University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
1-0
Chattanooga
0-1
Vols Cruise by Chattanooga 88-66
November 17, 2000 | Men's Basketball
Coach Green's Postgame Comments
- TotalCast Stats
- Box Score (.pdf file)
- Box Score (.htm file)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Isiah Victor had 18 points and 13 rebounds, and Tony Harris added 16 points Friday as No. 9 Tennessee beat Chattanooga 88-66 in the season opener for both.
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| Isiah Victor scored 18 points and pulled down 13 rebounds in the Vols' 88-66 season opening win over UT-Chattanooga. |
The Volunteers looked like the team of last season, the most successful squad in school history with a 26-7 record and a trip to the NCAA regional semifinals.
Tennessee found its groove beyond the 3-point arc, making 11 of 24 shots, and broke open the game with high-flying dunks.
Vincent Yarbrough added 12 points while Terrence Woods had 11 for Tennessee. Charles Hathaway pulled down 12 rebounds and blocked four shots.
Chattanooga chipped away at the Vols' second-half lead but could not cut it to less than 20 points beyond the nine-minute mark.
Tennessee, which used 10 players in various lineups, took a 41-24 halftime lead after Harris made four free throws on a foul and technical on Chattanooga coach Henry Dickerson.
The Mocs went on a 10-4 run in the first four minutes of the second half to cut Tennessee's lead to 34-46, but that was as close as they would get the rest of the way. Harris stopped Chattanooga's momentum with a 3-pointer with 15:43 left.
Harris then hit another 3-pointer as he was falling over a defender, and Woods added another at the top of the key to increase the Vols' lead to 57-37 with 11:46 left.
Tennessee scattered acrobatic baskets throughout the game. Yarbrough scored the Vols' first basket on an alley-oop pass from Harris. Jenis Grindstaff passed behind his back on a fast break to Victor, who placed it in the basket to give Tennessee a 63-37 lead with 10:16 to go.
That was all the Vols needed to put Chattanooga away. Woods followed with another 3, Hathaway had a dunk and Jon Higgins stole the ball and scored on an uncontested layup for a 72-44 lead with 7:50 left.
Chattanooga got as close as 19-16 on Idris Harper's basket with 8:04 to go before halftime, but Yarbrough hit a 3-pointer from the left wing to key a 14-4 run over the next four minutes.
The Mocs were led by Toot Young with 16 points while Harper had 12 and Neil Ashby added 10 and had 10 rebounds.
Tennessee leads the series 29-4. Chattanooga last beat Tennessee 25-14 on Jan. 31, 1925.
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