Tennessee basketball: Vols weren’t sharp but somehow managed a win
It wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t good, but Tennessee basketball ended up with the win. Here are three takeaways from the game.
It was a back and forth for the first nine minutes of the game. Tennessee basketball would score, and Vanderbilt would answer.
The Commodores hung tough and should have won the first matchup in Nashville, and they play just as good on Tuesday night.
The Vols led 21-13 at the ten-minute mark, and it looked like this was going to be another double-digit win.
The lead made it’s way up to 14 points thanks to Tennessee settling in and actually running their offensive sets.
However, Vanderbilt went on a 5-0 run to end the first half to cut the lead to 36-27. But, the run didn’t end in the locker room, Tennessee started the second half just as bad as they did against Kentucky.
The Vols didn’t look sharp.
They had a chance to put the game away and build a nice cushion but couldn’t. They scored just four points in the first nine minutes of the second half. But, when Vanderbilt started to tighten the game up, Tennessee pulled away, kind of.
It’s that time of year to survive and advance, and that’s what the Vols did. There are a ton of things they need to fix, but a win is a win. Here are three takeaways from the game.
1. Proving a point in the paint
Tennessee only scored 20 points in the paint against the Kentucky Wildcats. Along with the 1-for-17 shooting from Jordan Bowden, Lamonte Turner, and Admiral Schofield, the lack of touches for Grant Williams in the paint was a problem.
Maybe Vanderbilt is just that bad guarding the paint and shots inside the three-point line. The Commodores were giving up around 50 percent of shots inside the arc to conference foes.
16 of the Vols 36 points in the first half were from the paint. They were able to get Williams going early even if he wasn’t making the shots he usually does. And, to beat it all, there were at least five missed layups.
2. Ball screen defense was much better, or maybe Vanderbilt is just BAD
Yes, the offense wasn’t great, they only scored 58 points, the lowest scoring output of the season.
But, don’t discredit the Vols’ defense, they held Vanderbilt to under 50 points, and that’s always impressive.
You could tell the ball screen defense was a point of emphasis during practice the past two days, and it showed with the second-best defensive performance of the season.
The defense was even able to force the Commodores into 12 turnover which was on 19 percent of their possessions, and that’s always good.
3. Another bad second half start
Again, just like the Kentucky game, Tennessee got off to a horrible start in the second half. On Saturday night, the Wildcats went on a 14-0 run which put the game out of reach to give Tennessee their second loss of the season.
Tuesday night against the Commodores, the Vols scored just four points in the first nine minutes of the second half.
It was sloppy on both ends of the court, and Vanderbilt held Tennessee to 22 points in the second half and honestly could have been fewer.
Jordan Bone made two free throws, and Admiral Schofield hit a three-point jumper with less than a minute left.
Next. 4 players whose return to health could rejuvenate Vols. dark
Tennessee is back in action on Saturday when they travel to Baton Rouge to take on the LSU Tigers. If they play with the same effort as the past two games, it could get real ugly.