NASHVILLE — Tennessee returned to the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament for the eighth straight time on Friday. This time, they met in-state rival Vanderbilt in a rubber match.
The Volunteers leaned on interior scoring and early playmaking from Ja’Kobi Gillespie, while Vanderbilt answered behind a scorching performance from guard Duke Miles.
Tennessee falls in the third round 75-68.
Here are three takeaways from the matchup.
Gillespie jumpstarted Tennessee offense early
Jakobi Gillespie gave Tennessee its offensive rhythm early in the game, scoring nine first-half points while creating opportunities for teammates.
The guard opened the scoring with a deep 3-pointer after shaking Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner and later found Felix Okpara on a lob that resulted in a dunk. Gillespie continued to attack the rim throughout the half and capped Tennessee’s final possession before the break with a driving layup to tie the game.
His playmaking helped stabilize Tennessee’s offense during a slow start that saw both teams struggle to find consistent scoring, with both teams opening the game shooting just 3-of-13 from the field.
When the game got down the final couple of minutes, Gillespie answered the bell. A tough bucket made it a 69-66 game.
Gillespie finished with 21 points.
Tennessee reestablished its inside presence
After Vanderbilt disrupted Tennessee’s inside-out approach in the teams’ second regular-season meeting, the Volunteers made a clear effort to reestablish their frontcourt presence.
Felix Okpara and JP Estrella delivered key production in the paint, combining for multiple second-chance baskets. Estrella led Tennessee with four offensive rebounds in the first half, converting one into a putback basket to give the Volunteers a 25-22 lead.
The Vols consistently fed their bigs throughout the opening half. Okpara, Estrella, and Carey combined for 16 of Tennessee’s 31 first-half points as Tennessee leaned on physical play and rebounding to generate offense.
That interior emphasis continued early in the second half. Gillespie again found Okpara in the dunker’s spot for a basket, and the Volunteers created another opportunity moments later when Okpara drew a foul on a similar look.
Gillespie followed with a tough driving layup through contact to extend Tennessee’s lead to 39-36. After Okpara missed the second of two free throws on the next possession, Amari Evans grabbed the offensive rebound and kicked the ball out to Gillespie for a 3-pointer from the wing to make it 42-38.
Tennessee later pushed the lead to 45-38 after a defensive stop led to a transition 3-pointer from the opposite wing.
The Vols finished with 30 paint points and went 10-17 on layups. Estrella and Carey finished in double-digit scoring.
Duke Miles fueled Vanderbilt
While Tennessee found success inside early, Vanderbilt’s offense found its spark in guard Duke Miles during the second half.
Miles caught fire midway through the period, reaching 23 points while shooting a perfect 9-for-9 from the field and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. His scoring stretch shifted momentum after Tennessee briefly built its largest lead of the game.
Miles knocked down a 3-pointer before turning a Tennessee turnover into a transition layup on the next possession, cutting the deficit to two. Moments later, he finished another fast-break opportunity following a turnover by Nate Ament, pushing Vanderbilt ahead 55-50 with 10:10 remaining.
The sequence capped a 12-2 Commodores run over nearly four minutes and gave Vanderbilt its largest lead of the game.
Ahead of the previous meeting between the teams, Vanderbilt On SI beat writer Joey Dwyer highlighted the importance of Miles’ impact.
“If they’re going to really excel, it’s going to be because Duke Miles is himself again,” Dwyer said on Live Ball.
Dwyer also pointed to the scoring ability Miles brings to Vanderbilt’s backcourt.
“Duke Miles and Frankie Collins are two of their best downhill drivers, two of the best scorers on the team, two of the best initiators,” Dwyer said on Live Ball.
Each time Tennessee made it a one possession game, Miles had the response. In 33 minutes of play he put up 30 points.
