KNOXVILLE— The Vols stormed out of the gates and never looked back on the way to an 88-58 victory over No. 25 Kentucky. The 30 point victory is the largest in the history of the rivalry for the Vols, and marks the biggest defeat in Calipari’s tenure in Lexington. The Wildcats led by two at the 17:59 mark of the first half, then a Stokes layup followed by a Stokes steal and dunk gave the Vols a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Tennessee dominated the first 20 minutes and led 50-26 at the break; their 50 first half points were a season-high.

It’s no secret the Vols have struggled closing teams out this year, but that wasn’t an issue today. Tennessee led by at least 20 during the final period, and never let up against Calipari’s Wildcats.

Golden led all scorers with 24 points.
Photo by Reed Carringer

Offense: Trae Golden clearly earned player of the game honors. He scored 13 points in the first half and followed with 11 in the second. His 24 points led all scorers and when he’s playing like he did today, the Vols can stand toe-to-toe with anyone in the country. Golden dished out eight assists, grabbed three rebounds, went 6-8 from the floor and 11-12 from the charity stripe. Even more impressive, he didn’t turn the ball over.

His performance opened up the floor for Tennessee, and it’s tough to recall a better offensive performance by this squad this season. Tennessee scored a season-high 88 points, shot 100% (5-5) from 3-point range, 80.6% from the line, and 58% from the field. Stokes saw his streak of double-doubles end at six, missing the mark by just one rebound and one point (9 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 steal). He set the tone for the game early, and Kentucky couldn’t matchup with any of Tennessee’s players in the paint. Kenny Hall, who didn’t play against Vanderbilt, scored 12 points and grabbed four rebounds in 17 minutes of action. The Vols outscored Kentucky 40-22 in the paint, 19-13 in second chance points, and 6-0 in transition. Tennessee also outrebounded the visiting Wildcats 39-21, and bested them in assists (14-8), blocks (6-3), and steals (7-3).

Defense: Tennessee dominated this game defensively. The Vols held Kentucky to just 35.8% shooting, and never gave them a chance to get back in the game. Wiltjer led the visitors with 18 points, yet the stout UT defense held him to 33% shooting, and most of his scoring occurred after the game was decided. Seven-foot Wildcat center Willie Cauley-Stein was frustrated all day by Tennessee’s physicality, and fouled out with just two points and two rebounds to his credit.

Final Take: The Vols are 10-3 when Golden scores in double-figures, and 7-0 when he scores more than 11 points. Cuonzo said of Golden after the game, “When he’s playing the way we expect him to play everything falls in line.” If Golden continues to play up to expectations, watch out SEC, these Vols are a force to be reckoned with.

Up Next: Tennessee hosts LSU, Tuesday at 7 p.m. TV: ESPNU