Tennessee basketball fell behind by 17 and stormed back behind an epic Tyreke Key performance Saturday against Missouri.

Then it was all for naught, a comeback discarded by an even more epic shot. Missouri's DeAndre Gholston buried a buzzer-beating heave from well behind the 3-point line at Thompson-Boling Arena to hand Tennessee its second straight loss on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer.

The No. 5 Vols fell 86-85 to the Tigers after losing 66-65 at Vanderbilt on a corner 3-pointer Wednesday.

Santiago Vescovi missed a free throw with 4.1 seconds to play with UT (19-6, 8-4 SEC) ahead 85-83. Tobe Awaka committed a lane violation, a turnover giving the ball to Missouri (19-6, 7-5). Gholston dribbled through the defense and chucked the game-winner in. Vescovi missed the front end of a one-and-one at Vanderbilt prior to its game-winning shot.

BACKGROUND:Tyreke Key's Tennessee basketball homecoming started in small-town Celina with a mother's magic

Key had 23 points for Tennessee with a season-high five 3-pointers against the Tigers.

Key had two first-half points, but turned his game and the game around early in the second half. He hit a 3-pointer with Tennessee down 14 at the 14:22 mark. He kept going, shooting and scoring like he hadn't since UT's scrimmage against Gonzaga in October.

He scored 18 points during a long Tennessee run that trimmed Missouri's lead to two. Vescovi put the Vols ahead with a 3-pointer with 7:41 to play.

Tennessee had not allowed a team to make more than eight 3-pointers in a game this season entering Wednesday. The Vols allowed Vanderbilt to hit 10 3-pointers, including the game-winning 3-pointer.

Missouri made eight in the first half, shooting 50% from behind the arc. It made two early in the second half, hitting the 10 3-pointer mark with 16:20 to play. It finished with 14 after the game-winner.

B.J. Edwards had played six minutes in two SEC appearances. He played the final six minutes of the first half, as coach Rick Barnes turned to the freshman from Knoxville Catholic. He hit a baseline jumper shortly after checking in and made a pair of free throws.

Josiah-Jordan James did not play due to an ankle injury suffered in the final minute against Vanderbilt. James is averaging 9.3 points and a team-high 5.3 rebounds.

Freshman forward Julian Phillips had four points in the first half before leaving with a hip flexor.

Tennessee hosts Alabama on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2). Alabama is 12-0 in the SEC.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.