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HomeSportsTennessee Vols Basketball runs over Missouri, 73-53

Tennessee Vols Basketball runs over Missouri, 73-53

Tennessee Volunteers - UT VolsColumbia, MO – A dominant defensive effort and an efficient shooting mark of .500 (27-54) from the field pushed the seventh-ranked Tennessee men’s basketball team past Missouri, 73-53, to open SEC play.

The Tennessee Vols (7-0, 1-0 SEC) held Missouri (6-1, 0-1 SEC) to just .364 shooting from the field and forced 21 turnovers on the defensive end.

UT is also off to its best start since 2010-11 when that years squad began the year 7-0.

Sophomore Santiago Vescovi led UT in scoring, pouring in a game-high 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting and a 3-of-4 mark from 3-point range.

Tennessee Men's Basketball takes down Missouri on the road, 73-53. (UT Athletics)
Tennessee Men’s Basketball takes down Missouri on the road, 73-53. (UT Athletics)


Senior Yves Pons put in the Vols best all-around performance, scoring 13 points, pulling in six rebounds, rejecting a season-high four shots, and tallying a pair of steals.

Freshman Jaden Springer also scored 13 points, while grabbing four rebounds and nabbing a season-high three steals.

Senior John Fulkerson was the fourth Vol to reach double-figures, scoring 11 points and pulling down six rebounds.

Sophomore Josiah-Jordan James despite scoring just two points, was all over the stat sheet, bringing in three offensive rebounds, dishing off a game-high four assists, tallying a career-high-tying three steals, and recording a blocked shot, while recording a game-high-tying plus/minus of +25.

The Vols came roaring out of the gates, knocking down their first seven shot attempts, before taking a commanding 21-4 lead into the under-12 media timeout.

Tennessee withstood each responding punch from the Tigers, extending its first-half lead to as many as 18, heading into the halftime break with a 38-25 advantage.

UT came out of the locker room with much of the same energy, continuing its stifling defensive effort and efficient night from the field on offense throughout the second half to walk away with the 20-point victory.

Le Century Mark
Yves Pons rejected a season-high four shot attempts, increasing his career blocks total to 101, and is just six blocks away from breaking into the top-15 of Tennessee’s career blocks list.

Wins in CoMo Bookend Vols 2020
Tonight’s win, along with the Vols victory over Missouri on Jan. 7 of this year mark the Orange & White’s first and last wins of 2020.

Up Next for UT Vols Basketball

The Tennessee men’s basketball team returns to Thompson-Boling Arena for a Saturday night, January 2nd, 2021 contest with Alabama. Tipoff from Thompson-Boling Arena is set for 5:00pm CT on ESPN2.

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