CHAMPAIGN, Ill. —Top ranked Tennessee stays unbeaten and is now 10-0 after senior guard Jordan Gainey went coast-to-coast with a right-handed layup from the left aspect with simply over 5 seconds to play to beat Illinois 66-64 Saturday at State Farm Center.
Tennessee was stricken by foul bother all evening and it was the sixth man Gainey who got here to the rescue. He scored 18 second half factors in 18 minutes as level guard Zakai Zeigler sat many of the second half with 4 fouls.
Gainey was terrific within the second half going 6 of 10 from the ground together with 3-for-5 from the 3-point line. He added two assists whereas ending with a game-high 23 factors to steer Tennessee.
The win was Tennessee’s tenth straight to begin the season and it’s the very best begin for the Vols because the 1999-2000 season.
Up Next: No. 1 Tennessee vs. Western Carolina
Tennessee returns dwelling to host Western Carolina on Tuesday, the beginning of 4 straight dwelling video games, together with the beginning of SEC play January 4 in opposition to Arkansas at Food City Center.
Tuesday’s sport is a 7 p.m. Eastern Time begin on SEC Network+. The Vols then host Middle Tennessee State on December 23, a 7 p.m. ET begin on SEC Network, and shut the non-conference schedule in opposition to Norfolk State on December 31, a 3 p.m. ET begin on SEC Network+.
The Arkansas sport on Saturday, January 4 is a 1 p.m. ET begin on ESPN and marks the return of former Tennessee middle Jonas Aidoo, who transferred to Arkansas in the course of the spring to play for brand new Razorback head coach John Calipari.
