Well, the game got a little bit tighter than Tennessee fans would have liked, but the mission was accomplished. Tennessee got the win, on the road, over Mississippi State 73-64. I'm not sure what happens to this version of Tennessee when they get a lead, but for some reason, they just slowly start giving games away. Defensive lapses and empty offensive trips begin to pile up, and all of a sudden, teams find their way back into the game. It happened twice against Kentucky and then versus Mississippi State tonight.
The anxiety really started to set in when Tennessee's 23-point lead was trimmed to five as the Bulldogs went on an 18-0 run in the second half. Nate Ament hit a few massive buckets down the stretch to give Tennessee the victory. The Vols have been able to lean on the star freshman down the stretch, and moving forward as we inch toward March, he will be needed to close out games.
Defense was the story tonight for Tennessee
The Vols had a clear game plan going into the game. Josh Hubbard was going to get his points, but nobody else at Mississippi State would. Hubbard had an amazing performance, as time and time aghain hes proved he's a top scorer in the SEC. Tonight, he scored 31 points on 13-24 shooting. Mississippi State didn't have anybody else score in double figures.
The most encouraging part of the game was how well Tennessee defended in the first half. The Vols held Mississippi State to 28 points in the first half, only shooting 36.7% from the field. It was a defensive clinic until the Vosl fell asleep in the second half.
Stop me if you've heard this before, but the rebounding was also superb, as Tennessee outrebounded Mississippi State 45 to 31.
At the end of the day, a win is a win, especially on the road in the SEC, and there’s no reason to apologize for that. Still, the fact that Tennessee nearly let another one slip away is concerning. Rick Barnes has to get this team ready for the moments that matter most, because when March arrives, there are no second chances.