Lamonte turner scored 15 points and No. 13 Tennessee locked down on defense to beat Mississippi State 62-59 in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament on Friday night.
The second-seeded Volunteers (24-7) led nearly the entire game, but the Bulldogs (22-11) had an opportunity to take the lead in the final 10 seconds. Down 61-59, Xavian Stapleton missed a 3-pointer that would have put the Bulldogs ahead.
Tennessee struggled to put away Mississippi State at the end, missing a slew of free throws. The Volunteers finished 17 for 28 from the free-throw line, but outrebounded the Bulldogs 50-33 and notched 22 defensive boards.
Admiral Schofield scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Grant Williams finished with a double-double, notching 10 points and 11 boards.
Lamar Peters led the Bulldogs with 22 points and Quinndary Weatherspoon scored 17 points.
Weatherspoon's brother, Nick, left the contest after Tennessee's Kyle Alexander's foot collided with his face as Alexander was contesting a fastbreak.
