NICEVILLE, Fla. - Tennessee men's basketball coach Rick Barnes saved a timeout in the waning seconds of Saturday's matchup with Virginia Commonwealth University, allowing the Volunteers to get to the frontcourt and inbound the ball with 1.7 seconds remaining in a tie game.
Barnes knew he had a player he could count on in that situation.
Lamonte Turner hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer from the right corner, giving the 17th-ranked Vols a 72-69 victory over No. 20 VCU in a third-place game at the Emerald Coast Classic, which had two four-team brackets.
"He's got a feel for it," Barnes said of the 6-foot-2, 187-pound point guard, a fifth-year senior who is one of the few experienced players on the roster.
John Fulkerson led Tennessee (6-1) with 17 points and seven rebounds, Jordan Bowden added 14 points and Turner finished with 12 points, seven assists and three steals, though he also had five turnovers.
"He's competitive," Barnes said of Turner. "That's what we always thought his biggest talent is. He's competitive, spirited and he's not afraid to make the play in that kind of situation. There's no doubt that in late-game situations, it's not as much about plays as it is about players."
VCU's De'Riante Jenkins hit a 3-pointer with five seconds left to make it 69-all. After the timeout, Turner took a pass from Josiah-Jordan James and got the shot off as the clock ran out.
"I leaned back so I could see the rim. I knew it was good the second it left my hand," said Turner, who spoiled a dramatic comeback by the Rams (6-2) after they trailed by 13 points in the second half.
AP photo by Mark Wallheiser / Tennessee guard Lamonte Turner is congratulated by teammates after his 3-pointer lifted the Vols to victory Saturday.Marcus Santos-Silva led VCU with 22 points and Jenkins had 15 for the Rams, who trailed 37-26 at halftime but chipped away and took their first lead of the second half on a jumper by KeShawn Curry at 58-56 with 6:42 to go.
Fulkerson put Tennessee ahead 69-66 by blocking a shot, grabbing a rebound and then hitting a pair of free throws after he was fouled, setting up the clutch 3-pointers in the final seconds.
The Vols bounced back from a semifinal loss to Florida State on Friday. Although Tennessee never led in that game, the Vols narrowed the final margin to three points against a team that was just a few votes short of making the most recent Associated Press Top 25.
The road doesn't get any easier, though. After a home game against Florida A&M on Wednesday, the Vols entertain No. 16 Memphis next Saturday. Their schedule also includes a visit to Cincinnati and a home game against Wisconsin, both currently unranked but in the next tier of teams, before Southeastern Conference play begins in January.
It was a tough couple of days in the Florida Panhandle for the Rams, who have lost back-to-back games after a 6-0 run that was the best start in program history. The losses to Purdue and the Vols likely will lead to VCU's exit from the rankings, but the Rams' schedule gets easier with no more Power Five conference opponents ahead.
Mike Rhoades was pleased with the way his team played.
"I thought our guys were moving the ball better," the coach said. "We scored 43 points in the second half against a very good team because we played with flow and had transition baskets. I thought we played really well inside-out, and guys were really keeping the ball hot. It just shows when we play that way we can score."
Three of the four top-tier teams in this year's Emerald Coast Classic will participate in another holiday tournament next November. Florida State, Tennessee and VCU will be part of an eight-team field in the Charleston Classic in South Carolina, where College of Charleston, Houston, Oklahoma State, Penn State and Seton Hall will round out the field.
Purdue will play in the 2020 Cancun Challenge that will also include Clemson, Illinois State and Mississippi State.