Tennessee hoops will be entering SEC play with plenty of momentum.
The Vols outclassed South Carolina State, 105-54, controlling the game every step of the way en route to a program record 44th consecutive home win versus non-conference opponents. The No. 19 Vols (10-3) worked through a slow start in the opening stanza of the game before finding their footing with a strong 16-6 run to close the opening half with a 41-25 lead. Rick Barnes’ squad then came out of the break flying with a 31-9 run in the opening eight minutes and change of the second half to put the Bulldogs (1-14) away.
Five Vols broke double digits in scoring, with Ja’Kobi Gillespie leading the way with 21 points. Jaylen Carey and J.P. Estrella led Tennessee with ten rebounds apiece, and the Big Orange dominated the boards 52-16 over the visiting Bulldogs.
Carey, Estrella dominate down low
In-N-Out Burger will not come to Knoxville anytime soon, but that did not stop Carey or Estrella from getting their double-doubles.
Both bigs came off the bench with authority and controlled the paint, combining for 20 of the Vols’ 52 boards. Further, the tandem accounted for 25 of Tennessee’s 47 bench points, with Estrella shooting an efficient 66% shooting percentage, while Carey shot 55% from the field himself.
Of course, it helps when they attack the rim with ferocity, which both men did all night. South Carolina State had no answer for either man at any point in the night, and the Vols made a concerted effort to find their forces in the paint. Once the rock found them, it seemed as though a finish at the rim was inevitable.
Certainly, it was a team effort to work the ball down low, as the Vols scored more in the paint (56) than South Carolina State scored as a team (54). Still, Carey and Estrella were at the forefront of the attack all night and were rewarded handsomely.
Depth rules
As aforementioned, five Vols reached double digits in scoring, with three of them being the leading scorer, Gillespie, in addition to the big men Carey and Estrella. Otherwise, Nate Ament pocketed 16 points himself, and Amari Evans scored an efficient 14 points in just 13 minutes off the bench.
Such performances led to the Vols’ season-high 105-point effort, but more importantly, they are finding offensive rhythm at the right time. Following their three-game losing streak, in which they averaged just 66 points, the Tennessee offense has exploded for an average of 94 points per game in their current three-game winning streak. A big piece of this has been the depth scoring: the Vols average just about 27 bench points a game in those losses, but they have averaged a little over 44 bench points during their current winning streak.
As the Vols transition to SEC play, their scoring depth, especially from the bench, will be important against deeper and tougher teams.
Season of giving
The season of giving is coming to an end, and it frankly needs to for Tennessee.
The Vols made just 19 of their 33 free throw attempts, good enough for a paltry 57%. The most up-to-date free-throw statistics showed the Vols were 193rd in free-throw shooting percentage at 71.48%. That is not good enough, and such a figure only got worse.
Between slow starts and turnovers, the Vols have their flaws, but shooting so poorly from the charity stripe cannot be one of them. Those extra makes, or misses can be the difference between a win and a loss, they can be momentum keepers or killers, or, worse, they will keep teams hanging around just enough to keep things interesting late.
Tennessee returns to action with SEC foe Arkansas in Bud Walton Arena on Jan. 3.
