Chaz Lanier scored 30 points and Zakai Zeigler added 16 that included a crucial late 3-pointer as No. 6 Tennessee outlasted No. 7 Texas A&M 77-69 in a key Southeastern Conference game on Saturday in College Station, Texas.
The Volunteers (22-5, 9-5 SEC) were ahead by four points at halftime in a game that had 11 lead changes. The contest was knotted at 57-57 with 4:37 to play before Tennessee used a 6-2 run to take a four-point lead after Jordan Gainey’s 3-pointer with 3:33 remaining.
Another Gainey trey, this one with 2:28 left, expanded the Volunteers’ advantage to six points. Texas A&M closed to within three points three times, the third on a driving layup by Zhuric Phelps with 47 seconds to play. That set the stage for Zeigler’s 3-point dagger with the shot clock running down, and Tennessee closed the game with a pair of free throws from Lanier.
Gainey finished with 14 points for the Volunteers, who have won two straight and five of their past six games.
Wade Taylor IV led Texas A&M (20-7, 9-5) with 18 points. Phelps added 15 points and 11 rebounds and Andersson Garcia hit for 14 points for the Aggies, who have dropped two straight games.
The Aggies rushed to a 17-8 lead when C.J. Wilcher hit a 3-pointer at the 11:58 mark of the first half. Tennessee finally found its stride, closing to within two points after a putback by Darlinstone Dubar with 9:42 to play in the half.
The Volunteers leapfrogged to the front on Zeigler’s 3-point shot with 6:16 left, but A&M responded with a 3-pointer and a layup by Garcia off a steal by Phelps, the latter with 5:33 remaining. The Aggies held the lead at 32-31 following a pair of free throws by Taylor at the 3:11 mark after which Tennessee finished the half on a 5-0 run capped by a jumper from Lanier that granted it a 36-32 advantage at the break.
Lanier led all scorers with 22 points before halftime. Garcia paced the Aggies with 10 points in the first half.
Texas A&M rallied to tie the game at 38-38 on Henry Coleman III’s tip-in with 17:36 to play and regained the lead on a pair of free throws by Garcia with 15:59 left.
–Field Level Media
