Josiah Jordan James had a career high 23 points. This included back-to-back 3 pointers that gave No. The Vols took the lead in the second period and beat Georgia by 75 to 68 on Tuesday night.
After a Kario Oquendo 3-pointer, Georgia led 43-43. James responded with three consecutive 3s. James added 3 more to cap Tennessee’s 11-0 run, which gave it a 54-44 lead.
Tennessee (22-7, 13-4 Southeastern Conference), began the day tied at No. 14 Arkansas and No. 14 Arkansas and No. 5 Auburn.
Kennedy Chandler scored 16 points for the Vols.
Georgia (1-64, 1-16) suffered its 10th consecutive defeat since beating Alabama Jan. 25, their only win in the SEC. The Bulldogs have lost 18 out of 19 games.
Georgia’s Aaron Cook scored 17 points, while Kario Oquendo scored 16.
Tennessee led 64-49, but couldn’t win the game. Georgia narrowed the gap to four points, but could not score on two possessions that offered the chance to draw even closer.
John Fulkerson’s back-to-back baskets helped the Vols stop Georgia from coming back.
To cap off an 8-0 run, the Bulldogs displayed a rare streak in explosive offense in halftime.
Oquendo began a streak of three consecutive Bulldogs jams after he scored after a Christian Wright assist and steal. Jabri Abdur Rahim added a dunk after Noah Baumann’s steal. Oquendo’s strong one-handed fast break jam gave the Bulldogs a 24-18 lead.
Pregame introductions were met with boos from Georgia’s fourth-year coach Tom Crean. Crean was defeated by 47-73 overall, and a disappointing 15-56 in SEC matches in his fourth season.
This season’s 24 losses are the worst in Georgia history. The Bulldogs still have one chance to win the conference for the first time ever in program history.
BIG PICTURE
Tennessee: James’ long-distance shots led to a strong recovery by the Vols from a slow start. The Vols were unable to defend in the first half. However, the Bulldogs made 51.7% of their shots from field and held a 22-16 lead in the paint. Tennessee settled for a 35-35 tie at halftime with five 3-pointers, three of which were made by Santiago Vescovi.
Georgia: It’s not possible to accuse the Bulldogs of abandoning Crean and the season. Their performance was too poor to sustain a strong second half. While 12 turnovers by the Bulldogs were an issue, the most telling aspect of Georgia’s performance was the deficit on the boards. Tennessee held a 39-28 lead in rebounding.
UP NEXT
Tennessee: Tennessee closes its regular season at-home on Saturday. It plays No. 14 Arkansas. On February 19, the Vols lost to Arkansas 58-48
