KNOXVILLE -- Tennessee was not about to become the first team to lose at home to Missouri in more than three years.
Instead the Volunteers made quick work of the hapless visiting Tigers.
Freshman Grant Williams scored 16 of his 25 points in the second half, and Robert Hubbs III, sporting a new hairstyle with his corn rows, returned to form with 21 points as Tennessee cruised to an easy 90-70 Southeastern Conference victory against Missouri on Saturday afternoon.
After losing three of its previous four games, Tennessee (15-12, 7-7 SEC) was rarely threatened after jumping out to a double-digit in the game's opening minutes to hand Missouri its 33rd consecutive road loss.
The Tigers (7-19, 2-12) last won a true road game in January 2014 when Frank Haith was still the coach.
In addition to the new-look Hubbs and the second-half special from Williams, Admiral Schofield added 17 points and Shembari Phillips chipped in 10 to reach double figures for the first time since the Texas A&M win on Dec. 29.
Tennessee led by 18 in the first half and by as many as 24 in the second half thanks to 50-percent shooting.
Terrence Phillips scored 18 points to lead Missouri, which had split its past four games after dropping 13 games in a row.
Tennessee went on a 13-0 run to take a 16-3 lead less than eight minutes into the game.
Williams and Phillips each made 3s, and Hubbs converted a three-point play as Missouri opened 1-of-7 from the field with four early turnovers.
The Tigers were scoreless for five minutes and 45 seconds and went nearly eight minutes between their first and second field goals of the game.
The Vols maintained a comfortable double-digit lead they extended to 18 points (33-15) on Jordan Bone's trey with 4:49 to go in the first half, but Missouri strung together an 11-0 run to send a wave of nerves through the Vols and their home crowd.
K.J. Walton's three-point play at the 2:20 mark made it 33-26, but Tennessee regained control with a five-point possession -- Lamonte Turner hit a 3 and Williams made two free throws after being fouled as the shot went in -- and led 41-28 at halftime following Hubbs's final-minute 3, just his fourth of the season.
Phillips hit back-to-back 3s early in the second half to bring Missouri to within 10 (54-44), but the Vols pushed the lead back to 17 as Schofield scored 10 straight points thanks to a couple of treys.
A Missouri assistant coach and Phillips were slapped with separate technicals fouls a couple of minutes apart, but Tennessee made only one of the ensuing four free throws.
Hubbs scored from close range and made a jumper to complete a 9-0 run as Tennessee took its largest lead of 19 points (63-44) at the midway mark of the second half.
Williams scored five straight points to extend Tennessee's lead to 24 (76-52) with more than seven minutes left, and another Phillips 3 made it 82-61 with four minutes to go as the Vols cruised to victory.
Jordan Bowden started the game for Tennessee, but he was subbed out a little more than a minute into the game and did not return. The freshman has been dealing with flu-like symptoms this week. He scored just two points in the loss at Kentucky and missed Friday's practice.
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.