ATHENS, Ga. — Chris Lofton said it wasn't a matter of him getting hot so much as staying hot.

The same could be said for No. 11 Tennessee, who won its seventh consecutive game by holding off Georgia 83-78 on Saturday at a sold-out Stegeman Coliseum.

Lofton, on the heels of 31 points and seven 3-pointers at Kentucky last Tuesday, scored a career-high 33 points against Bulldogs. Lofton's nine 3-pointers broke the school record formerly held by Allan Houston, who had eight against Fordham on Dec. 29, 1989.

"It's a great achievement, but I really don't care about that,'' said Lofton, who was 10-of-14 from the floor and 9-of-12 from 3-point range. "As long as we win, I'm happy.''

The Vols (18-3, 9-1 SEC) have a two-game lead in the SEC Eastern Division and are the overall conference leader after LSU's loss to Florida on Saturday.

UT appeared to be just as in control of the Georgia game after building a 60-42 lead with 12:32 remaining.

But the Bulldogs (14-9, 4-6) staged a furious rally when Levi Stukes hit a 3-pointer to score three of his team-high 20 points and spark a 14-1 run that pulled them within 63-58 at the 8:25 mark.

Georgia hit 5-of-7 field goals during the run while UT missed five consecutive shots and turned the ball over five times.

Moments later, the lead was down to two when Billy Humphrey scored off an inbounds pass to make it 67-65 and ignite the crowd of 10,523 with 4:41 left.

"They came back with that 1-3-1 (trap defense) and about won the ball game,'' said sweat-stained UT coach Bruce Pearl, who led his players into the stands to greet 1,500 or so Vols fans who made the trip. "The 1-3-1 really disrupted us. It's its length, it's aggressiveness they played it as effectively as I've ever been played.''

Tennessee found itself — and Lofton — just in time to hold on.

With 3:14 left, Dane Bradshaw dished to Lofton on the wing, and the Vols' sophomore sharpshooter buried a 3-pointer to give UT a 71-65 cushion. Georgia got no closer than four the rest of the game.

Just before the pivotal three, Bradshaw spoke to Lofton as the team came out of a timeout.

"Dane said 'this is what it's all about, we're in a hostile environment and we need to come out with a win,' '' Lofton said. "I saw the game slipping away it was time to settle down and get a key basket.''

Bradshaw was intent on making sure that happened, muscling through the Bulldogs' trap to slip the pass to Lofton.

"I was looking to get him the ball, because it doesn't matter if he's covered,'' said Bradshaw, who had a team-high six assists. "He's just something very special. At this point, you have to look at him at the All-American level.''

Lofton scored 19 of his points before halftime. His first field goal of the game, with 9:12 left in the first half, triggered a 12-0 UT burst. Lofton finished the run, hitting a 3-pointer that tied the game 19-19 at the 6:52 mark.

"I haven't seen anyone shoot like that,'' Georgia guard Sundiata Gaines said. "We were on him he could just flat-out shoot. You just have to hope he misses.''

Lofton went on a personal 9-0 run later in the half, draining three consecutive treys to stake UT out to a 38-29 halftime advantage.

Pearl said Andre Patterson helped carry the Vols through the challenging road game. Patterson scored 15 points and pulled down six rebounds.

"We had a couple guys struggle, and they can look to their teammates and say 'thanks for being there,' '' said Pearl after UT tied its season-high of 23 turnovers. "That's what a great team does. Andre stepped up. He's playing with great confidence, hitting 5-of-6 from the free throw line and rebounding great.

"We've got an amazing team. We've got just enough of everything.''

Tourney Talk: Pearl said as far as he's concerned the Vols have yet to clinch an NCAA tournament berth.

"We're getting close to the time when the math will say we have a good chance of getting in,'' Pearl said. "But they have a formula, and they look at what you do the last 10 games.

"Then, you have to look at how many teams are getting in. Who, in the East, couldn't make a run and get in?''

Beat the Trap: The Vols went to a set that put three players on the baseline to beat the 1-3-1, effectively overloading the zone.

Often, UT would spread the court, get the ball in the middle to draw the trap, and then dish to an open shooter in the corners or on the wing.

Streaks: Tennessee won its seventh straight SEC game. The winning streak is the Vols' longest in the SEC since winning eight in a row during the 1981-82 season.

Sneakers: Both coaching staffs wore tennis shoes as part of the National Associate of Basketball Coaches (NABC) coaches vs. Cancer promotion.

Hot Levi: As hot as Lofton has been, Georgia's Stukes is also steaming. Stukes entered Saturday hitting 12-of-20 treys his previous three outings and made 5-of-6 on the Vols.

Stukes is 17-of-26 (.653) over his past four games while Lofton is 18-of-32 (.562) over four games. Lofton is 16-of-22 (.727) the past two games.

Tiger Scout: UT assistant Scott Edgar said the Vols' experience Saturday could help them Wednesday night, when they return home to host Auburn.

"Auburn plays a 1-3-1,'' Edgar said. "It really was a good scout for us.''

Patterson said Auburn's record, 10-10 and 2-7 in the SEC heading into its game with Arkansas Saturday night, means nothing.

"We don't underestimate any opponent, because we can't'' Patterson said. "Auburn beat us down there last year.''