Tennessee beat in-state rival Vanderbilt in Knoxville on Tuesday night Mike Wilson/News Sentinel
Grant Williams wasn’t his usual self on the offensive end for Tennessee basketball on Saturday. Neither was Admiral Schofield and neither was Jordan Bowden.
But none of that proved problematic for the Vols, who received huge games off the bench from James Daniel III and Lamonte Turner at Iowa State and an even better defensive effort.
The No. 21 Vols rode a flurry of 3-pointers and a stifling defensive effort to 68-45 win at Iowa State on Saturday afternoon as part of the Big 12-SEC Challenge.
Turner led Tennessee with 20 points, while Daniel chipped in 16 for the Vols (15-5). The duo combined to make nine 3-pointers, as the Vols made 12 as a team.
But for the third straight game, a strong defensive outing was the key for the Vols, who have won six of their past seven games. Tennessee limited Iowa State to 33.3 percent shooting from the field and 23.5 percent from 3-point range. It did so in historic fashion, as well, holding Iowa State to its fewest points in a game at Hilton Coliseum and its lowest-scoring game overall since 2008.
Tennessee was disastrous offensively to open the game, shooting 2-of-17 from the field and making only 1 of 9 from 3-point range. The Vols went on a tear soon after, making four of their next six attempts from deep.
Bowden got the blitz started for the Vols, making his lone 3-pointer. Daniel hit next, then Turner then Daniel again to put the Vols ahead 21-17.
Williams scored to build an 8-0 Tennessee run and UT was off. Daniel converted a three-point play when he was fouled on a jumper, then hit a corner 3-pointer to extend the run to 14-0.
Daniel scored 14 first-half points, hitting three 3-pointers to flip the game in Tennessee’s favor after the cold start and an early deficit.
The second half was much of the same for the Vols, who opened on a 10-2 run after halftime.
Turner did the bulk of the scoring after halftime, scoring 14 points and shooting 4-for-4 from 3-point range to post his fourth game with 20 points or more this season.
Schofield scored 10 points after halftime to return to double-digits after his streak of 13 straight games was snapped against Vanderbilt on Tuesday. Williams had nine, shooting 3-of-9 from the field against an Iowa State defense that consistently double-teamed him and sought to deny him post entries.
Williams, Schofield and Bowden combined to shoot 9-for-31.
First-half defense
Tennessee opened its season against Presbyterian and High Point, holding both schools to fewer than 20 points in the first half.
The Vols now have done the same thing in back-to-back games against Vanderbilt and Iowa State. UT limited Vanderbilt to 15 first-half points Tuesday, before coming back to shut down the Cyclones, who scored 19 first-half points.
Rebounding dominance
Tennessee hasn’t truly dominated a team on the glass in a while, but it did so Saturday. The Vols held a 49-31 edge.
UT also grabbed 16 offensive rebounds and scored 22 second-chance points. Williams and Kyle Alexander led Tennessee with 10 rebounds each, with Alexander pulling down five offensive rebounds.
Up next
Tennessee returns to SEC play when LSU comes to Knoxville on Wednesday (6:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network).
Tennessee beat in-state rival Vanderbilt in Knoxville on Tuesday night Mike Wilson/News Sentinel
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Tennessee coach Rick Barnes meets with the media Monday before the Vols face Vanderbilt on Tuesday. Mike Wilson/News Sentinel
Tennessee sophomore Grant Williams recaps the Vols' win against Kentucky Mike Wilson/News Sentinel
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes recaps the Vols' win against Kentucky Mike Wilson/News Sentinel
Tennessee center Kyle Alexander met with the media before the Vols face Kentucky on Saturday Mike Wilson/News Sentinel
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Tennessee coach Rick Barnes recaps the Vols' win at Wake Forest on Saturday Mike Wilson/News Sentinel
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