KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Everything seemed to point to an upset.
Tennessee's starting center and a key reserve were out with the
flu, and the fourth-ranked Volunteers let a 19-point lead slip away
trying to rebound from their second defeat of the season.
|  | | Tennessee's Tony Harris goes over Mississippi State's Robert Jackson for two of his 22 points. |
Tennessee wouldn't let it happen.
Tony Harris scored 22 points and Ron Slay added 15 as the Vols
withstood Mississippi State's late rally for an 84-79 victory Saturday.
Antonio Jackson cut Tennessee's lead to two with a 3-pointer
with 27.8 seconds to go.
But Mississippi State (10-5, 1-3 Southeastern Conference) didn't
get any closer as Tennessee's Vincent Yarbrough made four free
throws and Jon Higgins had one down the stretch.
"It was never a doubt in my mind we were going to win the game.
We were just waiting on the right people to step up and make free
throws and knock a few jumpers down," Yarbrough said.
Tennessee (17-2, 4-1) went 13-for-16 on free throws in the final
two minutes. Harris was 11-for-12 from the line.
"We were pressured to make them and so we did a good job of
making them," Harris said.
Isiah Victor had 14 points, Yarbrough added 12 and Harris Walker
had 10 for the Vols, who have won 17 consecutive games at home and
haven't lost consecutive games since February 1999.
Tennessee lost at Kentucky on Tuesday, and the Vols had to
recover from that without ailing starting center Charles Hathaway
and reserve guard Terrence Woods.
"We really missed Charles' big body inside and Terrence's
3-point shooting," Harris said. "Everybody was ready to step up
for those two."
Slay started in place of Hathaway and guarded Mississippi
State's Robert Jackson, who was averaging a team-high 13.2 points.
He picked up two fouls early, didn't play most of the first half,
fouled out with 1:24 left and finished with just four points.
"It was real big. I think that really changed the pace of the
game," Harris said. "No one expected him to get into foul trouble
early, but he did."
Antonio Jackson finished with 21 points, Tang Hamilton 20 and
Mario Austin 14 for Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs have lost eight SEC road games in a row and haven't
won on the road since defeating Arizona 75-74 in the championship
of the Fiesta Bowl Classic.
Mississippi State trimmed the lead to three twice in the final
2:20 before the final rally. Austin's layup with 44.9 seconds to go
cut Tennessee's lead to 77-74, but Harris was fouled on the next
possession and made both free throws.
"The positive thing was that we showed heart. We had every
opportunity to lie low, but we put ourselves in a position to win
and that's all you can ask on the road," Mississippi State coach
Rick Stansbury said.
Earlier, reserve Guy Gardner hit a 3, was fouled by Harris and
made the free throw. Then Hamilton had a driving layup that drew
Mississippi State to 71-68 with 2:20 left.
Victor and Harris then made two free throws apiece to put
Tennessee ahead 75-68 with 1:40 to go.
Mississippi State had cut a 19-point deficit down to eight with
a 14-3 run midway through the second half.
Antonio Jackson had five points during the spurt, and his free
throw followed by Austin's lay-in cut Tennessee's lead to 65-57
with 9:23 remaining.
"Even when you are ahead by 19 points, a good team will come
back on you," Tennessee coach Jerry Green said. "You have to be
brave and strong not only on the road, but at home."
Tennessee played the second half without a shot clock over the
Mississippi State basket. The shot clock didn't work and couldn't
be replaced.
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ALSO SEE
Men's College Basketball Scoreboard
Mississippi State Clubhouse
Tennessee Clubhouse
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