“You can just tell he’s got a little bounce about him,” Barnes said. “… He likes the moment. He does.”

Knecht’s final 3 gave the Vols an 81-79 lead. He added two free throws with 16 seconds remaining to extend the advantage.

Tennessee (12-4, 2-1 SEC) blew a 42-28 lead in the first half and trailed by 11 points before recovering in the closing minutes.

“I really wish we could have finished the 40 minutes, because we were pretty good for 35,” Georgia coach Mike White said.

When asked if the loss felt like a missed opportunity or a sign of success to come, White said “Both. … We got out-executed down the stretch by a team that’s just better than us right now.”

Jabri Abdur-Rahim led Georgia (12-4, 2-1) with 21 points.

Georgia used a 15-0 run to wipe out a 14-point deficit before seeing the fourth-longest winning streak in school history end. The Bulldogs were denied their first win over a top-five team since Jan. 17, 2004, when they beat No. 5 Kentucky 65-57 at Rupp Arena.

Tennessee regrouped following a 77-72 loss at Mississippi State on Wednesday.