KNOXVILLE – There was a moment in Tuesday night’s Southeastern Conference basketball game between visiting Vanderbilt and Tennessee when the Thompson-Boling Arena scoreboard showed the 22nd-ranked host Volunteers ahead by 20 points in the final half.
Then there was that other moment, much later in the game, when the Commodores – though undersized and short-staffed due to a season-ending injury to shooter Matthew Fisher-Davis – were shockingly within two points. That was less than 80 seconds from the end.
Tennessee steadied itself well enough from that tense moment to win 67-62, improving to 14-5 overall and 5-3 in SEC play.
But the lesson of such seemingly unnecessary drama wasn’t lost on Vols sophomore forward Grant Williams, who followed up his earlier 37-point outburst against Vanderbilt in Nashville with 18 points in this one.
Tennessee forward Grant Williams (2) is defended under the basket by Vanderbilt forward Clevon Brown (15) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Crystal LoGiudice)
Tennessee guard Lamonte Turner (1) is defended under the basket by Vanderbilt center Djery Baptiste (12) and Vanderbilt forward Clevon Brown, right, in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Crystal LoGiudice)“That’s the difference in a Top Five team and a Top 20 team,” the Charlotte, N.C., native said afterward. “They have a killer instinct. We have it. We just have to become consistent with it.”