KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Six double-figure scorers and a lights-out shooting night led the 10th-ranked Tennessee basketball team to a resounding, 103-49 victory over Tennessee Tech Friday at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The 54-point win was Tennessee’s (4-0) eighth-largest margin of victory in program history. Friday’s result over the Golden Eagles (0-8) also marked the most points the Vols have scored since dropping 106 on Arkansas on Jan. 15, 2019.
The Volunteers finished the night shooting .583 from the field (42-72), along with a highly efficient .474 (9-19) mark from 3-point range. Tennessee also tallied a 4.0 assist/turnover ratio on the night (28 assists, seven turnovers).
Freshman Jaden Springer was UT’s leading scorer, dropping a season-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field while pulling in six rebounds and dishing off a season-high six assists. Springer did all of this in just 22 minutes of action, logging nearly one point per minute.
Sophomore Josiah-Jordan James and senior John Fulkerson also enjoyed impactful outings, with James tallying 15 points and six rebounds and Fulkerson totaling 13 points and six boards.
Victor Bailey Jr. was the third Vol to pour in at least 15 points, scoring his 15 on 5-of-8 shooting and draining both of his attempts from beyond the 3-point arc.
Freshman Keon Johnson and senior Yves Pons were the fifth and sixth Vols to reach double-digit points, scoring 13 and 10, respectively.
Pons–the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year–also recorded two thunderous blocks in the first half to bring his season total to five.
After a fairly even start in the game’s opening minutes, the Orange & White busted things open with a 15-3 run spanning a stretch of four minutes to take a 23-9 lead at the under-12 media timeout, with Springer scoring 11 during the run.
As the half wore on, the Vols continued to assert themselves on the offensive end, finishing the half with a .583 shooting percentage (21-36) and taking a 49-22 advantage into the break.
Out of the locker room, UT continued to flex its muscle, extending its lead to as many as 58 in the second half to close out the 54-point triumph.
Defense Continues to Dominate: Through four games, the Vols have yet to allow an opponent to reach 60 points. Friday, the Vols held Tennessee Tech to 49 , while forcing 15 turnovers, nabbing eight steals and blocking eight shots.
Up Next: The Vols continue their busy stretch of games with a Monday night clash against Saint Joseph’s. Tipoff from Thompson-Boling Arena is set for 6 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
-UT Athletics
