Big miss at Ole Miss

Answer: The Vols couldn’t.

At least, not at Ole Miss on Wednesday night, where Tennessee lost 83-69 before a raucous crowd of 8,052 at C.M. "Tad’’ Smith Coliseum.

The Vols (14-6, 2-3 SEC), who have lost four of their last five games, entered the game averaging a league-best 79.2 points per game.

JaJuan Smith led the Vols with 22 points and Ramar Smith scored 16 for UT, which shot 46.4 percent from the floor.

The Vols, however, committed 19 turnovers — a season-high 10 from Ramar Smith and four from Bradshaw — and Ole Miss (13-7, 2-4) scored 25 points off turnovers to UT’s 17.

The statistics told the story of the Rebels’ dominance around the backboards. Vols’ centers Wayne Chism, Duke Crews and Ryan Childress combined for seven points and 11 rebounds.

"Dwayne Curtis had that himself,’’ UT coach Bruce Pearl said, noting the Ole Miss center’s 18-point, nine-rebound performance. "We can’t win a basketball game with seven points and 11 rebounds from those three guys. Wayne, Duke and Ryan played hard and will be good players, but tonight they were going up against men.’’

Lofton could only watch helplessly from the bench with a boot protecting the sprained right ankle he suffered in the Vols’ win over South Carolina last Saturday.

UT trainer Chad Newman said the best-case scenario is that Lofton returns for Wednesday’s home game with Georgia. Worst case, Lofton is back against Florida on Feb. 3. The Vols play Kentucky in Sunday’s nationally televised game (TV: WVLT, 1 p.m.).

Tennessee held a 38-28 half-time lead despite Crews and Chism combining for two rebounds with no points at intermission.

Out-muscled throughout the game, Crews and Chism each picked up three fouls less than 11 minutes into the game.

But it was another slow beginning to second half play — a gnawing trend for UT in SEC road games — that served as the Vols’ undoing.

Pearl called it a "formula ... for losing these games on the road’’ after the Rebels erased Tennessee’s half-time lead in less than five minutes. Eniel Polynice’s basket gave Ole Miss a 41-40 lead with 15:45 left.

"Without question, that gave them (Ole Miss) confidence and got the crowd back into it,’’ UT guard/forward Dane Bradshaw said. "I don’t know if it’s our focus or what.’’

Tennessee regrouped a final time, staging an 8-0 run capped by freshman swing-man Josh Tabb’s 3-pointer at the 11:06 mark to go back up 51-44.

Ole Miss, however, proved too experienced, too deep and too dominant in answering with a 15-0 run.

Clarence Sanders scored two of his team-high 20 points to cap the Rebels’ rally and put Ole Miss up 59-51 with 7:47 left.

Chism broke the Ole Miss scoring streak with a pair of free throws to pull the Vols back to 59-53 with 7:35 to play.

But Tennessee was clearly spent, and it showed in the closing minutes as the Rebels ran away with the victory.

"We extended our press too much trying to come back, and Ole Miss took advantage,’’ Pearl said. "You take an All-American from any team, especially a team starting three freshmen, and there’s some pretty good holes in that cheese.’’

Chism, visibly frustrated after the loss and nursing a neck injury suffered in the first half, remained adamant the Vols can win without Lofton.

"We miss Chris all the way around,’’ Chism said, "but the way we came out with the 10-point halftime lead, we could have kept that lead.

"Me and Duke have to step up and play better; we can’t play like we’re freshmen anymore.’’

Lofton’s Walking: Newman said Lofton can walk without the aid of crutches, and the difference between now and last Sunday is "night and day.’’

That said, Lofton still has a good deal of swelling and isn’t likely to be 100 percent when he returns. Newman vowed Lofton will be strong enough when he returns so as not to risk further injury.

Beat The Press: Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy said a key was handling UT’s pressure.

"We handled their press,’’ Kennedy said. "We wanted to attack the basket.’’

It was the Rebels’ largest margin of victory in 32 SEC games, dating back to Feb. 2, 2005, when they beat Auburn 70-55.

Pearl Post-Game: A bright spot for the Vols was the play of Tabb, who was 4-for-8 shooting for 11 points and five rebounds.

"Josh stepped up and played better in Chris’ absence,’’ Pearl said. "Ramar, uncharacteristically, turned it over trying to make up for not having Chris.

"Ramar got to the rim well, but he didn’t hit free throws and turned it over. He played too many minutes.’’

Ramar Smith was 7-of-16 shooting from the floor but just 2-of-6 from the free throw line and had just two assists.