Tennessee Men's Basketball
NASHVILLE — Tennessee spent the better part of 40 minutes in Vanderbilt’s Memorial Gym on Tuesday night getting pushed around.
“We didn’t push back hard enough,’’ UT coach Bruce Pearl said. “We got outplayed. They were more physical than us and tougher than us.’’
The 22nd-ranked Commodores led from start to finish en route to a 90-71 victory over 12th-ranked Tennessee before the sold-out crowd of 14,316 and a national ESPN television audience.
Vanderbilt (18-5, 7-2 SEC) completed its first season sweep of the Vols (18-5, 6-3) in Pearl’s five years at UT, while also taking sole possession of second place in the SEC East.
The Commodores did it by taking the ball to the basket early and often, with forward Jeffery Taylor pouring in 26 points on 7-of-11 shooting and guard Jermaine Beal striking for 20 with a 5-of-10 performance.
J.P. Prince led UT with 19 points and Wayne Chism added 16. Melvin Goins (11 points) and Scotty Hopson (10) were the other players to score in double figures for UT.
The Vols were out of sync on the offensive end throughout, trailing 44-27 at the half and failing to draw to within single digits for the game’s remainder.
“We didn’t do a very good job with our counters; when they stop the main look, you have to be able to counter,’’ Prince said. “They know us pretty well.’’
The defense and rebounding that had been key to the Vols’ three-game win streak entering Tuesday’s action was largely absent; Vanderbilt sank 24 of 51 shots from the floor and out-rebounded UT 40-31.
When Taylor and Beal weren’t hitting their shots, they were getting added opportunities at the free-throw line: Taylor made 12 of 12 attempts, and Beal connected on 7 of 8.
“Jeffery Taylor made one less free throw than our entire team,’’ said Pearl, who showed displeasure with the officiating early, getting whistled for a technical foul at the 12:14 mark of the first half with UT trailing 19-6. “There were a lot of things out there I wasn’t happy about.’’
Vanderbilt made the free-throw disparity count, connecting on 37 of 43 attempts while the Vols were 13-of-21 from the line.
“They were in the bonus quick,’’ Prince said. “First half, we spent a lot of time watching them make free throws. We fought back, but we couldn’t get over the hump.’’
Tennessee’s most significant rally came early in the second half, when the Vols used three Vanderbilt turnovers to go on an 8-0 run to draw within 46-36 with 17 minutes remaining.
The Commodores took over from there, outscoring the Vols 20-3 during the next 4½ minutes to take their largest lead of the game at 66-39 on a pair of Festus Ezeli free throws at the 12:38 mark.
It was academic from that point on. Pearl noted that Hopson’s eight points and Prince’s 13 over the final 11 minutes came far too late.
“Scotty, Wayne, Bobby (Maze) and J.P., those guys have all got to have elevated play early to give the other guys confidence early on,’’ Pearl said. “This puts us in an uphill battle to defend our SEC East championship.’’
The Vols return to action at No. 3 Kentucky on Saturday (TV: ESPN, 9 p.m.).
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Comments » 303
ahouseho#651452 writes:
when you don't come out ready to play , you get your butt kicked. Anybody notice Vandy was not guarding Pearl Jr?
enough said
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
the score speaks for itself... they got owned, plain and simple. with good officiating, we may only have lost by 10-12 points.
TheOpinion writes:
They shot 43FTs, we shot 21FTS. Story of the game. The refs were awful from the start. Seems like the game is always like that in their gym.
utfpmd writes:
Pathetic. Why is Woolridge starting? He can't hit 3 pointers or free throws and can't create like Prince.
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
I said this on the "opportunity" blog, but Williams needs to go. He's out of shape and useless. He came in and his only contribution was giving Vandy even more opportunities at the foul line.
KENVOL writes:
We are just not that good. Same team as last year. No go to guy to score when we need it. Kentucky will beat us worse than this.
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
Woolridge had a bad game, but he wasn't the only one. The whole team blew it big time tonight, and they know it.
lomas98 writes:
You cannot beat good teams on the road and get off to slow starts offensively. We got away with it at LSU because they are horrible. Vandy played like a team on a mission tonight and looked faster.
TheOpinion writes:
They made 24FGs we made 26FGs. They made 5 3FGs we made 6. The only categories they were better than us in were Rebounds, FTs attempted, FTs made, and blocks. Give me a break. The refs were terrible.
illorangevol writes:
The coach forgot he had to tell the team their nap time is over. I am a fan forever of the volunteers, but not of a team that does not want to play every game and every posession. If you don't want to play don't show up. Don't these guys practice shooting anywhere on the court? Don't they practice foul shots ever? I don't mind loosing as long as it is not an embarasing effort.
lomas98 writes:
Prince starts too, what is your point.
volsn3 writes:
well lets look at it like this.....it was on the road...can we manage just one more road victory like florida and win out at home....is that asking too much....and yes i agree....Steven Pearl is a good story, but this is a SEC road conference game...He needs to sit and watch and learn and maybe one day coach...
zigvol writes:
I agree officiating was HORRIBLE. No excuses though Vandy just plain beat our butts.
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
precisely my point.
CincyOhVol writes:
No hustle, no desire, no attitude.
This one hurts.
lomas98 writes:
Total meltdown mode tonight I guess from the fans. Everyone bases their opinions of the team based on one game. People were ready to crown them SEC champs after Kansas and South Carolina games. People say they suck after BEATING Alabama and LSU. They are not pathetic and have no guts. They lost tonight and must regroup to have any chance against KY.
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
sorry, but I wouldn't say @FL is a guaranteed win.
The most frustrating thing about all this is the inconsistency.. they absolutely owned SC, and then laid an egg in Memorial. There aren't any remedies for inconsistency. That's what scares me the most.
jayrokey writes:
TheOpinion just made TheFact
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
Yeah, trust me, it was hard not to go into full expletive mode watching this travesty of a game.
I think some are just venting, and probably don't mean everything they type. But there is reason to worry. That's undeniable.
brown-bag-vol-fan writes:
usvandy the officiating sucked!
What are you blind...That was the most piss-poor officiating i seen all year! I call BS!
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
I think Skylar should get a football scholarship and join the FB team as a safety... man, can he tackle!!
lomas98 writes:
I think 4 of our made threes we were behind by more than 20. The made fg's difference was because Vandy scored most of their points from the line and didn't have to make a fg. Game was over when we cut the lead to 10 and Vandy went on a back breaking run. They were better tonight plain and simple. Regroup for KY. Some will say they shouldn't show up for KY and not give them any credit if they win.
TheFuj writes:
Embarassing. Out coached, out hustled, out everything. Just hard to watch. Guys that really stepped up during the suspension era, now cannot score. Hall, Woolridge, and McBee did not combine for 10 points. Woolridge cannot shoot, McBee looks lost, and Hall looks slow. Throw in Prince and his antics and it is just hard to watch. Hopson shot horrible. Hate to blame a lot on the refs, but when a team shoots 43 free throws, something is wrong. 28 fouls on TN?? What is that, a foul every 1 and a half. 43 free throws is horrible.
dvols writes:
its college bball you sore loser vol fans! chill out and quit dogging your team!
JPSkier writes:
I'm sorry, but I think it is unacceptable for UT to not only get beat by Vandy, but not even be competitive. They should have better players. If they do then they're getting out coached. If they don't then recruiting is pathetic. They knew this was a big game and they came out with pitiful effort from the start. Again, unacceptable.
keepitreal4vols writes:
That game was so bad the ESPN guys didn't even have time to reference the Orange Blazer.
licknpromise777#651578 writes:
At one point Pearl;woolridge and McBee were on the court together,What a Joke!!!Points produced 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
volnsc writes:
Vols weren't ready to play but Vandy is a better team. Officiating was shaky but it wouldn't have matttered if the Vols had shot double the free throws. The can't make a free throw. As a team, they are shooting about 50% or less. VAndy shot about 90% from the line. I can't understand how a D1 player only shoots 40-50% from the line. You gotta make a high percentage of these freebies. Vols can't do it. CBP has done a great job with what he has to work with.
ProwlinAndGrowlinSmokeyDog writes:
AMEN TO THAT ONE!!
RoadTrip writes:
Boy - when they don't want to play they really mail them in. Ugly.
Prediction - we win 4 more plus 1 game in the SEC tournament. We get a 6 seed and lose the second game in the dance.
Looking forward to the new recruits getting here to see what changes can be made in the line-up. We need some guys that know how to shoot. At least son Pearl will be graduated. Maybe Goins, Hall and McBee can take it up another level.
CincyOhVol writes:
Agreed.
volsn3 writes:
i actually based that on the past....your right, Florida will mop the floor with them too...I was just looking for a road win somewhere
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Missed 14 of 17. Enuf said.
zigvol writes:
A-MEN brother. I remember 5-6 years ago when being a 500. team was a good year. I thoroughly enjoy being a top 25 program. Keep building Pearl we will get there.
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and say that you're new on here... otherwise, you wouldn't mock my screen name like you did.
I'm not a fair-weather fan, nor am I a Vanderbilt fan.. I don't know how you drew that conclusion, but hey, I guess anyone with 10 fingers and a keyboard gets to hop on this forum.
My point was that while the officiating WAS indeed horrible, it would not have mattered. Surely you saw the same game I did. I am disappointed at the effort the Vols put forth tonight. I believe someone made a good point when they said that the Vols can't win just by merely showing up (I would argue that they didn't even show up).
Disagree if you like, but don't insult me personally; Otherwise I'll have to call your parents to see if you got permission to stay up past bedtime to post this idiotic drivel.
MNP78 writes:
Bad beat. Refs suck. Sometimes its not your night. I have come to love Wayne Chism. Kid never quit and is growing into a man in front of our eyes
dwolfcreek#397971 writes:
You can't turn a sows ear into a silk purse .
Orangeatang writes:
I went to the game. Bottom line: Tennessee has no pure shooters. This is why we will never go very far with the team we have. We need a solid point guard who can keep things organized. We play street ball. This is why we lost tonight and why we will not make it past the second round of the tournament.
lomas98 writes:
I think the national tv games against SC, Kansas, FL were not embarrassments. The schedule is getting harder no doubt, but based on your assessment they cannot and will not beat anybody. I really don't know what people expected when 4 players were suspended, the best player included. The have rallied and have been playing hard. Yes, they are short handed but there is no one else to turn to, accept that. Tatum being hurt is not good either as he was just starting to get back into the swing of things.
usnavyvolfaninva_still_getting_paid writes:
ooohh, I wanna play!!! The crow flies at midnight! next...
illorangevol writes:
No way this was just a bad game. It was more than that. This was a lack of wanting to win. These guys treat every game the same way. Do we really have to work tonight? They are not focused, not playing together, not playing defense. That is not just a bad game. I have never seen a team go through most of the season and actually see their shooting get worse - perimeter, inside, foul line, anywhere. It takes character to fight to win. Win or lose keep fight from beginning to end. Don't start every game like you just got out of bed.
volsn3 writes:
how about someone grade them in the fundamentals.
Dribbling
Foul shooting
Rebounding
Defense hustle
no need for me to even try...INCOMPLETE
CincyOhVol writes:
Something to keep in mind...We were playing top level ball before the "Four Fantastic Flunkies" were caught with their guns and weed. Their arrests resulted in complete chemistry breakdown for the team.
CBP is working with kids that ordinarily would be ridin' pine and folding the sweats of the starters. He's doing the best with what he's got.
licknpromise777#651578 writes:
Big difference between Vandy defense and So. Carolina and LSU..Vols pretty much average 40% from the floor and 60% FT in SEC..That won't beat anybody in the top#20..SICK of the slow starts and air balls from 12ft away
lomas98 writes:
Why should TN have better players? This is one of the most talented Vandy teams since Stallings has been there and they are playing well. Have you seen their home record at Memorial Gym over the last few years? Do you think they out with poor effort on purpose just to spite the fans?
cdldoc#211897 writes:
You can not get into a rhythm if the officials decide to stop you. I just don't see how they can call a game like this and the SEC do nothing. '
I bet somebody won a lot on this game in Vegas.
riverosa writes:
I had to turn the game off, too much standing around watching someone else dribble the ball. Hopson just pathetic. He is a magician, he can disappear very quickly. Officials were terrible, we just got out hustled big time.
volzcrushm writes:
THAT'S RIGHT!!!! HOME COOKIN!!
riverosa writes:
KY by at least 50 points
Govols09 writes:
This game takes you back to the loss at usc. Hopefully Kentucky will see and have pity. Maybe John Wall and Cousins Will play blindfolded. Then there's Patterson Looks like Going Have to drink Alot of orange Koolaid to get ready for the next one.
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