KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Behind a 31-point contribution from the bench in the first half, No. 3 Tennessee jumped on the Arkansas Razorbacks early, guiding the Vols to a 106-87 win in Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Vols (15-1, 4-0 SEC) 106 points scored against the Razorbacks (10-6, 1-3 SEC) marked the most against a conference opponent since Feb. 9, 2000, when they defeated Georgia, 110-83. It was also the first time since Feb. 5, 2008 (104-82 over Florida), that Tennessee scored than 100 points against an SEC foe.
UT had a double-digit lead for 34 minutes in the game as it took advantage of its opportunities at the free-throw line to help extend the lead to as much as 30 points. Tennessee knocked down 35-of-39 shots at the charity stripe on the night.
Jordan Bowden and Lamonte Turner teamed up for 40 points off the bench, leading the team to a season-high 50 points from non-starters. Bowden was perfect from the field until his final shot of the game, finishing the night 6-of-7 from the field and 5-of-6 from behind the 3-point arc.
Turner had a season and team-high 21 in the game, finishing the night 6-of-8 from the field, including a trio of 3-pointers.
After being held without a point in the first half, Admiral Schofield exploded to open the second half. The senior netted the Vols’ first 14 points in the half to help extend the lead to 27 points with 14:06 to play in the game. That stretch tied Schofield for fifth all-time in consecutive points scored by a Vol.
Schofield’s 14 points were part of a 15-of-16 shooting stretch for the Vols between the end of the first half and the start of the second half. Tennessee opened the second half shooting 9-of-10 , pushing the lead to 88-61 at the 8:19 mark in the second half.
Grant Williams led the way on the boards for the Vols with a team-high seven to go along with 18 points in the game. 14 of those points came from the free-throw line as the junior finished 14-of-14 from the charity stripe, tying the all-time program mark. Nine of his free throws came in the first 20 minutes of play.
After it was a close game through the first five minutes, Jordan Bowden entered the game and provided an immediate spark for the Tennessee offense. Bowden scored on two of his first three possessions on the floor.
The junior guard helped ignite a 14-0 run for the Vols at the 15:16 mark of the first half. The run ended when Arkansas’ Gabe Osabuohien knocked down a free throw with 12:52 left in the half. By that point, Tennessee had built a 20-5 lead as the Vols played the final 14 minutes of the half with a double-digit lead.
The Vols extended their lead to as much as 25 points in the opening half before taking a 55-34 edge into the locker room. It was the most points Tennessee had scored in any half this season.
UT got contributions from the entire lineup in the first half, as 30 of its points came from the bench, including 14 from Turner and 11 from Bowden.
Tennessee also took advantage of its chances at the charity stripe. The team finished the half 20-of-23 from the free-throw line as Williams hit all nine of his tries to help him to 13 first-half points.
Eclipsing 100 Against an SEC Foe: For the first time since Feb. 5, 2008, the Tennessee Volunteers posted 100 points against an SEC opponent, topping Arkansas in a 106-87 victory at Thompson-Boling Arena on Tuesday night. In that 2008 game, UT defeated Florida, 104-82, on Rocky Top. Tuesday marked the most points scored on an SEC opponent since UT defeated Georgia, 110-83, on Feb. 9, 2000.
Offensive Explosion: Tennessee dropped an impressive 55 points on the Razorbacks in the first half–the most in a half this season for the Vols. In both SEC games in Thompson-Boling Arena this year, UT has eclipsed the 50-point margin to take a big lead into halftime. The Big Orange shot 50 percent (15-of-30) from the floor in the period and was led by three double-digit scorers in Lamonte Turner (14), Grant Williams (13) and Jordan Bowden (11).
Limiting Assists, Forcing Turnovers: Arkansas entered Tuesday’s game as the SEC’s No. 2 team in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.32) behind only Tennessee. The Vols were able to hold Arkansas to only 16 assists while forcing 19 turnovers for a 0.84 assist-to-turnover ratio. That was the most turnovers by the Razorbacks this season, surpassing their previous high of 18 in their season-opener against Texas.
No Points? No Problem, for Schofield: Admiral Schofield had zero points going into halftime. By the 14:06 mark in the second half, Schofield knocked down a jumper to cap off his 14th-consecutive point, which tied for fifth all-time for consecutive points scored by a Vol, joining Cameron Tatum (2009), Isiah Victor (2000), Ernie Grunfeld (1976) and A.W. Davis (1963). Schofield finished with 17 points in the half on 7-of-10 shooting.
14-0 Run in the First Half
After it was a tight game through the first five minutes, Tennessee jumped on the Razorbacks, scoring the next 14 points over a 2:24 stretch to take a 20-5 lead at the 12:52 mark of the first half. With Turner and Bowden entering the game for the first time, the duo combined for nine of those 14 points.
Freebies
Tennessee took advantage of its 39 attempts at the free-throw line Tuesday night in Thompson-Boling Arena. The Vols knocked down 35 free throws in the game, which ranks top-10 all-time in single-game history and is two free throw makes shy of entering the top five in school history.
Williams tied the all-time Tennessee record for free-throw percentage in a single game, sinking all 14 of his attempts including going 9-for-9 in the first half.
Up Next: Tennessee is back in Thompson-Boling Arena for a game against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday afternoon. The game will tip at 2 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN2.
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