Tennessee forward Jeronne Maymon (34) and South Carolina guard Sindarius Thornwell (0) tangle for a rebound during their NCAA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014, in Knoxville. Tennessee won 72-53.KNOXVILLE — As Jeronne Maymon threw a bounce pass from the free-throw line toward an open Jarnell Stokes underneath the basket, Jordan McRae shouted some advice to his two Tennessee teammates.
“Every time!”
It really was that simple for the Volunteers.
Coming off a frustrating at Vanderbilt earlier in the week, a visit from a South Carolina buried at the bottom of the SEC standings was exactly what the doctor ordered, as Tennessee handled its business and cruised to a 72-53 win against the hapless Gamecocks on Saturday afternoon in front of a better-than-expected crowd at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Vols outscored South Carolina 24-6 in the paint in the first half and finished with 38 paint points in notching their 13th straight win against the Gamecocks.