The Tennessee Volunteers just eked out their four-point victory over the No. 19 Vanderbilt Commodores, and it came in a fashion that modern basketball fans aren't used to anymore.
With a final score of 69-65, the game was as low-scoring as any Tennessee has seen this season, and that was due, in large part, to the lack of three-point attempts (and makes) by the Vols.
UT shot just 12 attempts from beyond the arc, and only made four of those, with Nate Ament and Ja'Kobi Gillespie having the only successful tries. To put it simply, it has been a long time since a team has successfully pulled off an upset win while scoring just 12 points from downtown.
However, that throwback style of winning will likely be coming to an end this week as the Vols take on the Missouri Tigers.
Tigers excel in the paint but flounder defending the deep ball
Against Vanderbilt, the Vols relied heavily on points in the paint (and 15 made free throws) to secure the win over the Commodores. Against Missouri, they won't be able to have the same offensive game plan.
The Tigers rank in the top 99th percentile for opponents' percentage of points in the paint at just 33.9 percent (virtually shutting down two-thirds of attempts near the basket). However, the 'Dores struggle to cover shots from beyond the arc.
In other words, the Volunteers are going to have to pull a 180 when it comes to their number of attempts and accuracy from beyond the arc.
Missouri only ranks in the 14th percentile for opponents' three-point attempts per game, and in the 15th percentile for opponents' three-point percentage so far this season.
Meanwhile, including the poor showing against Vanderbilt, the Vols average nearly 35 percent from beyond the arc, setting up Tennessee for success in its 15th conference matchup of the season.
Ament and Gillespie will undeniably be the centerpieces of Tennessee's offense as the team's greatest three-point contributors. However, other players like guard Bishop Boswell and forward Felix Okpara have to be ready to contribute from deep as well.