Tennessee made a statement on Saturday. The Volunteers knocked off the Kentucky Wildcats by a score of 71-52, avenging the loss they suffered a few weeks ago in Lexington.
Tennessee improved to 14-2 in the SEC with the win, while Kentucky dropped to 13-3. The Vols helped their chances to earn a 1-seed come Selection Sunday with the victory.
The Wildcats struggled mightily offensively. Tennessee's defense deserves a lot of credit; it held Kentucky to 0.79 points per possession, easily its lowest mark of the season. P.J. Washington was the only Wildcat to reach double figures in scoring.
FINAL STATS: TENNESSEE TOPS KENTUCKY
Jordan Bone was the star of the game for Tennessee, scoring 27 points on 5-of-5 from 3-point range. That's the position that won the Vols the game. Ashton Hagans is known as one of the best defensive point guards in the country, and wreaked havoc in the first matchup. That wasn't the case on Saturday. Bone got to his spots and was on absolute fire from deep.
LSU squeaked one out against Alabama earlier in the day, so the Tigers and Vols are tied at 14-2 atop the conference. But, if you'll recall, LSU beat Tennessee last weekend and the two programs only square off once this season. The regular season title is looking like the Tigers' to lose, but Saturday's win could vault the Volunteers back into the 1 seed conversation come Selection Sunday. LSU has Florida and Vanderbilt remaining on its schedule. Tennessee will face Mississippi State and Auburn.
Scroll below to catch up on anything you may have missed from the game.
Kentucky-Tennessee: Time, TV channel
Round Two between the Vols and the Wildcats is set for a 2 p.m. ET tip-off on Saturday, March 2, from Knoxville, Tenn. The game will be shown on CBS with Ian Eagle, Bill Rafferty, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson on the call.
Kentucky-Tennesse: Preview
The outcome of this game will likely have a massive impact on the SEC standings, who wins the league’s regular season title and who’s seeded where in the SEC tournament. Tennessee, Kentucky and LSU are in a three-way tie atop the SEC with 13-2 conference records. The loser gets knocked down a peg with just two more regular season games left, while the winner stays on top.
THIS IS MARCH: 5 teams that could be Cinderella's in 2019
Kentucky and Tennessee last met on Feb. 16 and the Wildcats captured an 86-69 win in Lexington. Since then, the Vols have gone 2-1, losing only to LSU, and the Wildcats have won three straight. In that first meeting, the Vols shot just 28 percent from 3-point range and reigning SEC Player of the Year Grant Williams attempted just four shots from the floor.
Tennessee is No. 7 in the AP Poll this week, while Kentucky is No. 4. In the NET, Kentucky is fifth while Tennessee is seventh. In KenPom, Kentucky is sixth while Tennessee is eighth, though the Vols are ranked third in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom.
WATCH: Rick Barnes recalls every emotion felt during March Madness
While Kentucky holds a 52-50 all-time record against Tennessee when playing in Knoxville, the Vols have never lost at home to Wildcats under the tenure of Rick Barnes. A win Saturday would make the Vols 2-2 this season against Top 5 opponents, stretch the Vols’ home win streak to 25 games, and preserve Tennessee’s perfect home record this season.
THE BRACKET: Print the official 2019 March Madness bracket
|
Stats |
Kentucky |
Tennessee |
|
Record (SEC) |
24-4 (13-2) |
25-3 (13-2) |
|
AP ranking |
No. 4 |
No. 7 |
|
NET ranking |
No. 5 |
No. 7 |
|
PPG |
78.0 |
83.2 |
|
Points allowed |
64.9 |
68.1 |
|
FG percentage |
48.0 |
50.5 |
|
Def. FG percentage |
40.2 |
39.4 |
|
Scoring leader (ppg) |
PJ Washington (15.0) |
Grant Williams (19.1) |
|
Rebounding leader (rpg) |
PJ Washington (7.9) |
Grant Williams (7.6) |
|
Assists leader (apg) |
Ashton Hagans (4.3) |
Jordan Bone (6.2) |
Kentucky-Tennessee: Score, live updates, highlights
