By Jimmy Hyams
Revenge is a dish best served at home.
After being treated rudely as guests at Rupp Arena a month ago, Tennessee returned the favor at Thompson-Boling Arena, dismantling fourth-ranked Kentucky 76-63 before a raucous crowd of over 20,000.
Tennessee lost by 28 at Rupp but won by 13 in Knoxville.
Tennessee had 20 turnovers which led to 32 UK points at Rupp. UT had eight Tuesday night that led to seven UK points.
Tennessee allowed Kentucky to shoot 68% at Rupp but only 34.3% in the rematch.
“We got manhandled,’’ said Kentucky coach John Calipari.
The Vols have now beaten Kentucky seven consecutive years, won five of seven at TBA and ran coach Rick Barnes’s record to 9-7 against Calipari’s Wildcats.
“We showed everybody who we truly are and what we’re capable of being,’’ said point guard Kennedy Chandler, who had 17 points, six assists, five rebounds and two steals. “We showed the whole world what type team we could be.’’
Chandler had been upset with the one-sided loss at Rupp Arena in part Kentucky’s trio of guards scored 48 points. This time, UT’s guards scored 49; Kentucky’s had 18.
Vols Santiago Vescovi had 18 and Zakai Ziegler 14 to go with Chandler’s big night.
“This game was personal, honestly,’’ Chandler said.
Tennessee bid adieu to Kentucky in part because of Jonas Aidoo, a 6-foot-11, unheralded, unknown, seldom-used true freshman from Durham, N.C. Aidoo played in only eight of the first 24 games and battled an early season injury, but he gave UT a huge lift. He scored five points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked three shots in 18 minutes while going against national player of the year candidate Oscar Tchiebwe.
Entering the game, Aidoo had eight points, five rebounds and no blocks in 30 minutes the entire season.
“I just stood my ground and did what the coaches told me to do,’’ Aidoo said.
While Tchiebwe had 13 points and 15 rebounds, he did not dominate inside.
“This game was a statement,’’ Aidoo said.
Aidoo wasn’t UT’s only big man that played well. John Fulkerson came off the bench to score 14 points and grab eight rebounds. Fulkerson rebuffed his coaches’ request to move into the starting lineup, saying he felt more comfortable in a reserve role.
Tennessee’s foursome of big men produced encouraging numbers: 21 points, 20 rebounds, four blocks, three assists. It’s the kind of center-by-committee the Vols will need to finish the season strong.
Tennessee, which led by as many as 20 points, shot 44.4% from the field, hit 8 of 17 from beyond the arc, made nine steals and blocked eight shots.
Tennessee’s eighth consecutive SEC win not only moved Tennessee (19-6, 10-3) into a tie with Kentucky (21-5, 10-3) for second place in the SEC, it established the Vols as a prime candidate to challenge for the regular-season title and perhaps make noise in the NCAA Tournament.
“It feels great,’’ Aidoo said of the win, “but we’re still not done. We’re not satisfied. The end game is the SEC Championship and the national championship.’’
Tennessee outplayed what many consider to be a national championship contender.
In perhaps UT’s most complete game of the season, balanced scoring was the order of the night. Four players scored at least 14 points while the defense held the SEC’s leader in field goal percentage to .15 points below its accuracy rate.
And when Kentucky pulled within eight in the second half, UT used a 12-0 run to basically salt the game away.
Barnes complimented the crowd, which was treated to a pregame light show from Bandit Lights. Many began lining up outside the arena four hours before tipoff.
“Everybody talks about the Blue Bloods,’’ said Barnes, now 14-0 at home this season. “The Orange Bloods are right there … and our players feed off it.’’
They certainly did.
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