Tennessee (9-10) at Vanderbilt (14-5) (ET)
Sports Network | January 24, 2012
GAME NOTES: SEC rivals square off in Nashville, as the Vanderbilt Commodores play host to the Tennessee Volunteers.
Tennessee has had a roller-coaster type season, with ups and downs ultimately landing them with a sub-.500 record. The highs and lows have been highlighted in the Vols' current stretch, where they have lost four of six, but have recorded solid wins against Florida on January 7, and on Saturday against nationally-ranked Connecticut, 60-57.
Vanderbilt's season has been very impressive and the team is currently sitting in second place in the SEC. The Commodores have been climbing the conference ranks thanks to an eight-game win streak, but their run was snapped on Saturday against nationally-ranked Mississippi State, going down 78-77 in overtime.
Tennessee has a handle on the storied rivalry, 110-69. The Vols won both matchups in 2010-11, including a 60-51 victory last February in Nashville.
Tennessee beat Connecticut on Saturday in spite of its offensive performance. The Vols' 60 points and 42.3 percent shooting was down from its season marks of 71.1 ppg and 45.4 percent. The Vols were able to come out victorious thanks to their defense, which allowed one of the nation's top teams to score just 57 points on 36.4 percent shooting. It was a great sign for Tennessee considering its 66.9 points allowed per game to its opponents is the worst number in the SEC. Jarnell Stokes led the Vols in the victory, logging a double-double consisting of 16 points and 12 rebounds. It was just the freshman's third game of the year but he's already making a big impact with 12 points and eight rebounds per game. Trae Golden is Tennessee's leading scorer on the season with 13.6 ppg on 45.2 percent shooting. Jeronne Maymon adds 11.4 ppg and is sixth in the conference in rebounding at 7.7 rpg. The Vols aren't very careful with the ball, ranking next-to-last in the SEC in turnover margin (minus-1.32).
Even though Vanderbilt lost to Mississippi State on Saturday, its offense continued to put up impressive numbers, shooting 48.3 percent from the field while padding its second-ranked three-point offense by connecting on 14-of-27 shots from beyond the arc. John Jenkins has been the Commodores' catalyst all season long and that trend continued on Saturday as he went 8-of-17 for the floor for 21 points, his second straight 20-point performance. Jenkins is the SEC's leading scorer, tallying 19.8 ppg on 48.1 percent shooting. The junior is also the nation's most prolific three-point shooter, connecting on an incredible 4.0 treys per contest at a 45.3 percent clip. Jeffery Taylor is a great scorer in his own right, ranking third in the conference with 17.1 ppg. Lance Goulbourne collects 10.2 ppg and a team-leading 7.4 rpg. The defense has also been the Achilles' heel for the Commodores, giving up 65.7 ppg, which ranks third-worst in the SEC.
Tennessee's play has been very Jekyll and Hyde this year, but the Vols have yet to find success away from home, meaning Jenkins and company will take care of business tonight.
GAME NOTES: SEC rivals square off in Nashville, as the Vanderbilt Commodores play host to the Tennessee Volunteers.
FACTS & STATS: Site: Memorial Gym (14,316) -- Nashville, Tennessee. Television: ESPNU. Home Record: Tennessee 8-3, Vanderbilt 8-4. Away Record: Tennessee 0-5, Vanderbilt 4-1. Neutral Record: Tennessee 1-2, Vanderbilt 2-0. Conference Record: Tennessee 1-3, Vanderbilt 4-1. Series Record: Tennessee leads, 110-69.
Tuesday, January 24th, 7:00 p.m. (et)
Vanderbilt 75, Tennessee 68
