No. 19, Tennessee defeated South Carolina 93-73 on Wednesday night inside the Thompson-Boling Arena, with Victor Bailey Jr.’s 29-point career record
Bailey was one of four players to reach double digits while the Vols (15-5, 8-5 SEC) led by 33 out of 40 minutes. John Fulkerson added 19 points, while Jaden Springer scored 16 points and helped with five shots, respectively. Yves Pons added 10 points, nine rebounds, two steals and a block.
South Carolina (5-10, 3-8 SEC), losing two games, was led by AJ Lawson’s 20 points out of 8 out of 20 shots. Keyshawn Bryant and TJ Moss scored 15 points each.
Here’s a look at our top five observations from Tennessee’s victory over South Carolina.
Volts avoid COVID
Tennessee avoided a difficult situation on Wednesday night. The game was originally scheduled for Tuesday evening at 8:30 pm, but due to a positive COVID test on the UT program, the game was postponed to Wednesday at 9:00 pm. The thinking process was that the Vols would be without some players as a result of the positive case and contact tracking.
This turned out not to be the case, however. The positive case turned out to be a false positive. Those who tested positive on Sunday tested negative on Monday, Tuesday and early Wednesday to be considered a false positive. As a result, the player was available to play, as were subsequent players who ended up in contact tracking. The Vols would not have had four players if the test had been positive, according to Tennessee.
“I’m proud of these guys for their preparation and the unknown,” said Rick Barnes after the game. “We didn’t know the situation until later today just before the shootaround, just before that what the deal was. I am very proud of these guys being stuck and doing what they did. “
Even though the COVID test was false, the Vols were not at full strength. Josiah-Jordan James did not play due to a persistent wrist injury. Victor Bailey Jr. debuted in James’ place with John Fulkerson, who was also inserted back into the team.
“I think he’s fine,” said Barnes of James. “I mean, we think he’ll be back on Saturday. We will know more (later), but we think so. “
Bailey finds his stroke
Bailey took the opportunity to find himself back on the starting lineup. He ended the night with 9 out of 16 pitches and 7 out of 10 in the 3-point range for a career record of 29 points. His seven made three draws for another Vol during the Rick Barnes era. Lamonte Turner scored seven against the Presbyterian on December 16, 2016.
Bailey also recorded the best draw in his career with four assists without a turn, a block and a theft in victory.
“It was great,” said Bailey. “It is always good to see some shots fall. My companions were cheering me up. The coach was telling me to shoot him. It is always good to see some balls go to the rim. “
Fulky back?
Fulkerson also took the opportunity to find himself back on the starting lineup. He scored 19 points out of 7 out of 12 shots and 5 out of 7 on the free throw line. He managed six rebounds, three assists and two steals.
“I thought he did a better job of running tonight than he did all year,” said Barnes. “He really ran a lot on the ground.”
“You just have to keep working and know what brought you to this point,” added Fulkerson when asked about his recent struggles. “With all the hard work you’ve done, don’t stop, because you think it has arrived or it will be easier. You have to work even harder than you do now and keep investing your time. You also need to stay mentally strong and mentally locked. That’s what I always say is a really big part of the game, the mental side. I probably wouldn’t have done it without my teammates and coaches and I think the whole team can say that we like to pick us up.
“My father always says that it is not how you start, but how you end. So, we need to be playing our best basketball here at the end of the season, coming together as a team and clicking on all cylinders, because it could be a basketball or a move that could end our season. This is a very important moment for us. We have to come together, be totally locked up and realize this, that a possession can end our season. “
Next
Tennessee now turns its attention to Kentucky. The Vols will remain in Knoxville and will host the Wildcats at 1 pm ET on CBS.