Unlike in the first match up in Gainesville, both teams played well. Tennessee looked like the equal or better of the Florida Gators in numerous spots of the rivalry game Tuesday night. Knoxville was rocking. The team, the city, the program, Vol Nation all understood how important this game was for the rest of their season. And they rose to the occasion

Yes there were missed dunks down the stretch that caused more obscenities to be uttered across the State of Tennessee than another blizzard raising hell, but the Vols made shots and played tough and were clearly up to the task before them.

Stokes’ and-one with 4:32 left to go was a great play. As was the fact that he hit the free throw.

There was a great defensive stop with 4:00 left to go.

But then there was Michael Frasier with 3:27 with a three, an absolute dagger.

Then the mistake to try to save the ball blind on your own defensive side was also killer with 90 seconds left.

That was all she wrote.

An effort worthy of a team that is desperate to make the NCAA Tourney and has the talent to deserve it ultimately fell short. In the game that was and will remain their best chance of catching eyes. It’s a humble day on Rocky Top and there is no reason to pretend otherwise.

Onward.

Glance Game Of The Weekend

(20) Memphis at (24) Connecticut 12 PM (TV ESPN)

Both of these teams are ranked, but by itself this game merely represents the arbitrary rankings that exist throughout the season and if you’d like to recover from Friday night/a post Florida bender with a basketball game in the early Saturday hours (I say early because: College) then this is a game worthy of your time. If you’re actually a functioning/semi-functioning individual with no ties to Memphis then just know that this is available when you get sick of trying to understand why you’re watching the Olympics.

Haterade Game Of The Weekend

(3) Florida at (14) Kentucky 9 PM (TV: ESPN)

You should root for Florida, I guess, based on quality losses and…you know what? I don’t even care anymore. Watch this game and just hate everything about it. Make quiet jokes to yourself about Florida’s awful football season and the fact that it seems poised for more of it until they clean out another Ron Zook era. Be cheered by the fact that Kentucky has never been good at football and is always colder than the State of Tennessee. Remember the days when we used to whip them both at basketball and try not to play those old DVDs with Coach Pearl and revel in them as I clearly haven’t. Nope haven’t done that at all. Nor am I planning on watching this game with liquor in hand and an agreement with my friends that it’s ok if I swear uncontrollably and employ a drinking game. I have no such plans to speak of in that regard…One of the rules is about hair gel.

Reservation Game Of The Weekend

Tennessee at Missouri 4 PM (TV: ESPN 2)

If these Vols are gonna make the tournament, and we’ve all been comforted by the prognostication that Tennessee will get in, they need to knock out, ruthlessly, a team like Missouri. And by “a team like Missouri” what I mean, specifically, Missouri. The Tigers and the Vols do not, as the present thinking goes, have enough room in town for the two of them in the NCAA field. In losing to Florida, Tennessee has lost the ability to punch ‘up’ for the rest of the regular season. It’s opponents at their own ‘bubble or less’ level until the SEC tourney. Missouri is the perfect personification of that. Is there a world where both get in the Big Dance? Perhaps. Is there a world where I’m dating Bar Rafaeli? I hope so and good on alternative universe 72 me for that accomplishment. Tennessee, in our universe, one in which I can report I am Bar Rafaeli-less, needs this game more than a tick needs blood. Which brings us to our new category:

Something To Watch On Selection Sunday

As things are currently constituted, the NCAA selection committee might have hearts colder than the temperatures of Long Island. So here’s something to cheer you up: Eddie Izzard can calm explain the world and humor calm the nerves.

Enjoy the weekend and the games.