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Tennessee basketball: Three takeaways from Vols thrilling 56-55 South Carolina win

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 14: Tennessee Volunteers fans cheer during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 14, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Kentucky defeated Tennessee 65-62. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 14: Tennessee Volunteers fans cheer during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 14, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Kentucky defeated Tennessee 65-62. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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In a thrilling defensive stand, Tennessee basketball held off the South Carolina Gamecocks. Here are three takeaways from the Volunteers’ victory.

It required survival late, but a win is a win. Tennessee basketball held off the South Carolina Gamecocks 56-55 in the final minute of the game Saturday thanks to a great defensive stand for its second SEC win.vClinging to a four point lead with 80 seconds left, the Vols did not score the rest of the way. So they had to hold on, but they were able to do that.

UT got off to a 5-0 start, but after South Carolina took an 8-7 lead, nobody led by more than four in the first half, and the Gamecocks took a 26-25 lead into halftime. South Carolina built an eight-point lead early in the second half, but then the Vols went on a run and took a seven-point lead with under eight minutes to go before the thrilling finish.

In the process, UT improved to 10-5 overall and 2-1 in league play, while South Carolina fell to 8-7 overall and 0-2 in league play. Rocky Top now has a two-game road trip and will visit the Georgia Bulldogs next Wednesday and Vanderbilt Commodores next Saturday. Before looking to that, here are three things we learned from Tennessee basketball’s win.

1. John Fulkerson showed why he is a veteran.

He has been quietly averaging double-figures all year. But in this game, John Fulkerson was the star. Fulkerson had 15 points and 10 rebounds on the day, hitting five-of-seven field goal attempts and all five free throw attempts.

On top of only taking smart shots and mastering his rebounding, Fulkerson made the key defensive play to win the game. After South Carolina cut UT’s lead to one and got the ball back, Fulkerson drew the game-clinching charge with just over a second left to secure the win. So his smart play along with his scoring was the difference.

2. Freshman starters continue to shoot well.

They have to replace Lamonte Turner by committee at point guard, and they have also both been developing. In just his third game, Santiago Vescovi hit double-figures for the third straight time, scoring 13 points while hitting two three-pointers and seven of eight free throws. Meanwhile, Josiah-Jordan James had 10 points on four-of-seven shooting, hitting two three-pointers as well.

However, they are not doing as well when it comes to point guard duties. Tennessee basketball had 19 turnovers thanks to seven from Vescovi and three from James. Vescovi only had three assists, and James had none. James also fouled out, and Vescovi had four. So while they’re shooting well, if they get cold, UT’s is in trouble unless these two can learn more control.

3. Jordan Bowden and Yves Pons remain ice-cold.

Is this good news or bad news? The Vols just won a game with Jordan Bowden and Yves Pons playing horrible. Bowden continues to struggle, as he shot one-for-17 overall and one-for-12 from the three-point line, scoring only six points. Pons, meanwhile, hit four of six free throws but missed all seven field goal attempts, including five from the three-point line.

Given that the Vols still managed to win, fans could be encouraged about this team’s potential. But they needed the two freshmen to shoot red-hot from the outside. Turnovers like that and Bowden and Pons struggling to shoot won’t win you too many games. As a result, this is concerning for Rocky Top. It needs to get fixed.

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