Josiah Jordan James was the leader of five players scoring double figures (16 points), 14 of which occurred during a six minute stretch that saw ninth-ranked Tennessee win 72-59 over Mississippi State in Friday’s quarterfinals.

24-7 win by the Volunteers to reach Saturday’s semifinals against No. 5 Kentucky or Vanderbilt

Kennedy Chandler scored 11 points for Tennessee, despite missing the first half and second half due to what appeared to have been a right foot injury or ankle injury. He did finish the game though and made a layup to win the final point.

Zakai Zeigler (11), Brandon Huntley Hatfield (10) and Santiago Vescovi (10) were the Vols’ double figures, leading 39-37 at halftime.

With 15 points, Shakeel Molina led Mississippi State (18-15). Tolu Smith scored 14 points, while Iverson Molina was third in the SEC with 10, on 3 of 9 shots.

With a tournament-opening win over South Carolina, the Bulldogs (10th seed) advanced to the quarterfinals. They lost to Tennessee by 19 at home in February. The game was close until James’s surge, which helped the Vols take a lead of double-digits in the second half.

James took his five first shots after the half-time break, four of which were 3-pointers. Tennessee led 13 to Tennessee’s advantage when Chandler was back on the bench following treatment for his second injury.

Vescovi’s 3-pointer pushed Tennessee to 68-54. Mississippi State was close to the finish in the last five minutes.

BIG PICTURE

Mississippi State: The Bulldogs missed 11 3-pointers, and were only leading once — scoring the first basket.

Tennessee: Tennessee’s second-seeded Vols shot half of their shots, including 8 out 19 3-point attempts.

UP NEXT

Mississippi State: It is likely to be a NIT bid.

Tennessee: Saturday’s semifinals will see either Vanderbilt or Kentucky take on Tennessee.

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