In a thrilling contest, the No. 5 Tennessee men’s basketball team faced a tough challenge at home against in-state rival Vanderbilt. The Volunteers managed to secure an 81-76 win on Saturday in Knoxville after a nail-biting finish.
After trailing for most of the game, Tennessee took the lead at 67-64 with just under five minutes remaining in the second half, thanks to a clutch 3-pointer by Chaz Lanier. The team managed to maintain their advantage until the final buzzer, with a crucial corner 3-pointer by Jahmai Mashack extending their lead to 74-70 with 2:27 left in the game.
Vanderbilt’s Jason Edwards put up a valiant effort, scoring 11 consecutive points, including two crucial 3-pointers to keep the Commodores within striking distance. However, a pivotal layup by Zakai Zeigler with 19 seconds remaining sealed the victory for Tennessee.
The Volunteers improved their SEC record to 8-5 and their overall record to 21-5 with this hard-fought win.
At halftime, Tennessee found themselves trailing 44-31 after a strong offensive display by Vanderbilt, shooting 55% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. The Commodores also dominated the boards, outrebounding the Volunteers 21-10 in the first half.
In the second half, Tennessee mounted a remarkable comeback, erasing the deficit and eventually taking the lead. Zeigler played a pivotal role in the turnaround, finishing with a game-high 22 points, all scored in the second half, along with eight assists. Lanier contributed 21 points and eight rebounds, while Mashack added nine points and six boards.
Edwards led the scoring for Vanderbilt with 24 points, hitting 6-of-10 from 3-point range. Jaylen Carey chipped in with 18 points and seven rebounds before fouling out late in the game.
Despite the loss, Vanderbilt’s coach Mark Byington acknowledged the challenge of facing a strong Tennessee team on the road, expressing the need for improvement.
With this win, Tennessee split the regular-season series with Vanderbilt, who had won the previous matchup in Nashville.
Looking ahead, Tennessee will have a week off before facing No. 8 Texas A&M on the road, while Vanderbilt will visit No. 15 Kentucky in their next outing.
