Zakai Zeigler, Josiah-Jordan James each score 26 as No. 5 Tennessee handles No. 10 Kentucky 103-92
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) Josiah-Jordan James and Zakai Zeigler each scored 26 points, including 17 by James after halftime, and No. 5 Tennessee topped No. 10 Kentucky 103-92 on Saturday night.
Zeigler made all five of his field goal attempts for 13 points before halftime, including three from long range, helping the Volunteers (16-5, 6-2 Southeastern Conference) lead throughout.
James followed his lead in the second half with a pair of 3s sandwiched around another by Santiago Vescovi for a 57-47 advantage that grew to 16 with 9:22 remaining.
“Our biggest mindset going into the game was making it a 40-minute fight, putting two halves together," said James, who made 9 of 18 from the field and 4 or 9 from long range.
"You can’t do that without starting strong out the gate. We really just wanted to apply pressure on both ends of the floor. I think we did a really good job coming out the gate, and then we were able to sustain it for 40 minutes.”
Zeigler made 8 of 11 shots (3 of 6 from the behind the arc) and dished out a career-high 13 of Tennessee's 22 assists. Jonas Aidoo had 11 points and 11 rebounds, helping the Vols beat Kentucky 44-38 on the glass. Vescovi also had 11 points.
Rob Dillingham had a career-high 35 points with six 3-pointers off the bench before fouling out for Kentucky (15-5, 5-4), which dropped its second in a row and third in four games. Antonio Reeves had 21 and Reed Sheppard 16 in his second consecutive start at point guard in place of injured D.J. Wagner (ankle).
“It was an alright game,” Dillingham said. “We still got a loss. The confidence came from wanting to win. When I’m down, I feel like whatever we need to do, I have to take a shot and I have to make it.”
Sheppard twice got the Wildcats within seven late in the game, but James and Zeigler answered with jumpers as Tennessee won the showdown of top-10 teams. SEC scoring leader Dalton Knecht added 16 points as the Vols rebounded from Tuesday's home loss to South Carolina.
Play was stopped for 10 minutes in the second half as officials decided discipline after the Vols' Tobe Awaka and the Wildcats' Aaron Bradshaw exchanged shoves. Both received dead ball contact technical fouls along with Tennessee's Jordan Gainey and Dillingham.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Tennessee redeemed itself by beating Kentucky and will likely stay in the top 10. The Wildcats' first losing streak this season figures to drop them a few spots.
BIG PICTURE
Tennessee: The Vols were impressive on both ends, establishing offense with strong perimeter shooting that answered most every Kentucky challenge along with going strong to the basket. They shot 49% and came away with a 44-point improvement from the last game and their first triple-digit performance this season.
“I thought our older guys were important tonight,” coach Rick Barnes said, also noting his team's competitive practices. “We play fast, too. We tried to concentrate on transition defense but also do what we do.”
Kentucky: The Wildcats played catchup from the start, and not just on the scoreboard. They were a step behind defensively and struggled again on the boards. Dillingham's shooting kept them within reach but they needed more, especially in the paint: Kentucky was outscored 42-30, allowing Zeigler numerous easy drives to the basket.
UP NEXT
Tennessee hosts LSU on Wednesday night.
Kentucky visits Vanderbilt on Tuesday night.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Jonas Aidoo vs. Ugonna Onyenso (Zakai Zeigler gains possession) | |||
19:47 | +3 | Zakai Zeigler makes three point jump shot (Santiago Vescovi assists) | 3-0 | |
19:21 | Ugonna Onyenso turnover (bad pass) | |||
19:15 | +3 | Josiah-Jordan James makes three point jump shot (Zakai Zeigler assists) | 6-0 | |
18:43 | Tre Mitchell misses three point jump shot | |||
18:41 | Ugonna Onyenso offensive rebound | |||
18:37 | Antonio Reeves misses two point jump shot | |||
18:35 | Volunteers defensive rebound | |||
18:16 | Josiah-Jordan James misses two point driving layup | |||
18:14 | Jonas Aidoo offensive rebound | |||
18:10 | Jonas Aidoo misses two point layup | |||
18:08 | Jonas Aidoo offensive rebound | |||
18:07 | +2 | Jonas Aidoo makes two point putback layup | 8-0 | |
17:53 | Tre Mitchell turnover (lost ball) (Josiah-Jordan James steals) | |||
17:46 | Dalton Knecht misses three point jump shot | |||
17:44 | Ugonna Onyenso defensive rebound | |||
17:36 | Justin Edwards misses three point jump shot | |||
17:34 | Tre Mitchell offensive rebound | |||
17:27 | Santiago Vescovi personal foul (Justin Edwards draws the foul) | |||
17:23 | +3 | Reed Sheppard makes three point jump shot (Antonio Reeves assists) | 8-3 | |
17:07 | +2 | Dalton Knecht makes two point pullup jump shot (Zakai Zeigler assists) | 10-3 | |
16:47 | Antonio Reeves misses three point jump shot | |||
16:45 | Josiah-Jordan James defensive rebound | |||
16:38 | +3 | Santiago Vescovi makes three point jump shot (Josiah-Jordan James assists) | 13-3 | |
16:36 | Wildcats 30 second timeout | |||
16:13 | +2 | Antonio Reeves makes two point jump shot | 13-5 | |
15:50 | Jordan Gainey misses two point jump shot | |||
15:48 | Jonas Aidoo offensive rebound | |||
15:44 | +3 | Zakai Zeigler makes three point jump shot (Dalton Knecht assists) | 16-5 | |
15:29 | Reed Sheppard turnover (bad pass) (Zakai Zeigler steals) | |||
15:28 | Adou Thiero personal foul (Zakai Zeigler draws the foul) | |||
15:28 | TV timeout | |||
15:12 | Josiah-Jordan James misses three point jump shot | |||
15:10 | Tobe Awaka offensive rebound | |||
15:05 | Jordan Gainey misses three point jump shot | |||
15:03 | Josiah-Jordan James offensive rebound | |||
14:52 | Tobe Awaka offensive foul (Adou Thiero draws the foul) | |||
14:52 | Tobe Awaka turnover (offensive foul) | |||
14:38 | +2 | Reed Sheppard makes two point running jump shot (Rob Dillingham assists) | 16-7 | |
14:21 | +3 | Jordan Gainey makes three point jump shot (Zakai Zeigler assists) | 19-7 | |
14:12 | +3 | Rob Dillingham makes three point pullup jump shot (Reed Sheppard assists) | 19-10 | |
13:57 | +2 | Jordan Gainey makes two point pullup jump shot (Dalton Knecht assists) | 21-10 | |
13:35 | Adou Thiero misses two point driving layup | |||
13:33 | Adou Thiero offensive rebound | |||
13:32 | Tobe Awaka personal foul (Adou Thiero draws the foul) | |||
13:26 | +3 | Rob Dillingham makes three point jump shot (Adou Thiero assists) | 21-13 | |
13:18 | Ugonna Onyenso blocks Dalton Knecht's two point layup | |||
13:16 | Reed Sheppard defensive rebound | |||
13:12 | Antonio Reeves misses three point jump shot | |||
13:10 | Jonas Aidoo defensive rebound | |||
12:58 | Jordan Gainey misses two point jump shot | |||
12:56 | Jordan Gainey offensive rebound | |||
12:46 | Jahmai Mashack misses three point jump shot | |||
12:44 | Dalton Knecht offensive rebound | |||
12:39 | Dalton Knecht misses two point jump shot | |||
12:37 | Ugonna Onyenso defensive rebound | |||
12:31 | Dalton Knecht personal foul (Reed Sheppard draws the foul) | |||
12:17 | +2 | Ugonna Onyenso makes two point dunk (Tre Mitchell assists) | 21-15 | |
12:06 | +2 | Zakai Zeigler makes two point driving reverse layup | 23-15 | |
11:57 | +2 | Rob Dillingham makes two point stepback jump shot | 23-17 | |
11:43 | Ugonna Onyenso blocks Jonas Aidoo's two point layup | |||
11:41 | Tre Mitchell defensive rebound | |||
11:36 | Reed Sheppard misses three point jump shot | |||
11:34 | Tre Mitchell offensive rebound | |||
11:34 | Zakai Zeigler personal foul (Tre Mitchell draws the foul) | |||
11:34 | TV timeout | |||
11:16 | +3 | Rob Dillingham makes three point stepback jump shot | 23-20 | |
11:04 | +2 | Jonas Aidoo makes two point layup (Jordan Gainey assists) | 25-20 | |
10:44 | Rob Dillingham misses three point jump shot | |||
10:42 | Josiah-Jordan James defensive rebound | |||
10:29 | +2 | Josiah-Jordan James makes two point jump shot | 27-20 | |
10:17 | Jonas Aidoo blocks Reed Sheppard's two point driving layup | |||
10:15 | Jahmai Mashack defensive rebound | |||
10:09 | Jordan Gainey misses three point jump shot | |||
10:07 | Santiago Vescovi offensive rebound | |||
10:07 | Rob Dillingham personal foul (Santiago Vescovi draws the foul) | |||
10:06 | Justin Edwards personal foul | |||
10:04 | Santiago Vescovi turnover (bad pass) | |||
9:54 | Reed Sheppard turnover (lost ball) (Josiah-Jordan James steals) | |||
9:47 | Reed Sheppard blocks Josiah-Jordan James's two point driving layup | |||
9:45 | Volunteers offensive rebound | |||
9:43 | +3 | Dalton Knecht makes three point jump shot (Zakai Zeigler assists) | 30-20 | |
9:23 | Jonas Aidoo blocks Rob Dillingham's two point layup | |||
9:21 | Aaron Bradshaw offensive rebound | |||
9:10 | +2 | Justin Edwards makes two point jump shot (Antonio Reeves assists) | 30-22 | |
8:49 | +3 | Zakai Zeigler makes three point jump shot (Jonas Aidoo assists) | 33-22 | |
8:34 | Antonio Reeves misses three point jump shot | |||
8:32 | Dalton Knecht defensive rebound | |||
8:26 | +2 | Dalton Knecht makes two point driving finger roll layup | 35-22 | |
8:26 | Aaron Bradshaw shooting foul (Dalton Knecht draws the foul) | |||
8:26 | +1 | Dalton Knecht makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 36-22 | |
8:05 | Rob Dillingham misses two point stepback jump shot | |||
8:03 | Dalton Knecht defensive rebound | |||
7:53 | Jonas Aidoo misses two point layup | |||
7:51 | Justin Edwards defensive rebound | |||
7:47 | Rob Dillingham turnover (bad pass) | |||
7:47 | TV timeout | |||
7:26 | Zakai Zeigler turnover (lost ball) (Rob Dillingham steals) | |||
7:11 | +2 | Justin Edwards makes two point jump shot (Rob Dillingham assists) | 36-24 | |
6:53 | Josiah-Jordan James misses three point jump shot | |||
6:51 | Rob Dillingham defensive rebound | |||
6:44 | Reed Sheppard misses two point driving layup | |||
6:42 | Aaron Bradshaw offensive rebound | |||
6:41 | +2 | Aaron Bradshaw makes two point putback layup | 36-26 | |
6:25 | +2 | Zakai Zeigler makes two point finger roll layup | 38-26 | |
6:04 | +3 | Justin Edwards makes three point jump shot (Reed Sheppard assists) | 38-29 | |
5:49 | Zakai Zeigler turnover (bad pass) (Rob Dillingham steals) | |||
5:45 | Rob Dillingham misses two point driving layup | |||
5:43 | Wildcats offensive rebound | |||
5:31 | +2 | Antonio Reeves makes two point driving finger roll layup (Rob Dillingham assists) | 38-31 | |
5:18 | Jonas Aidoo misses two point hook shot | |||
5:16 | Adou Thiero defensive rebound | |||
5:14 | Zakai Zeigler personal foul (Antonio Reeves draws the foul) | |||
5:02 | Antonio Reeves misses two point reverse layup | |||
5:00 | Antonio Reeves offensive rebound | |||
4:57 | +3 | Rob Dillingham makes three point jump shot (Antonio Reeves assists) | 38-34 | |
4:44 | Josiah-Jordan James misses two point jump shot | |||
4:42 | Josiah-Jordan James offensive rebound | |||
4:23 | Ugonna Onyenso blocks Dalton Knecht's two point driving reverse layup | |||
4:20 | Volunteers offensive rebound | |||
4:19 | Volunteers turnover (shot clock violation) | |||
4:02 | Reed Sheppard misses three point jump shot | |||
4:00 | Jonas Aidoo defensive rebound | |||
3:40 | +2 | Josiah-Jordan James makes two point alley-oop dunk (Cameron Carr assists) | 40-34 | |
3:26 | Antonio Reeves misses two point layup | |||
3:24 | Cameron Carr defensive rebound | |||
3:21 | +2 | Josiah-Jordan James makes two point jump shot | 42-34 | |
3:19 | Wildcats 30 second timeout | |||
3:19 | TV timeout | |||
3:05 | +3 | Rob Dillingham makes three point jump shot (Adou Thiero assists) | 42-37 | |
2:50 | Jordan Gainey misses three point jump shot | |||
2:48 | Ugonna Onyenso defensive rebound | |||
2:40 | Cameron Carr personal foul (Rob Dillingham draws the foul) | |||
2:40 | Rob Dillingham misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | |||
2:40 | Adou Thiero offensive rebound | |||
2:32 | Reed Sheppard misses three point jump shot | |||
2:30 | Jonas Aidoo defensive rebound | |||
2:16 | Cameron Carr misses three point jump shot | |||
2:14 | Reed Sheppard defensive rebound | |||
2:10 | Antonio Reeves misses two point layup | |||
2:08 | Jonas Aidoo defensive rebound | |||
1:50 | +2 | Jonas Aidoo makes two point layup (Jordan Gainey assists) | 44-37 | |
1:31 | +3 | Antonio Reeves makes three point stepback jump shot (Reed Sheppard assists) | 44-40 | |
1:15 | Rob Dillingham shooting foul (Santiago Vescovi draws the foul) | |||
1:15 | +1 | Santiago Vescovi makes regular free throw 1 of 3 | 45-40 | |
1:15 | Santiago Vescovi misses regular free throw 2 of 3 | |||
1:15 | +1 | Santiago Vescovi makes regular free throw 3 of 3 | 46-40 | |
0:51 | +2 | Antonio Reeves makes two point stepback jump shot | 46-42 | |
0:20 | Dalton Knecht turnover (lost ball) (Antonio Reeves steals) | |||
0:01 | Tre Mitchell misses two point jump shot | |||
0:00 | Volunteers defensive rebound | |||
0:00 | End of period |