KNOXVILLE – With Tennessee’s men’s basketball program in between games against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents North Carolina and Wake Forest, the Volunteers received a visit from one of the Southern Conference’s best programs on Wednesday night.
Furman gave their hosts all they could handle before the No. 21 Vols escaped with a 66-61 victory.
The Vols (8-2) will play at Wake Forest on Saturday after needing late-game heroics to escape the Paladins. Furman (9-4) led 55-52 with 6:14 to play, and the score was tied as the one-minute mark arrived.
That’s when Tennessee’s Grant Williams bullied his way to the basket and scored with 54 seconds left to make it 63-61. There were three turnovers over the next 30 seconds. The chaotic sequence ended with James Daniel going to the free-throw line for Tennessee.
Daniel hit one of two free throws, Furman’s Devin Sibley missed a shot on the other end, and Daniel hit two more free throws to ice a closer-than-expected nonconference challenge on the heels of Tennessee’s 78-73 loss to North Carolina on Sunday.
Furman took a 19-12 lead, but the Vols surged ahead 29-26 by halftime, with the first half capped by a contested layup from Lamonte Turner with 19 seconds left. Tennessee went on a 13-3 to start the second half and led 42-32 with 15:30 to go.
That’s when Sibley, who is originally from Knoxville, decided to put on a show in front of his hometown crowd.
Sibley, the Southern Conference preseason player of the year, scored 13 straight for Furman in just more than four minutes and pulled the Paladins within 42-39. Soon after, he picked up two fouls and was sent to the bench. Still, the Paladins, who were picked to finish third in the SoCon this season, hung around.
Furman took a 47-46 lead when Geoff Beans hit three free throws with 10:33 to go after Grant Williams was whistled for a foul as Beans attempted a 3-pointer from the corner.
After Sunday’s sell-out crowd watched Tennessee nearly upset North Carolina, Wednesday’s atmosphere was predictably more subdued with students on winter break. The 9 p.m. tip for a SoCon opponent left the arena’s upper bowl mostly empty, but the crowd clearly objected to the foul call on Williams that led to Beans’ free throws.
It was Furman that found itself in foul trouble, however. Beans and Sibley, who were leading Furman in scoring, were both on the bench with four fouls at one point in the middle of the half.
When Sibley re-entered with 7:19 to play, he scored 32 seconds later to put Furman ahead 53-52. A Clay Mounce layup with 6:14 to go put the Paladins ahead 55-52.
Admiral Schofield sank a go-ahead hook shot with 2:20 remaining to make it 61-59. As the crowd hit its loudest note of the night, Sibley answered with a basket on the other end. The game’s chaotic ending ensued.
Sibley led all scorers with 22 points. Jordan Bowden, also a Knoxville product, led the Vols with 21.
Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com.