A stifling defense helped the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team snap a 2-game losing streak and return to the win column Tuesday night at Thompson-Boling Arena.
While the No. 18 Volunteers kept Mississippi State’s offense at bay for much of the game, Yves Pons scored 13 points to lift Tennessee to a 56-53 victory over the Bulldogs.
Pons, one of the Southeastern Conference’s top defenders, was the only player for the Vols (11-3, 5-3 SEC) to post double figures in the scoring column.
His performance follows a stellar offensive effort in Tennessee’s 73-64 loss to Missouri Saturday night in Knoxville, where he scored 20 points.
While Pons was a dominant inside presence for the Big Orange, John Fulkerson saw his struggles continue as he scored just four points and pulled down four rebounds in 29 minutes against the Bulldogs (9-8, 4-4).
Jaden Springer, who missed the Vols’ last two games due to an ankle injury, returned to UT’s lineup and had nine points, five assists and four rebounds.
Santiago Vescovi and Keon Johnson scored eight points each.
Mississippi State’s Iverson Molinar led all scorers with 16 points.
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