J.P. Prince scored a game-high 20 points to help No. 19 Tennessee knock off No. 2 Kentucky in Knoxville on Saturday afternoon. (AP Photo)

The No. 19 Tennessee Volunteers (21-7, 9-5) used an 18-0 first half run to knock off No. 2 Kentucky (27-2, 12-2) in a thrilling, nationally televised showdown in Knoxville on Saturday afternoon.

After Kentucky scored the game's first four points, the Volunteers put together an 18-point run and controlled the first half, going into the locker room with an 11-point advantage at 40-29.

The Volunteers added to their lead in the second half, jumping out to a 19-point lead at 54-35.

But Kentucky fought back, tying the game in the final two minutes at 65 before Tennessee took advantage of three Kentucky turnovers and a three-point basket by Scotty Hopson to score the game's final nine points and take the 74-65 win.

The win kept the Wildcats from clinching the overall SEC title and sealed Tennessee as an NCAA Tournament team with a huge resume-building win.

The Volunteers held Kentucky star point guard John Wall to 6-16 shooting from the field and forced him into four turnovers, including a crucial one in the final 30 seconds of the game. Wall finished with a team-high 19 points.

J.P. Prince led Tennessee in scoring with a game-high 20 points on 6-10 shooting from the floor.

Kentucky can still clinch the overall SEC title with a win in one of their final two games. The Wildcats will face Georgia on the road before hosting Florida in the final game of the regular season.

Tennessee is fighting for the third seed in the SEC East after falling to Florida on Tuesday night. The Gators will travel to Georgia later this afternoon and a Georgia win would send Tennessee back into a third-place tie with Florida in the SEC East.

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