six steals not only set a new season high for a Volunteer—the previous high was four by Ament both Nov. 20 against Tennessee State and Jan. 6 versus Texas—but marked the top figure by a Tennessee player since Zakai Zeigler had six in a Jan. 15, 2025, matchup with Georgia.
• Gillespie's six steals tied his total on Nov. 19, 2022, against George Mason in St. Thomas for his most against a Division I foe, finishing just one shy of his highest mark against any foe, as he had seven on Nov. 14, 2023, against Berry, with both games coming during his tenure at Belmont.
• Additionally, Gillespie's six steals tied for the second-most by an SEC competitor this season and marked the sixth time any such player had at least a half-dozen.
• Gillespie's six steals are also the most in SEC play by this season, as four individuals previously held a four-way tie for first with five apiece.
• The 48:14 of action for Gillespie vastly eclipsed his previous high, which was 40:00—also in an overtime game—on Jan. 16, 2025, at Northwestern, while with Maryland.
• Gillespie fouled out of a contest for just the third time in his career, including the first this season as a Volunteer.
• The eight points for Henderson trail only the nine he had Dec. 21 versus Gardner-Webb, while his 21:41 minutes eclipsed his 18:22 in a Nov. 20 matchup with Tennessee State.
• Ament's 23 points equaled the career-best mark he registered Nov. 8 against Northern Kentucky, while his seven made field goals tied the top figure he notched Nov. 24 versus Rutgers in Las Vegas.
• Before playing exactly 43:00 minutes Tuesday, Ament's highest mark as a collegian was 36:04 in a Nov. 26 game against Kansas in Las Vegas.
• Freshman guard Amari Evans pulled down five rebounds to tie his career high, as he has now reached that mark in three of the last four games, including two in a row, after never previously doing so.