University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
13-14, 6-8
Vanderbilt
15-12, 5-9
Vanderbilt Holds On For 67-62 Win Over Vols
February 23, 2002 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 23, 2002
Box Score?|? Quotes?|? Notes?|? Photo Gallery
By ELIZABETH A. DAVIS
AP Sports Writer
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Matt Freije scored 18 points and Brian Thornton added 10 and 11 rebounds Saturday as Vanderbilt beat Tennessee 67-62.
The Commodores (15-12, 5-9 Southeastern Conference) snapped their four-game losing streak overall and three-game streak to the Volunteers (13-14, 6-8), who have lost almost any small chance of reaching the NCAA tournament.
Tennessee had a chance at the end after Jon Higgins' 3 cut Vanderbilt's lead to two with a minute left. But the Vols - as they had the whole game - couldn't get their offense going against Vanderbilt's tough defense.
The Commodores were ahead by nine with 3:01 left, but the Vols had a quick 7-0 run capped by Higgins' 3 that cut it to 64-62 with a minute left.
Vanderbilt's Russell Lakey made the second of two free throws to stretch the lead back to three.
Jenis Grindstaff missed a jumper in the lane at the other end for Tennessee, and Vanderbilt got the ball back with 30 seconds left.
Chuck Moore sealed it with a pair of free throws with 20.7 to go, and Tennessee couldn't get any closer.
The Vols tied the score twice in the second half but could not take over the lead.
Vanderbilt was ahead 51-45 with 8:58 left after Brendan Plavich's 3, and Tennessee closed in again. Thaydeus Holden and Grindstaff each made 3-pointers to tie it at 51 less than a minute later.
But Lakey hit a 3 to start an 11-2 run that ended with Freije's 3-pointer that put the Commodores ahead 62-53 with 4:12 left.
Yarbrough, the SEC's leading scorer at 20 points averaged a game, scored the Vols' only points during the span. Those two free throws snapped his scoring drought since a dunk with 8:47 left in the first half.
Freije was 7-of-22 from the field while Vanderbilt got out of an offensive slump by shooting 42 percent for the game.
Marcus Haislip scored 14 points in the first half but only three in the second for Tennessee. Grindstaff finished with 13 points and Yarbrough had 10 and nine rebounds.
Tennessee trailed by nine after shooting a dismal 8-of-28 from the floor in the first half, but the Vols got back in the game with a 10-0 run early in the second half.
