Tennessee Sports Department
Knoxville, TN – Grant Williams and Shembari Phillips scored 14 points each to lead Tennessee to an 81-58 victory over Georgia Tech on Saturday at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Vols (3-3) were efficient, shooting 52.8 percent from the floor and 54.5 percent (6-of-11) from 3-point range. UT also made 19 of 24 free throws and out-rebounded Georgia Tech (4-3), 37-31.
Tennessee limited Georgia Tech to just 32.7 percent shooting, marking the Vols’ best defensive effort of the season.
Phillips led the team with a career-best seven assists and also had five rebounds. John Fulkerson thrived on hustle plays and finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. Robert Hubbs III added 10 points, six boards and two steals.
Quinton Stephens led the Yellow Jackets with 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting. Ben Lammers posted a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
The Vols took a 42-25 lead into halftime. Tennessee outscored Georgia Tech in the paint in the first half, 18-6, and scored 15 points off of turnovers. Phillips had nine points and Fulkerson had eight points to lead UT offensively.
Tennessee took command of the game midway through the first half when a jumper by Phillips sparked a 15-4 UT run to give the Vols a 31-16 advantage. The Yellow Jackets shot just 24.1 percent from the floor in the first half while committing 13 turnovers.
The Vols never relinquished control in the second half as Williams came alive offensively. Georgia Tech twice pulled to within 20 points in the final three minutes, but that was as close as the Yellow Jackets would get.
First-Half Defense
Georgia Tech shot 24.1 percent (7-of-29) from the floor in the first half, marking the lowest shooting percentage in a half by a Tennessee opponent since Auburn shot 21.4 percent (6-of-28) in the second half of a 71-45 Vols win on February 9th, 2016.
20-Point Wins under Barnes
Saturday’s 23-point victory marked Tennessee’s fourth win by 20 points or more under head coach Rick Barnes. UT enjoyed an 89-64 win over Gardner-Webb on November 22nd, 2015. The Vols defeated Auburn, 71-45, on February 9th, 2016, and took a 97-59 win over the Tigers exactly one month later.
Points by Freshmen
Nearly half of UT’s offense came from freshmen. Williams, Fulkerson, Lamonte Turner and Jordan Bowden combined for 48.1 percent of the scoring with 39 of the Vols’ 81 points.
Up Next for UT Vols
The Vols next face Presbyterian on Tuesday, December 6th, at 6:00pm CT at Thompson-Boling Arena. The game will feature a live online broadcast on SEC Network +.
