Vols beat the heat, cool off BK Nitra

Photo by UT sports information

Members of the University of Tennessee and BK Nitra professional team of Nitra, Slovakia, pose for a photo following their exhibition game on Tuesday at Nitra. The Vols won 109-92, improving their European Tour record to 3-0.

NITRA, Slovakia — BK Nitra turned the heat up on the Tennessee men’s basketball team Tuesday night.

But the Vols, thanks to the Pilot Rocky Top League and summer workouts at Stokely Arena, withstood the test en route to a 109-92 victory at the Slovenska Pol’nohospodarska Universizita.

“Playing in that league and practicing in Stokely really helped us beat the heat tonight,’’ said senior wing JaJuan Smith. “In some ways, tonight was worse because the drinks weren’t cold.’’

UT trainer Chad Newman said that if he hadn’t brought the Vols’ bottled water, they would have been forced to drink the carbonated version supplied by the Europeans.

Ryan Childress led Vols’ scorers with 19 points and preseason All-American Chris Lofton scored 17 to pace six UT players in double figures as they improved to 3-0 on the tour.

BK Nitra is one of two college teams that plays in the Slovakian Professional League, last year finishing fifth out of the 10 teams. The team features at least four Slovakian national players, and was directed by the Slovakian national coach.

Tennessee hit its first three shots to race out to a 6-0 lead on the orange-and-black clad university team, and went up 18-6 when Duke Crews split a pair of free throws with 5:56 left.

But Nitra, with a gym full of rowdy fans, battled back to tie the game 28-28 with 9:48 left when Nitro native Palemik Miroslav hit a pair of free throws.

“Oh man, that was a great experience to play a team like that,’’ said Miroslav, who played at Weatherford Community College in Texas last season and is headed to Niagara on a scholarship this season. “I’m sorry we’re not in the best of shape. We’ve had two weeks of practice, and we’ve spent three weeks running.’’

The Vols, pressed by an opponent for the first time since arriving in Europe on Friday, responded to the tie score with some running of their own.

Steven Pearl scored on a three-point play and Crews and Wayne Chism each sank a pair of free throws for a 7-0 run.

A Jordan Howell steal led to a JaJuan Smith trey that closed the first half and gave Tennessee a 59-42 lead.

Vols’ point guard Ramar Smith, originally not expected to play after having his sprained thumb bandaged heavily the previous two days, scored 11 of his 16 points by halftime.

“We took the wrap off and the swelling was down and the (discoloration) was gone, so I went,’’ Ramar Smith said.

BK Nitra rallied in the second half to cut Tennessee’s lead to 77-69 with 34 seconds left in the third quarter with one of its nine 3-pointers, but Josh Tabb answered with a successful drive and ensuing free throw to push the lead into double digits for the remainder of the game.

“We continue to struggle with our man-to-man drop-back defense, and it’s not getting any better,’’ UT coach Bruce Pearl said. “Give that team two Americans with breakdown ability, and you would have an even game.

“This is what I expected when we came over here.’’

Pearl praised Childress for his consistency and JaJuan Smith for his defensive intensity, and he continues to be pleased with his son, Steven.

“Steven is our ninth man over here, and when he comes in there is no drop off,’’ Pearl said. “He belongs out there.’’

Even with all of his improvement, it’s likely Steven Pearl will fall from the rotation as transfers J.P. Prince and Tyler Smith join the team in addition to incoming freshmen Cameron Tatum and Brian Williams.

“I’m having fun right now, and that’s all that matters,’’ Steven Pearl said. “I just want to win.’’