Big crowd sees Vols rebound from first loss
Chris Lofton scored 19 points Tuesday night to lead Tennessee to a 93-68 win over Alabama A&M.
The Volunteers (7-1) spent last week in the Top 25 for the first time since late in the 2000-01 season after they beat then-No. 6 Texas 95-78. But Tennessee dropped out of the rankings this week following an 89-73 loss at Oklahoma State and returned to Knoxville for only its second home game this month.
“The thing that jumps out at me tonight is 15,797,” Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said, referring to the game’s attendance as he scanned the box score. “If we didn’t come out and play tonight and we weren’t as excited to be on the floor as Alabama A&M, if there was going to be a hangover from Oklahoma State and we didn’t give an effort, I would have been really upset and disappointed.”
Campus is mostly empty because of Christmas break, but the school sold tickets for seats in the student section. Last year, home attendance was above 15,000 for only two games — Florida and Kentucky.
“It feels good. Last year, we weren’t getting this many (fans). We’re excited we’re making the fans happy,” Tennessee senior Stanley Asumnu said.
Alabama A&M (2-4), coming off losses at Vanderbilt and Nebraska, kept pace with Tennessee in the first half, trailing by six with 3:46 left before halftime.
But the Vols expanded their 13-point halftime lead to 24 in the first 5 1/2 minutes of the second half. Andre Patterson had a lay-in, then stole the Bulldogs’ inbound pass under his basket and completed a three-point play to start the half. Major Wingate had two dunks during the span, and Tennessee was in control.
The Vols pushed their lead to 30 halfway through the period.
“I knew coming in we would have to handle their pressure, and we did not do a good job of that,” Alabama A&M coach Vann Pettaway said. “Once Chris Lofton got hot with the 3-pointer, there was no stopping him.”
Lofton scored 17 points by halftime and was 5-of-9 from beyond the arc for the game. JaJuan Smith and C.J. Watson each scored 16 points, a career high for Smith. Asumnu had 15 points and Patterson grabbed 14 rebounds for Tennessee.
Alabama A&M was led by Joe Martin’s career-high 27 points. He was 11-of-16 from the field. Obie Trotter and Michael Ford had 12 points apiece.
The Bulldogs came into the game leading the nation with 13.2 steals per game, but they had only two against the Vols.
Tennessee had a flurry of fast-break scoring that stretched their lead to 15 in the final minute of the first half. Lofton had layup on a breakaway and then he passed ahead to Asumnu for a basket on the next fast break that put the Vols ahead 45-30.
Pettaway said he hopes Tennessee fans will give Pearl a chance to build up the program. Pearl was hired this spring following Buzz Peterson’s firing.
“In a couple of years, he is going to look to win. He is going to look to win this year, but Pearl is going to be a perennial coach to win the SEC championship,” Pettaway said.