Tennessee basketball became the first SEC team to score 100 points at Rupp Arena in 30 years as the Vols toppled No. 10 Kentucky 103-92 on Saturday night.
The Vols’ improved offense having a strong performance against a weak Kentucky defense wasn’t shocking, but scoring in triple digits while star Dalton Knecht totaled just 16 points was surprising.
But on a quiet night for Knecht, a number of Tennessee players stepped up. Most notably junior point guard Zakai Zeigler and super senior wing Josiah-Jordan James who each went for career-bests 26 points in the win.
Zeigler was incredibly efficient, making eight-of-11 field goal attempts, three-of-six three-point attempts and seven-of-10 free throws. James broke out of his slump in an aggressive way, making nine-of-18 field goals, four-of-nine three-pointers and all four free throw attempts.
More From RTI: Tobe Awaka’s Fire At Kentucky A Good Sign For Tennessee
The two big performances marked some of the best offensive performances ever from Tennessee basketball players at Rupp Arena.
In fact, Zeigler and James 26 points tied for the fourth most ever from Tennessee players at Rupp. Chris Lofton’s 31 points in 2006 tops the list while John Fulkerson’s (2020) and Keon Johnson’s (2021) 27 points tie for the second-highest scoring output.
Tennessee’s had more success at Rupp Arena in recent years than ever before in program history. James, along with fellow super senior Santiago Vescovi, end their careers with a 3-2 record at Rupp Arena earning wins in 2020, 21 and 24.
Vols’ head coach Rick Barnes is now 11-9 against Kentucky in his Tennessee tenure and 4-5 against the Wildcats at Rupp Arena. Prior to Barnes’ tenure, the Vols were 5-35 at Rupp Arena.
