KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Tennessee defense forced 24 turnovers and held McNeese to 28.6 percent from the field in Wednesday’s 76-40 victory at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Vols jumped out to a 7-2 lead when Jonas Aidoo took a pass from Olivier Nkamhoua on the block and slammed it home with two hands and Tennessee never looked back.
Santiago Vescovi led the Vols with 16 points, highlighted by his acrobatic finish at the basket just before the end of the first half. Vescovi took the ball up and under the rim for a reverse to finish a fast break and give Tennessee a 29-12 lead with :48 seconds remaining in the first half.
Nkamhoua continued his solid play finishing with 11 points on 5-8 shooting, while freshman Julian Phillips continues to develop finishing the game with 12 points.
The win over the Cowboys is the fifth straight for Rick Barnes and the Vols, who get back on the court on Sunday when they take on Alcorn State at Thompson-Boling Arena at 6 p.m.
