No. 6 Tennessee defeated LSU by a score of 88-68 in Knoxville on Wednesday night behind a dominant first-half scoring stretch to start the game.
The Vols jumped out to a 13-0 run out of the gates with three three-pointers in their first four attempts from the floor. The Vols bolstered that lead throughout the first half and even took the lead up to 26 points in the first few minutes of the second half.
Tennessee’s first-half scoring burst was in large part due to the Vols’ ability to hit three-pointers, just like in the game against Kentucky. Tennessee made 9-of-14 three-point attempts in the first 20 minutes but only added in two more threes during the second half.
The Vols’ three-point decline helped LSU climb their way back into the game during the second half as the Tigers started hitting more three-point shots, bringing LSU to an eight-point deficit with just under five minutes in the game.
More from RTI: Three Quick Takeaways as Tennessee Uses Strong First Half To Defeat LSU
After a dominant first half, Tennessee found themselves in a position where they would need to finish strong and close the game out against an LSU team that was fighting from behind all game. The Vols found their stride in the final few minutes of the game, though, and closed out on the Tigers thanks to seven made free-throw attempts in the last four minutes.
Tennessee shut the door on LSU and ended the game back at a 20-point victory over their conference foe. Vols guard Jordan Gainey had a career-high 18 points against the Tigers while Dalton Knecht finished the game with 27 points and a career-high six assists on the night.
After the game, LSU head coach Matt McMahon and Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes met with the media to discuss their reactions to the game. McMahon spoke about what makes Zakai Zeigler so tough to defend while Rick Barnes gave several thoughts on multiple components from the game on the Tennessee side of things.
The Vols also had guards Dalton Knecht and Jordan Gainey speak to the media after the game to give their reactions, as well. Check out all three interviews from Knoxville below:
Tennessee HC Rick Barnes
LSU HC Matt McMahon
Tennessee G Dalton Knecht and G Jordan Gainey
RTI Instant Reaction
