NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Luke Kornet led the Commodores with 18 points, but it was not enough as Vanderbilt feel to Tennessee by a score of 87-75 on Saturday night.
Tennessee freshman Jordan Bone had no problems shooting in the Southeastern Conference’s oldest and most unique basketball arena, Memorial Gym.
Then again, Saturday night wasn’t his first time playing on Vanderbilt’s elevated court.
Bone led five players in double figures with a season-best 23 points as the Volunteers snapped a three-game skid. And Bone, who played in a high school camp at Memorial, knew the moment he knocked down his first shot, only his second 3-pointer made this season, in the opening seconds.
”You know how it is when you get that first shot,” Bone said. ”You’re like, `Oh, it’s going to be a good night,’ and it was tonight.”
Playing in his hometown, Bone also handed out five assists with only one turnover in his fifth game back from a stress fracture in his foot that cost Bone nine games this season. Bone, who came into this game having hit only 1 of 10 outside the arc all season, went 4 of 5 from 3-point range against Vandy and 8 of 12 overall.
He helped the Volunteers (9-8, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) score their most points ever at Vanderbilt – the team they’ve beaten the most in a series that dates back to 1921. This also gave the Vols their third road win this season, tripling the number they managed last season in coach Rick Barnes’ debut.
Barnes called this Tennessee’s most poised game yet, though the coach never thought about Bone finally playing in his hometown.
”He had a pretty good day, he had his best day as a Volunteer, I can tell you that,” Barnes said.
Vanderbilt (8-9, 2-3) lost its third straight despite shooting 53.1 percent, and coach Bryce Drew said his Commodores did a lot of things well.
”It’s hard to win games when you don’t get stops on the defensive end,” Drew said.
Admiral Schofield scored 15 points, Robert Hubbs III, Grant Williams and Lamonte Turner each had 12 for T
ennessee.
Matthew Fisher-Davis and Jeff Roberson each had 12, and Nolan Cressler and Joe Toye added 10 apiece for Vanderbilt.
Vanderbilt last led 20-18 on a bucket by Joe Toye with 11:47 left in the first half before the Vols took the lead for good.
Shembari Phillips’s 3-pointer put Tennessee ahead to stay and started an 11-point spurt by the Vols. Hubbs’ jumper ended the run with 6:32 left and a 29-20 lead with the Vols up 39-34 at halftime.
The Commodores never got closer than two in the second half and played much of the second half with their leading scorer, Fisher-Davis on the bench after he was called for a charge on Turner, then drew a technical with his reaction with 14:41 left. Fisher-Davis didn’t return until 6:14 was left and the Commodores trailing 72-63. Fisher-Davis fouled out with 1:12 left.
BIG PICTURE
Tennessee: The Vols had their best shooting game of the season at 58.6 percent (34 of 58). The Volunteers bounced back after hitting just 1 of 11 from 3-point range losing to South Carolina in their first game without Detrick Mostella, who was leading the Vols in 3-point buckets when dismissed from the team Tuesday night. Against Vandy, they were 8 of 15 outside the arc.
Vanderbilt: The Commodores’ strong start winning their first two SEC games is a memory, and this was a bad loss for the Commodores after losing to No. 6 Kentucky on Tuesday night. The Commodores now head out on the road for two games visiting Georgia, then No. 23 Florida.
QUOTABLE
”It was weird, even free throws (looked) weird when you’re asked to stand at the line and you have that small scoreboard in the background and backboard. It’s a different gym to play,” Tennessee forward Grant Williams said.
UP NEXT
Tennessee: Visits Mississippi on Tuesday night.
Vanderbilt: Visits Georgia on Tuesday night.
