KNOXVILLE – With one brilliant run, Tennessee looked well on its way to a 2-0 start in SEC men’s basketball play.
In the blink of an eye, it all evaporated.
Visiting Arkansas turned a 13-point deficit into a seven-point lead with a 24-4 run spanning halftime, and the Volunteers never recovered in a 82-78 home defeat Tuesday night at Thompson-Boling Arena.
“We just took our foot off the pedal, I would say,” Vols freshman Grant Williams said after recording his first career double-double (15 points, 11 rebounds). “We had a 14-0 run between the eight-minute and four-minute mark, and they go on a 11-0 run just getting out in transition. We took a lot of bad shots, and we should have done a better job with that.
“I think that’s how the game really turned, because I think they were out of it for a second, but once they got those fastbreak opportunities and those transition buckets, they got back engaged.”