SEC Liveblog: Tennessee-South Carolina

From Georgia Dome:

• Tennessee survives with 89-87 win over South Carolina.
  
  • Chris Lofton hit the winning shot, a three from the top of the key. How clutch is that, considering Lofton was 1-of-9 from three-point range before he flat-out drained the shot. The senior ended up with just 10 points, but made the biggest three.
  • The Vols shot 56.5 percent for the game.
  • South Carolina shot 44.8 percent.
  • Tyler Smith scored 13 points in the second half for UT.
  • Downey, who missed a three after Lofton's three, ended up with 26 for South Carolina.
  • Zan Fredrick finished with 24.
  • It was the final game for Carolina coach Dave Odom, who is retiring April 1.

• Vols holding on, holding on 82-78 with 3:15 remaining.
  • Lofton is 1-of-9 from three-point range for Tennessee.
  • Tyler Smith has finally got it going. The super soph has nine points, and has scored Tennessee's last seven He had no points in the first half.
  • Downey (23) and Fredrick (24) have combined for 47 of South Carolinas's points.
  • Carolina has turned it over only eight times.

• Tennessee in front 74-69 with 7:24 remaining.
  
  • Tyler Smith scored his first points at the 10:29 mark.
  • Vols have gained a little bit of separation, going up 68-62, at one point.
  • The Vols are shooting 54.5 percent for the game.
  • UT reserve center Brian Williams has come off the bench for nine points. He's 4-of-4 from the floor.

• Tennessee clinging to a 60-59 lead with 11:44 remaining.
  
  • Tennessee had collected nine team fouls this half before South Carolina was whistled for its second.
  • Chism has 20 points for the Vols, but UT has made just four of 17 three-point shots. Lofton is 1-of-7 from beyond the arc.
  • Fredrick has 21 for the Gamecocks.
  • Carolina led by as many as three, 53-50.

• Tennessee leads 50-47 with 15:52 left.
  • Vols' JaJuan Smith was just called for a technical foul after pushing down Carolina's Evaldas Baniulis after Smith had scored on a fast break.
  • Tennessee fans here, and there are quite a few, were not happy with that call, or with an ensuing foul call on the Vols.
  • The score was tied at 46-46.

• Seen at halftime
  • Bill Freider and Sonny Smith talking in the hallway. Gene Bartow is in the stands.

• Tennessee leads South Carolina 41-40 at the half.
  • Carolina actually took a one-point lead at 40-39.
  • Tennessee's Wayne Chism threw up a halfcourt shot at the buzzer, that hit the top of the board, lodged between the top and the bottom of the shot clock, then fell down through the basket. Didn't count, though.
  • Zam Fredrick has been out of his mind the first half, scoring 18 points for the Gamecocks. Fredrick has hit 4-of-7 threes, and is a perfect six-of-six from the line.
  • After a hot shooting start, Tennessee ended the half shooting just 44.4 percent.
  • Chism leads the Vols with 15 points.

• Vols up 37-32 with 3:45 left in first half.
  • Zam Fredrick and Devan Downey are keeping Carolina in it. Fredrick has 14 points. He's hit four three-pointers. Downey has 10 points.
  • Lofton has  hit back-to-back field goals for UT, both twos.

• Tennessee up 26-20 with 7:56 left in first half.
  
  • UT sub center Brian Williams committed an offensive goal-tending by putting his hand up through the basket and knocking out a shot by teammate Tyler Smith.
  • Chris Lofton is 0-for-3 from the field.
  • Tennessee is shooting 47.6 percent. Carolina is shooting 32 percent.

• Tennessee lead 19-14 with 11:11 left in first half.
  • Most entertaining thing so far has been watching South Carolina try to get the ball in-bounds. A couple of times, with ball under their own basket, the Gamecocks have been forced to throw the ball long into the backcourt, where the USC player had to make a leaping, contested grab.
  • After falling behind 9-0, Carolina has played the Vols more than even.
  • Tennessee is shooting 57.1 percent.

• Tennessee up 10-2 with 15:58 left in first half.
  • JaJuan Smith leads the Vols with five points.
  • Chris Lofton has missed his first two shots.
  • UT led 9-0 early.

Comments

[TG]

I've never seen a team get to the bonus quicker. Eight team fouls on Tennessee before the first commercial break. Wow.

[Dustin]

Tennessee apparently can get away with murder, as long as they do it in the last few seconds with a lead.