Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball (17-8, 5-7 SEC) traveled east to Knoxville, Tennessee, on Feb. 15 to take on No. 5 Tennessee (21-5, 8-5) looking for its first in-state sweep of the Volunteers since 2016. The game tipped off at 12 p.m. CST.

When all was said and done, Tennessee rode a 50-point second half to a narrow 81-76 victory. Jason Edwards (24 points, 6-0f-10 3-point shooting) and Jaylen Carey (18 points, 7 rebounds) were spectacular for Vanderbilt, but their efforts ultimately fell short.

The Volunteers entered the game with one of the nation’s premier defenses, allowing just 59.9 points per game, which leads the SEC and ranks fourth nationally. Head coach Rick Barnes’ squad struggled mightily against Vanderbilt, though, as the Commodores hit six first-half 3-pointers and led by as many as 16 points in the opening frame. Vanderbilt got out to an early lead thanks to some efficient shooting; the ‘Dores went 7-of-10 from the field and 3-of-3 from downtown to start the game.

Carey and Devin McGlockton controlled the glass for much of the first half as Vanderbilt out-rebounded Tennessee 21-10. That changed in the second half as the Volunteers controlled the glass and thus the game, erasing Vanderbilt’s 13-point first-half lead and taking a lead halfway through the second period. Tennessee outrebounded Vanderbilt 20-10 in the second half and used a 5-of-11 shooting split from 3-point range to crawl back into the game and ultimately pull away.

First half

Felix Okpara won the opening tip for Tennessee, but it was Vanderbilt that got on the board first as Manon picked off a pass from Jahmai Mashack and ran coast-to-coast for an and-one layup. Some stout defense gave way to a wide-open Tyler Nickel triple to give Vanderbilt an early 6-0 lead and momentarily silence the Volunteer crowd. 

Igor Milicic Jr. got Tennessee on the board with a cut to the rim before a back-and-forth 3-point barrage from Mashack, AJ Hoggard and Lanier got the crowd on its feet. Vanderbilt clung to a 13-10 lead at the first media timeout. 

Carey — who dominated against the Volunteers in their last game — made his presence known early in this one with two layups, a triple and a pair of free throws on consecutive possessions. Both teams then entered scoring droughts of over three minutes before Jordan Gainey broke the ice with an easy bucket. Tyler Tanner ended Vanderbilt’s drought with a sweet euro step through the lane and MJ Collins Jr. poured in his first points of the game on a contested triple, sending Vanderbilt into a timeout with a 27-17 lead. 

A Milicic turnover and Edwards 3-pointer, Vanderbilt’s fifth of the game, forced Barnes to call a timeout immediately after the previous one’s conclusion. The play capped off an 8-0 Black and Gold run which was eventually ended by a pair of Gainey free throws. Both sides traded buckets inside before Tennessee went on a mini-run to bring itself back within 12 points. That momentum didn’t last long, though, as Edwards silenced the crowd with a contested 3-pointer to enter double-figure scoring at a perfect 4-of-4 shooting.

Milicic ended a near three-minute Tennessee scoring drought with a triple right before the half to cut Vanderbilt’s lead to 13 points and force a Byington timeout. Hoggard and Lanier traded mid-range jumpers and sent the game into halftime with the Black and Gold leading 44-31. Carey was the star of the show in the opening 20 minutes, pouring in 10 points, 6 rebounds (3 offensive) and 3 assists.

Second half

Both teams started the second-half proceedings slowly, Tennessee controlling the methodic pace of the game. Okpara and Lanier sent the crowd to its feet with back-to-back buckets that cut Vanderbilt’s lead to single digits, but Nickel quieted them quickly with an off-balance triple.

Tempers flared as Zakai Ziegler and Tanner were both charged with technical fouls, and Ziegler hit a triple on the ensuing possessions, but Nickel once again responded with his third 3-pointer of the game. Byington was forced to call a timeout soon thereafter when Mashack and Okpara got wide open under the hoop and cut Vanderbilt’s lead to just eight points.

Things got worse for Vanderbilt as Ziegler converted on an and-one layup and cut Vanderbilt’s lead to just five points. Vanderbilt’s cold streak — approaching four minutes scoreless — continued as McGlockton committed his fourth foul and sent Gainey to the line, where he converted two free throws. The noise in the arena reached deafening heights as Collins finally ended Vanderbilt’s scoring drought with a floater.

The crowd exploded yet again as Ziegler splashed a triple in to cut Vanderbilt’s lead to two, but Edwards came right back with a fadeaway triple of his own to silence the crowd.

Ziegler hit another triple to tie the game at 55, and Tennessee officially took its first lead of the game after a Lanier layup. A flagrant was addressed to Okpara, and Carey hit both free throws. Tensions continued to rise as both sides struggled to find any space on offense, missing free throws and converting turnovers before the game hit its under-eight media timeout. 

Carey recaptured the lead for Vanderbilt with some old-fashioned bully ball in the paint, plus the foul, but couldn’t hit the ensuing free throw. A Lanier triple later gave Tennessee its largest lead of the game. Byington called his third timeout of the game with the scoreboard flashing 67-63. 

Carey completed a ferocious putback slam on offense before committing his fifth foul on defense, thus ending his night. Edwards was fouled on a triple attempt and converted 2-of-3 to tie the game back up at 67 apiece. 

Scoring efforts from Ziegler and Edwards both saw the leader flicker back and forth, but a triple from Mashack gave the Volunteers a four-point lead with just 2:18 to play. Byington took his final timeout soon thereafter

Edwards missed on a jumper on the other side of the timeout as Gainey put a layup in on the other end. When all seemed lost for Vanderbilt, Edwards dropped his defender and nailed a triple to bring his squad back within three points.

McGlockton fouled out on the ensuing possession and sent Ziegler to the line, where he converted both attempts. Edwards kept hope alive with another triple that cut Tennessee’s lead to two as Barnes called a timeout with 28 seconds left.

Ziegler made a layup with just 19 seconds left to extend Tennessee’s lead to 4, ending the game for Vanderbilt. The ‘Dores tried to play the free throw game at the end, but to no avail, and they fell 81-76.

Vanderbilt will look to get back on track on Feb. 19 as it travels to Lexington to take on No. 15 Kentucky.