Tyler Tanner scored 25 points, AK Okereke added 17 and Duke Miles scored 13 with four steals to lead No. 24 Vanderbilt to an 86-82 Southeastern Conference upset of No. 23 Tennessee on Saturday in Knoxville, Tenn.
The Commodores (24-7, 11-7 SEC) shot 52.9% from the floor, 50% from 3 and 84.4% from the line and never trailed. Vanderbilt avenged a 4-point loss to the Vols two Saturdays prior in Nashville and snapped Tennessee’s eight-game home winning streak in the series.
Amari Evans had a career-high 24 for Tennessee (21-10, 11-7). JP Estrella had 20 points and 10 rebounds while Felix Okpara had eight points, 10 bounds and four blocks. Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 17 and dished out four assists.
The Vols stayed within striking distance due to their rebounding edge (40-31), a full-court press that forced late-game turnovers and strong second-half play from Estrella.
Vanderbilt led by double figures the entire second half until Tennessee’s Bishop Boswell picked up a steal and hit Gillespie for a fast-break layup to cut the lead to 65-57 with 7:22 left.
Tennessee pulled within four points three times in the final 32 seconds. But the Vols put Vanderbilt in the bonus with 11:24 left, where Tanner (9 of 10 from the line) and Miles (7 of 7) continually answered any run Tennessee made.
The Commodores led 32-20 at the half. They were 0 of 3 on 3-point attempts, but outshot Tennessee 44.8% to 32.1% and stayed even with the Vols — America’s best offensive rebounding team — on the boards in the first half.
Vanderbilt led 6-0 before the Vols finally got a jumper from Evans (12 first-half points). Vanderbilt then ran off nine more to take a 15-2 lead, prompting a Tennessee timeout with 13:33 left.
Nate Ament (17.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg), Tennessee’s No. 2 scorer and leading rebounder, did not play due to a foot injury. He also missed Tennessee’s win over South Carolina on Tuesday.
–Field Level Media
