Field Level Media
Feb 13, 2018
Sophomore forward Grant Williams scored 22 points to help No. 18 Tennessee record a 70-67 victory over South Carolina on Tuesday in Southeastern Conference play at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn.
Sophomore guard Jordan Bowden made four 3-pointers while scoring 14 points for the Volunteers (19-6, 9-4), who won for the seventh time in their past eight games. Junior forward Admiral Schofield added 13 points as Tennessee improved to 11-2 at home.
Senior guard Frank Booker scored 19 points for South Carolina (13-13, 4-9), which lost its sixth consecutive contest. Junior guard Hassani Gravett and junior forward Chris Silva added 12 points apiece.
Gamecocks freshman forward Justin Minaya missed a potential tying 3-point attempt as time expired.
Tennessee shot 48 percent from the field. South Carolina shot 44 percent.
Bowden and Turner drained 3-pointers during a 10-0 burst that saw the Volunteers take a 58-45 lead with 10:01 remaining.
South Carolina used a 10-0 burst a short time later to pull with 61-57 on Gravett's 10-foot jumper with 7:03 to play. The Gamecocks were again within four after Booker's jumper with 5:35 to play before Williams converted a layup and senior guard James Daniel III drained a 3-pointer to give Tennessee a 68-59 advantage with 3:43 left.
South Carolina responded with eight straight points as Booker's layup trimmed the deficit to 68-67 with 36.8 seconds remaining.
Williams connected on a short jumper to give Tennessee a three-point edge with 11 seconds left.
Bowden scored 11 first-half points to help Tennessee take a 38-34 lead into the break.
South Carolina led 17-16 before going 5:17 without a point. The Volunteers rattled off 11 straight during the drought to open up a 10-point lead before Minaya drained a 3-pointer with 5:56 remaining to end the scoreless stretch.
Tennessee again led by 10 after a basket by freshman forward John Fulkerson with 4:27 left before South Carolina finished strong to trail by four at halftime.
Sophomore guard Evan Hinson hit back-to-back baskets early in the second half as the Gamecocks knotted the score at 40 with 18:29 to play.
--Field Level Media