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#9/10 Vols Log 89-88 Exhibition Victory at #4 Michigan State
October 29, 2023 | Men's Basketball
EAST LANSING, Mich. – The University of Tennessee men's basketball team opened its 2023-24 season with an impressive road win over fourth-ranked Michigan State, 89-88, Sunday evening in a charity exhibition at the Breslin Student Events Center.
Fifth-year guard Dalton Knecht poured in a game-high 28 points for No. 9/10 Tennessee, which never trailed despite two starting guards being unavailable. The Volunteers ultimately sealed the game on a free throw by junior guard Jordan Gainey, who scored 20 points, in the closing seconds.
Tennessee forced a turnover on five of Michigan State's first six possessions and raced out to a 9-0 lead in the opening 3:04. Following a free throw by the Spartans, Tennessee used an 8-0 run in 48 seconds, including back-to-back 3-pointers by Gainey, to claim a 17-1 advantage after only 4:26. Michigan State did not make its first field goal until the clock showed 15:16.
The Volunteers started 12-of-14 from the field (6-of-7 on 3-pointers), including making 11 shots (five 3-pointers) in a row to extend their advantage to 30-12 with 10:11 left in the half. Tennessee went nearly nine full minutes (18:17 to 9:19) without missing a field goal, a stretch during which Gainey scored 14 of his game-best 15 first-half points on a 5-of-5 clip (four 3-pointers).
The Spartans did not hit their first 3-pointer until 7:14 remained in the frame, but the make by graduate student guard Tyson Walker sparked an 11-2 surge in under three minutes to trim the margin to 35-28 with 4:35 to go before the break. Tennessee regained an 11-point lead, but Michigan State countered with a 9-0 burst to pull within two in the final minute. The Volunteers scored the last point of the half and took a 40-37 edge into the locker room.
Michigan State cut the deficit to one early in the second half, but Tennessee countered with nine straight points in just 1:50. Then, following a basket by the home team, Knecht converted a tomahawk dunk into a three-point play to make it 57-46 with 15:02 remaining.
The Volunteers maintained a lead of six-plus points for all but 21 seconds of the next nine-plus minutes, but then the Spartans scored seven straight points, all by Walker, in 69 seconds to get back within one, 77-76, with 4:03 to go. Tennessee countered, shortly thereafter, with six consecutive points in 63 seconds to go up by seven, 83-76, with 2:25 left.
Michigan State again got back within one, but the Volunteers made four straight free throws in 10.2 seconds to make it a five-point cushion, 88-83, with 13.7 seconds left. The Spartans then made two free throws, got a steal and used a 3-pointer by senior guard A.J. Hoggard to tie it with five ticks left. It marked the first tie score since the game started.
Tennessee pushed the ball up the floor and Gainey got fouled on the sideline with 1.9 seconds to go. The USC Upstate transfer then split a pair from the stripe to put the visitors back in front, 89-88. Junior forward Jonas Aidoo stole the ensuing inbounds pass to seal the triumph.
Knecht, in his Tennessee debut after transferring from Northern Colorado, posted his 28 points on 8-of-16 field-goal shooting and 9-of-11 free-throw shooting. He added seven rebounds and four assists in the win.
Gainey's 20 points came on a 6-of-10 clip from the field, including a 4-of-7 mark beyond the arc, while he added a co-game-best six assists to pace the Volunteers. Junior guard Jahmai Mashack scored all 11 of his points in the second half, while Aidoo finished with nine points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Walker scored 22 points to pace Michigan State, while Hoggard and graduate student forward Malik Hall each notched 14, the latter of whom led all players with 11 boards. Junior guard Jaden Akins chipped in 12 points and a co-game-leading six assists.
Tennessee shot 51.0 percent (26-of-51) from the floor, including 52.4 percent (11-of-21) on 3-pointers. At the other end, it held the Spartans to 43.5 percent (27-of-62) shooting. Both sides went exactly 26-of-36 (72.2 percent) at the line.
Up next for the Volunteers is a home exhibition affair Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. against Lenoir-Rhyne at the Food City Center in Knoxville, Tenn.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men's basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS POSTGAME NOTES
• The exhibition contest between the Volunteers and Spartans raised money for the Hawai'i Community Foundation Maui Strong Fund, providing financial resources to the relief efforts from the devastating Maui wildfires.
• This is the second straight season Tennessee opened with a charity exhibition victory against a top-five team, as last year it defeated second-ranked Gonzaga, 99-80, in Frisco, Texas.
• The two coaches in Sunday's affair, Tennessee's Rick Barnes (27) and Michigan State's Tom Izzo (25), rank first and second, respectively, among active DI head coaches in NCAA Tournament appearances.
• Tennessee played without two returning starters in fifth-year guard Santiago Vescovi (family matter) and junior guard Zakai Zeigler (recovering from injury).
• The game was played without disqualifications, as played were permitted to compile over five personal fouls and remain in the contest.
• Fifth-year guard Josiah-Jordan James, the son of a former Michigan State basketball player (Kurt James), scored the Volunteers' first points of 2023-24 on a jump-shot with 18:45 on the first-half clock.
• After starting a dazzling 12-of-14 from the floor (6-of-7 on 3- pointers), Tennessee went 2-of-13 the rest of the first half, including 1-of-10 to close it, missing its final six shots.
• The Volunteers forced five of the first six turnovers and then committed 13 of the final 19 of the opening frame.
• Tennessee's two scholarship transfers, Gainey (15) and Knecht (14), combined for 29 of its 40 first-half points.
• The Volunteers made 18 of their final 21 free-throw attempts after starting the contest 8-of-15 from the line.
• Tennessee not only never trailed, but led for all but 78 seconds of action in what was nearly a wire-to-wire decision.
