KNOXVILLE - Tennessee got a victory Tuesday over Vanderbilt but made it a lot more difficult than it should have been. The final score was 65-61 in the Southeastern Conference men's basketball game.
The Volunteers shot poorly in the first half and were lucky to be tied with the Commodores at 28, the second consecutive slow first half against Vanderbilt. A big second-half run put the Vols in control, but the Commodores rallied late, cutting a 13-point lead to two with six seconds to play.
But the Vols prevailed in front of 18,562 at Thompson-Boling Arena to improve to 15-11 for the season and 7-6 in the SEC.
Next up for Tennessee is a noon EST game Saturday at Auburn.
John Fulkerson and Jordan Bowden scored 17 points each to lead the Vols. Fulkerson added seven rebounds and three blocks, while Bowden had seven assists. Santiago Vescovi added 14 points with seven assists, but he also had six turnovers, his fifth game of at least five turnovers this season.
Jordan Wright had a career-high 23 points to lead the Commodores (9-17, 1-12).
Tennessee struggled at the start, missing some easy looks at the basket while making only two of 10 3-point attempts. Vanderbilt went on a 10-0 run to take a five-point lead, and had it not been for a sharp pass from Vescovi to a cutting Jalen Johnson that the 6-foot-6 junior guard turned into a layup at the halftime buzzer, the Vols would have trailed at the break.
"We got going with our offense, moving and bringing more pace to it," Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. "The last minute was really ridiculous and I was really upset, and the guys knew I was upset with the missed layups, the silly turnovers - things this time of year we shouldn't be making. We turned it over in a ridiculous manner, and this time of year it's about playing basketball, understanding every possession matters. When we move the ball, bring some pace, we can score, but when we started the game missing layups
"I know they're difficult, but (Vanderbilt guard) Saben Lee made them look easy."
Tennessee was in control, but Vanderbilt's late run trimmed the Vols' advantage to 63-61 in the closing seconds. Bowden knocked down two free throws to seal the win.
Lee finished with 18 points for the Commodores. Dylan Disu had 11, but the Vols held Vanderbilt to 30% shooting from 3-point range.
Tennessee's John Fulkerson (10) looks to pass cross court on a drive against Arkansas during an NCAA college basketball game, in Knoxville, Tenn., Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. (Scott Keller/The Daily Times via AP)
TUESDAY STAR
Fulkerson did all the little things in the first half and came alive offensively in the second half, when he scored 16 of his points while grabbing four rebounds and blocking a pair of shots.
TUESDAY STAT
Tennessee scored 49 points in the first halves of its two Vanderbilt games, shooting 37% from the field. The Vols scored 82 in the two second halves, shooting a combined 62% from the field.
TURNING POINT
The Vols forced Vanderbilt misses on eight of nine shots during the 18-3 run that turned a two-point Tennessee deficit into a 13-point lead with less than two minutes to play.
WHAT IT MEANS
The Vols' postseason hopes are still alive - slim as they may be. Tuesday was the last "easy" game on the schedule, with Auburn on Saturday the start of a five-game sprint to the finish of the regular season.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3 or at Facebook.com/VolsUpdate.