A dominating first half was plenty enough for No. 6 Tennessee as they bounced back after Saturday's loss to Vanderbilt with a 68-56 win over No. 14 Mississippi State.
bounced back nicely pic.twitter.com/oy1QVHhqko
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) January 22, 2025
Chaz Lanier returned to form Tuesday after a tough two-game stretch. Lanier scored 23 points on 5-of-12 from three-point range. The 23 points were Lanier's most in a game since Jan. 4 when he scored 29 against Arkansas.
Zakai Zeigler was everywhere, finishing with nine points, two rebounds, seven assists and five steals. It was the second time in the last three games that Ziegler collected five-plus assists and five-plus steals.
Jahmai Mashack got into double digits for just the fourth time this season, scoring 10 points on an efficient 4-of-6 night from the field.
might swerve, bend that corner
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) January 22, 2025
woooaaaahhhhh pic.twitter.com/uRCglxLK0D
Mississippi State's road struggles against ranked SEC teams continued with the loss. The Bulldogs are 0-2 in such games and are losing by an average of 13 points in those contests.
Against a team like Tennessee, you need your stars to step up and that just didn't happen for Mississippi State.
Josh Hubbard and Claudell Harris scored just 22 points on a combined 7-of-22 shooting night from the field. Both have struggled in SEC losses and thrived in SEC wins for the Bulldogs.
RJ for THREE
— Mississippi State Men's Basketball (@HailStateMBK) January 22, 2025
Dawgs are back within 9! #HailState | ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/7rHOBsajGZ
With Lanier potentially finding his shot again and the grit and toughness of Ziegler, Tennessee will be eager for Saturday's game against No. 9 Kentucky.
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