Tennessee got blown out in Lexington by Kentucky two weeks ago. On Saturday, the Vols returned the favor.
The No. 7 Vols (26-3, 14-2 SEC) dominated the No. 4 Wildcats (24-5, 13-3 SEC) in Thompson-Boling Arena on Saturday, earning a 71-52 victory over Kentucky just two weeks after the Wildcats bullied the Vols in an 86-69 win in Rupp Arena. Tennessee held Kentucky to just 10 points in the paint, and the Vols held the Wildcats to a season-low 52 points. That marked the fewest points Kentucky has scored in a game since they were held to 48 points in a 64-48 loss to Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament in 2013.
After the game, Tennessee’s players celebrated, and so did Tennessee’s Athletics Director.
As time expired on the court, Tennessee forward Admiral Schofield dunked the ball and ran around the court in celebration. The bucket didn’t count, but it got the sold out Thompson-Boling Arena crowd to their feet. Grant Williams also soaked in the victory:
THANK YOU
AND GOODNIGHT pic.twitter.com/1ksvZ1mixI
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) March 2, 2019
As the team headed to the locker room, Tennessee AD Phillip Fulmer welcomed them and congratulated them on the win:
there’s approval
then there’s @phillipfulmer approval ? pic.twitter.com/7zEZbjbiHQ
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) March 2, 2019
Once the team got into the locker room, they celebrated some more. Point guard Jordan Bone got a ton of love from his teammates for the best performance of his UT career. Bone totaled a career-high 27 points and was a perfect 5-for-5 from three. He finished 11-of-15 from the floor overall and also added three assists and three rebounds while not turning the ball over a single time.
the postgame love for @JordanBone23 is all you really need pic.twitter.com/hIyHAwhIqi
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) March 2, 2019
With the win, Tennessee stayed tied atop the SEC standings along with LSU. The Tigers own a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Vols for the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament, but a share of the regular season title is still within grasp for Tennessee.
Kentucky moves to third place in the standings with the loss.
