Auburn leans on defense heading into SEC tourney matchup with No. 25 Tennessee

NASHVILLE -- Auburn hopes to bolster its NCAA Tournament resume when it meets No. 25-ranked Tennessee in the second round of the Southeastern Conference tournament on Thursday afternoon.

The 12th-seeded Tigers (17-15) trailed by 10 points in the first half but rallied to beat 13th-seeded Mississippi State 79-61 in their tournament opener on Wednesday.

The Bulldogs' 61 points were the fewest Auburn has allowed to an SEC opponent all year.

"I thought that was as good as our defense...