Chaz Lanier’s Stellar Performance Propels Tennessee to Victory Over Texas A&M
Feb 22, 2025, 03:27 PM ET
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — In a thrilling showdown that had fans on the edge of their seats, Chaz Lanier delivered a standout performance, scoring a season-high 30 points to lead No. 6 Tennessee to a 77-69 victory over No. 7 Texas A&M on Saturday. Lanier’s impressive shooting, which included eight 3-pointers, was a key factor in the Volunteers’ triumph.
Lanier, a senior transfer from North Florida, was on fire, going 8-of-13 from beyond the arc and 10-of-18 overall. The game was a nail-biter, featuring 11 lead changes and eight ties. According to ESPN Research, Lanier’s eight 3-pointers were the most by a Tennessee player since Jordan McRae achieved the same feat in 2013 during a loss to Georgia.
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes couldn’t have been prouder of his team. “Really proud of our guys today where, again, I thought they were very resilient,” Barnes said. This victory marked Barnes’ 50th career win over an AP Top-10 team, making him the 11th coach to reach this milestone. “We didn’t get off to the start we wanted, but again, that happens. But we kept our poise,” he added.
The Volunteers’ victory was sealed when Jordan Gainey made a crucial 3-pointer with 3:33 left, giving Tennessee a 63-59 lead. Zakai Zeigler then hit a 3-pointer in front of the Vols’ bench on an inbound pass with just 21 seconds remaining, effectively sealing the victory. “We’ve seen him do it,” Barnes said of Zeigler. “It seems like the bigger the moment, he thrives on that.”
The Aggies (20-7, 9-5) started the game with a bang, scoring three consecutive dunks before the Vols finally got on the board a little more than three minutes into the game at Reed Arena. Texas A&M led 17-8 early on, but the Vols quickly responded, scoring the next seven points to get back into the game.
Wade Taylor IV led the Aggies with 18 points, despite struggling from beyond the arc, missing all nine of his 3-point attempts.
Takeaways
- Texas A&M: The Aggies were coming off a 16-point loss at No. 21 Mississippi State, which snapped a five-game winning streak. They’ve now lost two straight games for the first time since mid-January, with previous losses at home against Alabama and at Kentucky. Despite failing to secure their first home victory against a top-10 opponent in program history, Texas A&M likely won’t see much impact on their NCAA Tournament seedings.
- Tennessee: The Volunteers hadn’t played since an 81-76 home victory over Vanderbilt a week earlier. The well-rested team appeared to have more energy and spirit from the start against the Aggies, which played a crucial role in their victory.
Key Moment
The Aggies were leading 40-38 with 15:27 remaining when Tennessee’s Jahmai Mashack made an acrobatic, improbable tip-in while attempting to grab the rebound off a Gainey missed 3-pointer. “I thought Jahmai Mashack’s two tips were huge,” Barnes said. “They were huge and a lot of people wouldn’t notice that, but maybe the two biggest plays of the game.”
Key Stat
Both teams were exceptional from the free-throw line, each making 90% of their attempts, hitting 18 of 20.
Up Next
The Volunteers will face LSU on Tuesday night, while the Aggies are set to host Vanderbilt on Wednesday night.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Originally Written by: ESPN.com
