Well, despite giving it everything they had, the Vols came up a little short against the Wildcats of Kentucky. Once again, the Rupp Arena mystique foiled the Orange once again…

It was not for lack of effort or lack of heart that the Vols fall to 16-2 on the season. It was not for lack of production on the part of Chris Lofton — who broke the all-time SEC record for 3-pointers (367) and scored 22 points in the process. It was not for lack of coaching on the part of Coach Pearl. What beat the Vols was the fact that Kentucky had to win this game, and Tennessee didn’t. For a team on the ropes like Kentucky, losing the game to Tennessee was not an option if they wanted to have any hope of continuing to be a contender in the SEC. Kentucky had to win this game, or else fall farther below the .500 mark.

In the end, it was Kentucky’s ability to shut down Tennessee’s offense in the second half which killed the Vols chances of winning the game. Poor free throw shooting late in the game didn’t help matters as the BasketVols fought to regain the lead. In the end, the scoreboard told the story: Kentucky 72 – Tennessee 66.

The bright side of the story is, however, that Tennessee is still in the driver’s seat in the SEC East, has made it clear that they can run with the big boys, and that they deserve the respect of the national media. Duke Crews will soon be back in the lineup, adding another orange shirt on the floor — and a formidable one at that. Furthermore, Chris Lofton showed signs of regaining the stroke he had during the 2006-07 season. While the loss to the Wildcats does put a blemish on the Vols record to date, it is a small one. There are great things to come for this team, and come March, Tennessee will be right in the mix.

It sucks to lose to Kentucky, especially when you had the ability to beat them, but sometimes the game just doesn’t go the way you want it to. That’s what playing in the SEC — whether it be in basketball, football, or any other sport — is all about … Every game matters, and every team can beat you.

After all, it wasn’t too many ago that the Vols would have never even had a chance…

- Go Figure …

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About the Author:  "Lawvol" -- I'm just a guy living in North Carolina who has an unnatural fascination with the color orange. Just because I'm a Tennessee alum and die-hard Volunteer fan doesn't mean that I can't poke a little fun at the Big Orange and anybody else for that matter. Feel free to complain all you want. >> Read more from this author

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