Tennessee opens SEC play with emphatic win over Ole Miss

The expectations for the Tennessee men's basketball team have been high, but they may skyrocket after Saturday's performance.

The No. 5 Vols looked unstoppable against a previously unbeaten and ranked Ole Miss team in their SEC opener inside Food City Center, thumping the Rebels 90-64 in a game that wasn't particularly close at any point in the second half.

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Led by Jonas Aidoo, Tennessee (11-3, 1-0 SEC) controlled the game on both ends. Aidoo turned in a double-double with 24 points and another 10 rebounds. The Vols dominated the glass, out-rebounding Ole Miss, 47-24 and finishing with 22 second-chance points.

Zakai Zeigler scored 17 and Santiago Vescovi added 11. Jahmai Mashack totaled 10 points. Tennessee shot 47.2% from the field and 36.7% from 3-point range. Zeigler recorded four 3-pointers.

The Rebels (12-1, 0-1) were led in scoring by Jae Brakefiled, who scored 22 points. Jaylen Murray scored 11.

Ole Miss had little answers for Tennessee’s defense early.

The Rebels started 1-of-7 from the field in the first four minutes and Aidoo scored four for the Vols’ first six points, including a transition dunk off of an Ole Miss turnover on the other end.

The Rebels evened the score on a forced turnover of their own, leading to a T.J. Caldwell score, but Tennessee answered with a 8-0 run to go up 14-6 as Ole Miss went without a basket for more than three minutes.

Aidoo added to the scoring stretch with back-to-back layups, then Ole Miss rattled off nine-straight points to pull within three at 18-15 with less than eight minutes to go in the half.

Turnovers prevented Tennessee from creating a wider cushion, but the Vols continued to stay in front despite some pushes from the Rebels.

After Brakefield scored to pull Ole Miss within five, Zeigler responded with a 3-pointer to put Tennessee back up eight at 29-21 before both teams traded blows over the last two minutes of the period.

Vescovi added a three for a seven-point advantage only for Murray to connect from deep on the ensuring Ole Miss possession to get within four. Mashack laced two-straight 3-pointers to send the Vols into the intermission up 40-31.

Zeigler's 3-pointer to open the second half was a sign of things to come for Tennessee.

The Vols scored 10 points in a span of three minutes with scores from Dalton Knecht and Josiah-Jordan James, emphasizing their dominance on both ends of the floor and there was nothing the Rebels could do keep up.

Before the 15 minute mark, Tennessee was shooting better than 71% from the field and 66% from beyond the arc.

Meanwhile, Ole Miss suffered through a scoreless stretch that last another three minutes, allowing the Vols to build its lead. By the time the Rebels scored with on two free throws with 13 minutes, 41 seconds remaining, Tennessee had scored 65 points while Ole Miss was in a 23-point hole.

Mashack continued to build off of a strong close to the first half. He crashed the boards and got into double-digit scoring figures with a put-back off of a Vescovi miss.

Zeigler, who set a career-high in made 3-pointers with five on Tuesday against Norfolk State, added his third of the game to add to the onslaught, 70-47 with 11 minutes, 22 seconds to go.

Aidoo kept a commanding presence in the paint, helping Tennessee edge out Ole Miss on the boards, 28-9 over the last 20 minutes. He scored 12 points in the period alone and nearly out-rebounded the Rebels on his own with six in the half.

Amid a daunting stretch where Tennessee faced three preseason All-American bigs, head coach Rick Barnes told Aidoo that he could be as good as any forward in college basketball.

Aidoo, who is in the middle of his best season since joining the Vols, looked the part against Ole Miss.

The 6-foot-11 Aidoo entered the game averaging more than 10 points per game but never cooled off in the 31 minutes he was on the floor.

His 22 points were a career best vs. SEC teams and his 10 rebounds ensured his third double-double this season.

Tennessee is on the road in its next two games.

The Vols play at Mississippi State on Wednesday and travel to Georgia next Saturday.

Mississippi State opened its league slate with a 68-62 loss at South Carolina in its last outing on Saturday.

Tip-off at Humphrey Coliseum is set for 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network.

The Vols swept the Bulldogs in two meetings last season.

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