TAMPA, Fla. — Tennessee men's basketball got a fight from Mississippi State but ultimately prevailed in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals with a win over Mississippi State.
An in-drop silence came when Tennessee guard Kennedy Chandler went down with a lower leg injury with 16:29 left in the first half. He was able to return later in the half though.
The ninth-ranked Vols, and two-seed in the tournament, got up by as many as eight points in the first half. It looked like they were starting to take control up 30-22 with 5:22 left in the first half. The Bulldogs rattled off eight straight points to tie the game.
The Vols led 39-37 at halftime.
Chandler took a couple more spills in the first half. In the second half, he had to exit out of the game after yet another fall with 19:29 in the second half.
Josiah-Jordan James went bonkers from deep after that. He made four three-pointers to score the first 12 points for the Vols in the second half. It was a part of a 12-3 run that got Tennessee up 51-40.
Tennessee controlled the game from there.
Chandler returned back to the game with 8:33 left in the second half with the Vols up 65-49. He scored in the final minute of the game.
The Vols advance to the SEC Tournament semifinals. They will either play Kentucky on Saturday at 3 p.m.
You can watch the team speak below.
