The Tennessee Volunteers defeated the Oklahoma Sooners on Wednesday night by the score of 89-66 at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. But at times, it certainly didn’t feel like a blowout on the court.
Nate Ament led Tennessee with 29 points and six rebounds. Ja’Kobi Gillespie was a force on both ends of the floor. In addition to 16 points, he added eight assists and eight steals.
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Tennessee didn’t have any problems on the offensive end, particularly in the first half. Three pointers by Ament and Gillespie pushed the Vols out to a double digit lead at 21-11, 26-14, and 31-19. But Oklahoma managed to keep the game relatively close with runs to keep the game just inside single digits going late into the first half. But as the final seconds ticked down, Bishop Biswell took in an offensive board and dished to Felix Okpara for a slam and an and one to make the score 45-36 at the half.
Ament and Gillespie helped take the game by the throat early in the second half. After Gillespie knocked down a long lead to give the Vols a 15-point lead, Ament put one up between the two n’s in Tennessee on the floor for a swish that gave the Vols a 56-38 lead and sent the crowd into a frenzy.
A 9-0 Oklahoma run brought the game back into shouting range for Oklahoma, and the game would go back and forth until Tennessee held a 68-62 lead with around six minutes left.
And that’s when Tennessee finished with an absolutely flurry. DeWayne Brown II hit a cutting Ament down the lane for a thunderous jam. The next time down, Ament found Okpara for a nifty hook shot. The next time down, Ament drive, pulled up inside the free throw line, was fouled, and got the shot to bounce around and in for an and one. He made the free throw, and suddenly, Tennessee was up 75-62 with under five minutes to go and in complete control. They’d finish the game on a 21-4 run to close it out.
Next up for Tennessee is Vanderbilt on Saturday in Nashville at 2:00 pm ET on ESPN.
