Tennessee basketball out-scraps Ole Miss to win SEC opener 63-59
Zakai Zeigler wasn't going to be denied.
The Tennessee basketball guard launched into Ole Miss guard Amaree Abram, swatting the ball into a free-for-all. Abram scrambled. Rebels forward Malique Ewin rushed. Vols guard Santiago Vescovi sprinted. Zeigler dove into the mound of bodies to force a jump ball. He rose grinning and clapping, having made the grittiest play amid a bludgeoning brand of basketball between Tennessee and Ole Miss.
The No. 10 Vols came back, held on, then held on harder to beat Ole Miss 63-59 on Wednesday in a scrappy SEC opener at the Pavilion at Ole Miss.
Vescovi led UT (11-2) with 22 points, one shy of a career high. Zeigler had 13. Jonas Aidoo had a career-high 13 rebounds. He played 15 second-half minutes, the most among UT's big men against the Rebels (8-5). He added three blocks.
Tennessee turned it up defensively in the second half
Zeigler got an open-court steal that turned into a crafty Vescovi layup early in the second half. So began a defense-to-offense stretch that propelled Tennessee.
Vescovi and Zeigler trapped Ole Miss guard TJ Caldwell in the backcourt, leading to a Zeigler run out and a pair of free throws. Vescovi forced another steal, which deflected to Julian Phillips and ended back with Vescovi for a 3-pointer and a 39-36 Tennessee lead.
UT got six straight points in the paint to take a 45-43 lead before Vescovi hit a jumper in the paint, which preceded Zeigler's scrappy defensive highlight.
Tennessee's offense slumped early
Tennessee picked up where it left off in a February 2021 trip to Ole Miss: The Vols struggled offensively early. They had three shot-clock violations in the first half, including on the opening possession and out of the first media timeout.
UT shot 37.5% from the field and 20% on 3-pointers. Vescovi had 10 first-half points. No other UT player had more than four as the Vols trailed 34-28 at halftime.
Ole Miss opened 4-for-7 on 3-pointers to take a double-digit lead but missed its next five.
Josiah-Jordan James is still out
Josiah-Jordan James did not play for the fourth straight game, the second time he has missed four games in a row this season. The senior is still battling knee soreness that has bothered him throughout the season following an offseason knee procedure.
He is averaging 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds. He has not played since Dec. 7 against Eastern Kentucky and UT has not had its full lineup since Nov. 16 against Florida Gulf Coast.
Up next
Tennessee hosts Mississippi State on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2).
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 out-scraps Ole Miss to win SEC opener
