Bodog Beat

Chris Lofton helped Tennessee avoid an upset against Florida tonight. (AP Images)

It was one of those sigh-of-relief nights for two SEC powerhouses.

Looking to stay close to the top of the conference standings, the Tennesse Volunteers and Vanderbilt Commodores escaped upsets Wednesday night. The Vols nipped Florida 89-86 while Vandy needed overtime to dispatch of Miss State, 86-85.

Tennessee-Florida: JaJuan Smith scored 23 and Chris Lofton went off for 21 as the Vols rallied to beat last year's SEC champs. Tennessee rallied from a 16-point deficit to clinch a share of the conference regular season crown, and might've sent Florida packing from NCAA tournament contention. Freshman PG phenom Nick Calathes led Florida with 24 points and nine assists, while Marreese Speights added 21 points and seven rebounds. Florida will now likely need a big SEC tournament showing - and some help from the selection committee - to avoided the dreaded NIT.

Vanderbilt-Mississippi State: Shan Foster might've wrapped up SEC Player of the Year honors tonight, putting up 42 points and pacing Vandy to a come-from-behind OT victory in Nashville. In his final game on Vandy's home floor, Foster - Vandy's new all-time leading scorer - hit his final nine 3-point attempts, the last with 2.7 seconds left in overtime. Just a remarkable performance for a guy who has shot up NBA draft boards in recent weeks with his inspired play. Jamont Gordon had 24 points for the Bulldogs in a losing effort. Miss State is still very much alive for NCAA tournament contention, having clinched the SEC West title last weekend by beating the Gators in Florida.

Miss State came into this game as a four-point road underdog and covered the spread in OT. Tennessee was a three-point road favorite in Florida and managed a push.

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