The one thing the Vols simply could not do on Saturday afternoon was lose to Missouri. Tennessee came into Saturday’s match-up having lost three of their last four games, including their most recent game against Kentucky which saw the Vols get dominated 83-58 by the Wildcats.
Tennessee needed to get back on track, and they did so in a big way over one of the worst teams in the SEC.
The Vols (15-12, 7-7 SEC) rolled over the Missouri Tigers (7-19, 2-12) by a final score of 90-70. Tennessee dominated from start to finish and had a 24-point lead at one point in the second half. The Vols put up their highest point total since they scored 91 points against Mississippi State back on January 21st. Tennessee put on an offensive showcase while Missouri finished with more turnovers (14) than assists (11).
Here are three observations from the Vols’ resounding 90-70 victory over Missouri.
The Golden Trio
Tennessee’s offense got back on track in this one, and it was thanks in large part to the Vols’ “Big Three” of Robert Hubbs, Admiral Schofield, and Grant Williams.
Williams led the way with 25 points while Hubbs totaled 21 points and Schofield put up 17 of his own. Hubbs also finished with 8 rebounds and two assists. The three Vols combined to score 63 of the Vols’ 90 points and shot a combined 54.3 percent from the floor. Shembari Phillips (10) was the only other Vol to finish with a double figure scoring effort.
Threes Finally Fall
After shooting an abysmal 18.8 percent from behind the three-point line against Kentucky, the Vols responded by nailing 8 of their 21 threes and had an even better percentage before bench players began tossing up threes late in the game.
The Vols aren’t the greatest three-point shooting team in the conference, but when they’re able to hit a few, their offense tends to come alive. And that’s just what happened this afternoon against Missouri, as the Vols eclipsed the 90-point mark for the sixth time this season on Saturday.
Vols Avoid Destruction
The one thing Tennessee could not do on Saturday was lose. The Vols came into Saturday’s match-up with an RPI of 47 while Missouri’s RPI was 251. A loss likely would’ve ended any and all hopes the Vols had of making the NCAA Tournament.
But the Vols didn’t lose. In fact, they put together one of their better performances of the season.
Missouri came into this game having won two of their last four games and grabbing their first two conference wins of the season in the process. The Vols had lost three of their last four before the game. But Tennessee rolled to their largest margin of victory in an SEC game on the season, and they got back to .500 in conference play with the win.
