So, this is how it feels.

When Tennessee basketball fans, 22,326 of them, filed out of Thompson-Boling Arena late Wednesday night, gone were the grins. No one felt much like singing Rocky Top.

For the first time in 34 months Tennessee lost on its home floor.

Since March 1, 2006, 37 crowds had gone home happy. Not this one.

Gonzaga came across the continent from the Pacific Northwest and beat the Vols 89-79. That UT forced the game into overtime was testament to its grit.

But the better team won. Again.

This was a rematch of a Thankgiving tournament title game in Orlando, Fla. Gonzaga got that one, too, 83-74.

Since Bruce Pearl came to town nearly four years ago, Tennessee has grown accustomed to winning. Winning big.

Losing at Kansas on Saturday, that was one thing. Two losses in five days is another. That's the change Pearl has wrought in Tennessee basketball culture.

But this team has some issues and when you play good teams they get exposed.

Let's present the overtime as microcosm of those issues.

Gonzaga scored on every possession in the extra session, save its last when the Bulldogs willingly took a shot-clock violation with a 10-point lead.

The Zags not only scored, they seemed to score with ease.

All five players could go get a basket, whether it be guard Matt Bouldin toasting J.P. Prince on yet another layup, or 6-foot-11 Austin Daye popping in an open 3-pointer, or another 6-11 guy, Josh Heytvelt, nestling in a soft 17-footer.

Much has been made of the Vols' defensive shortcomings, and, for the record, Gonzaga shot 52.5 percent in a hostile environment.

But Tennessee's offense is stagnant as well.

Cameron Tatum's red-hot start disguised for a while the Vols' struggles to make a basket.

Tatum matched his career high with 19 first-half points then opened the second half with a 3-pointer, his fifth of the game. From that point on, Tennessee shot 13 more treys and missed every single one.

The bottom line behind the arc was 6-of-28 - Tatum 5-of-10; everybody else 1-of-18.

Somehow, the Vols are going to have to figure out how to attack a zone defense. Throughout the second half, most of UT's scores came on rebound efforts, rather than anything produced by the half-court strategy.

Wayne Chism was magnificent in defeat. He made only 5 of 16 shots but fought for 19 rebounds.

Tyler Smith willed his way to 17 points, none of which came easy.

Prince struggled to finish around the basket. Bobby Maze was 1-of-9, Reynaldo Woolridge 0-of-5. Scotty Hopson, under the weather, played only 11 minutes.

It all added up to 36.3 percent.

Chris Lofton, phone home.

Lofton wasn't there, of course, but his parents, Frank and Kathy, were pictured on the JumboTron. That got a big cheer.

Another inspirational Vol tried to lend a hand.

With Gonzaga leading 73-71 with 38 seconds in regulation, the JumboTron flashed former player Dane Bradshaw in a recorded message exhorting the crowd to make some noise.

Then the real Bradshaw stood up courtside and waved his arms. The crowd roared: "Dee-fense," "Dee-fense.''

It worked. The Vols forced a turnover on an inbounds pass - their trademark - and went down and scored to send the game into overtime.

But there was no 38th consecutive happy exit. The last week before SEC play begins was a downer.

"Kansas and Gonzaga,'' said Pearl. "There's nothing else to explain.''

Kansas and Gonzaga indeed. Pearl's philosophy has been to play anybody anywhere. Unfortunately for UT fans, being a witness at most of those games required a travel agent and a ticket broker.

Austin, Columbus, Oklahoma City, New York, Seattle, Newark, Orlando. If you earned a perfect-attendance star for the Vols' marquee regular-season games, you've racked up the frequent-flier miles in the bargain.

Of course, it's understandable that marquee teams wouldn't be lining up to visit Thompson-Boling Arena. Texas, Memphis and Ohio State are among the body count in that home-court winning streak.

But not Gonzaga. The streak is over. So this is how it feels.

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strangem@knoxnews.com.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.