Tennessee Men's Basketball
Tennessee freshman Scotty Hopson enjoyed a break-out performance and Tyler Smith took over in the clutch.
That proved to be just enough for the 24th-ranked Vols to pull out an 82-79 victory over South Carolina on Saturday night at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Many in the crowd of 20,203 had already filed out of the arena when the Gamecocks made a late run.
Tennessee (11-5, 2-1 SEC) led by as many as 19 points in the first half and held what appeared to be a comfortable 17-point lead when Hopson dunked for two of his career-high 19 points at the 8:18 mark to make it 67-50.
“It was good to see Scotty be more aggressive, get to the rim and make more plays,’’ UT coach Bruce Pearl said. “He played with great poise. I had a feeling Scotty was going to break out.’’
The Vols had taken command of the game early with a pair of 12-0 first-half runs, and they stayed up by double-digits most of the second half despite Wayne Chism being limited to 11 minutes — and no points — due to foul trouble
But South Carolina (12-4, 1-2) battled back late, speeding up the pace of the game with pressure and forcing turnovers.
The Vols committed six turnovers in the six minutes after Hopson’s dunk, and when Devan Downey (19 points) converted a Josh Tabb turnover into a layup, the Gamecocks were within 75-70 with two minutes remaining.
“Pressure usually makes us better,’’ Pearl said, “but again when you’ve got a backcourt that’s not as experienced, you can see where the turnovers come from.’’
Half of Smith’s 20 points came down the stretch. Smith scored 10 points in a row for the Vols as they pushed the lead back up to 79-70 on one of his drives with 1:25 left.
“When the game’s gonna be won or lost,’’ Pearl said, “we get the ball to Tyler.’’
South Carolina countered by keeping the ball out of Smith’s hands in the final minute, fouling redshirt freshman Cameron Tatum in the backcourt and sending him to the free throw line.
Tatum, a 62 percent free throw shooter, missed the front end of two 1-and-1 free throw situations in the final 40 seconds, and then Bobby Maze split a pair of free throws with 15 seconds left.
After Maze’s miss, the Gamecocks’ Mike Holmes drove for a basket and drew a foul from Tatum with 6.1 seconds left.
Suddenly, UT’s lead was down to 82-79.
Fortunately for the Vols, Holmes missed his free throw and a loose-ball scramble ensued. Hopson came up with the ball, appropriately enough, as the buzzer sounded.
“I’ve been letting the game come to me,’’ Hopson said, “when I really needed to just go out and get it.’’
Pearl pointed out that Hopson’s breakout game occurred within the framework of one of UT’s better offensive performances.
“If you look at the stat sheet, you come away and say this would be more than a three-point win,’’ Pearl said. “We had 16 assists on 31 baskets and did a better job passing the ball.
“We shot 59 percent (58.5), the highest since Chattanooga; offensively we got better looks, but the turnovers were really a factor in the margin.’’
Pearl takes his work in progress on the road to face Vanderbilt on Tuesday (TV: ESPN, 9).
“That’s the team that took our No. 1 (ranking) away from us,’’ Smith said. “I know I personally haven’t forgotten that.’’
Rocky Top League opening night
Old school: Archived photos of UT…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 83
VolHooch42 writes:
We'll Take It!
GO VOLS!
HtownVol writes:
too close 4 me. We need to get back to the way this team is capable of playing! USC..Should not let them come back on us.
MANVOL writes:
Still showing our youth down the final minutes, but a much better effort. Keep going to the rim guys. GO VOLS!
sayhitomaggie writes:
A win is a win but this score was too close for comfort.
Here's to hoping that the Vols peak in March.
cainclifton23 writes:
We dominated this game.
They just made a run at the end.
Great Game for Hopson and the rest of the team
HtownVol writes:
On another note I was at the Shrine game (the only VOL fan there.. Gotta represent) Foster looked very good. I had 2nd row 45 yard line seats. So I got to speak to him a couple of times. Hes a BEAST. I just thanked him for giving 4 years to UT!! And I got a pic with him. No big deal, but it was cool for me since I dont get to see my VOLS since I moved to Houston.
allvol9 writes:
Not as close as the score indicated. But we have got to quit giving up the big lead when we get it. I guess it goes back to so many new players. I'll take it though. Go Vols!
cdldoc#211897 writes:
Real nice officiating by, ...for South Carolina.
Slystone writes:
Still surprise this team is still ranked in the top 25. Very fortunate tonight.
DennisVols writes:
Got to put them away when you have the opportunity.
Major_Magilicutty writes:
Nice Htown! I am here in Houston too but didnt realize the game was being played here until I saw it on TV. Thanks for saying that to Foster, because I absolutely feel the same way.
And congrats VOLS! It wasnt the way I would like to see it, but you guys got it done.
TopTenn writes:
Good win.
ncvol writes:
Watched it on TV since I'm in NC.Loved seeing the T on Foster's helmet...Way to represent!
The men's basketball team came away with a win. Glad they held SC off in the end... Go Vols!
jsmithnga#207674 writes:
Better be nice with your comments; heard that coach read the comments about his son and was taking names--no word on when he starts kicking butt.
wagee12 writes:
Barry Booker noted on the TV broadcast that this team is transitioning to a different look. If you noticed, the Vols hardly attempted to press at all tonight. Pearl is a great basketball coach and he will have them doing the things that will give them the best chance to win. I expect a different team to emerge by Feb. 1.
One other thing, is there anyway that somebody at the KNS can shutup that damn Griffin. Is there any chance that another layoff at the paper might get him? Hey Griff, I'd like to buy you for what you are worth and sell you for what you think you're worth, smug, condesending ***!
lastlap writes:
Hey Chism. Nice three that we didn't need AGAIN from YOU. Let SC right back in the game. You're not a freshman. AIR BALL!!!!!!!!!!!
eduardo writes:
About the refereeing when Tedy Valentine is at your games expect anything!!! Scotty Hopson, man if you can play like that all the time the sky is the limit. Take it to the rack and play with aggression. Feeling the youth and will get better as the season plays out. Too bad kenlucky will see their season teeter out. hey scratch why dont you scratch where it itches lame brain kenlucky fan! 54 is that the number of teeth that the kenlucky fan base has in their collective head? hahhaahhahahha!!!
thevoice writes:
See what happens when you don't jack up 25 3s a game (and only make 30%), pass the ball, play swarming D? At least they did for 34 minutes, a good start. Looking better Vols!
VolJunkie writes:
Scotty Hopson played the game I've been waiting all year to see. Nice penetration, good shot selection, overall good effort. Bobby Maze played a solid game on the point, you could tell the difference when he went out late in the 2nd half, that's when SC started their run. Generally I like JP but his defense was atrocious. Big game at Vandy this week and then Memphis at TBA next Saturday ...
BTW, the only way Ed Valentine should be in TBA is with a ticket.
Go VOLS!
jandjhome#228397 writes:
The second half was the worst called game I have seen in a good while. SC made a comeback but they had help from the ZEBRA'S
MrBamSeydu writes:
Worst officials this year so far, and that is saying ALOT.
Down_The_Field writes:
A win's a WIN an we needed it.
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
your right this 3 attempt count was more what it should be with still a bad percentage. I wish the lower attempts was by coaching design but may have been because the SC D wasnt packing in tight to thus give us other options in closer
Down_The_Field writes:
TWENTY FOUR HARD YEARS!!!!
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
while a Vol fan myself even I have to agree with you -----but you do spend a lot of time over here i guess instigatin
xvolx writes:
hopson taking ball to hole was refreshing.
Ringside writes:
ugh. These players seem to worry more about style than just getting it done.
allvol9 writes:
Ky played a great game no doubt. Probably the best game they will play all year. But you don't come on a Vol board and tell us we look stupid....why troll UT's boards. Don't you guys have one...Go Vols...lets make it 25 years straight over the Cats next year!
volswimmer writes:
catscratch,
you must really be concerned about tenn to always be on our site talking how great one game was. So what, what if we had spent 24 years of smack talk on your website during football season. Get a life an get out of here.
johnlg00 writes:
That ranking is from before we lost to UK. We'll be back among the "others receiving votes" next week. I just hope we GET some votes!
UT4ME writes:
Don't know if it's Pearl, or perhaps some players, but we seem to have really pissed off the zebra's, and not just during tonight's game. Anyone else who has seen the majority of games this year notice this? I realize everyone feels like their team gets the short end of the stick with the ref's, but I've made a conscious effort to be as objective as possible for the past several games, since I think we've been getting the shaft all season, home or away. Tonight was bad, and the officials blew the whistle on UT WAAAYYYY to much. But, it's not that different than what I've seen in just about every game this season.
Any thoughts or ideas...or anyone else notice this? We just don't get any calls, home or away, for the most part...and the officials are so quick to whistle anyone wearing the orange. UT overcame it at Georgia and tonight. But with a young team, they have to feel like they are playing against the odds before even setting foot on the court with the way the games have been called this year. Besides the bias against UT, it's also a problem that so many refs seem to want to "control" the game instead of letting players decide it. There are just way too many whistles overall, too.
All that being said, lazy passes, defensive lapses, and everyone wanting to be DJ Hunter by nailing the long shot is the primary reason we are 11-5. Out of control penetration to the basket has been aggravating as well. If Scotty can turn his game up, though, and these guys get it together mentally and defensively, we could make a run. Still look forward to each basketball game, which says a lot for me w/respect to the pre-Pearl days.
Down_The_Field writes:
Guys, this next one's as big as it gets.
Our best teams haven't won there in a couple tries.
It's MY most despised rival.
johnlg00 writes:
Didn't see the game--preempted for Carolina Hurricanes hockey here in the Greensboro, NC area--but I'm glad we dialed the press back a little. Our guys just are not quick enough to press man-to-man in the full court. It IS still possible to play pressure defense in the half-court, though, and with less space to work with, our length could make more of a difference.
dvols writes:
no comment
ralphie writes:
what was the attendance?
BigMix writes:
Memorial Magic awaits us.
johnlg00 writes:
I agree. It was REALLY great to see Scotty go off a bit in this game. He didn't get as much done in the last 10 minutes or so, but that is, and probably should be, Tyler Time. Now the test is to see how well his new-found confidence travels. Good to see a solid game out of Maze. Props to Brian for stepping up with Chism so limited. The team is still lacking the mental toughness to execute under pressure. We will know they have REALLY grown up when they show they can HOLD a big lead!
asleep#212036 writes:
I'll tell you what's refreshing - 54 points in the paint. Chism and company have owned the middle this year (when not fouling out!), both offensively and defensively. We are rebounding much better and playing much better post defense. This is the first game I've seen where we actually tried to work the ball inside and it worked. This young team just lost their composure a little at the end with the big lead but that will get better with more experience. Still taking ill-advised 3's, especially Chism who, IMO, should never take one again. Vandy on the road will be a tough test. If we get through next week 2-0, I think we may have turned the corner. Go Vols!!!
VolJunkie writes:
Just over 20,000 but the student section was only about 1/2 full. People leaving early again tonight though UT was up big at the time ... I just don't get it.
overatedvols writes:
Memphis 81 UAB 68. Memphis, continuing to improve, beat a sound UAB team tonight for the 46th conference win in a row. Tigers continue to gel, play better and shoot better.
In the meantime, at home, the Vols squeak past a genuine certified cupcake team. Hard times have fallen on the vols basketball program. Earlier in the season it appeared the Tigers were the team in for a bad season but as teams that make deep runs in march do, they continue to get better. The vols, as teams that don't go far in March do, have not improved and look more confused now than they did at the beginning of the season. It seems the Tigers and Vols have traded places. Tigers playing with confidence and Vols looking rough. One week from today the vols bragging rights come to an abrupt end. Tigers are now good enough to beat a hostile crowd and a struggling team. Please do not blame the loss on the officials, a common trait of posters on this board.
johnlg00 writes:
In re: why the refs seem to pick on us, some of our players DO, IMHO, behave in a way that does not endear them to officials. The worst offenders, as I see it, are JP, Wayne, and Brian, though Wayne has been better about this lately. It's kind of a vicious cycle. When they are called for fouls, deserved or not, they look outraged, pout, try to pantomime what they thought they were doing that shouldn't have been called, and so on. As a fan, I can't tell from the stands or the TV screen if they are mouthing off or not. Anyway, refs, especially those who think the game is about THEM, see the behavior I mentioned above as attempts to show them up. After that, unconsciously at least, the refs are LOOKING for them to foul, or looking for opportunities to call fouls. Thus we get the benefit of NO 50-50 situations. Tyler, on the other hand, goes to the line a lot, no doubt in part because he doesn't look so offended when they call stuff on him. No doubt, CBP can get on refs' nerves, too. It amazes me what refs take from Duke's Coach K or UNC's Roy Williams--I live in ACC country--for example, but they have won national championships and CBP has not won one in D-I so far. Sorry to go on so long about this. I agree completely with your last paragraph.
murrayvol writes:
That will end on Tuesday.
eduardo writes:
Why dont you go to lexingtonherald and post pathetic blue fan? Why do you fool with us if you are so superior? Why bring yourself to our realm and even post toothless one?
murrayvol writes:
We'll get some but not many and honestly we don't deserve them right now. Too many good teams playing better basketball.
Maybe later. We can hope.
johnlg00 writes:
Good stuff here. I agree with you about Wayne's 3's, but I heard CBP say AGAIN on the post-game show that he is one of our better 3-pt shooters! He HAS made some, but, IMHO, he just doesn't have good judgment about WHEN to take them. His first thought, and the team's, should be to work the post game FIRST. If the shot clock goes under 10 seconds, and it doesn't look as though any of the perimeter players are going to do anything, THEN Wayne can go outside to look for a shot if he absolutely MUST take a few in a game, IMHO.
murrayvol writes:
Amen. We're pretty good at defending the inbounds but after that it falls apart and we wind up hustling to get back in half court.
I know Pearl hates zone but we will continue to struggle in man defense vs good teams.
VolJunkie writes:
Yeah, I agree with you, I just don't get those comments about Wayne being one of the better 3-point shooters: 11 of 46, 24%. But the team is only shooting 30% ...
asleep#212036 writes:
I know in both the Kansas and Gonzaga games, we had closed to within a couple of possessions and had the ball and Chism took a three. He missed, we had no bigs underneath for the rebound, the other team ran out, scored, and never looked back. I guess I reluctantly agree that it isn't his percentage of misses, it's the [poor] timing that seems to get my goat. If they would look to Chism and Williams posted up, or Smith and Prince cutting through, we could get our shooting percentage up considerably, get to the foul line a lot more, and set up our press when we chose to. If I can see it , it must be obvious. Go Vols!!!
cobbwebb writes:
hey calipari fan- notice you said "46th straight conference win", cause your conference is weak! notice when you play a real team, like the vols, or kansas , you lose chump! go to an opposing conf. usa team site, and talk your trash, cause you have no business,talking trash on here!
xvolx writes:
they actually switched on screens. what a surprise. either pearl is learning or players are learning. that will take you out of a pick and roll.
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.