KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 7 Tennessee men's hoops turned in another dominant defensive effort in Wednesday's victory against Eastern Kentucky inside Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Vols shot a bleak 23.5% from the field in the first half, but the UT defense held the Colonels to an even worse 20.7% and Tennessee found a rhythm in the second half to race past Eastern Kentucky in an 84-49 win.
"It's on the nights when you can't make shots, can you find a way to win the game," said Rick Barnes, the Tennessee head coach. "Halftime, I thought our players did a really good job of talking amongst themselves about executing what we know what we're supposed to do. At the start of the second half, they certainly did that."
UT standout freshman forward Julian Phillips recorded his first-career double-double in the decision, while graduate student guard Tyreke Key tallied a game-high 17 points. Key came out of halftime red-hot and recorded ten of the Vols' 12 points to start the second half.
Tennessee has won its last seven games following this victory. Next up, the Vols will battle Maryland in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Sunday afternoon in the Hall of Fame Invitational.
