University of Tennessee Athletics
VOLS FACE GAMECOCKS IN PIVOTAL SEC SHOWDOWN
January 20, 2007 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 20, 2007
Tennessee could be in a very different situation if six points had only gone their way. The 22nd-ranked Volunteers, however, aren't dwelling on their recent misfortunes.
They'll try to snap a season-high three-game losing streak when they host South Carolina on Saturday.
After falling to Vanderbilt and then-No. 5 Ohio State on shots in the final seconds, Tennessee blew a big lead Wednesday en route to an 83-80 loss to Auburn. The Vols' three consecutive defeats have come by a combined six points.
"You lose a few games and certainly it rattles you a little bit, but we've been there," coach Bruce Pearl said.
The Vols (13-5, 1-2 SEC) certainly looked rattled in the second half Wednesday when they let their 14-point lead vanish during a stretch where they missed 10 straight shots.
Tennessee attempted just three free throws after intermission while the Tigers made 12-of-15 in the final 2:55 alone, including two following a technical foul on Pearl. Poor free-throw shooting has plagued the Vols lately as they are shooting only 43.9 percent from the line during their skid.
They have also been outrebounded 199-160 in their last five games, but insist they're not losing focus.
"The season is not getting away from us," freshman forward Wayne Chism said. "A loss like this could happen to any team."
All three losses during the Vols' skid have come on the road and they hope a return home will begin a turnaround. Tennessee is 9-0 at Thompson-Boling Arena this season, outscoring opponents by 18.3 points, and is 22-2 there over the last two seasons.
"We have to bounce back," said junior guard Chris Lofton, who scored 22 points Wednesday.
Lofton has been a consistent force for Tennessee, scoring 20 or more points in 11 of the last 12 games. His 22.5 points and 3.9 3-pointers per game are both SEC bests.
Lofton will try to continue that success against a South Carolina squad that has given up nine or more 3-pointers in each of its last three defeats.
The Gamecocks (10-6, 0-3) have lost four straight, including three to ranked opponents. They shot a season-worst 26.8 percent from the field Tuesday en route to an 87-49 defeat to No. 25 Kentucky - their worst home loss since 1915.
Despite being outscored by an average of 28.0 points during its losing streak, South Carolina is using last season as motivation to get back on track. The Gamecocks also lost four in a row from Feb. 18-28, but rebounded with wins in nine of their last 10 games.
"I've seen us turn it around before," senior forward Brandon Wallace said. "We turned it around last year so I don't see why we can't do it this year."
Senior guard Tre Kelley was the lone Gamecock in double figures Tuesday with 19 points, and he leads the team with 16.5 points per game.
"Tre Kelley is obviously demonstrating that he's one of the better guards in the conference," Pearl said. "They're patient and they shoot the basketball. They do a lot of things to try to confuse the opponent."
Tennessee took both regular season meetings against South Carolina in 2005-06, but the Gamecocks upset the Vols 79-71 in the second round of the SEC tournament. The Vols have won eight of the last nine home matchups between the teams.
