Andre Patterson and Chris Lofton had one thing in common before Tennessee's exhibition opener Friday night - a visit from the butterflies.

They shared another bond after the tip-off - helping fuel the Vols to a 117-89 victory over Tusculum College at Thompson-Boling Arena.

"I might have slept two hours last night,'' said Patterson, who is coming off a redshirt year's layoff. "I got up, stayed up, watched basketball games on TV.

"I didn't care (that it was just an exhibition). We could have played each other shirts and skins in front of some people and I'd have been happy.''

A late arrival to the pre-game meal kept Patterson out of the starting lineup, but the transfer from UCLA made up for lost time. He scored 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting. With nine boards he fell one rebound short of a double-double debut.

"I was just so happy to run up and down the floor again.''

Lofton, the freshman guard, was in the starting lineup and bombed in three quick 3-pointers on the way to a 16-point night.

"I couldn't sleep last night,'' Lofton said. "I was real nervous all day long.

"I felt better, then after that tipoff the nerves came back to me. I'm glad I made that first shot.''

The Vols made a lot of shots. They hit 61.1 percent from the field against the Division II Pioneers. They opened the game by making their first nine 3-point baskets.

When Pee Wee Gash bombed in the 16th trey of the night - from behind the experimental arc of 20 feet, 6 inches - it would have been a UT single-game record had this not been an exhibition.

Scooter McFadgon scored 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Brandon Crump had 17 and C.J. Watson 15.

When Jordan Howell came off the bench to hit his first two 3-pointers it was 31-12. The Vols would need that 19-point margin later in the second half.

It was 61-47 at the break, but the Pioneers began to slice and dice the UT defense.

All of a sudden, Tusculum looked like Kansas, alternating layups and 3-pointers to close the gap to 75-64. When UT coach Buzz Peterson called time out at the 13:49 mark, the Pioneers were shooting 56.8 percent from the field.

UT's only blocked shot of the game - by Crump - prevented an open layup that would have made it a single-digit lead.

It was Patterson, scoring on an offensive rebound at the 11:55 mark, that got the Vols out of the doldrums.

Getting a rebound here, forcing a turnover there, Patterson helped UT hold the Pioneers without a field goal for more than four minutes.

"You've got to talk and communicate on defense,'' he said. "I've always been a talker.

"I knew coach wasn't happy with our defense so I wanted to step up my defense and get the other guys going.''

The Vols stretched the margin back out, allowing Peterson to empty the bench.

It'll be back to the defensive drawing board between now and an exhibition against Carson-Newman next Saturday.

"Tusculum has some fine shooters from deep range,'' Peterson said. "We've got to be able to challenge and contest all those shots."

Watson, who had 10 assists, all in the first half, said playing a college team was more beneficial than a thrown-together touring team.

"It was a big difference,'' he said. "They actually wanted to come out and win. They fought hard and gave it their all.''

"This game is a confidence boost for us,'' said Tusculum coach Duggar Baucom. "We competed for 30 minutes against an SEC team.''

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strange2@knews.com.