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Tennessee Men's Basketball
Tennessee scored an easy 79-48 win over Georgia to pull into a four-way tie atop the SEC Eastern Division Wednesday night.
The Vols (15-8), Florida, South Carolina and Kentucky are all 6-3 in SEC play.
“I think it’s significant,’’ UT coach Bruce Pearl said. “We’re one game into the other side of halfway through (the SEC portion of the schedule) and we’re tied for first.’’
“We’re still in position to do what we want to do, but it’s going to be a battle every single night, and the strong is going to survive.’’
The defending SEC champion Vols were clearly the stronger team from the onset of Wednesday’s game, leading from start to finish.
An announced crowd of 18,623 at Thompson-Boling Arena looked on as UT dominated throughout.
Tennessee played smothering defense on the Bulldogs (9-15, 0-9), forcing an SEC season-high 25 turnovers — 17 coming in the first half.
Tyler Smith scored 15 points despite suffering from flu-like symptoms to lead five Vols who scored in double figures.
Wayne Chism had 13 points and five assists, Scotty Hopson had 12 points, J.P. Prince scored 11 and had a team-high and career-high nine rebounds and Brian Williams had 10 points and five rebounds in 13 minutes.
“A 30-point win in the SEC is huge, so this is a real good win,’’ Williams said. “Our fans have been there for us all year, and I think tonight we were able to give them a treat.’’
Georgia’s Trey Thompkins was the only Bulldog to score in double figures with 10.
“It’s tough to see Georgia go through what they are obviously going through right now,” said Pearl, referring to former Bulldogs coach Dennis Felton being fired two weeks ago.
“It’s one of the challenges of changing coaches five games into the SEC season,’’ he said. “It’s really hard on the kids, and it’s really hard on their staff. I hope they can hang in there.’’
Georgia couldn’t Wednesday night.
The Vols held a 40-23 lead at the half on the strength of 47.1 percent shooting and 17 turnovers by the Bulldogs. Smith and Chism had 11 apiece through the first 20 minutes as UT controlled the lane, outscoring Georgia 26-8 in the paint.
Prince said the Vols weren’t about to let up in the second half.
“We’re most proud of how we started the second half, because we hadn’t been doing that so well,’’ Prince said. “We were focused tonight, we needed that game and we weren’t taking anything for granted.’’
The Vols return to action at 3 p.m. Saturday (TV: WVLT) when they play host to Vanderbilt (15-8, 4-5). Kentucky plays at Arkansas, South Carolina is at Alabama and Florida is at Georgia.
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Comments » 76
VolNavy writes:
Great game guys,,,
TopTenn writes:
Beat Vandy, let's get some momentum to close out the season.
smashmouth98 writes:
Talk about a whoopin' !!!
thsvolfan15 writes:
you will win alot of games with defense like that
Ironcity writes:
Sloppy game. UGA is plain awful. I like that we came out pressing. I like that we were able to break their zone so easy. I still would like to see Hopson be more aggressive without the ball. I think he stood in the same spot on offense all night. We still are very sloppy in transition.
Lets hope this game gets them in a postive frame of mind for Vandy.
Go Vols
NorthwestVol writes:
A win against a lousy team on our home court. Out rebounded them by only two.
We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there (Smokey and the Bandit). I just aged myself didn't I?
Volumnus writes:
Thanks for proving me wrong! I was worried about this one.
MiserableFloridaVol writes:
Duke vs North Carolina is like watching a heavy weight fight. What a rivalry. Good win tonight Vols. Way to pick up the defense Maze!
Rockytop98 writes:
One and done?
TK writes:
I guess Ryan Childress is not going to redshirt after all.
allvol9 writes:
Great win....Vols looked strong but UGA is just awful. Good to see the bench get emptied.
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
Bruce in postgame felt good about emptying it too and with cannington and wild both making shots---he was funny referring to empyting the bench --he said there hadnt been that many white guys on the floor together since about 1971---funny
dvols writes:
no he did not... u shut it
givehim6 writes:
Good win aginst the last team in the SEC. Vandy will be a bit more of a challenge, but we have them at home. Hopefully have the same out come as last game. GO VOLS!
Go4Two writes:
Can someone pitch in and buy CLK a shirt with a T on it.
golfballs03 writes:
I don't care what he wears. As long as he can turn us back into contenders he could wear a clown suit for all I care.
dvols writes:
yabadadbadboo said it......
bruce did not
not ur buddy
PoochPuntOn3rdDown writes:
That is the funniest thing I have ever read on here. What a mental image. Maybe Layla could dress as a trapeze artist? Grrrrrrrrr
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
scotty hopson has the tools to be super....I'd like to see him attack the rim.
I think we need to put the ball in his hands 1 v 1 more....maybe I'm just dreaming.
I remember how much fun it was Chris' junior year, when he started taking the ball to the hole.
Vol_Jokes writes:
Vols will be in the final 4 now and probably win the national championship. Pearl for coach of the year. He's the best in history. We are awesome we beat that bad team just like we were beating all those bad teams earlier in the season. I sure wish we could beat a good team.
Memphis 51 straight conference wins. Had been tied with UCLA for 50 (1970-1974) but broke it by one tonight. Two teams still have longer i know the longest one is kentucky.
Tigers beat a good team tonight. They were 17-7 and the team that almost beat us a month ago. A team that would crush the vols. Memphis gets better and better. Defense is incredible.
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
geezzzzzzzzzzz--I never said any such thing------cant you people read
volmattna writes:
Big win! GO VOLS!!
VOLKING writes:
OK, gotta give Memphis props on their defense tonight...even though some of you interlopers are trash. Any time you hold any team, including Tulsa, to 37 points...that's impressive. However, when Memphis has more national banners than UT, then you can act like the goat-sucking scum you are and bash everything about us. Until then, we are 7-3 against you head to head in the last 10 and it don't mean JACK SHITE if you don't win it ALL! Remember how your elite team pounded our sorry team by a whopping 2 points? We still own you, Tiger High!
Slystone writes:
Caveman rumor has it you have a vintage 1966 poster of Raquel Welch from the movie "One Million Years BC" hanging on your cave wall?
3ballvol writes:
I agree let the dude wear what he wants!
bmaples writes:
Six games left in regular season -- anyone want to predict?
Vandy -- win
@ Ole Miss -- win
@ Kentucky -- loss
Miss State -- tough win
@ Florida -- tossup
@ South Carolina -- tossup
Alabama -- win
So, that would put us at 10-4 with two tossups. Get them both (a tall order) and we're 12-4 at the end of the regular season. Lose them both, and we're 10-6.
12-4 would, in my opinion, be a pretty good ending conference record. Rather have a few more (the LSU and Auburn losses), but I'd take it.
Thoughts?
b16VOLster writes:
Good to see the guys not let up but we got to be honest, GA might be the first team to fire 2 bball coaches in the same season.
xvolx writes:
now I know why Ga. is looking for a coach.
elizabethtonvol72 writes:
Can't stress it enough. REBOUNDS, AND STRONG DEFENSE will be the answer to the rest of the season. Keep performing strong on defense, and do alot better on the rebounding, and we will be there in the end. Great game. Go Big Orange!!!!!
VolJunkie writes:
I posted this yesterday, still feel pretty good about it:
... and while I don't guarantee anything, I believe this team will get to 20-10. GA and Vandy at home, 16-8. Ole Miss, 17-8. KY could go either way, I think after what happened at TBA and with a national broadcast UT will win at Rupp ... but say they don't, 17-9. Miss St. at home, 18-9. FL on the road, CBP owns them, 19-9. USC on the road, UT stumbles, 19-10, finishing with a home win against bama, 20-10. IMHO! 20 wins, 21 RPI, #1 SOS, I think that gets them into the NCAA where they are projected as a 6 seed.
Go Vols!
VolJunkie writes:
First time for everything ... I agree with you. Driving home from the game I was hoping for an update on the Memphis game. Several scores announced, no UM ... that's not right.
ctownvol writes:
Not many teams are, but it's something to strive for. Right?
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Agreed. The SEC really IS down this year, no matter what some deluded fans may think. UT has played with the precision and intensity displayed nearly every night in the ACC maybe four or five times in the whole CBP era.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I would be inclined to put the games with the Mississippi schools in the "tossup" category at best. Ole Miss beat UK at Rupp and MSU has the big shot-blocker who can neutralize us in the middle. I would perhaps move the UK game into the "tossup" category, especially if Patterson is still out. I'm about where I have been all year with this team, in that it all depends on whether the "good" UT team decides to show up.
SeanJean writes:
This is the worst team I have seen play all year, in any conference. Awful awful team. Glad UT blew them out, but if they didn't win by at least 20, it would have been a really poor showing. I wouldn't read much into this win at all.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
HA! Never happen, but four straight home losses to UNC does NOT go over well at Duke. Come to think of it, that might be one of the most remarkable stats in college basketball history!
mocsandvolsfan writes:
I'll have to strongly disagree on this one Johnny!
If anything the past two years we overplayed our potential. You're saying Lofton, Bradshaw, and JSmith
didn't play with intensity.
Say what you want about Pearl but those guys played hard.
mocsandvolsfan writes:
I predict we'win out...forever the optimist. However we'll probably lose 1st or 2nd round of SEC. We may win a couple in the NCAAs...cross everything you got and "pray for rain".
mocsandvolsfan writes:
By the way who cares about the ACC? It's not probable we'll play ACC this year. It IS good basketball however!!
mocsandvolsfan writes:
May be. But look at the talent UNC has had in those games...Probable National Champs this year. Hey I'll even say it...UNC will be NC.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
The key word in my post was "precision"; agree completely that CBP's first three teams nearly always played with intensity, even when not so precise. This year's team...not so much. Even CBP describes his system as "controlled chaos", so one could argue that his teams do not even aspire to the type of precision I mean: quick, crisp passing; sharp, purposeful cuts; solid, reliable screens, etc. The only games this season that approach the standard I am describing are Marquette and Florida. In all the others...well, that's why we are, what?, 15-8?
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Well, Duke hasn't exactly been chopped liver over that period, though surely not quite as good as they were in the '90s. Still, Cameron is one of the toughest places for a visitor to win in all of college basketball and these ARE intense rivalry games. I agree that UNC has as good a shot to win it all as anyone this year.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I live in ACC country, so I get nearly every game in that conference. I certainly don't "care" about ACC ball as much as I do about UT, but, like you, I see it as a standard of ball that I would like to see UT and the rest of the SEC emulate.
mocsandvolsfan writes:
I do agree with this one. Although part of that and I think most of it is due to the fact that this group of players has been looking to the NBA hype instead of taking care of business. I have another prediction...by the end of this year Pearl will be bald. I'm not a big fan of "controlled chaos" either but it does lend itself to exciting ball with the right players. We don't seem to have them which is why we've been in a more a half court style of play this year.
mocsandvolsfan writes:
I'm wondering if Duke fans are calling for Coach K'shead!!!??? They would have to be out of their minds to get rid of him. If they do we should grab him at what ever the costs(it's Not my money anyways). I think Pearl would understand and secretly agree.
fundamentals83 writes:
Would someone mind to check the pulse of Tabb and Tatum. They may be the first people to have played basketball after death.
Down_The_Field writes:
okay....now leave.
Ironcity writes:
What??
Surfingvol writes:
I thought that freak gator fan said Ga was going to win. I hope he had money on the game. U suckzz.
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