NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee had life.

The Vols, who had spent more than 25 minutes playing from behind Vanderbilt at Memorial Gym Saturday, somehow, someway had a chance with its leading scorer at the free throw line.

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The poetic ending was set up for Chaz Lanier, the Nashville kid in his return home, now playing for No. 6 Tennessee in his final season. The first shot fell through. Tennessee was down one. The next would likely send it to overtime with the Vols back from the dead. But the shot missed off the iron, a scramble for the rebound led to the clock expiring and Tennessee's comeback bid was short in a 76-75 road defeat.

For the most part, those last two minutes, which saw Tennessee (16-2, 3-2 SEC) put together an impressive final push were one of the few highlights for the Vols. They were out-rebounded, in foul trouble and unable to hold on to the ball for other 38 minutes.

Vanderbilt (15-3, 3-2), meanwhile controlled much of the game with a dominating effort on both ends, extending possessions with offensive rebounds and rattling off run after run.

Lanier led Tennessee with 17 points in his homecoming, but turned the ball over five times. Zakai Zeigler, who sat seven-plus minutes in the first half with two fouls as the Vols' lost a lead and unfolded, finished with 16.

Igor Milicic Jr. was nearly the hero with his 16 points and five rebounds headlining Tennessee's late push. Felix Okpara scored 16 on 7-of-7 shooting from the field.

The Vols would have taken four of their starting five scoring in double digits, but the back-breaker was the 11 turnovers, losing the boards, 29-25, being out-scored in the paint, 34-28 and the inability to get stops in large stretches.

Jason Edwards paced the Commodores with 18 points and Jaylen Carey tallied 14. Tyler Nickle scored 13 and combined with Edwards for seven 3-pointers.

Vanderbilt came out swinging.

The Commodores landed a couple of punches early in the form of 3-pointers from Jason Edwards and Tyler Nickel, putting Tennessee in an 8-3 hole.

But the Vols responded and who else by Jordan Gainey to provide the answer? Off the bench, Gainey scored from deep off an offensive rebound and Felix Okpara paid off a lob from Zakai Zeigler with a dunk to draw even at 8-8 a little more than five minutes in.

MJ Collins jumper out of the first timeout put Vanderbilt back in front, but only for a moment. Igor Milicic Jr. fired a 3-pointer from the top of the arc to give Tennessee its first lead, 11-10.

Chaz Lanier added to it with his first basket, another three from the elbow and Okpara was on the receiving and scoring end of another alley oop before Zeigler laced his second 3-pointer to put the Vols ahead 19-11 amid an 11-1 run.

Vanderbilt pulled back within two after a turnover led to a transition dunk for Devin McGlockton, but Darlinstone Dubar clapped back with a three from the corner to stretch Tennessee's lead to 26-21 with inside of eight minutes to go in the half.

But the Vols settled into a scoring drought, going more than three minutes without a field goal as Chris Manon free throws tied the score at 28-28 with a little more than five minutes left.

Fouls racked up for Tennessee in the half. Zeigler made a rare trip to the bench with two and Cade Phillips and Okpara had two each, effecting the rotation. Meanwhile, the Commodores took advantage with the Vols' best player off the floor, extending their run to 6-1 and reclaiming the lead off of a Jaylen Carey layup, 30-28.

The Vols continued to struggle without Zeigler. Edwards extended Vanderbilt's run to 11-0 to lead 35-28 approaching the two minute mark, while Tennessee's scoreless stretch passed five minutes.

Lanier gave the Vols a much-needed jolt with a 3-pointer to trim their deficit, then Milicic inched them closer after drawing a foul and hitting both free throws to trail by just two with 26 seconds before the half.

Vanderbilt recaptured some momentum going into the intermission, though. Nickle drilled a 3-pointer and was fouled by Jahmai Mashack in the process. His free throw put the Commodores up, 41-35.

Milicic built off a strong first half with five-straight points in the early-going of the second. After making a couple of free throws, he buried a 3-pointer to pull Tennessee within one, but three-straight threes from Nickel and Edwards upped Vanderbilt's lead to 50-40.

A timeout from Rick Barnes did little to stop the Commodores run, either. Nickel answered with another three to go up 13 with 16:23 to go. Okapra's and-1 ended a 12-0 run, but AJ Hoggard came right back down and scored as Tennessee couldn't put together stops on the defensive end.

Turnovers didn't help. Vanderbilt led the SEC in creating them coming in and the Vols plagued by them. After getting a stop on defense, a Zeigler pass ended up in the hands of Carey. He dished the ball to a streaking Collins, who finished with a one-handed dunk to swell the Commodores' advantage to 64-52 with inside of 12 minutes remaining.

Tennessee strung together some stops, forcing two shot-clock violations and a press-breaker ended in an Okpara score to cut its deficit to 10 with five minutes left.

Zeigler got it under double digits for the first time since the start of the half with free throws, but another offensive board led to a Carey layup to go back up 10.

The Vols hung around, though. Milicic scored on a drive that he finished off with a two-handed slam, then scored on another possession a minute later. Lanier started to put Vanderbilt on its heals with a jumper and Tennessee was down four with less than a minute left.

After Milicic grabbed a big defensive rebound, Zeigler was fouled and his free throws had the Vols down one possession at 45.1 seconds. Twice Tennessee had a chance in the final seconds.

Lanier had the game-tying shot blocked. He was fouled after Manon missed the front-end of a 1-and-1, but his missed free threw ultimately loomed larger.

Tennessee returns home before another daunting road task.

The Vols host Mississippi State at Food City Center on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

The Bulldogs (14-3, 2-2) have lost two straight to Kentucky and Auburn since beginning SEC play 2-0 and will play No. 21 Ole Miss at home Saturday before facing Tennessee.

The Vols split games with Mississippi State last season, losing in Starkville and winning convincingly in Knoxville.

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