After beating Vandy by 38 points just a few days ago, the Tennessee Volunteers nearly eclipsed the 30-point margin of victory again beating Auburn 82-54 in front of a tame Tiger crowd Wednesday night.
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]
Jarnell Stokes pumped in 20 points on 8-10 shooting from the field but also added a career-high seven assists to go with seven rebounds.
All five Vol starters scored in double figures as Richardson scored 10, Maymon and McRae scored 13, and Antonio Barton continued his hot shooting of late hitting four 3s on the way to 14 points.
Stokes set the standard with his seven assists but the entire Tennessee team moved the ball well against the Tigers. Passes were well-timed, crisp and accurate while the inside-out ball movement frequently created space in which the offense could operate. As a result, the Vols shot nearly 50 percent from the floor on the game and accumulated 17 assists on their 28 field goals.
“I felt like I did a good job distributing the ball, but we did a good job of hitting shots. I didn’t want to force the issue at all, and I also shot a higher percentage as a result,” Stoke said.
Though the offense performed effectively, Stokes pointed to the team’s defensive effort as to what set the tone early. Tennessee held the Tigers below 38 percent shooting in game and surrendered just eight field goals before halftime.
“It was all defense,” Stokes said. “We basically drew a line in the sand, and told them to cross it. I feel like that was a great defensive effort from top to bottom as far as guards fighting through screens and playing against two of the top leading scorers in the SEC.”
Tennessee controlled the boards, holding a 43-25 edge, leading it to a 40-18 advantage in points in the paint. The Vols also hit 18-20 from the free throw line and turned the ball over just seven times.
Derek Reese and Armani Moore led the reserves in minutes with 22 and 18 respectively. Reese used his time to collect seven boards, which was tied for second-most on the team, and Moore scored three points, added four rebounds and had two blocks.
UT finishes its regular season schedule on Saturday against Missouri at 4 p.m. It will be Senior Night as Antonio Barton, Jeronne Maymon, Jordan McRae and D’Montre Edwards will play their last home game as Tennessee Volunteers.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]