Tennessee played about as well as imaginable in the first half, building a 23-point lead at intermission. But the Vols followed it up with a poor second half that saw LSU cut its lead to as few as eight points before Tennessee finished strong to earn an 88-68 victory.
Here’s three quick takeaways on the victory.
Tennessee Comes Out Buzzing
Tennessee’s win over Kentucky on Saturday night was one of three top 10 tilts. Kansas defeated Houston but then fell to Kansas State on Monday night. North Carolina defeated Duke but fell to Clemson on Tuesday night.
So there was a precedent of top 10 teams coming out flat after big wins on Saturday night. Tennessee quickly put that concern to bed.
Dalton Knecht hit two free throws on Tennessee’s first possession. Zakai Zeigler hit a triple on the second. Knecht hit a triple on the third. When Josiah-Jordan James hit a reverse layup in transition on the third, LSU coach Matt McMahom couldn’t wait any longer to take his first timeout.
It did little good. Josiah-Jordan James hit a triple on the Vols’ first possession out of the timeout. LSU hit a free throw on the ensuing possession to get on the board before Zeigler set up Aidoo for a wide open dunk.
Tennessee led 15-1 and had made its first five shot attempts as part of an incredible half.
LSU steadied itself with some strong shooting and cut Tennessee’s lead to six points at one point. But it never got any closer. The Vols’ offense was completely humming as the put up 50 points in the first half and led by 23 points at the intermission.
Tennessee shot an incredible nine-of-14 from three-point line in the first half. There’s not anyone in the country that can beat the Vols when they shoot like that. Certainly not LSU.
More From RTI: How An Early April One-on-One Game Was An Early Sign Of Dalton Knecht’s Offensive Brilliance
Strong Backcourt Play
Coming off the best game of his career, Tennessee point guard Zakai Zeigler was fantastic again leading the way for a Volunteer backcourt that was stellar against the Tigers.
Zeigler made his first four field goal attempts on his way to a 17-point, nine-assist performance while turning the ball over just three times. The junior point guard was in complete control of the game, creating scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. He was also a pest on defensive where he totaled five of the Vols’ 13 steals.
Shooting guard Jordan Gainey had tree of the other steals and that’s exactly how he set the tone. He recorded two steals on his first three defensive possessions in the game.
Gainey used the strong defensive start to fuel his offensive performance. He scored a transition basket off of one of the steals and that sparked one of his best halves of the season. Gainey hit two-of-three first half three-point attempts.
It was one of Gainey’s best games of the season as the USC-Upstate transfer totaled 18 points (six-of-10 FG) and three assists to go along with the three steals.
Dalton Knecht wasn’t his best scoring the basketball but still totaled 27 points in the win. On top of that being an insane statement, the 6-foot-6 guard was as good as he’s been all season doing the other things. He totaled seven rebounds, six assists and three blocks in the win.
The trio led the way for Tennessee’s backcourt.
Tennessee Wins Turnover Battle, Loses On The Boards
As Zeigler and Gainey’s steals numbers indicate, Tennessee dominated the turnover battle. LSU coughed the ball 16 times compared to Tennessee’s seven turnovers.
The Vols did a fantastic job of getting out and running against LSU, scoring 18 points in transition. Tennessee’s secondary break was as good as I’ve seen it all season too. The Vols consistently scored quick baskets off of LSU field goals.
When looking for how Tennessee can be at its best by playing fast, Wednesday night’s game was a great example.
Tennessee’s biggest flaw in the game was the way they struggled on the glass. The Vols entered the game with far better rebounding numbers but LSU punished Tennessee on the glass. The Tigers totaled 18 offensive rebounds and turned it into 20 points.
The numbers were particularly crazy given Tennessee totaled only 21 defensive rebounds and the majority of the Vols’ stops came on turnovers.
As a whole, LSU out-rebounded Tennessee 40-26. The domination on the glass will likely anger Rick Barnes more than anything. It was the biggest reason why LSU was able to mount a second half comeback bid.
Final Stats
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Up Next
Tennessee basketball hits the road on Saturday where they’ll face Texas A&M (13-8, 4-4 SEC) at Reed Arena. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. ET and the SEC Network is broadcasting the game.
