NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A second-half run vaulted No. 8 Tennessee to an 83-76 victory over Mississippi State in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament Friday night at Bridgestone Arena.
Tennessee faces fourth-ranked Kentucky Saturday afternoon in the semifinals. That game will start at approximately 3:30 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN.
All-SEC wing Admiral Schofield finished with a game-high 20 points Friday on 9-of-12 shooting from the floor. Senior Kyle Alexander also posted a dominant performance, dropping 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting, with nine rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
SEC Player of the Year Grant Williams chipped in 16 points, and All-SEC point guard Jordan Bone narrowly missed a double-double with 14 points and nine assists. Junior guard Lamonte Turner was also effective at getting open shots for his teammates, dishing out eight assists to go with four steals. Fellow junior Jordan Bowden rounded out UT’s double-digit scorers with 10 points.
Mississippi State had four players score in double figures, with Aric Holman’s 20 points on five 3-pointers leading the way.
Similar to the first half, both teams traded buckets to begin the second half. However, a 10-0 run by Tennessee made it a 13-point game with 9:33 to play. The run was highlighted by a one-handed slam by Schofield over a Mississippi State player that brought the crowd to its feet and gave the Vols all the momentum.
The game was never closer than seven points after the swing in UT’s favor. Tennessee sealed the victory by knocking down seven of its final nine shots. For the game, UT shot 52 percent (34-of-66) from the floor.
The first half went back and forth as both teams traded baskets. The Bulldogs held an early lead, but the Vols responded with a 9-0 run to pull ahead with 10 minutes left.
Tennessee maintained at least a two-possession game for the remainder of the period to head into the break up, 34-28. UT dominated the paint in the first half, outscoring Mississippi State, 24-18, down low. On the defensive side of the court, the Big Orange had six steals, three blocks and limited the Bulldogs to just 18 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
Williams led all scorers in the first half with 10 points. Schofield chipped in nine points, while Alexander had eight points, four rebounds, two steals and a block.
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-UT Athletics
