TAMPA, Fla. — Tennessee men's basketball advanced to the SEC Tournament championship game with a 69-62 win over Kentucky in the semifinals on Saturday.
The ninth-ranked Vols jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first part of the first half. The defense was giving the fifth-ranked Wildcats fits and Josiah-Jordan James started off hot shooting the ball, carrying over from the win against Mississippi State.
Tennessee came out with authority too, like when Brandon Huntley-Hatfield threw a dunk down a one-handed slam driving to the rim.
Kentucky found a way back in the first half with their defense forcing Tennessee into a shooting slump. They got within four points.
The Vols were able to get it back to a double-digit lead, thanks in part to Kennedy Chandler who scored or assisted on eight of the Vols' 12 points to close out the half.
Tennessee led 33-22 at halftime.
Kentucky gained some early steam in the second half, cutting the lead down to six points with 16:26 to go. Once again Tennessee responded.
Chandler hit a layup, Vols got a stop and then Brandon Huntley-Hatfield scored a layup in transition.
Kentucky got it down to six with about 5-and-a-half minutes to go. Chandler once again immediately hit a layup to stop the momentum. The Vols wouldn't be threatened for the lead again.
Zakai Zeigler hit a three-pointer with 3:17 left to play, and then the Vols capitalized from the charity stripe.
Tennessee hit eight free throws down the stretch.
The Vols will play Texas A&M in the title game at 1 p.m. on Sunday to try and end a 43 year SEC Tournament championship drought. Tennessee hasn't won the tournament title since 1979.
You can watch Coach Barnes and the team speak below.
