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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee's 25 turnovers, 31 fouls and "cute" plays didn't make the Volunteers look like a Top-10 team.
But coach Jerry Green will take an 88-66 win Friday over Chattanooga in the Volunteers' season opener.
The Volunteers (No. 8 ESPN/USA Today, No. 9 AP) showed signs of last season's team, the most successful squad in school history with a 26-7 record and a trip to
the NCAA regional semifinals.
In its fast-paced, loose style, Tennessee found its groove beyond the 3-point arc, making 11 of 24 shots, and broke open the game with high-flying dunks. Green wasn't too impressed.
"I did not feel like we're playing up to a Top-10 team," Green
said. "I thought we hit it for a while, but we were too
lackadaisical on turnovers and I thought we tried to be too cute at
times,"
Chattanooga scored 28 points off turnovers.
Green was particularly displeased that the Vols didn't adjust
their play after the first half when officials called 11 fouls on
Tennessee and 10 on Chattanooga.
"The officiating emphasis on cutting down on rough play has
made for a different game," Green said. "We need to be more
disciplined and be wise enough not to get those touch fouls."
Isiah Victor had 18 points and 13 rebounds, and Tony Harris
added 16 points.
Vincent Yarbrough added 12 points while Terrence Woods had 11
for Tennessee. Charles Hathaway pulled down 12 rebounds and blocked
four shots.
Chattanooga chipped away at the Vols' second-half lead but could
not cut it to less than 20 points beyond the nine-minute mark.
"In the first half, we played hard, but didn't battle," Mocs
coach Henry Dickerson said. "In the second half, we battled."
Tennessee, which used 10 players in various lineups, took a
41-24 halftime lead after Harris made four free throws on a foul
and technical on Dickerson.
The Mocs went on a 10-4 run in the first four minutes of the
second half to cut Tennessee's lead to 34-46, but that was as close
as they would get the rest of the way. Harris stopped Chattanooga's
momentum with a 3-pointer with 15:43 left.
Harris then hit another 3-pointer as he was falling over a
defender, and Woods added another at the top of the key to increase
the Vols' lead to 57-37 with 11:46 left.
Tennessee scattered acrobatic baskets throughout the game.
Yarbrough scored the Vols' first basket on an alley-oop pass from
Harris. Jenis Grindstaff passed behind his back on a fast break to
Victor, who placed it in the basket to give Tennessee a 63-37 lead
with 10:16 to go.
That was all the Vols needed to put Chattanooga away. Woods
followed with another 3-pointer, Hathaway had a dunk and Jon
Higgins stole the ball and scored on an uncontested layup for a
72-44 lead with 7:50 left.
"This team can be great team as long as we play together in our
format," Hathaway said. "A lot of people say we're a team that
can't finish anything. It seems like now we can do it."
Chattanooga got as close as 19-16 on Idris Harper's basket with
8:04 to go before halftime, but Yarbrough hit a 3-pointer from the
left wing to key a 14-4 run over the next four minutes.
The Mocs were led by Toot Young with 16 points while Harper had
12 and Neil Ashby added 10 and had 10 rebounds.
Tennessee leads the series 29-4. Chattanooga last beat Tennessee 25-14 on Jan. 31, 1925.
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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
Chattanooga Clubhouse
Tennessee Clubhouse
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