No. 15 Tennessee held Ole Miss to 31 percent shooting in the second half and outscored the Rebels by 14 at the free throw line to pull away for a 76-65 win in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals Friday in Nashville.

Wayne Chism had 16 points and 15 rebounds to earn his second consecutive double-double to open the SEC Tournament and J.P. Prince added a game-high 17 points for the Vols.

Tennessee's Cameron Tatum tied his season high with 15 points in the game, including 13 in the first half when he hit all four of his 3-point attempts.

"Cameron little by little has just put himself right into the personality of this basketball team," Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl said. "He's always been a big face on our team this year, but because of some injuries and missing a few games, he just hasn't been able to shine consistently. 

"It's a great time to have him back, and he's a terrific weapon."

While Tatum came out firing for Tennessee, Ole Miss also came out hot from the outside. The Rebels connected on their first six 3-pointers in the game and went into halftime holding a 35-34 lead.

Defense is really what has put Tennessee in the position they're in.Andy Kennedy, Ole Miss head coach

The teams battled back and forth early in the second half before Tennessee went on a 9-0 run to take a 53-44 lead.  The Rebels then scored the next seven points, including a pair of 3-pointers from leading scorer Chris Warren, to close the deficit to just two points.

Ole Miss stayed within striking distance over the next several minutes and trailed 57-54 following a jumper by Terrico White with 8:22 remaining in the game.

However, the Rebels then went nearly five minutes without a field goal as the Vols used an 11-4 run to go up double digits with less than four minutes to play. The Rebels shot just 31 percent from the field in the second half.

"They really guard you. Tonight was no different," Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy said following the win. "Defense is really what has put Tennessee in the position they're in."

Tennessee enjoyed a big advantage from the free throw line in the contest. The Vols shot 70 percent from the line and went 23-for-32 (72 percent) on free throws in the second half.

Meanwhile, the Rebels shot just 48 percent on free throws and went 9-for-19 in the second half.

"The old nemesis, the free-throw line, which has been an issue for us," Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy said. "Typically a tell tale sign is when the opponent makes more than you attempt, you're not going to like the outcome.

"That's been our issue all season in league play. We've probably been outscored from the foul line 100 to 150 points, and we just have not been able to overcome it."

If you want to be a champion, you've got to beat the best, and Kentucky is the best. Bruce Pearl, Tennessee head coach

Warren led his team with 16 points, but the junior also turned the ball over nine times in the game. Zach Graham scored 15 for the Rebels, while White added 13.

This was the second win over the Rebels for the Vols this season. Tennessee also came out on top when the teams met in the regular season, picking up a 72-69 overtime win in Knoxville after battling back from a double-digit deficit late in the game.

The win moves Tennessee into Saturday's semifinals and sets up a third match-up on the season with No. 2 Kentucky. The teams split two games against each other in the regular season, with each team picking up a win at home.

"If you want to be a champion, you've got to beat the best, and Kentucky is the best," Pearl said. "They're one of the best teams in the country, and obviously an opportunity to play them and win a championship is something that you relish that opportunity."

Tip-off Saturday is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST/12 p.m. CST, with television coverage on ABC.