Tennessee Volunteers vs Missouri Tigers Match Player Stats On Feb 22, 2022

Kennedy Chandler scored 23 points with eight rebounds and six assists to lead No. 17 Tennessee past Missouri 80-61 Tuesday night in Columbia, Mo.

Santiago Vescovi scored 14 points and Victor Bailey Jr. added 11 for the Volunteers (20-7, 11-4 SEC), who have won nine of their last 11 games.

Tennessee rebounded nicely from its 58-48 loss at Arkansas on Saturday and resumed its quest for a coveted NCAA Tournament seed.

Javon Pickett scored 16 points and Kobe Brown and DaJuan Gordon added 12 apiece for the Tigers (10-18, 4-11), who have lost four consecutive games and nine of their last 11.

The Volunteers brought the SEC's second-best scoring defense into the game and they put it to work. They held Missouri to 36.5 percent shooting overall and just 5-for-20 accuracy from 3-point range.

The Tigers shot well initially, with Gordon and Jarron Coleman hitting 3-point jumpers as the Tigers broke out to an 8-4 lead.

After missing 5-of-7 shots to start the game, the Volunteers went on an 8-0 run to move ahead 12-8. Zakai Zeigler scored two baskets and hit two free throws to get Tennessee started.

The teams continued to exchange runs, with the Tigers rallying with an 8-3 surge before the Volunteers countered with 13 unanswered points to seize control of the game with 28-17 lead.

Chandler attacked the basket for two layups and dunk to spark the rally.

The Tigers cut their deficit to 33-27 on Gordon's 3-point jumper, but Vescovi answered with his own 3 to give Tennessee a 36-27 lead at the half.

Brown kept Missouri in the game with a pair of drives to the basket early in the second half. Then Jonas Aidoo converted a 3-point play to get Tennessee rolling on a 13-3 run that boosted their second-half lead to 54-36.

Missouri cut its deficit to 62-50 with run-out baskets by Brown and Gordon, but Vescovi knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to stem the tide.

--Field Level Media