The Tennessee Volunteers went on the road and won an important conference game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Chris Lofton scored 20 points to lead the Vols to a 76-71 victory in Starkville.

The Vols (19-2) held off a late rally by the Bulldogs to go to 6-1 in the Southeastern Conference. The Bulldogs (14-7) lost their second straight to fall to 5-2 in SEC play. Before losing to Arkansas on Wednesday, Mississippi State had won nine straight.

 The Vols built a 17-point lead in the second half but Mississippi State cut it to 73-71 with 39 seconds left. The Bulldogs gave Tennessee a taste of their own medicine, hitting seven 3-pointers over the final six minutes to scare the Vols.  

 Barry Stewart had 21 points for the Bulldogs, and Jamont Gordon added 17. JaJuan Smith was the only other player to score in double figures for Tennessee with 15 points.

 Tennessee hit timely 3-point shots that helped them earn this victory. Twice in the first half, the team went on a string of four straight from behind the arc giving them a 36-27 advantage at halftime.

 The Vols hot shooting was courtesy of two players who have not shot the three particularly well this season. Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism were a combined 4-of-6 from behind the arc against the Bulldogs.

As tournament time approaches, it will be crucial for the Vols to get contributions in all phases of the game from everyone on the court. Tyler Smith is one of the last players that a coach would want to shoot the 3, and Wayne Chism is usually good for one each game.  If the Vols can keep those two shooting the ball well, Tennessee can spread out defenses for open looks.

 The Vols probably should not have let Mississippi State back into the game.

Despite that, they proved they deserved the win by surviving a bona fide shooting clinic put on the by the 'Dogs in the second half. Winning in a hostile SEC environment is a clear indication of composure.

"Road wins are separators. We just had three senior guards that stepped up big time for us," Tennessee Head Coach Bruce Pearl told UT Sports.com.  

Behind the senior leadership of Lofton, JaJuan Smith and Jordan Howell the Vols will be tough to deal with in any environment. Howell hit three free throws in the clutch to give Tennessee the victory.

 Tennessee also showed a willingness to rebound, outdoing the 'Dogs 42-32. This was particularly impressive because Tyler Smith spent most of the game on the bench due to foul trouble.

Coach Pearl's squad can still improve their free throws. Tennessee's 67-percent performance Saturday night, was better than some nights.  On the other hand, you can never make too many free throws, especially in a close road game.

 With each passing game, Tennessee gets better and more dangerous. Conference play is when teams come together and hit their stride.

The Vols will look to strengthen their conference lead over Florida on Tuesday when the Gators visit Knoxville. Both teams entered Saturday tied for the SEC East lead, but Arkansas beat the Gators 80-61.

 Tuesday’s game will tip-off at 9 p.m. on ESPN.