Tennessee led Gardner Webb 41-37 at the half but fell behind 57-55 at the 10:26 mark. A Devon Baulkman 3 grabbed the lead back and the Vols never trailed again on the way to a comfortable 89-64 victory. The Volunteers are now 3-1 on the season. They return to action Tuesday night at 7 pm (TV: SEC Network) when Army West Point comes to town. Here are five observations from the game.
Baulkman’s Big Day: Down 57-55, Devon Baulkman scored eight consecutive points to give Tennessee a 64-57 lead. Gardner Webb never recovered. Baulkman poured in a career-high six 3s and tied a career high with 22 points. He was an efficient 7-14 from the field (6-10 from 3) and added six rebounds and three assists.
3s Rain: Tennessee shot a season-high 46% from 3-point range – they were 13-28 from beyond the arc and consistently got good looks in the corner and on the wing. Barnes can thank Kevin Punter (5-10 from 3), Baulkman (6-10 from 3) and Moore (1-1) for Tennessee’s efficient night from deep.
FT Struggles: Despite all the positives on the hardwood Sunday afternoon, one area of concern remains Tennessee’s free throw shooting. Barnes’ squad was just 12/23 (52%) from the charity stripe. The Vols shot 83.3% from the line in their last outing against Marshall but, after shooting 52% from the line on the road at Georgia Tech last week, it’s clear the Vols are a streaky free throw shooting team.
Double-Digit Hubbs: Robert Hubbs scored 17 points on 8-14 shooting while adding six rebounds and four assists. Hubbs has scored in double figures every game this season – this is the first time in his career he’s scored in double figures four consecutive games. Hubbs is clearly playing the best basketball of his career and that’s a great sign for Tennessee moving forward.
Punter & Moore Stuff the Stat Sheet: Kevin Punter led Tennessee with 24 points on 8-13 shooting. He added a career-high seven rebounds and was one off a career-high in assists with six. Armani Moore recorded a double double with 15 points on 6-11 shooting and an impressive 16 rebounds.
Stats:
#Vols win 89-64. Baulkman ties a career-high with 22 points. Stats: pic.twitter.com/ogrhLlUD1T
— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) November 22, 2015
