Tennessee downs Vanderbilt behind explosive second half
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — There were times inside Memorial Gymnasium on Saturday night that conjured up painful memories for Tennessee. Dalton Knecht made sure those feelings didn't linger.
Less than a year after falling to Vanderbilt on a last-second shot in the same building, the No. 5 Vols were again fighting for their life in a game that was closer than expected.
Another second half onslaught from Knecht provided a different finish, one that led Tennessee to its fourth-straight win in the form of a 75-62 victory over the Commodores
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Knecht paced the Vols (15-4, 5-1 SEC) with 32 points, including 21 in the second half. His performance, which has become routine on the road, was the turning point over midway through the final period.
Santiago Vescovi, Zakai Zeigler and Jordan Gainey finished in double figures with 12, 10 and 10 points, respectively.
Tennessee held the edge on the boards, out-rebounding Vanderbilt, 38-31. Jonas Aidoo tallied 10 rebounds.
Tyrin Lawrence led Vanderbilt (5-14, 0-6) with 21 points and Ezra Manjon scored 14.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Vanderbilt jumped out to an early lead before Tennessee rattled off a 6-0 run to pull in front, 8-6, highlighted by a Gainey 3-pointer more than four minutes in.
Zeigler extended the Vols' lead with a three of his own, but the Commodores, aided by three Tennessee turnovers, answered back to pull ahead against at 12-11.
Back-to-back drives to the basket that ended in layups from Vescovi and Knecht put Tennessee up three but Paul Lewis knocked down a three on the other end and Lawrence followed it up with a score draw even at 17-17 with less than nine minutes to go in the first half.
Tennessee went on quick 6-0 scoring stretch with J.P. Estrella, who saw extended minutes before of foul trouble to Tobe Awaka, scored on a put-back to swell the Vols' lead to six at 23-17.
Vanderbilt kept pace, though, starting with a three-point play on a Lawrence and-1. It opened the way for the Commodores own scoring run which gave them the lead again at 28-24 inside of four minutes.
Aidoo ended a three-and-half minute scoring drought by finding an open lane and finishing with a dunk to pull Tennessee within two but Evan Taylor's 3-pointer put Vanderbilt back ahead 31-26.
Manjon provided Vanderbilt with four points at the free throw line after a foul on Zeigler and technical foul assessed to Barnes in response to the call sent him to the line, building the Commodores lead to 35-28.
Knecht and Aidoo scored on consecutive possessions after to get back within five with 15.2 seconds left on the clock, but Vanderbilt's 18-6 scoring edge over the last six minutes of the half sent the Vols to the intermission trailing 35-30.
Zeigler opened the second half with a 3-pointer on Tennessee's first possession of the period but Vanderbilt maintained its advantage after a Lawrence three. Taylor added another for a four-point lead but Knecht first made 3-pointer of the game got the Vols within a possession.
Knecht gave them their first lead since the middle of the first half with a jumper at 44-43 with 14 minutes to go.
Lawrence drew even at 46-46 with a pair of free throws but an offensive possession kept alive by a Mashack rebound led to a Knecht and-1 to go up 48-46. He tallied his second three to reach 25 points for the sixth-straight game and give Tennessee a 51-48 lead with 11 minutes, 23 seconds remaining.
Sparked by a 10-0 run, the Vols never trailed again, going up double digits for the first time after a Gainey 3-pointer at 58-48.
Vanderbilt was unable to make a substantial push down the stretch as Knecht and Zeigler kept Tennessee ahead in relative comfort. Knecht's 3-pointer from the corner with five minutes, 40 seconds left all but put the Commodores out of reach for good.
STAT OF THE DAY
Knecht's ability to take over critical stretches in road games cannot be overstated.
Though Tennessee was largely in control over the final eight minutes of the game, Knecht's take over of the Vols' offense sparked a game-defining run and put Vanderbilt out of it when it mattered most.
Knecht, who continues to turn in record performances, is currently averaging 31.4 points in true road games and 26.6 points in league play, which bodes well for Tennessee with upcoming road games at Kentucky and Texas A&M in the coming weeks.
WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY
UP NEXT
Tennessee returns to Knoxville to face a South Carolina team that has exceeded expectations in head coach Laont Paris' second season.
The Gamecocks are 17-3 overall and are off to a 5-2 start in conference play, including an emphatic 79-62 win over Kentucky last week. They beat Missouri, 72-64 on Saturday.
The Vols swept South Carolina in two games last season.
Tip-off is slated for 6:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network on Tuesday at Food City Center.
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