But Tennessee unbelievably needed only 26 or so tonight to turn a 21 point hole into a seven point win – more on those specific numbers in a second – and the plays they made in those final seven minutes speak volumes about what this team is genuinely capable of. And when they got to the free-throw lines, they converted – hitting 30-of-34 from the line (88%). Kevin Punter led the way for Tennessee, scoring 27 points on the road to Rick Barnes’ biggest victory in his first year at his new university.
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The Vols hammered Florida and did the same to SC for much of the second half.
TOLEDO 89, WESTERN MICHIGAN 62: Jonathan Williams scored 24 points with three 3-pointers and Toledo dominated Western Michigan in an 89-62 win on Tuesday night.
Thompson-Boling Arena was ready to rock Tuesday night, even up in the far reaches.
Coming off a 90-84 overtime loss to No. 7 Kansas, the Wildcats start off strong and built a 21-point lead in the first half, only to see it crumble to six at the break.
“We feel like if we wasn’t going to bring energy in this type of environment, that we’d never bring it. Basically, we knew what we had to do”.
“We watch his body language”, Barnes said. There have been more bad losses than good ones.
“We got a good team”, he said. “If we would have walked in here and lost this game, I would have told you the same thing”. “Individuals and as a staff, we’ve got to look at ways we can help this team get better and demand more, more winning plays. They’ll probably have a sellout crowd and be waiting for us”.
Punter got plenty of help from his supporting cast, as Moore scored 18 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and handed out four assists.
The Vols finally pulled ahead on Mostella’s 3-pointert with 14:09 left.
Devin Williams added 17 points and 18 rebounds for the Mountaineers (18-4, 7-2), who rallied from 15 points down. “The guy that we really need to do that for us as much as anybody is Robert Hubbs (III)”. Kentucky, which has fared well in bounce-back games under Calipari, suffered two straight losses for just the seventh time in his tenure as coach of the Wildcats.
“We know he has to play a lot”.
It didn’t start out that way, however.
The sophomore is averaging 19.3 points and 6.9 assists in eight SEC games, including at least 20 points and five assists in the last four.
The loss to the Jayhawks didn’t appear to bother the Wildcats until the final 25 minutes of the contest. “Armani, without question, played the best basketball he’s played since I’ve been at Tennessee”, Barnes said.
“I just came in trying to do my role”, said Hubbs, who lost his starting spot to Kyle Alexander this game.
Ulis has scored 20 or more points in five straight games and nine of the past 11 contests.
“I don’t think if you’re a big-time competitor if you don’t think you can win them all”.
“They took that and battled their way back. I just think he’s really a big-time competitor”. The only Division I school to drop back-to-back games it led by at least 14 points in the second half is Northeastern, which also had that dubious outcome in its two most recent contests.
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Ulis hit two free throws to tie the game with 5:16 left, but Tennessee responded with a Hubbs free throw to retake the lead, an up-and-under layup from Mostella and a 3-pointer from Punter to make it 76-70 59 seconds later.
