#17 Tennessee Vols Basketball gets 80-61 road win over Missouri Tuesday night

Columbia, MO – A hot-shooting night led 17th-ranked Tennessee to a definitive road win Tuesday night at Missouri, 80-61.
 
Kennedy Chandler led the way for the Vols with 23 points on 9-for-12 shooting with a career-high eight rebounds and six assists.
 
Joining Chandler in double figures was Santiago Vescovi, who added 14 points on 4-for-6 shooting from 3-point range, and Victor Bailey Jr., who scored 11 points on 5-for-8 shooting.
 
Javon Pickett had 16 points to lead Missouri.
 
Carrying a nine-point lead into the start of the second half, Tennessee opened the final period by hitting just one of its first six shots, but quickly regained its shooting stroke.
 
The Vols and Tigers played back-and-forth for the first four minutes of the final period before a Jonas Aidoo and one fast-break dunk on a feed from Chandler kicked off a 16-3 Tennessee run that gave the Vols a 21-point lead at 57-36 with 10:44 remaining.
 
Missouri responded with a 14-5 run to cut the Tennessee lead down to 12 at 62-50 with 6:37 left but never was able to draw any closer, as Vescovi’s three 3-pointers in the final six minutes held the Vols maintain distance.
 
Tennessee led Missouri at halftime, 36-27, after shooting 50 percent (15-for-30) from the field during the first half.
 
Despite its high shooting percentage for the first half as a whole, the Vols hit just two of their first seven shots from the field to start the game. Trailing 17-15 just under nine minutes into the opening period, Tennessee took control by rattling off a 13-0 run spanning nearly five minutes—bookended by midrange jumpers from Bailey Jr.
 
After it made seven of 12 shots to start the game, Missouri made just four of its last 16 to end the half.
 
Chandler led all scorers with 14 first-half points on 6-for-8 shooting.

Vols Reach 20 Wins

Tuesday’s win marked Tennessee’s 20th of the season, with the 2021-22 season standing as the third season of the Rick Barnes era in which the UT Vols have reached 20 wins and first since 2018-19.

Next Up For UT Vols Basketball

The Tennessee men’s basketball team is back at Thompson-Boling Arena on Saturday for a ranked showdown with No. 3 Auburn. Tip-off is set for 4:00pm CT on ESPN. Although Saturday’s game is sold out, fans can still purchase tickets through Vivid Seats.

Box Score

Tennessee 80, Missouri 61