J.P. Estrella lined up on the block for a final North Florida free throw with less than three seconds left.
The Tennessee basketball forward darted in and grabbed the last rebound, securing his second straight double-double and the biggest performance as UT’s big three starred again.
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Estrella was excellent, Nate Ament flirted with a double-double and Ja’Kobi Gillespie had his second consecutive 20-point game to lead the No. 18 Vols (3-0) to a 99-66 win against the Ospreys (0-2) at Food City Center on Nov. 12.
Estrella led the Vols with 23 points and 10 rebounds in 20 minutes, setting a career high in scoring in back-to-back games. Gillespie had with 21 points and made four 3-pointers for the second game in a row. Ament had 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Estrella scored nine straight points midway through the first half before Tennessee broke the game open. The Vols scored the final 15 points of the half, holding North Florida scoreless in the final 6:13 to take a 47-30 lead after a sluggish start.
Guard Amaree Abram had nine points and three steals in his best game with the Vols.
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Tennessee hosts Rice on Nov. 17 and Tennessee State on Nov. 20 before heading to Las Vegas for the three-game Players Era Festival.
Tennessee basketball vs. North Florida: Live score updates
When does Tennessee basketball vs. North Florida start?
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Where: Food City Center in Knoxville, Tennessee
What TV channel is Tennessee vs. North Florida on today?
Tennessee basketball 2025-26 schedule, TV times
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Nov. 3: Tennessee 76, Mercer 61
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Nov. 8: Tennessee 95, Northern Kentucky 56
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Nov. 12: North Florida (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network+)
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Nov. 17: Rice (8:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
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Nov. 20: Tennessee State (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network+)
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Nov. 24: Rutgers in Las Vegas (1 p.m. ET, TNT/HBO Max)
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Nov. 25: Houston in Las Vegas (6 p.m. ET, TNT/HBO Max)
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Nov. 26/Nov. 27: TBD in Las Vegas (TBD, TBD)
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Dec. 2: at Syracuse (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
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Dec. 6: Illinois in Nashville (8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
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Dec. 16: Louisville (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
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Dec. 21: Gardner-Webb (3 p.m. ET, SEC Network+)
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Dec. 30: South Carolina State (8 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
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Jan. 3: at Arkansas (3 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
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Jan. 6: Texas (9 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN2)
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Jan. 10: at Florida (noon ET, ESPN/ESPN2)
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Jan. 13: Texas A&M (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
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Jan 17: Kentucky (noon ET, ESPN)
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Jan. 24: at Alabama (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN2)
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Jan. 27: at Georgia (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
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Jan. 31: Auburn (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
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Feb. 3: Ole Miss (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
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Feb 7: at Kentucky (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
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Feb. 11: at Mississippi State (9 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPNU)
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Feb 14: LSU (6 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
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Feb. 18: Oklahoma (7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU)
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Feb 21: at Vanderbilt (2/2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN2)
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Feb. 24: at Missouri (9 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
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Feb. 28: Alabama (6/6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN2)
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March 3: at South Carolina (6 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
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March 7: Vanderbilt (2 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU)
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee basketball vs. North Florida highlights, J.P. Estrella leads rout
