UT Sports Media
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The trio of Jarnell Stokes, Jordan McRae and combined for 43 points as Tennessee completed a season sweep of Vanderbilt with a 58-46 win at Memorial Gym on Wednesday night. Stokes scored a game-high 17 points and corralled 10 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season and sixth in a row. McRae (14 points) also added a career-high 11 rebounds for his first-career double-double for Tennessee (13-10, 5-6 SEC). Golden had 12 points.
Tennessee picked up its sixth series sweep over Vanderbilt in the last 13 years. The Vols recently swept Vandy in 2001, 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2011. During that span the Commodores twice the Vols just twice: in 2005 and 2010.
Vanderbilt (9-14, 3-8 SEC) was led by Kedren Johnson, who tallied 11. The Vols’ defense held the Dores to 37.7 from floor and 3-of-14 from 3-point range.
Up 12 at half, the Vols opened the second half where they left off in the first half. The difference was that the offense came from another source — freshman Armani Moore, who had his first two baskets of a game as UT took a 46-30 lead with 17 minutes left in the game. Vanderbilt responded with an 8-0 run thanks to a trapping defense to cut their deficit to eight points, 46-38.
The Vols answered with a 6-0 spurt to regain the double-figure lead as Stokes dunked one home. Tennessee continued to hold off the Commodores for the remainder of the game.
The Vols limited Vanderbilt to 32.1 shooting from floor over the final 20 minutes and just 18 points.
Tennessee led 40-28 at halftime thanks to Stokes’ 14 points on a 6-of-7 shooting. It was the most first-half points for Stokes in a first half in his career with the Vols.
Tennessee had three players in double-figures in double-figures by halftime: Stokes, Golden (11) and McRae (10). It was only the second time this season the Vols had multiple players scoring double-figures before intermission, the other coming vs. Mississippi State, when two had 10-plus.
The Vols were hot from the floor throughout the first half, shooting 53.3 percent from the floor. UT posted their most points in a conference game first half this season and most since a 47-point first half vs. Arkansas last year (2/15/12).
Tennessee used a 16-4 run spanning five minutes to take control of the game building a 35-22 lead with 3:40 left on a pair of Stokes’ free throws.
Golden and Stokes were on their game early on. They each started 4-of-5 from the floor as the Vols built a 25-20 lead with seven minutes left in the first half. Golden hit double-figures in the game’s first 11 minutes.
The Vols return home on Saturday to host Kentucky in a 1 p.m., tip-off that airs on CBS. The game can also be heard on the Vol Network.
