Josiah-Jordan James scored 22 points, Zakai Zeigler had a double-double and No. 9 Tennessee rolled past host LSU 77-56 on Saturday in Baton Rouge, La.
Zeigler had 12 points and 10 assists, Julian Phillips and Tyreke Key each added 10 points for the Volunteers (16-3, 6-1 Southeastern Conference).
Tennessee welcomed back leading scorer Santiago Vescovi (shoulder) and fellow starting guard Key (illness) from one-game absences.
KJ Williams scored 16 points and Trae Hannibal added 10 to lead the Tigers (12-7, 1-6), who lost their sixth consecutive game. Williams, a fifth-year senior and transfer from Murray State, surpassed 2,000 points for his career after eclipsing 1,000 rebounds earlier in the season.
Tennessee outscored LSU 33-7 on points off turnovers.
Vescovi made a 3-pointer to start the second-half scoring, but Williams answered with a basket and a 3-pointer to get LSU within 15.
James scored eight points during a 15-5 run that put Tennessee in command with a 57-32 lead.
LSU made its first three shots before missing its next nine.
The lead changed hands four times in the first two minutes before a jumper by James produced the fifth lead change, giving Tennessee an 8-7 advantage.
The Tigers had five turnovers during a nine-minute field-goal drought. The Vols took a 15-7 lead on a jumper by Tobe Awaka.
Derek Fountain made two free throws for LSU’s first points in more than seven minutes. Moments later his layup ended the field-goal drought and Williams followed with a put-back to pull the Tigers within 16-13.
Vescovi made a 3-pointer for his first points and Phillips added four as Tennessee opened a 24-15 lead.
LSU got within seven before Key made two 3-pointers during a 10-0 run that gave the Vols a 17-point lead.
Williams made a jumper and James answered with a jumper with six seconds left to give Tennessee a 39-22 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media
