Tennessee survived a battle in the Lone Star State to defeat Texas by a score of 74-70 on Saturday night in Austin, TX.
The Vols and the Longhorns duked it out in a back-and-forth battle from the Moody Center with Tennessee pulling away late in the game and holding back an all-out effort from Texas in the final minute. Tennessee needed a big response after Tuesday’s blowout loss against Florida and found it in the 40-minute battle against Texas.
Tennessee senior guard Zakai Zeigler put together a huge second half for the Vols as he ended with 16 points and eight rebounds in the game. But it was two former transfers that really came through as the x-factors for Tennessee on Saturday night. Felix Okpara and Darlinstone Dubar combined for 19 points and 15 rebounds, providing the Vounteers with sparks throughout the game. Dubar hit a trio of three-pointers throughout the contest while Okpara established a physical presence down low for Tennessee.
It wasn’t Tennessee’s prettiest game of the season, but the fight that the Vols showed on Saturday was a big step forward after the defeat in Gainesville.
More from RTI: Three Quick Takeaways: Tennessee Basketball Grit And Grinds Past Texas
After the game, RTI’s Ryan Schumpert and Ric Butler linked up to discuss their reactions to the Vols’ win in Rick Barnes’ old stomping ground on Saturday night. Check it out below:
