#6/7 Vols Dominate #14 Mississippi State, 68-56
Courtesy / UT Athletics

#6/7 Vols Dominate #14 Mississippi State, 68-56

Posted on January 22, 2025

Game Recap: Men’s Basketball | January 21, 2025

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team registered a commanding 68-56 win Tuesday night in a top-15 showdown with No. 14 Mississippi State in front of a sold-out crowd at Food City Center.

No. 6/7 Tennessee (17-2, 4-2 SEC) led from start to finish in the first-ever ranked clash between the two longtime league opponents. Fifth-year guard Chaz Lanier paced the victors with a game-high 23 points.

The Volunteers made three straight shots in the opening minutes, with 3-pointers by Lanier bookending the stretch, to grab an 8-0 edge after just 2:45. They pushed the lead to 15-4 at the 11:41 mark and held Mississippi State (15-4, 3-3 SEC) to a 1-of-13 start from the floor that included nine consecutive misses.

Tennessee pushed the lead to 13, 19-6, with 8:21 left in the frame, at which point the Bulldogs were 2-of-16 on field goals. Lanier continued his hot long-range shooting, pushing his ledger to 4-of-6, to help the home team stretch the margin to 14, 25-11, with 6:09 to play in the half. Mississippi State scored the next five points and the Volunteers then closed the half on a 9-0 run in the final 2:49 to take an 18-point advantage, 34-16, into the locker room.

Defensively, head coach Rick Barnes‘ team held the Bulldogs to a 6-of-27 (22.2 percent) clip in the first 20 minutes, including a 3-of-15 (20.0 percent) tally from deep. At the other end, Tennessee went 12-of-29 (41.4 percent) overall, 6-of-15 (40.0 percent) on 3-pointers and a perfect 4-of-4 at the line. It also recorded a 9-0 margin in fast-break points.

Mississippi State, aided by back-to-back 3-pointers from senior guard Claudell Harris Jr., scored the first eight points coming out of the break. The Bulldogs scored one fewer point in the first four-and-a-half minutes of the second half than they did in the whole first frame, with their extended 15-4 run to begin the session making 38-31 with 15:34 to play.

Tennessee, though, countered by holding Mississippi State without a basket for 6:23, forcing five consecutive misses. Sparked by the second made 3-pointer of junior forward Felix Okpara’s career, the Volunteers went on a 14-2 run, including notching seven straight points in 1:54, to push the lead to 19, 52-33, with 9:38 remaining.

Nearly three minutes later, with 6:46 to play, Tennessee claimed its largest cushion of the night, 59-39. The Bulldogs, who got no closer than 15 until the final 110 seconds of the eventual 12-point decision, finished with their lowest point total of 2024-25.

Lanier, who made at least five 3-pointers for the sixth time in his lone season at Tennessee, scored nine more points than any other player in the game. Senior guard Jordan Gainey and Jahmai Mashack contributed 10 apiece of the Volunteers, with the former 4-of-4 at the line and the latter 2-of-2 from long range.

Okpara concluded the night with nine points to go along with a season- and game-best 12 rebounds. Senior guard Zakai Zeigler totaled nine points, a game-high seven assists and a game-leading five steals, four of which came in the first 10 minutes.

Sophomore guard Josh Hubbard paced the Bulldogs with 14 points, but Tennessee limited him to a 5-of-16 field-goal clip. Junior guard Riley Kugel recorded 12 points, with the Volunteers holding him to a 3-of-12 mark from the floor. Senior forward R.J. Melendez added 10 points, all but two in the second half, for Mississippi State.

The Volunteers, who went 12-of-13 (92.3 percent) at the stripe, allowed the Bulldogs just a 19-of-56 (33.9 percent) ledger from the field in the triumph.

Up next for Tennessee is a trip to Auburn, Ala., where it takes on top-ranked Auburn in a top-10 clash, live on ESPN from Neville Arena, which will host the season’s first College GameDay that morning.

To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.

TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS POSTGAME NOTES
• The Volunteers, who logged their 16th sellout in the last three seasons (2022-25), improved to 34-14 all-time in Food City Center sellouts, including 33-12 since the 2007-08 capacity reduction and 27-6 in Barnes’ 10-year tenure.
• Tennessee also upped its record to 91-33 all-time when playing in front of 20,000-plus fans at Food City Center, including 32-9 under Barnes, with 26 of the latter 41 over the past four years (2021-25).
• The crowd of 21,678 Tuesday night was the sixth time season, all in Tennessee’s the last seven outings, of over 19,000 fans at Food City Center.
• Tennessee is now 91-46 all-time versus Mississippi State, with its 91 wins its third-most versus any foe, trailing just Vanderbilt (131) and Georgia (90).
• The Volunteers improved to 10-3 over their last 13 meetings with the Bulldogs, a span that dates to Feb. 27, 2018.
• Tuesday marked the first time in 137 all-time meetings—22 were before the 1948-49 advent of the AP Poll—the Volunteers and Bulldogs were both in the AP top 25.
• In addition, Tuesday was just the 12th time Tennessee has faced an AP-ranked Mississippi State team—the last was Jan. 12, 2012—while, in comparison, it was the 12th time in the last 13 series meetings the Volunteers were ranked.
• Each of Tennessee’s last two home games have featured a first-ever AP top-25 series matchup, as it beat No. 23 Georgia, 74-56, just six days ago, Jan. 15.
• Barnes improved to 24-7 as a head coach against the SEC’s two Mississippi schools, including 21-7 with the Volunteers and 10-1 at home (all at Tennessee).
• Specifically against Mississippi State, Barnes increased his career record to 15-4, with a 12-4 tally during his Tennessee tenure.
• Tennessee’s .797 (59-15) winning percentage on Tuesdays during Barnes’ tenure is its best of any day of the week.
• The Volunteers are 3-0 in home SEC for the fourth time in seven years, including the third in the last four and second in a row.
• Tennessee improved to 32-23 (.582) in AP top-25 matchups under Barnes, including 4-1 (.800) in 2024-25 and 17-4 (.810) at home.
• Barnes-led Tennessee teams are now 15-10 (.600) in AP top-15 showdowns, including 6-1 (.857) on their home court.
• The Volunteers moved to 20-7 (.741) at home versus AP top-25 foes in the Barnes era, including 15-1 (.938) since Jan. 30, 2021.
• Tennessee now owns a 12-4 (.750) mark when hosting AP top-15 squads under Barnes, including 10-1 (.909) tally since Jan. 30, 2021.
• The Volunteers improved to 38-38 (.500) against AP top-25 opponents under Barnes, including 22-11 (.667) since Jan. 22, 2022.
• Tennessee is now 24-23 (.511) when facing AP top-15 teams in the Barnes era, including 17-6 (.739) record since Dec. 22, 2021.
• The Volunteers have held a lead of 18-plus points in 15 of their 19 contests this season, including a margin of 26 in 10 of 16.
• Fifteen of Tennessee’s 17 wins are by 12-plus points, with eight by at least 22, four by at least 35 and two by 40-plus.
• Tennessee has conceded 35 or fewer first-half points in 17 of its 19 contests thus far, including 29 or fewer on 11 occasions and 22 or fewer five times.
• The Volunteers have held a halftime advantage in 15 of their 19 outings this season, including a margin of seven-plus points 12 times, double digits 10 times, 12-plus eight times, 14-plus seven times and 23-plus thrice.
• Mississippi State’s 16 points before the break marked the second-lowest first-half total by a Tennessee foe in 2024-25, trailing only the 15 by Western Carolina on Dec. 17, 2024.
• The last time Tennessee conceded 20 or fewer points in a half in an SEC contest was on Feb. 17, 2024, when Vanderbilt had exactly 20 at Food City Center.
• Mississippi State scored 10 fewer points than it has in any other game this season, as its previous low was 66 both Jan. 14 at Auburn and Dec. 14, 2024, versus McNeese State in Tupelo, Miss.
• Okpara’s 3-pointer to beat the shot clock with 14:21 to go in the second half marked his first long-range make (and attempt) as a Volunteer and the second make of his career, with the other on Dec. 3, 2022, against St. Francis (PA) during his time at Ohio State.
• Okpara has now grabbed double-digit rebounds nine times as a collegian, including twice in his lone season at Tennessee.
• The 12 rebounds for Okpara set a season best—his prior top tally was 11 on Nov. 27, 2024, against UT Martin—as well as tied the third-highest total of his career and marked the fifth time he pulled down at least a dozen rebounds.
• Okpara’s 4-of-5 free-throw mark matched the most makes of his career, with the prior three times he hit four from the stripe all on six attempts.
• The 32 minutes for Okpara set a season high—his previous best was 30 on Jan. 11 at Texas—and tied for his fourth-most as a collegian.
• Lanier recorded 20-plus points for the 23rd time in his career, including his eighth this season, with all eight featuring a tally at least 22.
• Mashack logged his 13th double-digit point total, including his fourth of 2024-25 and his second in a row at home.
• Mashack connected on two 3-pointers for the sixth time, including the second this season and the second—alongside a Feb. 25, 2023, outing versus South Carolina—without a miss.
• Gainey scored in double figures for the 11th time in 19 outings this season after doing so 10 times total in 36 appearances in 2023-24.
• Gainey tied a career high with two blocks for the fourth time in the last 11 contests after hitting that mark five times—all during his freshman and sophomore years at USC Upstate—in his first 108 appearances.
• Zeigler amassed five-plus steals for the sixth time in his career, including hitting that mark for the second straight home game.

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#6/7 Vols Dominate #14 Mississippi State, 68-56
Courtesy / UT Athletics

#6/7 Vols Dominate #14 Mississippi State, 68-56

Posted on January 22, 2025 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments

Game Recap: Men’s Basketball | January 21, 2025

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team registered a commanding 68-56 win Tuesday night in a top-15 showdown with No. 14 Mississippi State in front of a sold-out crowd at Food City Center.

No. 6/7 Tennessee (17-2, 4-2 SEC) led from start to finish in the first-ever ranked clash between the two longtime league opponents. Fifth-year guard Chaz Lanier paced the victors with a game-high 23 points.

The Volunteers made three straight shots in the opening minutes, with 3-pointers by Lanier bookending the stretch, to grab an 8-0 edge after just 2:45. They pushed the lead to 15-4 at the 11:41 mark and held Mississippi State (15-4, 3-3 SEC) to a 1-of-13 start from the floor that included nine consecutive misses.

Tennessee pushed the lead to 13, 19-6, with 8:21 left in the frame, at which point the Bulldogs were 2-of-16 on field goals. Lanier continued his hot long-range shooting, pushing his ledger to 4-of-6, to help the home team stretch the margin to 14, 25-11, with 6:09 to play in the half. Mississippi State scored the next five points and the Volunteers then closed the half on a 9-0 run in the final 2:49 to take an 18-point advantage, 34-16, into the locker room.

Defensively, head coach Rick Barnes‘ team held the Bulldogs to a 6-of-27 (22.2 percent) clip in the first 20 minutes, including a 3-of-15 (20.0 percent) tally from deep. At the other end, Tennessee went 12-of-29 (41.4 percent) overall, 6-of-15 (40.0 percent) on 3-pointers and a perfect 4-of-4 at the line. It also recorded a 9-0 margin in fast-break points.

Mississippi State, aided by back-to-back 3-pointers from senior guard Claudell Harris Jr., scored the first eight points coming out of the break. The Bulldogs scored one fewer point in the first four-and-a-half minutes of the second half than they did in the whole first frame, with their extended 15-4 run to begin the session making 38-31 with 15:34 to play.

Tennessee, though, countered by holding Mississippi State without a basket for 6:23, forcing five consecutive misses. Sparked by the second made 3-pointer of junior forward Felix Okpara’s career, the Volunteers went on a 14-2 run, including notching seven straight points in 1:54, to push the lead to 19, 52-33, with 9:38 remaining.

Nearly three minutes later, with 6:46 to play, Tennessee claimed its largest cushion of the night, 59-39. The Bulldogs, who got no closer than 15 until the final 110 seconds of the eventual 12-point decision, finished with their lowest point total of 2024-25.

Lanier, who made at least five 3-pointers for the sixth time in his lone season at Tennessee, scored nine more points than any other player in the game. Senior guard Jordan Gainey and Jahmai Mashack contributed 10 apiece of the Volunteers, with the former 4-of-4 at the line and the latter 2-of-2 from long range.

Okpara concluded the night with nine points to go along with a season- and game-best 12 rebounds. Senior guard Zakai Zeigler totaled nine points, a game-high seven assists and a game-leading five steals, four of which came in the first 10 minutes.

Sophomore guard Josh Hubbard paced the Bulldogs with 14 points, but Tennessee limited him to a 5-of-16 field-goal clip. Junior guard Riley Kugel recorded 12 points, with the Volunteers holding him to a 3-of-12 mark from the floor. Senior forward R.J. Melendez added 10 points, all but two in the second half, for Mississippi State.

The Volunteers, who went 12-of-13 (92.3 percent) at the stripe, allowed the Bulldogs just a 19-of-56 (33.9 percent) ledger from the field in the triumph.

Up next for Tennessee is a trip to Auburn, Ala., where it takes on top-ranked Auburn in a top-10 clash, live on ESPN from Neville Arena, which will host the season’s first College GameDay that morning.

To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.

TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS POSTGAME NOTES
• The Volunteers, who logged their 16th sellout in the last three seasons (2022-25), improved to 34-14 all-time in Food City Center sellouts, including 33-12 since the 2007-08 capacity reduction and 27-6 in Barnes’ 10-year tenure.
• Tennessee also upped its record to 91-33 all-time when playing in front of 20,000-plus fans at Food City Center, including 32-9 under Barnes, with 26 of the latter 41 over the past four years (2021-25).
• The crowd of 21,678 Tuesday night was the sixth time season, all in Tennessee’s the last seven outings, of over 19,000 fans at Food City Center.
• Tennessee is now 91-46 all-time versus Mississippi State, with its 91 wins its third-most versus any foe, trailing just Vanderbilt (131) and Georgia (90).
• The Volunteers improved to 10-3 over their last 13 meetings with the Bulldogs, a span that dates to Feb. 27, 2018.
• Tuesday marked the first time in 137 all-time meetings—22 were before the 1948-49 advent of the AP Poll—the Volunteers and Bulldogs were both in the AP top 25.
• In addition, Tuesday was just the 12th time Tennessee has faced an AP-ranked Mississippi State team—the last was Jan. 12, 2012—while, in comparison, it was the 12th time in the last 13 series meetings the Volunteers were ranked.
• Each of Tennessee’s last two home games have featured a first-ever AP top-25 series matchup, as it beat No. 23 Georgia, 74-56, just six days ago, Jan. 15.
• Barnes improved to 24-7 as a head coach against the SEC’s two Mississippi schools, including 21-7 with the Volunteers and 10-1 at home (all at Tennessee).
• Specifically against Mississippi State, Barnes increased his career record to 15-4, with a 12-4 tally during his Tennessee tenure.
• Tennessee’s .797 (59-15) winning percentage on Tuesdays during Barnes’ tenure is its best of any day of the week.
• The Volunteers are 3-0 in home SEC for the fourth time in seven years, including the third in the last four and second in a row.
• Tennessee improved to 32-23 (.582) in AP top-25 matchups under Barnes, including 4-1 (.800) in 2024-25 and 17-4 (.810) at home.
• Barnes-led Tennessee teams are now 15-10 (.600) in AP top-15 showdowns, including 6-1 (.857) on their home court.
• The Volunteers moved to 20-7 (.741) at home versus AP top-25 foes in the Barnes era, including 15-1 (.938) since Jan. 30, 2021.
• Tennessee now owns a 12-4 (.750) mark when hosting AP top-15 squads under Barnes, including 10-1 (.909) tally since Jan. 30, 2021.
• The Volunteers improved to 38-38 (.500) against AP top-25 opponents under Barnes, including 22-11 (.667) since Jan. 22, 2022.
• Tennessee is now 24-23 (.511) when facing AP top-15 teams in the Barnes era, including 17-6 (.739) record since Dec. 22, 2021.
• The Volunteers have held a lead of 18-plus points in 15 of their 19 contests this season, including a margin of 26 in 10 of 16.
• Fifteen of Tennessee’s 17 wins are by 12-plus points, with eight by at least 22, four by at least 35 and two by 40-plus.
• Tennessee has conceded 35 or fewer first-half points in 17 of its 19 contests thus far, including 29 or fewer on 11 occasions and 22 or fewer five times.
• The Volunteers have held a halftime advantage in 15 of their 19 outings this season, including a margin of seven-plus points 12 times, double digits 10 times, 12-plus eight times, 14-plus seven times and 23-plus thrice.
• Mississippi State’s 16 points before the break marked the second-lowest first-half total by a Tennessee foe in 2024-25, trailing only the 15 by Western Carolina on Dec. 17, 2024.
• The last time Tennessee conceded 20 or fewer points in a half in an SEC contest was on Feb. 17, 2024, when Vanderbilt had exactly 20 at Food City Center.
• Mississippi State scored 10 fewer points than it has in any other game this season, as its previous low was 66 both Jan. 14 at Auburn and Dec. 14, 2024, versus McNeese State in Tupelo, Miss.
• Okpara’s 3-pointer to beat the shot clock with 14:21 to go in the second half marked his first long-range make (and attempt) as a Volunteer and the second make of his career, with the other on Dec. 3, 2022, against St. Francis (PA) during his time at Ohio State.
• Okpara has now grabbed double-digit rebounds nine times as a collegian, including twice in his lone season at Tennessee.
• The 12 rebounds for Okpara set a season best—his prior top tally was 11 on Nov. 27, 2024, against UT Martin—as well as tied the third-highest total of his career and marked the fifth time he pulled down at least a dozen rebounds.
• Okpara’s 4-of-5 free-throw mark matched the most makes of his career, with the prior three times he hit four from the stripe all on six attempts.
• The 32 minutes for Okpara set a season high—his previous best was 30 on Jan. 11 at Texas—and tied for his fourth-most as a collegian.
• Lanier recorded 20-plus points for the 23rd time in his career, including his eighth this season, with all eight featuring a tally at least 22.
• Mashack logged his 13th double-digit point total, including his fourth of 2024-25 and his second in a row at home.
• Mashack connected on two 3-pointers for the sixth time, including the second this season and the second—alongside a Feb. 25, 2023, outing versus South Carolina—without a miss.
• Gainey scored in double figures for the 11th time in 19 outings this season after doing so 10 times total in 36 appearances in 2023-24.
• Gainey tied a career high with two blocks for the fourth time in the last 11 contests after hitting that mark five times—all during his freshman and sophomore years at USC Upstate—in his first 108 appearances.
• Zeigler amassed five-plus steals for the sixth time in his career, including hitting that mark for the second straight home game.