KNOXVILLE — First it was Johni Broome. Then it was Chad Baker-Mazara. Chaney Johnson was the next victim.

The turnover bug was going around Auburn basketball, especially to begin the second half. The Tigers gave the ball away on their first three possessions coming of out of halftime against Tennessee on Wednesday, and the Vols took advantage by going on a mini run to extend their lead to nine.

It was emblematic of a larger issue for both teams in Thompson-Boiling Arena, as Auburn registered 10 turnovers in the first half and Tennessee had nine. The Vols, however, powered by some sweet shooting from the likely SEC Player of the Year — Dalton Knecht — did enough elsewhere to hand the Tigers a 92-84 loss. Knecht finished with 39 points and made 62.5% of his 3-pointers.

In a battle of two elite defenses, the Vols (22-6, 12-3 SEC) posted the most points on Auburn of any team this season. The defeat all but knocks the Tigers (21-7, 10-5) out of the race for an SEC regular-season title; they're two games back from first place with three contests remaining.

MONITOR: Why these 5 Auburn players have most to prove in spring practice

SPRING: Storylines that will define Hugh Freeze's second spring practice at Auburn

Auburn basketball trades blows with Tennessee

The Tigers responded after falling down by nine points with a 23-6 run to give themselves an eight-point edge, the largest they'd enjoy at any point. The flurry, which lasted just under seven minutes, featured eight points from Broome and six points from fifth-year forward Jaylin Williams.

But Tennessee punched back and closed the game on a 37-21 run. Knecht scored 27 of his points in the second half, with nearly all of it coming in the 12-minute barrage the Vols threw at the Tigers.

Instant impact in Jaylin Williams' return

Williams, making an appearance for the first time since he injured his right knee against Kentucky on Feb. 17, came off the bench and provided an instant impact for the Tigers with 12 points, four assists and three rebounds.

Making the free throws count early

It took nearly 18 minutes for Tennessee to miss its first free throw, sinking 12 straight to begin the game. Shooting from the foul line was solid for both teams in a game that featured 46 fouls.

Next up on Auburn basketball's schedule

The Tigers will return home for a matchup against Mississippi State on Saturday (3 p.m. CT, ESPN2/ESPNU).

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn basketball can't stop Tennessee and Dalton Knecht's shooting