Postgame Notes: Butler 94, Vols 86

Dec. 12, 2015

THE BASICS

UT is now 2-3 all-time against Butler.

The No. 18/21 Bulldogs were Tennessee's first ranked opponent of the season. UT's next ranked opponent is No. 20 Gonzaga. The Vols will play Gonzaga on Dec. 19 in the Battle in Seattle in Seattle, Wash.

Official attendance for the game was 9,100.

FOR STARTERS

Tennessee's starting lineup on Saturday consisted of Admiral Schofield, Kevin Punter, Armani Moore, Derek Reese and Devon Baulkman.

Coming off of a 12-point performance against Nebraska, Schofield made the first start of his career.

UT starters combined for 78 of its 86 points. Shembari Phillips (eight points) was the only Vol to score off the bench.

AT THE HALF

Butler led 48-43 at the half. Tennessee shot 50 percent (15-of-30) from the field and Butler shot 42.4 percent (14-of-33).

The Vols dominated the boards in the first half, 22-12.

Kevin Punter had 17 points (7-of-15) with nine points coming off of 3-pointers (3-of-7). Butler's Roosevelt Jones and Tyler Wideman had 10 points each.

BIG FIRST HALF FOR PUNTER

Kevin Punter's 17 first-half points tied his second-best half of the season.

Punter's best half was an 18-point second half in the Vols 82-78 win over UNC Asheville in the season opener on Nov. 13. He netted 17 in the second half of UT's 84-74 win over Marshall on Nov. 19, finishing with 19 in the game.

MOORE PILES UP ASSISTS

Armani Moore tied his career high with seven assists, including six assists in the first half. He previously registered seven assists against ETSU on Nov. 31, 2014.

Moore has had six or more assists four times in his career.

FROM LONG DISTANCE

Tennessee enjoyed strong 3-point shooting in the first half, making seven of 14 from downtown. Five different Vols made 3's with Kevin Punter going 3-of-7 and Shembari Phillips going 2-of-3.

UT was just 1-of-9 from beyond the arc in the second half.

PUNTER'S STREAK OF 20-POINT GAMES

With 27 points on Saturday, Kevin Punter has scored 20 or more points in six of Tennessee's eight games this season. He has scored 20 or more in UT's last five games.

Over those last five games, Punter is averaging 24.8 points and 3.8 assists over those five games while shooting 52.6 percent (41-of-78) in that stretch.

He is shooting 78.9 percent (30-of-38) from the free-throw line over the last five games.

LARGEST LEAD

Tennessee led by as much as 10 points in the first half. The Vols led 25-15 with 9:43 before halftime

A 3-pointer by Kevin Punter with 14:57 let in the first half sparked a 19-7 Vols run. Tennessee made five treys in the stretch with Punter and Phillips making two apiece.

UP NEXT

The Vols return to Thompson-Boling Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 16, hosting Florida Atlantic at 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network +/WatchESPN.

University of Tennessee Athletics