The last time Tennessee faced Vanderbilt, it was an absolute grind on the road. In a tight rivalry battle that came down to the final minutes, the Vols managed to gut it out and walk away with a massive 69–65 win away from home. Nate Ament hit a huge go-ahead spin-around jump shot to give the Vols the lead with 54 seconds. Tennessee locked in on the defensive end late, and that’s what ultimately sealed the win. Over the final two minutes, the Vols completely shut the door, forcing Vanderbilt to go 0-for-5 from the field as Tennessee closed it out.
In the final 10 minutes of the contest, their was only nine made made field goals. If Tennessee wants any chance to get a season sweep against Vanderbilt, they need to bring this same defensive intensity. Nate Ament's status is unclear, so honing in and locking down on defense will be a huge factor for the Vols. The Vols had their best defensive performance of the year last Thursday against South Carolina, only giving up 59 points. However, Vandy is a much better offensive team, and locking down Tyler Tanner is going to be difficult this time around.
Tennessee will need another elite defensive performance
Looking at the bigger picture, Bishop Boswell will likely need to step up again in this matchup. The last time these two teams met, Boswell made a major impact on the defensive end and helped set the tone. He also came through when it mattered most, scoring on back-to-back possessions late in the game and delivering in the biggest moments.
Don't be shocked if one of the seniors goes off tomorrow, too. In a rivalry game on Senior Day, you know that these guys want this game more than ever. Felix Okpara just had a huge game against South Carolina, and maybe he will build on that performance and do it one more time for the Vols.
Rick Barnes needs to have Tennessee prepared for this because it will be an all-out battle. The game will tip off tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN.