Vols at a loss, 62-61

Except for the final 38 seconds, that is.

That's when the Vols put on a clinic in how to turn a hard-earned victory into a staggering defeat.

Fouled with 1.2 seconds left and perhaps 25 feet from the basket, Nebraska's Marcus Neal swished three free throws to clip Tennessee 62-61 at Thompson-Boling Arena.

"That's one I never thought would have happened,'' said UT coach Buzz Peterson, whose teams falls to 6-5 with one game left - Coastal Carolina on Sunday - before the SEC season begins.

How Neal got to the free-throw line with a chance to win the game is a sequence that could come back to haunt Tennessee in the weeks to come.

Trailing by six points as the clock moved under four minutes, UT ripped off 10 unanswered points to go up 61-57 on Andre Patterson's fast-break dunk with 38 seconds to play.

While the Vols and perhaps the arena's largest crowd of the year were celebrating, Nebraska whipped the ball down court to Jason Dourisseau for an alley-oop dunk.

It was 61-59 with 35.7 seconds left.

The Vols then proceeded to whiff on four consecutive free throws that could have produced an eight-point lead.

First, with 35.3 seconds left, C.J. Watson, a 70.2-percent free-throw shooter, missed the front end of a one-and-one.

UT defended two Nebraska shots, then, with 19.6 seconds left, Scooter McFadgon, a 90-percent shooter, also missed the one-and-one.

The crowd groaned but when Brandon Crump, playing one of the best halves of his career, drew a charge with 12 seconds to play, the Vols looked like they might escape yet.

Nebraska fouled McFadgon with 9.8 seconds left. The Huskers' 10th foul of the half gave McFadgon two shots.

He missed both.

"It's like that sometimes,'' McFadgon said. "You make some, you miss some.''

The Huskers hurried to get off a shot. A scramble ensued in front of the Nebraska bench.

Neal got the ball and as he threw up a desperation shot, Watson was whistled for the foul.

"I really didn't touch him,'' Watson said. "I just put my hand up to contest the shot and he bumped into me.''

Neal couldn't believe he got the whistle.

"Yeah, it being on the road and everything,'' he said. "Really, the players from Tennessee shouldn't have been anywhere near me. I was 25 feet out.''

Then he was at the free-throw stripe. An 82-percent shooter, Neal made the first two tries for a 61-61 tie. UT called time out, but it didn't deter Neal from hitting the third try.

Major Wingate's pass to Watson produced only an errant shot that came after the buzzer.

"Everything was looking good for us,'' said Peterson, "then the one thing we do well, free throws, it just didn't happen for us tonight.''

The Vols were a stupefying 6-of-17 at the stripe, 35.3 percent. They missed the front end of five one-and-ones.

"I couldn't believe they gave us that many chances,'' said Neal, who led the Huskers (5-4) with 17 points.

"That's one-in-a-thousand odds,'' said Crump, "especially with C.J. and Scooter.''

Crump finished with 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting in the second half. All of them were tough baskets in the lane except a 3-pointer with 2:43 left that cut Nebraska's lead to 57-56.

"Last year, I probably wouldn't have shot that,'' said Crump.

McFadgon scored 12 of his 15 points in the first half. He was 2-of-6 at the free-throw line.

Watson scored 11 points and dished out 10 assists without a turnover.

"I am confident we are moving in the direction we want to be,'' said Nebraska coach Barry Collier.

"Tennessee can, too, if they make their free throws.''

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276.