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Chism leads streaking Tennessee past Vanderbilt

Jan 18, 2008 - 4:15 AM KNOXVILLE, Tennessee (Ticker) -- Wayne Chism helped Tennessee continue its torrid start to the season.

Chism had 18 points and a career-high 18 rebounds to lead the seventh-ranked Volunteers to an 80-60 victory over No. 14 Vanderbilt in a Southeastern Conference matchup Thursday night.

Tyler Smith and JaJuan Smith scored 14 points apiece as Tennessee (15-1, SEC East) extended its winning streak to 10 games and posted its 25th consecutive victory at Thompson-Boling Arena.

The 6-9 Chism also had a career-high four blocks and hit a pair of 3-pointers in outplaying highly touted freshman center A.J. Ogilvy, who finished with 12 points and three boards - well below his season averages of 19.4 and 7.1.

"We keyed on A.J. Ogilvy. Wayne Chism indicated he is one of the best big defensive players in the country," Vols coach Bruce Pearl said. "His 18-rebound total tonight was the highest for a Tennessee player since the 1996 season. I think Chism had more rebounds tonight than he did during the entire month of December."

The expected showdown with their intrastate rival never materialized as the Vols bolted to a 15-point lead in the first half and never let the Commodores (16-2, 1-2) get closer than eight thereafter.

Chris Lofton added 11 points as Tennessee posted its first 10-game winning streak in 10 years, helping it to the best start since the 2000-01 season.

"That was not a lot of fun," Commodores coach Kevin Stallings said. "Games are intended to be fun, and we just didn't give ourselves a chance. We had some opportunities to make it interesting, but each time we missed the shot. In any event, they played better than we did; they deserved to win."

Shan Foster, Vanderbilt's leading scorer at 20.6 points per game entering this one, topped the club with 14 points and shot 6-of-17 from the floor - including 1-of-10 from 3-point range.

The Commodores, who average a shade over nine 3-pointers per game, missed their first 10 shots from long range and finished 3-of-21 from the arc in dropping their second straight game after a school-record 16-0 start.

"They have one of the better offensive teams in the nation, and they lead the nation in 3-point shots," Pearl said. "They made only 3-of-21 tonight, which I think was a tribute to good defense on our part. You let Vanderbilt run their offense on you, and they will chew you up. Defensive pressure was very important."

Chism had a pair of 3-pointers in a 16-3 run that opened a 33-18 lead for the Vols with just under four minutes left in the first half.

"We would not let Chism shoot the 3-pointers if he did not hit them so well in practice," Pearl said.

After Vanderbilt crept within eight points early in the second half, Tennessee ripped off a 10-0 spurt that included 3-pointers by JaJuan Smith and Lofton for a 50-32 lead.

The Commodores whittled a 20-point deficit to 61-53 with 7:46 left on back-to-back 3-pointers by Darshawn McClellan and Foster, but Tennessee gradually pulled away to make it 10 straight wins for the first time since the 1997-98 season.

"They were faster to the ball, and we have got key guys that have to perform well for us to have a chance in an environment like this, in a game like this," Stallings said. "Some of our better guys were not having their better nights. It is pretty predictable that it could be this kind of result."