3 Takeaways From Tennessee's 95-67 Win Over Eastern Kentucky
Photo by Adrien Terricabras/Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee got back in the win column on Wednesday night, with a 95-67 win against Eastern Kentucky to move to 5-1 this year. I was proud to be in attendance for this historic, 500th game in Thompson-Boling Arena. The atmosphere was great and the Vols’ play was electric. Tennessee dominated from start to finish. Yves Pons' 3-pointer got the night rolling within the opening minute of action. The teams were tied at 11 when Tennessee used a 21-3 run to claim a 32-14 lead. Jordan Bowden, Admiral Schofield and Pons each contributed a 3-pointer during this stretch.
Late in the first half, with just over 4 minutes remaining, the most electric moment that TBA has seen all season took place. The Colonels missed a free throw, which lead to the ball being batted into the air. The Vols came down with it and Pons slung the ball to Jordan Bone as they raced down the court. Then, Bone tossed the ball up to Pons, who completed the alley-oop with a powerful 2-handed slam. Eastern Kentucky tried to pick up the pace after the Vols’ dunk, but they were rejected at the rim by Grant Williams. Grant heaved the ball to Bowden, who was all alone for a dunk that gave Tennessee a 40-23 lead. The Colonels had seen enough and immediately called a timeout. It was the loudest that TBA has been all season. The Vols held a comfortable, 49-28 halftime lead.
Tennessee came close to scoring 100 points in their route of the Colonels, but they came up 5 points shy. Jacob Fleschman and others entered the game late and Fleschman made a 3-pointer to cap off the exciting win. Jordan Bone had 14 points, 7 assists and 2 rebounds. Kyle Alexander recorded 7 points and 7 rebounds, while John Fulkerson corralled 8 rebounds on the night. Bowden scored 7 points in his first night coming off the bench. Additionally, Lamonté Turner scored 7 points and logged 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. Turner was 0-8 from 3-point range, so he is clearly not 100% from a shoulder injury that forced him to miss some games earlier in the season.
Here are 3 Takeaways from Tennessee’s 28-point victory.
Grant and Admiral Continue to Be a Lethal Combo
This duo has my vote for the best in the nation. Grant logged a double-double, scoring 21 points on 6-10 shooting, while recording 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks. He made all 9 of his free throw attempts, which has not been the brightest spot for the Vols this season. Admiral posted 20 points on 8-9 shooting, along with 4 rebounds and an assist. This dynamic duo of "Peanut Butter and Jelly" is unstoppable. I don't say that lightly. When SEC play begins, they will still be unstoppable. When Grant gets the ball in the high post, the defense might as well walk off the court, because he is either going to get fouled or score on a lay-up. Admiral can shoot 3-pointers from all over the court and his mid-range game is terrific. These guys are exciting to watch.
Yves Pons Shines in His First Start
Rick Barnes decided to insert Pons into the starting lineup for this game and the foreseeable future. He wanted to give a struggling Bowden a fresh start, coming off the bench, as well as reward Pons for his tremendous hustle that he has demonstrated early on this season. Pons finished with 10 points of 4-5 shooting. He gathered 5 rebounds and blocked 2 shots. Yves also threw down 2 dunks, to go along with his pair of made 3-pointers. Pons has become a fan-favorite this season and his hustle and energy effects both ends of the court. I have never seen a player of Pons’ size that can show such agility on the defensive end. His dunks speak for themselves and they will continue to bring fans to their feet this season.
Vols Are Efficient in Many Categories
Tennessee played an extremely efficient game on Wednesday. They shot 51% from the field, 25% from 3-point range and 72% from the charity stripe. Now, I know what you’re thinking. That doesn’t all seem very efficient. It was a relative off-night for the Vols from beyond the arc and they do need to improve from the free-throw line, but I am not worried about their 3-point shooting. As a team, the Vols collected 50 rebounds, to the 32 of EKU, including 18 on the offensive glass. They assisted on 24 of their 35 made field goals, blocked 5 shots and came up with 5 steals. While watching the team, it's evident that the the offense is running smoothly and everyone is on the same page. Everyone knows their role and they are getting the job done on offense and defense.
Player of the Game: Grant Williams
