The Thompson Boling Effect vs. No. 3 Auburn
Thompson Boling Arena Atmosphere Helps Seal the Win Over No. 3 Auburn
Zakai Ziegler shoots a free throw when Tennessee played Auburn in Thompson Boling on Feb. 26, 2022. Photo/Nicole Marker
Tennessee basketball remains undefeated at home this season after a matchup with No. 3 Auburn.
The Vols have beat three different top-five teams in TBA thus far, kicking off the streak by beating an Arizona team that was undefeated at the time.
The Vols took on rival Kentucky in Lexington back in January, but lost by a whopping 28 points. Almost exactly a month later, Tennessee hosted the Cats at home. Fans started forming a line nearly 9 hours before tip off, eagerly waiting to watch the revenge unfold.
The atmosphere inside of the arena was electric as Tennessee took down No. 4 Kentucky. Star player John Fulkerson tweeted after the game, “Vol Nation…y’all had TBA rockin tonight.. best atmosphere in the country.”
Students started lining up outside of Thompson Boling as early as 6 a.m. on Saturday in order to guarantee a front row spot to watch the men’s basketball team take on Auburn.
Even with a four o’clock tip off, Vol fans had the upper level deck to the arena absolutely packed by late morning.
As soon as the doors opened at 2:30, fans came pouring in from all directions to claim their spots.
Vol Nation kept their spirits high throughout the entire game, even when the Volunteers were down. The student section showed their dedication by standing throughout the entirety of the game as well.
After a hard fought 40 minutes, the Vols pulled away with a 67-62 win against the Tigers.
The team ran into the stands to celebrate with the students at the sound of the buzzer. Players ran around and jumped on each other’s backs in celebration, and Fulkerson even stood up with the bandleader as he conducted “Rocky Top ‘ alongside The Pride of the Southland Band.
The energy continued throughout campus the rest of the night as the students celebrated the win.
It’s no coincidence that the atmosphere inside of Thompson Boling Arena affects the momentum of the game. The dedication and passion that comes with Tennessee students and fans has aided the team in multiple huge home wins this year.
The team will take on Arkansas for senior night one last time this Saturday. They look to avenge a prior loss to a hot Razorbacks team while finishing with a perfect season at home.
