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No. 1 Tennessee improves to 14-0, blasts Arkansas 76-52 in SEC opener
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
No. 1 Tennessee didn’t have much trouble with No. 23 Arkansas in its SEC opener, cruising to a 76-52 win at Thompson-Boling Arena on Saturday to improve to 14-0.
This one wasn’t close for long as the Volunteers turned a 12-9 deficit into a 21-12 first-half lead with a 12-0 run that spanned nearly 6 minutes. The Razorbacks got no closer than 7 the rest of the way as the Vols’ lead eventually ballooned to 42-25 late in the frame before going into the locker room up 42-27. They maintained a hold on the contest in the second half, holding the Hogs to just 4 field goals in the final 9:02.
Chaz Lanier led all scorers with 29 points on 10-of-20 shooting, including a 5-of-9 clip from 3-point range. Igor Milicic Jr. posted a double-double with 13 points and a game-high 18 rebounds as the Vols held a stunning 51-29 rebounding edge — including 24-9 on the offensive glass.
D.J. Wagner led the Razorbacks with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting but was 1-of-5 from beyond the arc. As for Jordan Aidoo, it was a quiet return to Knoxville: just 4 points in 29 minutes for the former Tennessee forward.
The Vols now gear up for a massive showdown against Florida, who fell from the ranks of the unbeaten in a wild 106-100 affair at Kentucky on Saturday. Arkansas, now 11-2, hosts Ole Miss on Wednesday.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
