KNOXVILLE -- Clinging to a two-point lead with 13:05 left to play, Tennessee needed a spark.
The Volunteers defense provided it.
Over the next 6:21, the Vols held Tennessee State scoreless as they went on a 13-0 run, enabling them to cruise to a 67-46 victory Saturday night.
"That's our team," Tennessee head coach Donnie Tyndall said. "We're not a great offensive team. When you don't have a post guy that you can throw it to and there's no anchor around the rim to throw it to and draw a foul or get an easy basket, everything is kind of manufactured and that's not an easy situation to be in.
"We have to create some offense with our defense and I thought we did that during that run and that one spurt was the difference in winning or losing the game."
During the run, Kevin Punter scored seven of his 18 points.
Tennessee (7-4) took its biggest lead of the first half thanks to a 14-3 spurt during which the Tigers were 1-for-5 shooting and committed four turnovers.
Tennessee State, however, would immediately begin a run of its own. The Tigers would finish the opening period on a 13-2 run that cut the Vols 14-point lead to 29-26, holding UT scoreless in the final 3:15.
"I thought we were a little bit more assertive at the end of the first half," Tennessee State head coach Dana White said. "We shared the basketball, we passed up good shots for great shots -- something we've tried to emphasize -- and we got some pretty good looks and were able to knock them down."
Josh Richardson added 16 points and eight rebounds for Tennessee, while Marcus Roper led Tennessee State with 16 points.
The Vols turned 16 Tennessee State turnovers into 25 points. Tennessee committed 10 turnovers, but did not allow the Tigers to convert any of them into points.
"We work on defensive transition every day in practice -- five-on-four get back, it's one of our toughest drills," Tyndall said. "We don't want to surrender any transition points. I guess we were fortunate tonight to not give up any."
The 46 points were the fewest the Vols have allowed all season, and Tennessee improved its record to 6-0 when holding its opponent under 60 points.