Saturday was a tale of two halves for the Tennessee Volunteers against the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday at the Food City Center at Thompson-Boling Arena. Fortunately for the Vols, the terrific one came after the terrible one.
Tennessee rallied from a 16-point first half deficit and a 13-point halftime margin to topple Vanderbilt 81-76.
Zakai Zeigler led Tennessee with 22 points, all of which he scored in the second half, adding a game-high 8 assists. Chaz Lanier added 21 with some crucial points in the second half with a game-high 8 rebounds.
This game was one of nightmares, particularly on the defensive end for the Vols. Vanderbilt jumped out to a 6-0 lead on their first two possessions with three points the old fashion way and the newer way. The Vols would end up chasing until the second half from that point. Lanier kept Tennessee close with 5 points early in the half, but Vandy built their lead up to 16 points at 38-22 after AJ Hoggard laid it in with under 5 minutes left in the half. Tennessee would close to 44-31 at the half when Lanier’s buzzer beater rattled around and in, but it was a half to forget. Vandy shot 54.8% from the field, while the Vols were a decent 46.2%. It was the Vols’ defense that really let them down in the first half.
Things changed quickly out of the locker room, as Tennessee cut the lead down to 50-42 at the first media timeout. That was after Zeigler and Vandy’s Jaylen Carey got technicals following some jawing after Zeigler bounced the ball off Carey’s chest. Still, this was a Tennessee team that was suddenly playing with a ton more energy, heart, and attitude than the one from the first half.
6 points from Zeigler brought Tennessee to within 2 at 52-50, and then he splashed home a three from the corner to even the game for the first time since the opening seconds at 55. A Lanier layup gave the Vols their first lead at 57-55, and it felt like the game was sliding away from Vanderbilt in the late stages.
However, as it appeared the Vols were blowing past the Commodores, Vandy guard Jason Edwards kept them right in it until the end. Edwards led all scorers with 24 points, and he went unconscious from the field down the stretch to keep the issue in doubt until the very end. He gave Vandy their last lead on a three at 70-69 after a miscommunication on a switch. Two Zeigler free throws and a Jahmai Mashack three gave the Vols a tad bit of breathing room at 74-70.
However, Edwards knocked down two more ridiculous contested threes to keep Vandy right there at 78-76 with 40 seconds left. Fortunately for Tennessee, Zeigler drove and laid it in to push the lead back out to two possessions, and the Vols finally bottled up Edwards and forced someone else to shoot. Miss, rebound by Tennessee, ballgame.
It was ugly, but in the end, Tennessee got its fourth win in their last five games and avenged a loss to Vandy earlier in Nashville, improving to 8-5 in SEC play.
Up next: a midweek break before taking on #8 Texas A&M on the road next weekend.