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  Tuesday, Nov. 21 7:30pm ET
Harris powers Vols with 22 points
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee beat Wisconsin at its own game.

Tony Harris hit six 3-pointers and scored 22 points to help the Volunteers (No. 9 ESPN/USA Today, AP) to a 66-56 victory over the Badgers (No. 20 ESPN/USA Today, No. 18 AP) on Tuesday night.

Tennessee (3-0) started to emulate the Badgers' slow, defensive style, a big departure from the Vols' normally frenzied, fast-paced scoring affairs.

"Even though there weren't a lot of points scored, we felt like it was our type of game. We knew in the back of our minds we can win, and when you do that, you are in control," said Tennessee's Vincent Yarbrough, held to nine points after averaging 15 in the first two games of the season.

Vols coach Jerry Green said Tennessee's ability to adapt shows maturity, a characteristic the Vols have been seeking the last few years.

"Poise-wise we were a lot more under control. We weren't making some of those flamboyant plays," Green said. "I told our team not every team can play a 48-to-50 type game and then play a 100-point game. We are flexible enough to play either."

Tennessee won its 31st straight nonconference home game, while the Badgers played in their first game since losing to eventual NCAA champion Michigan State in the Final Four.

Andy Kowske had 21 points for Wisconsin, which opened the season for the first time against a Top 10-team since coach Dick Bennett's first game, a 66-58 loss to No. 3 Villanova in the 1995 Maui Invitational.

The Badgers got as close as six with 2:19 left. Mark Vershaw's basket with 2:19 left cut the Vols' lead to 55-49. But the Vols iced the game in the final 23 seconds, with Harris and Vincent Yarbrough each hitting two free throws.

"The deal was we couldn't put the ball in the basket. We had to make the shots to draw closer. Each team played the way it had to," Bennett said.

Wisconsin finished with 21-for-60 shooting, while the Vols were 20-of-49.

Tennessee got nine points each from Jon Higgins and Yarbrough, and Isiah Victor added eight. Roy Boone scored 12 points and Vershaw added eight for Wisconsin.

Harris scored five points as Tennessee started the second half with a 13-2 run to increase to take a 38-24 lead.

Harris' 3 put Tennessee up 46-31 with 10:23 left, but the Badgers scored six straight points and Kowske's basket with 7:26 left cut it to nine at 46-37.

But Harris made two 3s, a one-handed shot under the basket and a free throw to put Tennessee back up 55-44 with 3:45 to go.

Green said he was pleased with how Tennessee's point guard kept the Vols under control.

"He was good on defense, and on offense, he wasn't just scoring, but running the offense very well," Green said.

Wisconsin cut the Vols' lead to 25-22 at halftime, the smallest margin of the first half since Tennessee led 14-11 after Vershaw's layup with 8:05 left.

Tennessee had a chance to take a nine-point lead at the end of the first half, but Terrence Woods dropped the ball as he was setting up to shoot a 3-pointer. Wisconsin came up with the ball, and Freddie Owens banked in a 3 from across midcourt about 55 feet away as time expired.

The Vols jumped out to a 12-4 lead on Slay's layup with 12:02 left, but the Badgers chipped away at the lead, using their deliberate, defensive style to slow down Tennessee.

Wisconsin's Kirk Penney was 0-for-16 from the field, including eight misses from 3-point range.
 


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