South Carolina State Bulldogs vs Tennessee Volunteers - Full Game Highlights | NCAA Basketball (2026)

Ouch! The South Carolina State Bulldogs faced a tough battle against the Tennessee Volunteers on December 30, 2025, and the scoreline tells a story of dominance. Let's dive into the game's key moments, tracking the live score and stats as they unfolded. Get ready for a play-by-play breakdown that highlights the Volunteers' commanding performance, but also reveals some glimmers of hope from the Bulldogs.

Game Tracker: South Carolina State Bulldogs vs. Tennessee Volunteers

• 19:52: DeWayne Brown II scores a layup, assisted by Ja'Kobi Gillespie, bringing the score to 25-43. Immediately after, Brown draws a shooting foul on Florian Tenebay and converts one free throw, making it 25-44. It seems like Brown is trying to spark something for the Bulldogs.
• 19:27: Bishop Boswell commits a shooting foul on Tenebay, who unfortunately misses both free throw attempts. A missed opportunity for South Carolina State.
• 19:00: Boswell redeems himself with a three-pointer, assisted by Gillespie, inching the Bulldogs closer at 25-47.
• 18:40 - 18:35: Owen Bronston Jr. misses a three-point attempt, followed by a defensive rebound by Gillespie. Boswell then scores another layup, assisted again by Gillespie, making it 25-49. Gillespie is clearly a key playmaker for Tennessee.
• 18:33: Tenebay commits a turnover with a bad pass, stolen by Felix Okpara.
• 18:20: Morrow fouls Okpara, who makes one of two free throws, extending Tennessee's lead to 25-50. Nate Ament grabs an offensive rebound after the second missed free throw but fails to convert.
• 18:07 - 18:02: Okpara blocks Bronston Jr.'s dunk attempt! A huge defensive play! Boswell grabs the rebound but then turns the ball over with a bad pass, stolen by Cameron Clark. Momentum shifts are subtle, but important.
• 17:35: Brown II fouls Tenebay, who makes both free throws, bringing the score to 27-50.
• 17:13: Brown II scores another layup, assisted by Amaree Abram, and draws a foul, converting the free throw to make it 27-53. He's fighting hard!
• 17:06 - 16:55: Bronston Jr. misses another three-pointer, followed by a defensive rebound by Gillespie. Okpara then scores a cutting layup, assisted by Brown II, making it 27-55.
• 16:20: Jayden Johnson hits a three-pointer, bringing the score to 30-55. Can the Bulldogs build on this?
• 16:07 - 15:59: Abram misses a three-pointer, but Amari Evans grabs the offensive rebound.
• 15:59: Jaylen Carey scores a layup, assisted by Gillespie, extending Tennessee's lead to 30-57. Gillespie's playmaking is undeniable.
• 15:34: J.P. Estrella fouls Tim Okojie, leading to a TV timeout. Okojie misses both free throws after the timeout. A critical moment where the Bulldogs could have closed the gap.
• 15:17 - 15:00: A series of missed shots and offensive rebounds by both teams, with Okojie blocking Carey's layup attempts twice! A flurry of activity under the basket!
• 14:48: Gillespie hits a three-pointer, assisted by Troy Henderson, making it 30-60. The Volunteers are pulling away.
• 14:16 - 14:12: Noah Treadwell misses a jump shot, Bronston Jr. grabs the offensive rebound and draws a foul. Bronston Jr. then misses a three point jump shot.
• 13:56: Evans hits a three-pointer, assisted by Henderson, extending Tennessee's lead to 30-63.
• 13:45 - 13:37: Okojie scores a layup, assisted by Johnson, bringing the score to 32-63. Evans responds with a dunk, assisted by Henderson, making it 32-65.
• 13:21 - 13:06: Johnson misses a jump shot, followed by a defensive rebound by Carey. Ethan Burg misses a three-pointer, but Estrella grabs the offensive rebound. Henderson then hits a three-pointer, assisted by Burg, making it 32-68.
• 12:54: Bulldogs call a timeout. TV timeout follows.
• 12:42 - 12:28: Evans blocks Tenebay's jump shot, followed by a defensive rebound by Burg. Estrella scores a dunk, assisted by Evans, making it 32-70.
• 12:06 - 11:47: Tenebay commits a turnover. Carey scores a layup, assisted by Estrella, making it 32-72.
• 11:18: Clark scores a turnaround hook shot, assisted by Tenebay, bringing the score to 34-72.
• 11:17: Official timeout. TV timeout follows.
• 11:07 - 10:55: Massamba misses a three pointer, followed by an offensive rebound by Carey. Estrella scores a layup, assisted by Carey, making it 34-74.
• 10:33 - 10:21: Tenebay misses a jump shot, followed by a defensive rebound by Carey. Carey then turns the ball over.
• 10:17 - 9:58: Treadwell misses a three-pointer, followed by a defensive rebound by Carey. Estrella scores another layup, assisted by Carey, making it 34-76.
• 9:24 - 9:01: Tenebay misses a three-pointer. Okojie fouls Estrella.
• 9:01 - 8:56: Gillespie misses a three-pointer, Brown II grabs the offensive rebound and draws a foul, converting one of two free throws to make it 34-77.
• 8:43 - 8:24: Hodge Jr. misses a layup, followed by a defensive rebound by Boswell. Okpara scores an alley-oop layup, assisted by Boswell, making it 34-79.
• 8:08: Tenebay scores a layup, bringing the score to 36-79.
• 8:00: Ament scores a running alley-oop dunk, assisted by Gillespie, making it 36-81.
• 7:41: Tenebay commits another turnover. TV timeout follows.
• 7:22 - 7:16: Ament misses a three-pointer, Okpara grabs the offensive rebound.
• 7:16 - 6:53: Gillespie scores a driving layup, making it 36-83. Tindal scores a turnaround jump shot, assisted by Johnson, bringing the score to 38-83. Brown II fouls Tindal, who misses the free throw.
• 6:36 - 6:31: Hodge Jr. fouls Gillespie. Ament scores a layup and converts the free throw, making it 38-86.
• 6:18: Brown II fouls Wright, who makes one of two free throws, bringing the score to 39-86.
• 6:04 - 5:43: Gillespie scores a cutting layup, assisted by Boswell, making it 39-88. Bronston Jr. scores a jump shot, bringing the score to 41-88.
• 5:38 - 5:18: Ament misses a three-pointer, followed by a defensive rebound by Wright. Johnson hits a three-pointer, assisted by Wright, bringing the score to 44-88.
• 4:50 - 4:27: Gillespie misses a three-pointer, followed by a defensive rebound by Hodge Jr.. Tindal misses a layup, followed by a defensive rebound by Ament.
• 4:27 - 4:02: Carey scores a cutting dunk, assisted by Gillespie, making it 44-90. Johnson scores a layup, assisted by Wright, bringing the score to 46-90. Ament scores a pullup jump shot, assisted by Boswell, making it 46-92.
• 3:48 - 3:32: Johnson misses a jump shot, followed by a defensive rebound by Ament. Gillespie misses a three-pointer.
• 3:27: Bronston Jr. hits a three-pointer, assisted by Wright, bringing the score to 49-92.
• 3:15: Volunteers call a timeout. TV timeout follows.
• 2:51 - 2:49: Abram misses a jump shot. Evans fouls Tenebay, who misses the free throw.
• 2:24: Estrella scores a floating jump shot, assisted by Evans, making it 49-94.
• 2:07 - 2:05: Wright turns the ball over and then fouls Abram, who misses the free throw. Wright fouls Knights Wright, who makes both free throws, bringing the score to 51-94.
• 1:47 - 1:45: Estrella misses a layup but grabs the offensive rebound and scores, making it 51-96.
• 1:32: Abram fouls Wright, who makes one of two free throws, bringing the score to 52-96.
• 1:16: Evans hits a three-pointer, assisted by Henderson, making it 52-99.
• 1:05: Wright scores a layup, bringing the score to 54-99.
• 0:58: Evans scores a layup and converts the free throw, making it 54-102.
• 0:41 - 0:33: Miles misses a three-pointer, followed by a defensive rebound by Evans. Abram hits a three-pointer, assisted by Henderson, making it 54-105.
• 0:15: Wright misses a jump shot.
• 0:00: End of period.

Final Score: South Carolina State Bulldogs 54 - Tennessee Volunteers 105

The Volunteers showcased a dominant performance, fueled by strong playmaking from Ja'Kobi Gillespie and consistent scoring from J.P. Estrella and Amari Evans. While the Bulldogs fought hard, they struggled to contain Tennessee's offense. What adjustments could South Carolina State have made to better compete in this game? What player matchups would have been more effective? And looking ahead, what does this game reveal about the strengths and weaknesses of both teams as they progress through the season? Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!