Vanderbilt tops Tennessee in SEC tourney tilt at Bridgestone

It may not have been pretty, but Vanderbilt is heading to the semifinals of the SEC men's basketball tournament. The 4-seed 'Dores defeated 5-seed Tennessee 75-68 in the quarterfinals at Bridgestone Arena on Friday afternoon. The win gave Vanderbilt a series victory over the Vols in 2026 after the teams split their two regular-season matchups. 

The in-state battle was a brick-fest in the first half, with the offenses improving in a higher-scoring second period. The Vols shot under 40 percent for the contest (37.5 percent), while Vanderbilt rose slightly above that mark at 40.4 percent thanks to a late offensive spark. The two teams combined to shoot just 11-44 from three-point range for the game.