Thursday was "almost'' night for C.J. Watson.

Tennessee's senior guard dribbled up to the brink of not one but two milestones in a ho-hum 69-58 victory over Lipscomb.

He didn't break through on either. On one front, a 21-year-old record likely will stand for a while yet.

On the other, it was only a postponement, probably until the next game.

There wasn't much artistic about UT's performance Thursday night, but anyone from James Naismith to LeBron James would have to give a bow to Watson's performance at the free-throw line.

He hit his first 11 attempts of the game. His 12th, with 97 seconds left, kicked off.

Watson hit two more to finish 13-of-14.

The school record for best percentage in a game is 14-of-14, set in 1985 by none other than Anthony "Slim Dog" Richardson. That's right, Anthony Richardson.

Predictably, Watson didn't have a picture of Richardson taped to his locker.

"I was just trying to make my free throws, just to get us a victory,'' Watson said.

A practical mission, that. If Watson starts clunking free throws, UT coach Bruce Pearl doesn't want to think about how the final minutes might have played out.

It was a 61-54 game with 2 1/2 minutes to play.

Watson was a career 73 percent free-throw shooter prior to Pearl's arrival. This year, he's heated up to an SEC-leading 89.5 percent, 51-of-57.

"Just more practice, more repetition,'' Watson said. "Doing little things that coach tells me to do.''

"C.J.,'' said Pearl, "has been the most productive player in the SEC, based on shooting percentages: field-goal percentage, 3-point percentage and free-throw percentage.

"Kobe Bryant scores a lot of points, but he was 13-of-37 the other night.

"C.J. scores 18 (against Lipscomb) and takes eight shots.''

And made only two. He was 1-of-6 from 3-point range, which dipped his percentage below 50 for the first time this year.

But scoring has never been the first thing Watson looks at when the box scores are passed around the locker room.

"Assist-to-turnover ratio,'' he said.

"Tonight, it wasn't that good. Me and the managers always have a little bet about it but tonight they won.''

They don't win many.

At the opening tip Thursday, Watson had scored 1,096 points in his career and had handed out 497 assists.

Getting to 500 seemed a cinch.

Only twice in his 98-game career has Watson walked off the court with a goose egg in his assist column. One was the 2004 NIT loss to George Mason, the other last season at Auburn.

Twice in his three years he has led the SEC in assists in conference games.

He will undoubtedly finish as UT's No. 2 all-time assist man behind Johnny Darden, the floor general during the Ernie & Bernie Show of the 1970s.

But this night, Watson was without an assist in the first half and deep into the second.

Finally, with 6:34 to play, Watson's feed inside to Ryan Childress produced a basket. Assist No. 498.

No. 499 seemed imminent on a feed to Stanley Asumnu, but Asumnu's point-blank shot in traffic came off the rim.

Then Watson whipped a pass to JaJuan Smith in the corner but Smith's open trey rimmed out.

So Watson is stuck at 498 until next week.

An exclusive club awaits him. Only eight players in SEC history - well, since they started keeping assist records in the early 1970s - have 1,000 points and 500 assists.

Scanning the list, Watson recognized three: Tony Harris, Kareem Reid and Torris Bright.

The others are Terry Coner of Alabama, Dirk Minniefield of Kentucky, Kenny Higgs and Ethan Martin of LSU and Wes Flanigan of Auburn.

"It means a great achievement,'' said Watson, "but it's not going to mean anything if we don't do well this season.''

Free throws and assists. Two things Watson is doing well. Almost as well as anyone who ever played at Tennessee.

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