Tennessee basketball controls LSU to stay hot after Kentucky win
Dalton Knecht rested under the basket, relaxing his arms over his head and leaning back.
The Tennessee basketball guard somehow willed a left-handed layup in while two LSU players collided with him. He leaned back before rising to finish the three-point play as the Vols meandered toward a win.
The Vols ripped through the Tigers for a while, remembered nothing comes that easily and then made it a blowout again in an 88-68 win Wednesday at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Knecht had 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the No. 6 Vols (17-5, 7-2 SEC). Jordan Gainey had a season-high 18 and Zakai Zeigler had 17 points and nine assists.
LSU (12-10, 4-5) was without guard Jalen Cook, who averages 15.5 points per game.
Tennessee got whooped in the rebounding battle
Tennessee entered Wednesday as the third-best rebounding team in the SEC, while LSU was No. 10. But No. 3 got whooped by No. 10. LSU outrebounded Tennessee 40-26.
The Tigers had 18 offensive rebounds, which helped fuel a second-half comeback. The Vols led by as many as 26 while the lead shrunk to eight. UT did not trail for a second straight game.
Jordan Gainey came off the bench with intensity
Gainey made an offensive impact off the bench in the first half, but his overall impact was as impressive. He asserted himself defensively and guarded the perimeter tenaciously. He had three steals in the first half. It earned him 26 minutes, his most in SEC play.
He made his first four field-goal attempts to reach the 10-point mark before the 8-minute mark of the first half. He posted his third double-digit game in the past five after not having any in the prior 10.
Tennessee was excellent on 3-pointers in the first half
Jahmai Mashack dribbled directly into a 3-pointer in the final minute before halftime, cashing in on Tennessee's ninth 3-point of the half for a season high. The prior season high was eight in the second half at North Carolina on Nov. 29.
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The Vols came out roaring from deep, hitting three 3-pointers in the first three minutes. It had another three-in-three-minute stretch in the middle of the half that featured a pair from Gainey. Zeigler made his first three attempts.
Up next
Tennessee plays at Texas A&M on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee basketball controls LSU to stay hot in SEC post-Kentucky
