DeWayne Brown II went off for 17 points and 17 rebounds as No. 8 Tennessee kicked off their season with a dominant 90-59 victory over Wofford on Tuesday night. Terrence Hill Jr. also poured in 17 points, with Tyler Lundblade adding 12 and Troy Henderson chipping in 10, as the Vols shot an impressive 52.3% from the field to start their campaign 1-0.
Second-Half Blitz Masks Early Struggles
Don’t let that final score fool you, though. This game was a tale of two halves, and for a good chunk of the first half, what in the world was going on with the No. 8 team in the nation? Tennessee only led Wofford by a measly three points, 34-31, heading into halftime. Seriously, Wofford actually *outrebounded* the Vols in that opening half. There was even an almost eight-minute stretch where Hill’s 3-point play was the only offense Tennessee could muster, allowing Wofford to run off six straight points.
Whatever Coach Rick Barnes said at halftime, it worked. The Vols came out absolutely scorching, outscoring Wofford a staggering 56-28 in the second half. They unleashed a 36-10 run over the first 14 minutes of the second half, completely blowing the Terriers out of the water. Wofford, led by Cam Lowe’s 14 points and 10 each from Cutter Sisk and Cris Arias, ended up shooting a dismal 31% from the field for the game.
The Defense Dilemma Continues
This was a win, sure, but it’s hard to ignore the sluggish start after the Vols’ exhibition season. Tennessee dropped both of their exhibition games, falling to Xavier and Duke by double digits in each. Coach Barnes retooled this lineup, bringing in eight transfers, with the top seven of those guys averaging a collective 15.3 points last season. That’s a lot of new faces after three straight Elite Eight finishes.
What was reportedly missing in those exhibition losses was defense, and it’s been a major focus in practice leading up to this season opener. While they locked down Wofford in the second half, the early struggles have to make you wonder if those defensive issues from the preseason are truly fixed.
Up next, Wofford heads to North Carolina on Friday. The Vols will be back at home on Monday, hosting Radford. Let’s see if that defense shows up for a full 40 minutes this time.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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