Gillespie's scoring outburst and Tennessee's paint dominance overwhelmed Texas, silencing their offense and securing a comfortable 85-71 victory.
No. 21 Tennessee delivered Texas a painful loss on Tuesday night, pulling away for an 85-71 win in Knoxville behind a career performance from Ja'Kobi Gillespie and a dominant showing in the paint that ultimately told the story.
Gillespie poured in 34 points and made it clear early that the Longhorns were going to have a long night. By halftime, he already had 22, hitting 8 of his first 10 shots and drilling three triples as Tennessee built a 48-33 lead that never truly felt threatened.
Texas tried switching coverages, shading help his way, and speeding him up, but Gillespie responded like a player who knew exactly where every soft spot on the floor lived.
The bigger issue for Texas, though, went beyond one hot hand.
Tennessee owned the interior, outscoring the Longhorns 44-18 in the paint. Possession after possession, Tennessee guards got downhill, bigs finished through contact, and Texas found itself reacting instead of dictating. When you lose that badly near the rim, it shrinks the margin for error everywhere else.
Texas came into the game averaging nearly 89 points per contest, its most productive offense in three decades, but that rhythm never fully showed up.
Tramon Mark led the Longhorns with 20 points, Camden Heide added 16, and Simeon Wilcher chipped in 10, yet the scoring often felt labor-intensive. Shots came later in the clock, drives ended in traffic, and the easy baskets that pad efficiency simply weren't there. Against a team that was comfortable scoring inside and getting to the line, that imbalance added up quickly.
After struggling mightily at the free-throw line in a loss to Arkansas, the Vols went 21-for-29 from the stripe against Texas. That kind of correction matters in conference play. Getting to the line slows the game, punishes defenders for late rotations, and keeps momentum firmly on your side.
The night carried extra meaning on the Tennessee sideline. It marked the 1,274th head coaching game for Rick Barnes, moving him past Bob Knight into sole possession of 10th place on the all-time list.
Barnes spent 17 seasons at Texas before taking over at Tennessee, and three of his current assistants once worked alongside him in Austin. There was no chest-thumping or dramatics afterward, but the symmetry wasn't lost on anyone watching.
For Tennessee, the win steadied the ship after an uneven start to SEC play and reinforced why the Vols remain a fixture in the national rankings.
Their active streak of AP poll appearances continues, and performances like this one explain why opponents dread trips to Knoxville. When Tennessee controls the paint and pairs it with confident guard play, the margin for visitors is razor-thin.
For Texas, the lesson is both simple and urgent. SEC games punish teams that can't protect the rim or generate consistent interior offense. The Longhorns' scoring ability is real, but conference opponents will force them to earn every point.
The road doesn't get easier. Texas stays away from home for a matchup at Alabama. One night doesn't define a season, but Tuesday served as a clear message. In this league, toughness inside isn't a luxury ... it's the entry fee.