No. 5 Tennessee exploded for more than 100 points in a 103-92 win over No. 10 Kentucky in Rupp Arena on Saturday night.
The Vols’ offense did a complete 180 from their 59-point output against South Carolina earlier in the week as Tennessee never trailed the Wildcats during the game. Zakai Zeigler got Tennessee started with a three-pointer on the opening possession and the Vols never looked back.
Tennessee had an 8 to 15-point lead for most of the game but Kentucky did make it interesting on a few different occasions, especially with the Rupp Arena crowd behind them. But with every Kentucky push came a response from Tennessee. Whether it was a scoring run or a play to halt Kentucky’s momentum, Tennessee had more answers than their home-team opponent on Saturday night.
Zeigler and veteran guard Josiah-Jordan James both finished the game with a team-high 26 points as Zeigler also threw in 13 assists for a double-double on the night. Tennessee center Jonas Aidoo also finished with a double-double as the Vols’ starting big man recorded 11 points and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes of action.
James was terrific for Tennessee on Saturday, especially considering that he only scored a total of 21 points through the Vols’ first seven SEC contests. The Vols needed a marquee showing from their versatile veteran, who delivered to the tune of 26 big points on the night.
More from RTI: Three Quick Takeaways As Tennessee Defeats Kentucky In Shootout At Rupp Arena
After the game, Kentucky head coach John Calipari and Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes both conducted postgame press conferences with the media in Lexington. Tennessee also had guard Zakai Zeigler and forward Josiah-Jordan James speak to the media, as well. Check out all four interviews and Rocky Top Insider’s postgame reaction video below:
Tennessee HC Rick Barnes
Kentucky HC John Calipari
Tennessee G Zakai Zeigler
Tennessee F Josiah-Jordan James
RTI Instant Reaction Postgame
