Knoxville, TN – Coupling a strong night of defense with big performances by Josiah-Jordan James and Olivier Nkamhoua, the 22nd-ranked Tennessee Volunteers basketball team emphatically bounced back against Florida Gulf Coast, winning 81-50 Wednesday night at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Tennessee (2-1) limited Florida Gulf Coast (2-2) to 14-of-46 shooting (30.4 percent), the lowest a Volunteer opponent has shot since Appalachian State was 12-of-43 (27.9 percent) on December 15th, 2020.
FGCU came off a program-record 17 made 3-pointers on Sunday against Ave Maria, but the Volunteer defense refused to let the Eagles beat them from deep. The Atlantic Sun foe fired just 5-of-24 from deep (20.8 percent), forcing the south Florida squad to change their plan of attack.
Despite being in foul trouble for much of the second half, James still turned in a great night for the Big Orange going 5-of-8 from the field and 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. He added six rebounds and is shooting at a 52 percent clip through three games, including 52.6 percent on 3-pointers, in the young 2022-23 season.
His output was matched by Nkamhoua who created offense in a different fashion, playing a physical game down low and getting to the free throw line. He tied James for the team-high in points, also scoring 18, on 5-of-7 shooting, draining his only 3-pointer, and putting away seven free throws. It was just the fifth time in his career Nkamhoua led the team in scoring.
The Vols finished with four players with double-digit scoring. Complimenting James and Nkamhoua’s nights were Julian Phillips who sank 9-of-12 free throws and Jahmai Mashack who posted a career-high 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting and draining a pair of free tosses.
Brushing off a slow start to the game, the Vols went on a long six-and-a-half-minute run where they outscored the Eagles 18-2, courtesy of four three pointers, seven free throws and a baseline. Vescovi, who put away the first two 3-pointers, finished the run with a fadeaway jumper to distance UT from FGCU early.
Tennessee held the Eagles to just 20 points in the first half, the fourth time in the last two seasons the Vols opponent has had 20 points or less in the first half of action. The Big Orange kept FGCU quiet with strong perimeter close-outs. The visitors shot just 2-of-15 (13.3 percent) from deep and 6-of-24 (25 percent) from the field in the first 20 minutes. Conversely, Tennessee sank 6-of-12 (50 percent) from beyond the arc in and was led in scoring by James who had 12 points. Tennessee entered the half with a 37-20 lead.
The Vols continued to build the gap between themselves and the Eagles with excellent shooting in the middle stages of the game. For a 7:55 window starting with just over two minutes remaining in the first half, Tennessee connected on 8-of-9 field goals, adding 5-of-6 shooting from the free throw line.
In that span, the Vols nearly doubled their lead from 13 to 24 points. Tennessee continued to build their lead, topping out at a 37-point advantage with 2:20 left in the game. Late scoring from FGCU brought the margin down to 31 as the final horn sounded.
Chill Out, Son
Tennessee held Florida Gulf Coast to just 30.4 percent shooting from the field. It marks the lowest shooting percentage that Tennessee has held an opponent to since Appalachian State on December 15th, 2020 (27.9).
Sunshine State Success
Tennessee remained undefeated in home games against teams from the state of Florida during the Rick Barnes era, improving to 9-0. The unbeaten record includes six wins over Florida and one win apiece over Florida Atlantic, Florida A&M, and Florida Gulf Coast.
Bounce Back Vols
Tennessee extended its winning streak to 10 in games coming off of a loss. The Vols have not lost back-to-back games since March 2021.
Home Wins Streak Extends to 19
Tennessee extended its home win streak to 19 games with Wednesday’s win—a streak that days to March 7th, 2021. The Vols’ current home win streak is tied for the ninth-longest in program history.
Next Up For UT Men’s Basketball
The Tennessee Vols basketball team gears up for the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas at Paradise Island. The event tips off with the Vols facing Butler on November 23rd at 7:30pm. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
