KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A dominant offensive performance, highlighted by John Fulkerson’s double-double, resulted in a Tennessee 73-48 victory over Ole Miss Tuesday night at Thompson-Boling Arena. The win marked Rick Barnes‘ 100th victory as Tennessee’s head coach.
The Vols’ victory elevated the team to 12-6 (4-2 SEC). Ole Miss fell to 9-9 (0-5 SEC).
Fulkerson had a hot hand from the start Tuesday, scoring 16 points alone in the first half–giving him the highest-scoring half of his career. The Kingsport native finished with a career-high 18 points, and 10 rebounds gave him his third career double-double.
Freshman Josiah-Jordan James surpassed his season scoring average and concluded the evening with 11 points and a game-high six assists.
Tennessee was dominant during the first half. Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis called two timeouts to try and squelch UT’s momentum, but the Vols–aided by 11 points off turnovers–maintained a double-digit lead for the final 10 minutes of the half.
The first half closed with Ole Miss scoreless for the final three minutes. After shooting just 23 percent, the Rebels trailed, 42-23, at the break.
LE STREAK IS TIED: Yves Pons lived up to his reputation as one of Tennessee’s elite shot-blockers, finishing with three on the night. Pons has now recorded at least one block in each of the Vols’ first 18 games, marking the longest such streak by a Vol since C.J. Black recorded a block in 18 consecutive games over portions of two seasons in 1998. Pons added six points in the win.
THAT FULKY FLOW: John Fulkerson scored a career-high 18 points and logged his third career double-double Tuesday. During the first 10 minutes of the game, Fulkerson outscored the entire Ole Miss team, as he had 10 points with the Vols holding a 19-9 lead.
WELCOME, UROŠ: Recently granted eligibility by the NCAA, redshirt freshman big man Uros Plavsic received a warm welcome by a crowd of 17,031 in Thompson-Boling Arena. Plavsic netted four points in nearly 11 minutes off the bench in his home debut.
WINNING FOR THE CAUSE: With Tuesday’s win, Tennessee is now 17-5 all-time in NABC Coaches vs. Cancer “Suits & Sneakers” games. That includes an 11-2 record at Thompson-Boling Arena. Dating to 2017, the Vols have won seven straight Suits & Sneakers contests.
UP NEXT: The Vols head to the University of Kansas for a Saturday afternoon tilt with Bill Self’s third-ranked Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse. The SEC/Big 12 Challenge showdown tips off at 4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT and will be televised on ESPN. College Gameday will broadcast live from KU’s historic venue Saturday morning.
BOX SCORE | HIGHLIGHTS | PHOTOS | QUOTES | BARNES POSTGAME
-UT Athletics
