No. 5 Tennessee captured a huge victory over No. 22 Ole Miss on Saturday night in Knoxville to kick off SEC play.
The Vols defeated the Rebels by a score of 90-64 in Thompson Boling Arena at Food City Center.
Tennessee took a nine-point lead into halftime and didn’t let Ole Miss back into the game in the second half of play. The Vols used physical play and strong defense to keep the Rebels at bay while the energetic sold-out crowd played their part from the stands.
Zakai Zeigler and Jonas Aidoo both recorded double-doubles for Tennessee on Tuesday night: Zeigler with 17 points and 10 assists while Aidoo had 24 points and 10 rebounds. Jahmai Mashack had a very complete game with 10 points, four assists, four rebounds, and a +27 plus/minus overall.
The Vols outscored the Rebels by nine points in the first half and 17 points in the second half.
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After the conclusion of the game, Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard met with the media and called Tennessee a Final Four contender. The former Texas head coach also repeatedly referred to the Vols as one of the nation’s best overall and best defensive teams this season.
Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes spoke with the media after Beard and talked about this being one of the Vols’ most complete wins of the season so far. Barnes spoke about the role of Jahmai Mashack, the tandem of Jonas Aidoo and Tobe Awaka on the court, and much more.
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Tennessee guard Jahmai Mashack and forward Jonas Aidoo also spoke to the media to close down the night. Check out all three interviews on Saturday night in Knoxville below:
Tennessee HC Rick Barnes
Ole Miss HC Chris Beard
Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler, Jonas Aidoo
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