KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Battle 4 Atlantis will continue for the Vols tomorrow following a dominant second-half effort that propelled them over Butler 71-45.
Josiah-Jordan James was on the bench due to his knee, causing the team some precious time in the first half as they got their footing without him.
Tennessee only gained their first lead of the night with less than 90 seconds left in the half. A 10-0 run to close out the first gave the Vols a five-point lead at the break.
Zakai Zeigler’s three at the first-half buzzer gave the Vols the energy boast they needed, going on a 7-0 run followed by a 17-1 run to kick off the second.
Santiago Vescovi hit his 200th three of his career in route to finishing with a team-high 13 points.
Prior to the matchup associate head coach Justin Gainey noted that freshman Julian Phillips was getting his footing with Tennessee, and his play against the Bulldogs proved it. Phillips’s confidence on the court led him to 11 points.
The Vols will battle USC in the semifinals tomorrow at 1:30 p.m.
