KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Lamonte Turner and Jordan Bowden both passed career milestones in the Vols’ 76-41 victory over Alabama State Wednesday night in Thompson-Boling Arena.
For the second consecutive season, Tennessee had two players join the 1000-Point Club in the same game. Last season, Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield reached the milestone against Louisville (Nov. 21, 2018). This season, it was Turner and Bowden, becoming the 51st and 52nd Vols to score 1,000 career points.
Bowden finished with a game-high 16 points, while Turner added 13 points to go along with a game-high six assists. Turner has had six or more assists in every game this season and came into Wednesday’s contest ranked second in the country with 9.3 assists per game.
Josiah-Jordan James snagged a game-high 13 rebounds, the first time a Tennessee player has had 10 or more boards this season. The Vols finished with a +15 rebounding margin in the game.
The Hornets’ 41 points in the game were the fewest points by a UT opponent this season and the fewest since Lenoir-Rhyne also managed just 41 points against Tennessee on Nov. 6, 2018.
The Vols held Alabama State without a field goal over the last 9:39 of the game, as all six of ASU’s points during that span came from the free-throw line.
Tennessee’s defensive effort helped it build the lead out to as much as 37 points as the Big Orange closed the game with a 24-6 run.
For the second consecutive game, John Fulkerson scored in double figures. It marked the first time in his career he had back-to-back double-digit games. Fulkerson ended the night with 10 points.
Yves Pons has now scored in double-digit in every game this season, totaling 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting Wednesday night.
After Tennessee a 3-pointer on the opening possession of the game, UT held the Hornets to just three points over the next 9:06 of the first half. It helped the Vols build their lead to 13-6 and maintained the lead through the final buzzer.
By halftime, Tennessee had pushed the margin to double digits with a 34-23 lead. Turner and Bowden nearly outscored the entire Alabama State team in the first half, as they had 22 points combined at the midway point.
1000-POINT CLUB: Both Turner and Bowden eclipsed the 1000-career point milestone Wednesday night. Bowden became the 51st player in program history to reach the milestone when he knocked down a jumper at the 5:54 mark of the first half.
Later in the game, Turner joined him, becoming the program’s 52nd all-time 1,000-point scorer. He hit the milestone with 11:38 left in the second half when he scored on a right-handed layup before adding an “and one” free throw.
HOME COOKING: With the victory, Tennessee extended its home winning streak to 29 games, the longest active streak in Division I. A 37-game win streak (2006-09) and a 33-game win streak (1966-68) stand as the only longer home win streaks in program history.
The Vols also now eclipsed a 75 percent winning percentage all-time in Thompson-Boling Arena, owning a 388-129 record (75.05 percent) in 33 seasons.
CRASHING THE BOARDS: With a season-high 13 rebounds, Josiah-Jordan James became the first Tennessee freshman guard to grab 10 or more rebounds since Armani Moore had 11 on Jan. 19, 2013, in a win over Mississippi State.
FRESHMAN CONNECTION: When Oliver Nkamhoua subbed in for John Fulkerson with 3:50 remaining in the game, it marked the first time this season UT’s entire four-man freshman class was on the floor simultaneously. In the 3:14 that they were on the floor together, Tennessee went on a 12-1 run, including nine points from freshmen.
UP NEXT: Tennessee is back in Thompson-Boling Arena Monday night when it hosts in-state foe Chattanooga for a 7 p.m. ET tipoff. The game will air on the SEC Network.
BOX SCORE | HIGHLIGHTS | PHOTOS | BOWDEN POSTGAME INTERVIEW | BARNES POSTGAME PRESSER | POSTGAME QUOTES
-UT Athletics
