By Jack Glennon
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On Tuesday night, the No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers delivered the No. 15 Missouri Tigers a tough 85-81 conference loss at Food City Center. The Vols fought hard for this win, especially in the second half.
They began the game on a 5-0 run, but Missouri quickly answered with a 13-2 run of their own. Missouri then raced towards the end of the first half with a 7-0 run, increasing their lead to 30-21, and forcing Coach Rick Barnes to call a timeout with 3:29 remaining. Tennessee cut the lead to 6 and closed the half behind, 34-28.
After the game, I asked Coach Barnes about what he saw from this undersized unit. He told me that they played with “more speed… with purpose”, and he stressed how important it was that the Vols “got [defensive] stops”. He also told me that as a team, “[The Vols] need to get out in transition…” better.
Missouri had a strong first half (they turned the ball over just twice, and forced 8 Tennessee turnovers), and things looked bleak for Tennessee to begin the second half. Missouri jumped out to a 39-28 lead after a 5-point burst.
The Vols then answered by opening up a 14-2 run, which ultimately fueled them to a thrilling victory. In doing so, the Vols erased an 11-point Missouri lead and improved to 19-4 (6-4 in conference play) on the season. Missouri, on the other hand, fell to 17-5 (6-3 in conference play).
As always, the numbers tell the story, and some glaring stats in particular highlight the crucial mistakes that Dennis Gates’ Tigers team made en route to a demoralizing defeat. Missouri was outrebounded 38-30, and they were outscored 34-18 in the paint. They also shot just 19-29 from the free-throw line. However, the loss did not come without any positives. Tony Perkins and Tamar Bates combined for 38 points, and Missouri got another 37 from their bench. They turned the ball over just 3 times.
For the Vols, the contributions from the starting lineup seemed endless. Igor Miličić Jr. poured in 21 points on just 10 shot attempts, while also adding 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Zakai Zeigler followed up his one-game absence with a 21-3-8 line including a perfect 4-4 from beyond the arc. The Vols got a combined 22 points and 6 rebounds each from Chaz Lanier and Felix Okpara. Tennessee even got a 7-point contribution from Jahmai Mashack, better known for his defensive prowess.
Ironically, Mashack’s contributions on offense made all the difference for the Volunteers in a 4-point victory. The only concerning part about this game for the Vols was their obvious lack of depth. While Jordan Gainey and Cade Phillips combined for 14 points off the bench, Darlinstone Dubar and Bishop Boswell were both scoreless in a combined 5 minutes of action. Given the fact that the Volunteers do not feel confident outside of their 7-man rotation, it is safe to say that they are one key injury away from an unmitigated disaster.
The main difference for the Vols tonight, though, was their performance from beyond the arc. Tennessee sank 10 three-pointers on just 15 attempts, a striking improvement from the 11-45 on 3-point tries that they posted against Kentucky just over a week ago. They’ll look to continue their 2-game win streak on Saturday, as they head to Norman to square off against the 16-6 Oklahoma Sooners.