KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Vols took on Tennessee Tech in their season opener Monday night inside Food City Center.
It was a slow start for the Vols. They missed all three of their three-point attempts in the first five minutes of the game until Josiah Jordan James sunk one in from beyond the arc to put Tennessee up 7-3.
Zakai Zeigler entered the game seven minutes into the first half, and he played a total of 13 throughout the entire game.
Things started to pick up. Tennessee went on a 14-0 run with a little over five minutes in the first half to put them up 23-6. Transfer Daulton Knect led with 14 points before halftime, and UT went on another 15-2 run with 45 seconds left in the first.
The Vols made seven threes in the first half, and the score was 41-12 Tennessee going into the second. Zeigler scored for the first time since tearing his ACL back in February. He made an effortless three at the beginning of the second half to put Tennessee up 47-17.
With five minutes left in the game, Tennessee led by about 40 points. Head coach Rick Barnes was rotating players in and out and by the one-minute mark, walk-ons entered the game.
Knecht led with 17 points, and the Vols took home the win, with a final score of 80-42.
Next up, Tennessee takes on Wisconsin on Nov. 10. That game is set for 9 p.m.
