Visiting Tennessee snapped Vanderbilt's record 3-point streak in a 66-45 win on Saturday at Nashville's Memorial Gymnasium.
The Commodores entered the day as one of two teams, along with Princeton and UNLV, to hit a 3-pointer in every game since the shot was instituted. That streak was snapped at 1,080 games after Vanderbilt missed all 25 attempts behind the arc.
The Vols (11-6, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) have won five in a row in the series, and extended Vanderbilt's losing streak against SEC foes to a school-record 24 games.
Guard Jordan Bowden (21 points) and forwards John Fulkerson (12) and Yves Pons (12) led the Vols in scoring.
The Vols weren't much better behind the arc. Guard Santiago Vescovi canned the game's only trey with 12:34 remaining.
Guards Scotty Pippen Jr. and Saben Lee led Vandy (8-9, 0-4) with 16 and 14 points, respectively.
Tennessee took a 25-20 lead in the opening moments of the second half after Bowden made two fast-break layups following Commodore turnovers.
A layup by Vescovi then a thundering, fast-break dunk by Pons off a Bowden assist gave Tennessee a nine-point lead -- the biggest of the game by either team -- at 17:40.
Vandy didn't get on the board in the second half until Pippen's driving layup and free throw after 4:03 I had elapsed.
The lead stretched to 37-23 when Fulkerson scored on a fast break.
The game got off to the start one would expect from two offensively challenged teams.
The Vols turned it over three times before they scored, when Bowden hit a long field goal from the left side with 17:17 left in the first half to knot the game at 2-2.
Despite six turnovers, Tennessee went on a 10-0 run to take a 21-13 lead in the game's first 14 minutes, thanks to seven from Bowden, who was able to get into the lane for good looks early. The Commodores hit just 4 of 20 from the floor to start.
Vandy closed with a 7-0 run over the last 5:56 to cut the Vol lead to 21-20 at half.
The Commodores are playing without injured guard Aaron Nesmith, whose season is likely over due to a broken foot. In three games without the sophomore -- the country's fifth-leading scorer and its leader in 3-point percentage - Vandy has produced its three lowest point totals of the season and hasn't cracked 55 without him.
--Field Level Media
