By Jay King
Don’t ever take a conference win for granted, even if it wasn’t the strongest opponent, especially in February.
Tennessee’s ability to fight for 40 minutes was tested tonight in their win over the LSU Tigers.
While the Vols may have had the lead for 34:03 out of the 40 minutes, it was not an easy win, especially in the second half.
When it seemed like Tennessee was about to take a big enough lead to close out the game early, LSU would go on a run to make it competitive.
73-63 was the final score in a game in which LSU did not go down without a fight. The Vols did not get a double-digit lead in the second half until the final minute of the game.
“[LSU has] a terrific head coach who knows what he’s doing, managed the game well with his end,” said head coach Rick Barnes. “He got his guys believing.”
Barnes also got his 250th career win at Tennessee tonight.
“I’m blessed. I mean, I really believe God brought me here for a reason,” said Barnes. “It’s really hard to believe it’s been 11 years, and I’m just thankful to God for the opportunity and the blessing.”
What Went Right?
In a year where free throws have been a struggle for this team, it was not a problem today, as the Vols shot a respectable 73.9% from the charity stripe.
Unlike free throws, rebounding has been a strength for this team this year, and it continued today, as Tennessee won the rebound battle 45-24.
With that amount of rebounds, Tennessee was able to get plenty of second-chance points, as they had 22, compared to LSU’s four.
Redshirt sophomore JP Estrella has struggled to score in the paint, but today he had 16 points on 7-for-9 shooting.
“I feel like the offensive rebounding kind of helped me out a little bit,” said Estrella. “I feel like my hook shot and those little touch shots were going tonight.”
It wasn’t just Estrella who was playing well in the paint, as the entire team outscored LSU 34-18 there.
Freshman Nate Ament had a great outing down the stretch, as he had 14 points in the second half, to get him to 22 points, in which he was the leading scorer.
Lastly, at the end of the game, the defense was dominant, as LSU did not make a single field goal for the final 4:48.
What Went Wrong?
Near the end of the first half to the beginning of the second, Tennessee was ice cold from the field. In a 10-minute span, the Vols turned a 12-point lead into a 3-point deficit. Tennessee shot 2-11 during that span.
Just like free throws, turnovers have been a problem this season. Unlike the free throws, the Vols could not get over their turnover problem today. They lost that battle 9-3.
“We only had three turnovers, which we thought would be a key to give us a chance here tonight,” said LSU head coach Matt McMahon.
This all happened without the Tigers’ top two scorers, Max Mackinnon and Dedan Thomas Jr. as they were both out due to injury.
“I love the competitive spirit that our group showed tonight,” said McMahon.
Turnovers, and giving up large runs have been a lingering problem for the Volunteers all season, and this has to get fixed as soon as possible, because those things will come back to bite you in March.
What’s Next?
The Vols get another home game on Wednesday, Feb. 18 as they host the Oklahoma Sooners.
They will then go on the road on Saturday, Feb. 21, as they have a strong challenge vs. the 19th-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores at Memorial Gym.
These two games are crucial for Tennessee as it tries to improve its seeding in the home stretch of the regular season.