University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
16-1, 3-0
South Carolina
9-5, 1-2
Vols Defeat South Carolina 79-71
January 13, 2001 | Men's Basketball
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 Tennessee's Vincent Yarbrough works the ball past South Carolina's Rolando Howell. Tennessee defeated South Carolina 79-71. (AP Photo/Wade Payne) |
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Vincent Yarbrough scored 14 points and Isiah Victor added 12 and 10 rebounds Saturday, leading No. 4 Tennessee to a 79-71 victory over South Carolina.
The Volunteers (16-1, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) are off to their best start in school history and won their first three league game for the first time since the 1989-90 season. Tony Harris added 13 points and Charles Hathaway `ad 12 points for Tennessee.
The Gamecocks (9-5, 1-2), who ousted Tennessee from the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament last season, trailed most of the game and were down by 18 with 12 minutes left.
But they cut Tennessee's lead to 10 midway through the second half. Antonio Grant hit a 3-pointer to trim the lead to 61-47. That started an 8-4 run that ended with another 3 to make it 65-55 with 7:48 to go.
The Vols came back with a 6-0 run to boost their lead back to 71-56. Jon Higgins made a steal and passed to Hathaway on the fastbreak for a slam with 5:13 left.
South Carolina, which rallied to challenge Kentucky and beat Florida, cut the lead to eight twice in the final 1:30.
Jamel Bradley led phe Gamecocks with 15 points while Grant and Marius Petravicius each had 14.
Tennessee's Marcus Haislip shoots over South Carolina's Tony Kitchings during the Vols' 79-71 win Saturday. (AP Photo/Wade Payne) |
After shooting 20-of-34 from the field in the first half, the Vols cooled down to start the second half, missing all seven of their 3-point attempts and just 3-of-13 from the field.
But Tennessee maintained its double-digit lead because South Carolina - last in the league in shooting at 41 percent - was even worse, making just three of their first 22 shots in the second half.
Down by 19 points in the first half, South Carolina cut Tennessee's lead to 12 before halftime on Bradley's 3 with 33 seconds left, but Ron Slay hit a 3 before the buzzer to put the Vols up 50-35.
