Tennessee has a strange basketball team. It has trouble with success. It blew another big lead.

The Vols were coasting along with a comfortable 23-point advantage at Mississippi State Wednesday night with 10 minutes or so to go. They encountered a little chill. They turned refrigerator cold. They dropped on down as if in a deep freeze.

Tennessee fans undoubtedly suffered at the thought of collapses against Kentucky. This one was bad enough to cause nervous indigestion and maybe a few heart palpitations. The Bulldogs scored 18 in a row.

Fortunately, Nate Ament came to the rescue. Order was restored. Logic prevailed. Of course, Tennessee won – 73-64. Mississippi State is among the bottom-feeders in the Southeastern Conference. It has lost eight of the last nine games. The Vols are supposed to be some degree of good.

With the lead down to five, Ament lost the ball and was clearly disgusted. He responded with a pair of three-point plays (field goals and free throws). In between, Bishop Boswell hit a clutch jumper from the lane.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie missed 12 shots but led with 18 points, five assists and four rebounds. Ament finished with 16 points, five assists and three rebounds. J.P. Estrella scored 12, had seven rebounds and three blocked shots. His biggest block essentially wrapped up the victory.

Tennessee won the rebound battle by 14. Jaylen Carey had eight and Boswell had seven.

Vol guards Ethan Burg #35 and Bishop Boswell #3 share a laugh following UT’s win over Mississippi State in Starkville.

State’s guard Josh Hubbard, in a recent slump, was suddenly spectacular in defeat. He scored 31 on 13 of 24 shooting – threes, mediums and determined layups.

Big Vols, challenged by Rick Barnes to do more than they have been doing on offense and defense, started the game as if they might tear down the hoops. The first four baskets were two dunks each by Felix Okpara and Estrella.

The contest calmed. It was 25-25 with 7:59 remaining in the half. A 10-0 run powered the Vols to a 39-28 lead at intermission.

Gillespie launched the second half with a 10-footer, a layup and a three. With 16:29 remaining, it was 50-30. It was 63-40 when the Vols went into reverse. For almost six minutes, they failed to score.

Barnes said he asked the team “How do we let that happen?”

He answered his question – sort of.

“You can’t turn the ball over, give the ball to them out front. We had some open shots that we got to make. You put it all together, we just went through a period where I thought we let up.”

Barnes said what he saw went back to what he has been seeing, a lack of consistent concentration.

“That kind of has been the story of our team. We get a lead and we start doing those things.”

The coach said this was more disappointing than the 14-point lead lost at Kentucky. He said the Vols were talking about the right things in the huddles but not getting it done on the floor.

“Nate got to it taken away from him. Troy (Henderson) got it taken away from him. Felix didn’t understand what we’re trying to do one time, and it gets us discombobulated. Just things like that.

“We’re letting guys get down the lane on us. And we fouled.”

Coach, Tennessee won.

“I thought Bishop really worked hard on a really difficult player to guard (Hubbard). But we still got to get more protection at the rim out of JP, probably more him than anybody.

“But the disappointing thing is ball security. The way we turn the ball over, that’s the most disappointing thing.”

“Our passing is not crisp. I mean, we throw some horrendous passes. We’ve got to get better with that and we harp on it all the time.”

Mississippi State coach Chris Jans had some colorful comments when asked if playing Tennessee is like a fist fight.

“It’s what they always do. You either got to step in the ring or they’re going to drag you in there. And you’ve got to decide if you’re going to fight or flee.”

Jans said “when you play Coach Barnes and Tennessee, certainly our team was well aware of that and educated about it. You better put your helmet on and you better be willing to do what it takes. ’Cause if you don’t, and we had stretches where we didn’t, and they punished us. And then we had some stretches, especially in the second half, where that wasn’t the case, but we didn’t have 40 minutes of it.”

Fun ‘n games resume Saturday at Food City Center against LSU, starting at 6. The SEC Network has the telecast.

Marvin West welcomes comments or questions from readers. His address is marvinwest75@gmail.com