PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas — Tennessee concludes its three-game stay in the Bahamas on Friday when it faces NC State in the third-place game of the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis. Tip-off from Imperial Arena is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ETon ESPN2.
Friday marks the first meeting between Tennessee (3-1) and NC State (5-1) since 2014 when the Wolfpack claimed an 83-72 victory in Raleigh. NC State owns a 7-3 all-time record against UT, but the Vols are 2-1 against NC State in neutral site games.
Like Tennessee, NC State suffered its first loss of the season on Thursday when it dropped a 64-60 decision to Northern Iowa in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis. The Wolfpack had advanced to that game after upsetting No. 2 Arizona on Wednesday, picking up a 90-84 win.
The Vols head to Friday’s third-place game after losing 85-76 to No. 5 Villanova on Thursday. Tennessee held a 12-point lead at halftime, but turnovers and a poor shooting half caused trouble for UT as the Wildcats raced ahead for the victory to claim a spot in the Battle 4 Atlantis title game. Grant Williams led the Vols in scoring for the second straight game, dropping 20 points to go along with a game-high eight rebounds. Admiral Schofield added 16 points while James Daniel III had 10 off the bench.
THE SERIES
- Overall: NC State leads, 7-3
- In Knoxville: NC State leads, 3-0
- In Raleigh: NC State leads, 3-1
- Neutral Sites: UT leads, 2-1
- Current Streak: NC State has won four straight
- Last Meeting: NC State won, 83-72, on Dec. 17, 2014
- Barnes vs. NC State: 9-7
- Barnes vs. Keatts: No meetings
PREVIEWING NC STATE
- Head Coach Kevin Keatts is in his first year with the Wolfpack and fourth season as a head coach.
- NC State received a huge boost during the offseason with the addition of Baylor graduate transfer Allerik Freeman, who is the Pack’s leading scorer this season at 16.2 ppg.
- Redshirt junior guard Torin Dorn is another offensive threat for NC State, averaging 14.8 ppg on 57 percent shooting from the field as a slasher and 6.0 rpg.
- Redshirt senior forward Lennard Freeman is the most efficient scoring threat for the Pack, as he averages 12.8 ppg behind 72 percent shooting from the field and 84 percent from the charity stripe.
- The Wolfpack is currently 5-1 to begin the season. In the first round of the tournament, they earned a huge upset victory over No. 2-ranked Arizona, 90-84. In the second round, NCSU fell to Northern Iowa in a back-and-forth contest, 64-60.
- The Vols and NC State have met 10 times previously, with the Pack owning a 7-3 advantage and a four-game winning streak currently in the series. UT’s last win vs. the Wolfpack came in a 92-78 contest on Jan. 27, 1992, in Raleigh.
- Vols head coach Rick Barnes owns a .479 career record against ACC teams (67-73) and is 6-4 against NC State.
THE LAST TIME vs. NC STATE
- Ralston Turner, the cousin of current UT guard Lamonte Turner, dropped career highs with 33 points and eight 3-pointers to lead the Wolfpack past the Volunteers, 83-72, on Dec. 17, 2014.
- Josh Richardson topped the Tennessee (4-4) scoring chart for the seventh time in eight games with 17 points (13 in the second half). Armani Moore had nine of his 14 points in the final 20 minutes. Kevin Punter also added 14 points. The Vols made 10-of-17 from 3-point land for 59 percent from beyond the arc.
- Down 12 at halftime and 17 with 12 minutes left, the Vols rallied to cut their deficit to five (56-51) on back-to-back 3-pointers by Detrick Mostella and Derek Reese with 8:28 left in the game.
- Alabama transfer Trevor Lacey added 20 points for the Wolfpack and made three of NC State’s 11 treys.
- The first half was tight for the first 16 minutes with neither team leading by more than two possessions until late. NC State took control late with an 9-0 spurt to end the half and led 39-27 at intermission. Tennessee was held scoreless for the final 4:13 of the first half.
NC STATE CONNECTIONS
- UT sophomore Jordan Bowden and NC State sophomore Darius Hicks both played at 22 Feet Academy in Greenville, S.C., during their senior years in high school in 2015-16.
- UT redshirt sophomore Lamonte Turner is the cousin of former NC State guard Ralston Turner.
-UT Athletics
