BATON ROUGE, LA – The Tennessee Volunteers secured their tenth Southeastern Conference (SEC) victory of the season with a hard-fought 65-59 win at the LSU Tigers on Wednesday, February 26th.
The Volunteers, who improved their overall record to 23-4, were led by senior guard Jordan Bowden’s 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field. Bowden also added 5 rebounds and 3 assists in 37 minutes of action.
Tennessee’s victory was not without its challenges, however. The Volunteers trailed by as many as 10 points in the second half before mounting a furious comeback. Trailing 49-39 with 10:45 remaining, Tennessee went on a 14-2 run over the next 4:15 to take a 53-51 lead.
LSU refused to go away, however, and the Tigers tied the game at 59-59 with just over 2 minutes remaining. But Tennessee’s defense stiffened, and the Volunteers held LSU scoreless over the final 2:05 to secure the win.
“I’m proud of our guys for finding a way to win,” said Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes. “We didn’t play our best basketball, but we showed a lot of heart and determination down the stretch.”
The Volunteers’ victory was also aided by a strong defensive effort. Tennessee held LSU to just 38.9% shooting from the field and forced 16 Tiger turnovers.
LSU was led by sophomore guard Javonte Smart, who scored 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting from the field. Smart also added 5 rebounds and 3 assists in 37 minutes of action.
The loss dropped LSU’s overall record to 17-10 and 8-6 in SEC play. The Tigers will look to bounce back when they host the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, February 29th.
Tennessee, meanwhile, will return home to face the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, February 29th. The Volunteers will be seeking their 11th SEC victory of the season and will look to maintain their position atop the conference standings.
The Volunteers’ tenth SEC victory of the season marked a significant milestone for the program. Tennessee has not won ten SEC games in a season since the 2013-2014 campaign.
Tennessee’s strong performance in SEC play has been fueled by the team’s stifling defense. The Volunteers rank second in the conference in scoring defense, allowing just 62.1 points per game.
The Volunteers’ offense has also been impressive, ranking fourth in the conference in scoring at 74.1 points per game. Tennessee’s balanced attack has been led by Bowden, who is averaging 13.4 points per game.
_Game Statistics:_
– Tennessee: Jordan Bowden (21 points), Yves Pons (15 points), John Fulkerson (12 points)
– LSU: Javonte Smart (18 points), Trendon Watford (14 points), Emmitt Williams (10 points)
– Rebounds: Tennessee (34), LSU (32)
– Assists: Tennessee (12), LSU (10)
– Turnovers: Tennessee (11), LSU (16)
_SEC Standings:_
– Auburn (13-1)
– Tennessee (10-2)
– Kentucky (11-3)
– LSU (8-6)
– Arkansas (7-7)
Tennessee’s victory over LSU marked the Volunteers’ tenth SEC win of the season, which is a significant milestone for the program. The Volunteers will look to continue their winning ways when they host Arkansas on Saturday.
Leave a Reply