Boy did Tennessee provided a booster shot to ailing SEC basketball over the weekend. Under new coach Bruce Pearl, the Volunteers rode into Austin on Saturday and toppled sixth-ranked Texas 95-78. The Buzz days may be over.
True, the triumph as a bit deceiving. Texas was without 6-foot-8 center Brad Buckman, out with injuries. Then star point guard Daniel Gibson suffered a concussion with 10:26 to go in the first half. The sophomore did not return, logging just nine minutes on the floor. And Texas played as if its head was still hanging from the blowout loss to top-ranked Duke the week before.
Yet Tennessee led 26-10 at the time of Gibson’s injury. The Vols led by as many as 24 in the second half. When Texas sliced the lead to 11 with 2:47 remaining, Tennessee scored the next eight points.
Ex-Mason County star Chris Lofton (above) popped in a game-high 21 points. He buried five of nine three-pointers. C.J. Watson added 17. And Major Wingate, too often a wimp around the basket, took it up strong for 12 points.
After leading Wisconsin-Milwaukee to the NCAA Sweet 16 last year, Pearl has the Vols 6-0. They travel to Oklahoma City to play Oklahoma State on Thursday.
Through six games, Lofton is averaging 17.8 points per game. He’s made 47.1 percent of his threes (24-of-51). He also has 15 steals.
