ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands — Scotty Hopson scored 25 points to lead No. 10 Tennessee to a 105-66 rout of East Carolina in the opening round of the Paradise Jam on Friday.
The sophomore was 10 of 15 from the floor, including 4 of 5 from beyond the arc, in the Vols' first game at the University of Virgin Islands Sports and Fitness Center.
Bobby Maze added 15 points for the Vols, while Cameron Tatum had 14 and Tyler Smith 13. Melvin Goins finished with 10 points and five assists.
The Vols (3-0) smothered the Pirates (1-3) with their self-styled "controlled chaos" press, forcing 35 turnovers, the most in Bruce Pearl's five years as Tennessee coach.
East Carolina was competitive early, using an 8-0 run to take a 17-13 lead on Brock Young's steal and layup at the 12:01 mark of the first half.
That's when Hopson heated up, coming out of a timeout to hit a 3-pointer and then a putback, as the Vols went on a 9-0 run to reclaim the lead for good.
East Carolina, led by Young's 15 points and four assists, managed just one field goal over the final 12:01 of the first half and trailed 43-27 at intermission.
Tennessee (3-0) plays DePaul (2-0) in the second round Sunday. The Blue Demons scored a mild upset over NCAA tournament participant Northern Iowa, 60-52, in the first round.
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