Instant Reaction: Fulkerson powers Vols past Vanderbilt
Following a disappointing loss to South Carolina on the road, Tennessee returned home for the second of its two matchups with in-state rival Vanderbilt.
Behind 17 points and seven rebounds from John Fulkerson, 17 points and five assists from Jordan Bowden and a 14-point, seven-assist night from Santiago Vescovi, the Vols were able to hold off Vanderbilt at home, 65-61.
Jordan Wright led the Commodores (9-17, 1-12 SEC) with 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting off the bench.
Some quick takeaways from UT's close win:
Bowden finds rhythm in first half
Jordan Bowden is in the midst of the worst shooting season of his career.
Leading into this game, the senior guard was shooting career-lows from the field () and 3-point range as the Vols’ season began to slip with the absence of Lamonte Turner.
Those struggles didn’t seem to bother Bowden on Tuesday.
The Knoxville native quickly found his groove in the first half, knocking down three of his seven field goal attempts on his way to 12 points in the opening period. He was Tennessee’s lone offensive force during a span in which the Vols shot just 33 percent from the field.
Bowden wouldn't experience the same shot-making late, but his willingness to distribute the ball and find the open man played a pivotal role in Tennessee's late surge.
His game-sealing free throws at the end were just the icing on the cake.
Plavsic struggles again with his mobility
Transfer big man Uros Plavsic has had quite the up-and-down journey since he was reinstated by the NCAA. The Serbia native’s struggles with mobility and quickness were on full display once again as the Vols duked it out with their in-state rivals.
Plavisc played just over four minutes in the opening half before Barnes ultimately turned to freshman Drew Pember in favor of him.
The former Arizona State Sun Devil was 0-of-2 from the floor and grabbed one rebound in his brief minutes, but it was evident from the get-go that his head coach was not happy with his performance.
Plavsic did not make an appearance in the second half, apparently further slipping into Rick Barnes' doghouse.
Sloppy, yet closely-contested basketball
It’d be quite the task to find two teams that both shot the ball worse on the same night than these two. Right from the opening tip, it was evident that this was not going to be a track meet.
Neither team eclipsed 36 percent shooting in the first half and combined to shoot just 6-of-21 from 3-point range. In a strange twist, both teams produced just 12 total turnovers during that span.
The second half wouldn’t fare much better until the closing minutes.
Both teams struggled to put the ball in the basket until Fulkerson lit a fire under the Vols late, and Vanderbilt's shooting struggles continued despite making a late push in the final minute to pull within two.
Despite its record, Vanderbilt’s effort can’t be denied
Not many teams have had as many misfortunes as Vanderbilt in recent memory.
Whether that be because of injury or an unforeseen turn of events, the Commodores have come out on the short end of many situations for a college basketball program. That certainly hasn’t stopped them from bringing the intensity under first-year head coach Jerry Stackhouse.
Despite being down early, Vanderbilt remained in striking distance throughout and even pulled ahead at times as Tennessee struggled to match its intensity.
Even when the Commodores fell behind by double digits, their resolve remained.
Stackhouse's team pulled within two with just seconds remaining, but Bowden's ability to remain calm at the free-throw line killed any chances of a late comeback.
Fulkerson’s late contributions stretch made all the difference
Fulkerson has turned into quite the animal in crunch time this season, and that reality was on full display down the stretch on Tuesday.
Whenever the Vols needed a big play late, it was No. 10 from Kingsport that they turned to.
The junior forward scored 16 points in the second half while shooting 4-of-5 from the field and connecting on 8-of-9 free throws. He also tallied two late blocks that quickly turned into points on the other end.
If Fulkerson was looking to move past the controversial charge call at the end of regulation in South Carolina, he certainly did so tonight.
