A day after the initial program, Tennessee and South Carolina met at the Thompson-Boling Arena. Volunteers once again needed a boost of confidence, following the top-down trajectory of the 2020-21 season. Against the Gamecocks, the good version of Tennessee appeared.
Hot shot South Carolina had a lot in this game at the beginning. The Gamecocks hit 7-10 shots from depth in the first 15 minutes, keeping pace with a very efficient offensive attack from Tennessee. AJ Lawson was the catalyst for Frank Martin, scoring ten starting points. He was supported by TJ Moss, who scored ten points alone.
Tennessee’s response was more balanced, but it was led by Victor Bailey. The junior guard was up and down his first season in Knoxville, but he was on the rise in today’s first half. Bailey led in the first half with 14 points for Volunteers, hitting 4 to 7 shots from a distance. Jaden Springer added ten points, while Yves Pons made eight in 4-5 shots.
It was 50 and a half points for Tennessee – a great thing to see, considering the struggles we’ve seen of them lately.
The volunteers picked up the Gamecocks at a good time. South Carolina lost two games – two of its top four scorers – which made things difficult for Martin’s group on Wednesday night. Jermaine Couisnard and Justin Minaya were on the bench tonight after injuries over the weekend.
Despite the absences, the Gamecocks did not leave. Jaden Springer and John Fulkerson continued to attack South Carolina on the offensive side, but AJ Lawson and Keyshawn Bryant managed to keep pace in the opening moments of the second half.
Tennessee had a 66-57 mark after eight minutes of play in the second period. South Carolina reduced the lead to seven with nine minutes left, but Bailey quickly repressed that streak with three more. Fulkerson increased the lead with a few hits on the next possessions. Suddenly, the lead was 14 and Tennessee was in complete control.
The Volunteers crossed to win No. 15 from there, finishing Gamecocks to 93-73. Victor Bailey Jr. led with 29 points, scoring 7-10 out of three. Fulkerson was next with 19, finally starting to look like he was before.
Tennessee will welcome Kentucky to the Thompson-Boling Arena on Saturday at 1 pm Eastern Time.