No. 6 Tennessee defeated No. 15 Mississippi State 68-56 in Knoxville on Tuesday night. Here are three things I liked from the game and one critique.
Positive: Early defensive pressure
Strong defense in the first half for the Vols was a relief after a poor defensive outing last week against Vandy. Mississippi State hit one of its first 13 shots while the Vols gradually built up a 15-4 lead. By the end of the half, the visitors only had 16 points, going 6/23 from the floor and only putting the ball in the hoop behind the arc three times.