Tennessee clamps on D, smothers Mississippi State-west

[JohnWardForever]

westwords Mississippi State didn’t. It came to town averaging 82 points per game. It settled for 16 in the first half. It tried but couldn’t run favorite plays. It endured a maddening search for open shots. Everywhere Bulldogs looked, Vols were in the way.

Chaz Lanier #2 scored 14 points during the first half of Tennessee’s January 21, 2025, game versus Mississippi State, while State scored 16. The Vols earned the win, 68-56. (Photo By Andrew Ferguson/ Tennessee Athletics

 

[Doctrippin]

It was a good win but we left a lot of points on the court and didn't crack 70. Missing 4 layups was maddening. We can't do that against AU. Our offensive stats are just bad right now.

 

[joshwa]

There's no inside game to speak of. We rebound decent but nobody can go hard to the rim. We have a 7 foot white dude that lives outside the 3 point line

 

[JohnWardForever]

If you didn’t see it, you might not believe what stopped the trend. Jordan Gainey saved a loose ball. He threw it to Felix Okpara. The center was 29 feet from the goal and the shot clock was running down. He shocked everybody with his first three-point attempt of the season, the second of his career.
“Bottom!” as John Ward used to say.
I can still hear John Ward saying that. "Bottom"! "Sir, You walked"! Goodah! and so many more. The best to ever put the headphones on. And Marvin West is right up there as the best to relate the story.