MEMPHIS – The Tennessee’s men’s basketball team built a 15-point halftime lead and held off the Memphis Tigers’ rally to win 102-92 Saturday afternoon in front of a sellout crowd of 18,529 at FedEx Forum.
It’s the fourth straight victory for the third-ranked Volunteers (8-1).
Admiral Schofield led five Tennessee players in double figures with 29 points on 8-for-12 shooting – he was 4-for-8 from 3-point range – and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Grant Williams added 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists despite battling second-half foul trouble. Jordan Bone had 17 points, making 11 of 12 free throws, and Jordan Bowden contributed 12 points, six assists and five rebounds off the bench. Kyle Alexander had 10 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots.
The Vols shot 52 percent from the field, made 39 of 46 free throws and assisted on 21 of 27 made baskets.
Kyvon Davenport led the Tigers (5-5) with 31 points on 12-for-17 shooting.
Here are three observations from the latest win for the Vols, who return to competition Wednesday against Samford, their first of four straight home games:
1. Admiral’s in charge: For the second straight game, the Vols needed somebody to make a key basket. But unlike Sunday, when it was Schofield’s 3 in the closing seconds of a 76-73 win over then-No. 1 Gonzaga, this time it was his key basket with Memphis rallying. Schofield scored on a tough drive and was fouled before finishing a three-point play that pushed Tennessee’s lead to 66-56 midway through the second half. Memphis didn’t get closer than nine the rest of the way, and Schofield scored 20 points in the second half.
2. Cool under pressure: So many times along the way, Memphis did what it could to cut into the Vols’ lead. In a game with a combined 57 fouls, the Vols showed the sort of veteran poise that has made them one of the top teams in the country. Tennessee didn’t hit a shot for the final 3:20 yet made 25 of 29 second-half free throws, thwarting any shot of a Memphis comeback – but…
3. The Tigers aren’t back, but they’re coming: This was the first time the Vols and the Tigers had faced each other since 2013 and the first time in Memphis since 2009. The atmosphere was loud, the game was intense. Tennessee won because it’s better, but with Memphis coach Penny Hardaway’s recruiting – he already has the No. 1-ranked player in the country for 2019, James Wiseman, signed for next season – the Tigers will be back in contention soon. And with the teams scheduled to play next season in Knoxville and the following season in Nashville, the rivalry is in good shape, too.
This is developing coverage. For more, check back later and read Sunday’s Times Free Press.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3 or at Facebook.com/VolsUpdate.