KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Jordan Bowden and Lamonte Turner combined for 45 points in Tennessee’s 107-59 exhibition win over Eastern New Mexico at Thompson-Boling Arena Wednesday night.
It marked the most points the Vols have scored in an exhibition game during the Rick Barnes era and the most in any UT exhibition since 2007-08. Tennessee’s 48-point margin of victory also marked the highest in an exhibition game since that 2007-08 campaign.
Tennessee now turns its focus to Tuesday’s regular-season opener against UNC Asheville. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET, and tickets remain available at AllVols.com.
Turner ended the night with a game-high 23 points while flirting with a double-double. The senior guard tied for a team-high with seven assists while adding six rebounds to his stat line. Bowden, who finished with 22 points, dished out five assists and grabbed six boards in the win.
In total, the Vols had four players score in double figures, with John Fulkerson recording a double-double with 11 points and a team-high 10 rebounds.
Josiah-Jordan James nearly ended the night with a double-double, as he posted 10 points and tied for a team-high seven assists while also adding five rebounds.
After being a tight game through the first eight minutes of action, Tennessee went on a 12-0 run starting at the 11:49 mark of the first half. By the end of the run, the Vols had expanded their lead to 28-17 with 8:57 left before halftime.
Over the final 12:32 of the first half, Tennessee held Eastern New Mexico to just 11 points as it pushed its advantage to 24 points by the halftime interval. Bowden and Turner equaled the entire scoring output of the Greyhounds, combining for 28 points before the break while also knocking down five of the team’s six 3-pointers in the half.
The Vols attacked the rim early against the Greyhounds, with their first 10 points of the game coming from inside the paint.
Coming out of the halftime break, Tennessee continued to build on its lead. The Vols, who led by as many as 50 points in the second half, had all 12 players score in the second half.
Tennessee controlled the game on the glass in the final 20 minutes of action, grabbing 30 of its 56 total rebounds while also snagging 12 of its 18 rebounds in the second half.
UT’s 18 offensive rebounds and 56 total rebounds eclipsed the Vols’ season-highs from 2018-19.
BACKCOURT DUO: The senior duo of Bowden and Turner combined to score 42 percent of Tennessee’s points in the win over Eastern New Mexico. They combined to go 15-of-26 (57.7 percent) from the field while knocking down five of the Vols’ eight 3-pointers in the game.
BLOCK THIS WAY: Tennessee ended the night with 11 blocks, as four players tallied multiple blocked shots in the game. Yves Pons posted a team-high four blocks on the night. The Vols recorded double-digit blocks twice last season in wins over Tennessee Tech (12 blocks) and Lenoir-Rhyne (10 blocks).
MAY I ASSIST YOU: The Vols assisted on 24 of their 36 field goals Wednesday night (66.7 percent). Tennessee finished the 2018-19 season sixth in the nation with 17.9 assists per game. The Vols had 13 games last season with 20-plus assists, including nine in non-conference play.
UP NEXT: The Vols open the regular season vs. UNC Asheville on Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. ET at Thompson-Boling Arena. The game will air on SEC Network+. Tennessee starts the regular season with two home games before traveling to Toronto for the James Naismith Classic, where the Vols face Washington.
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