No. 6 Tennessee earned a huge win on Saturday afternoon with a 77-69 victory over No. 7 Texas A&M in College Station.
While the Vols and Aggies traded blows in a back-and-forth battle, Tennessee had enough in the tank to pull away in the final minute and capture the Top 10 road win.
Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier scored a season-high 30 points in the win on Saturday, going 8-of-13 from the three-point line including 6-of-7 from deep in the first half. Lanier’s 22 points in the first 20 minutes was the answer Tennessee needed to stay competitive in a charged-up road environment.
While Lanier was the big storyline in the first half, Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler was the engine in the second half. Zeigler didn’t have his best shooting game but did go 10-of-12 from the free-throw line and hit a dagger three-pointer on the wing with just 21 seconds left. Zeigler’s gutsy leadership was exactly what Tennessee needed to get to the finish line.
The Vols’ statement win on Saturday in Texas could prove to be a defining factor in the two postseason races with just four games remaining on the schedule.
After the game, Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes and guard Chaz Lanier met with the media for a brief moment in College Station.
More from RTI: Three Quick Takeaways As Hot Shooting Propels Tennessee Basketball Past Texas A&M
Check out the interview below:
Tennessee HC Rick Barnes and G Chaz Lanier
