Tuesday night was the final home game of the season for Tennessee’s men’s basketball team. And the Vols sent their seniors out in style on Senior Night.
The No. 5 Vols (27-3, 15-2 SEC) dominated Mississippi State (21-9, 9-8 SEC) by a score of 71-54 on Tuesday night. Tennessee’s two scholarship seniors, Admiral Schofield and Kyle Alexander, both put in solid efforts in their final games in Thompson-Boling Arena. Schofield made his first four shots on the night and finished with a game-high 18 points while making three of his four three-pointers. Kyle Alexander finished with six points and 10 rebounds, pulling down double-digit rebounds for the first time in nearly two months.
Tennessee also had two walk-ons play their final games as Vols. Brad Woodson and Lucas Campbell got on the court for one final time in Thompson-Boling Arena late in the game, and Woodson made a play that brought the TBA crowd to their feet. But more on that in a moment.
During warm-ups, Tennessee’s players did their traditional “One Fly, We All Fly” dunk, but this time there was an added twist. All four seniors got involved in the action, and it was capped off by Kyle Alexander slamming it home:
One Fly, We All Fly, Senior Night Edition pic.twitter.com/Q5D1UVsr3O
— Ben McKee (@benmckee14) March 6, 2019
Before the game started, all the seniors were honored in a pre-game ceremony.
Kyle Alexander got a great reception from the home crowd before the game as he was introduced moments before tip-off:
Kyle Alexander gets a huge ovation on Senior Night: pic.twitter.com/T4i7xFvW7j
— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) March 6, 2019
Admiral Schofield got the loudest cheers of the night, and he shed some tears as he prepared for his final home game of his Tennessee career:
Admiral Schofield gets emotional as he’s introduced on Senior Night: pic.twitter.com/SIGXJ7zSi5
— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) March 6, 2019
Once Tennessee got underway, they controlled the game for most of the contest, and the Vols pulled away at the start of the second half and didn’t let up. Both Alexander and Schofield were pulled from the game late in the second half, and senior walk-ons Brad Woodson and Lucas Campbell entered the game for their last moments as Vols at home:
Exit Kyle Alexander and Admiral Schofield, enter Brad Woodson and Lucas Campbell: pic.twitter.com/imk2mc3YL9
— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) March 6, 2019
Then, just a few minutes later, Brad Woodson drew arguably the loudest cheers of the game when he drained a three-pointer with seconds left on the clock to give the Vols their final points of the game:
The biggest cheer of the night comes right here when walk-on Brad Woodson drains a three: pic.twitter.com/bKFjyh6kPk
— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) March 6, 2019
After the game, Admiral Schofield addressed the fans in Thompson-Boling Arena before they all filed out of the building:
Admiral Schofield with a message to Tennessee fans following the game. pic.twitter.com/a2ildZTYhj
— Ben McKee (@benmckee14) March 6, 2019
Tennessee finished the season 18-0 at home, marking the first time since the 2007-08 season that the Vols went undefeated at home in a full season. The Vols have now won 26-straight games at home and will get a chance to extend that winning streak once the 2019-20 season begins later on this year.
The Vols will be back in action on Saturday at noon when they travel down to Alabama to take on Auburn in the regular season finale.
