Tennessee basketball put together possibly the best first half offensively in conference play this season. The Vols are coming off back-to-back wins against ranked Florida and Missouri.
Tennessee's offense was electric in the second half of the Missouri game. It totaled 57 second-half points to take the lead and win the game against the high-powered Tigers offense.
That offensive explosion seems to have carried over into the first half of the Oklahoma game. Whether it be Zakai Zeigler, Chaz Lanier, Jordan Gainey, or Darlingstone Dubar, the Vols scored from every spot on the floor at an impressive pace.
Tennessee set the tone early and then set its offensive pace, forcing Oklahoma to keep up with the Vols' explosive offense. The Sooners struggled to keep up at either end of the court.
Through the first 12 minutes of play, Tennessee shot 14-of-16 from the field and five-for-five from three-point range. That impressive shooting stretch allowed Tennessee to quickly build a double-digit lead and build some confidence throughout the lineup.
Seven of Tennessee's nine players scored a basket in the first half, which is beyond impressive for a team that has struggled offensively throughout SEC play this year.
The Vols capitalized on second-chance opportunities when they rarely missed to continue putting points on the board despite the occasional miss.
Lanier and Zeigler were largely responsible for that success. They finished the first half with a combined 21 points, compared to Oklahoma's team total of 25 points.
Tennessee finished the first half shooting 18-of-26 from the field and 7-for-12 from three-point range in the first half. The Vols go into halftime with a 45-25 lead over the Sooners and will look to finish its dominant performance in the second half.