NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee needed all 40 minutes and went deep into its bench to leave Memorial Gymnasium with a win Saturday.
Foul trouble hit the frontcourt early, so the Volunteers turned to their second line and relied on it throughout the afternoon. In response, the reserves delivered steady minutes and helped Tennessee secure a 69-65 road victory over Vanderbilt.
After the game, Barnes told 99.1 The Sports Animal that depth made the difference.
“I told our second line came in, and they were the difference in the game for us today,” Barnes said. “Dewayne Brown was terrific.”
Brown played more than 30 minutes, only the second time this season he has reached that mark. As a result, Tennessee stabilized the paint while Felix Okpara worked through foul trouble. Meanwhile, Ethan Berg provided a timely bucket, and Amari Evans contributed key defensive possessions late.
Even so, Okpara delivered one of the most important plays of the afternoon. First, he cut off a drive and prevented a clean look at the rim. Then, he fought for the rebound to help Tennessee protect its lead. From there, the Volunteers tightened defensively and held Vanderbilt scoreless over the final 2:25, limiting the Commodores to 0-for-5 shooting during that stretch.
“We got it done with our defense,” Barnes said. “You hold this team to 65 points. I’m just proud of the fact that our second line guys came in and did what we needed them to do.”
In addition, Tennessee committed fewer than 10 turnovers for the third straight game. That discipline helped the Volunteers maintain control in a tight SEC environment.
Earlier this season, after a home loss to Kentucky, Barnes questioned his team’s mental and physical toughness. This time, however, he saw progress.
“It wasn’t pretty, but we were tough today,” Barnes said. “We showed the toughness.”
Finally, the win marked Tennessee’s 20th of the season and kept the Volunteers firmly in the SEC race.
“The one thing I ask them every day is this, get a little bit better every day,” Barnes said. “I expect us to get better.”
On Saturday, Tennessee’s depth carried it. Then its defense finished it.
