KNOXVILLE - One massive in-game turnaround wasn't enough for the latest installment of the basketball rivalry between Tennessee and Vanderbilt.
After the Volunteers erased a double-digit deficit in the first half, the Commodores returned the favor in the second half.
Thanks to a shooting clinic after halftime, Vanderbilt handed Tennessee a fourth straight loss and avenged an overtime loss to the Vols in Nashville two weeks ago in a 73-65 win at Thompson-Boling on Thursday night.
At different points of the 187th all-time meeting between the instate rivals, it looked like both teams were on the verge of being run off the floor by the other.
The difference, though, was Vanderbilt's second-half hot streak, which quickly erased Tennessee's 13-point lead and gave the Commodores their first win in Knoxville since 2010.
Tennessee (14-13, 6-9 SEC), now losers of eight of their last 10 games and just 1-6 in February, have lost four straight SEC home games in a single season for the first time since the 1994-95 season.
The Commodores (16-12, 6-9), who have now won five of their last seven games, hit 16 of 19 shots and 9 of 11 3-pointers after halftime to outscore the hosts 41-20 after Tennessee led 45-32 with 13 minutes left.
It was Luke Kornet, Vanderbilt's 7-foot center, who led the shooting clinic. He knocked down five of his six 3s and hit a trio of long-range shots during a 16-3 run to tie the game at 48. After Damian Jones converted a three-point play to give Vanderbilt the lead for good at 51-50 with 7:20 left, Wade Baldwin (13 points) and Kornet (21) drilled treys.
Kornet, who had just three points in the first half, and Jones then threw down back-to-back emphatic dunks to make it 63-52 with 2:40 left in the game.
The slams finished off a 31-10 stretch for the Commodores, who made their last 13 shots from the field after missing their final nine shots over the last six minutes of the first half.
In the first half, it was Tennessee that went on the big run to turn the game around.
A rash of turnovers - the Vols coughed it up six times in seven possessions at one point - left Tennessee looking hopeless as the Commodores ran off 12 straight points, capped by Jeff Roberson's 3 and Jones's dunk, to take an 11-point lead.
Many of the Vols' turnovers were simple mistakes. Derek Reese couldn't handle a good pass as he cut toward the basket, and both Armani Moore and Devon Baulkman stepped on the out-of-bounds line. Baulkman then traveled.
Less than nine minutes into the game, Tennessee had as many turnovers (seven) as shots (seven), while Vanderbilt made six of its first eight shots.
From the second media timeout until the teams ran to the locker room, though, it was all Tennessee.
The Vols went on a 14-0 run, many of the points off Vanderbilt's own turnovers, to retake the lead when Kevin Punter nailed a 3. Baulkman started the run with a steal-and-layup and a 3-pointer, and Robert Hubbs scored on a drive to finish it.
After Vanderbilt's Wade Baldwin hit a 3 at the shot clock buzzer to tie the game at 19, Vanderbilt went the final 6:02 of the first half without scoring, and Tennessee outscored the Commodores 25-3 over the final 12 minutes and tallied the final 11 points of the half over its final six minutes to take a 30-19 lead into halftime.
Reese sunk two free throws, hit a 3 and scored on a drive to the rim to score all seven of his first-half points during the run.
Josh Richardson finished with 20 points to lead Tennessee, and Reese added a career-high 13 in the loss. The Vols had a massive advantage (37-19) in rebounding and scored 24 second-chance points off 19 offensive rebounds. Tennessee led the game for 21 minutes despite shooting just 37 percent for the game.
In the last meeting, Tennessee erased a five-point deficit in the final 15 seconds, and Hubbs banked in a tying shot at the buzzer to force overtime. Punter hit the go-ahead free throws in the final minute, and Josh Richardson led the Vols with 27 points. Vanderbilt missed 13 free throws in the game, including four in the final minute of regulation.
Vanderbilt's sizzling second half made sure there was no dramatic finish this time.
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com