BATON ROUGE, LA – The #5 Tennessee Volunteers posted a hard-fought 65-59 road victory at the LSU Tigers on Wednesday, February 26th.
The win marked Tennessee’s 12th Southeastern Conference (SEC) victory of the season and improved their overall record to 23-4.
The Volunteers were led by senior guard Jordan Bowden, who scored a game-high 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 13th SEC victory of the season and will look to maintain their position atop the conference standings.
_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 (12-2)
– Kentucky (11-3)
– LSU (8-6)
– Arkansas (7-7)
Tennessee’s victory over LSU marked the Volunteers’ 12th SEC win of the season, which is the most in the conference. The Volunteers will look to continue their winning ways when they host Arkansas on Saturday.
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