In a 72-67 victory over Missouri, No. 5 Tennessee staged a 21-5 surge during the final stretch of the game, extending the Tigers’ losing streak to 13. The contest, held at Mizzou Arena on Tuesday, saw MU initially keeping pace with the Volunteers until UT began to assert dominance in the closing quarter. Junior forward Jones Aidoo initiated Tennessee’s decisive run with a second-chance layup, narrowing Missouri’s lead to 49-48 with 11:03 remaining. Fifth-year senior guard Dalton Knecht then shouldered the offensive burden for the Volunteers, notching 10 consecutive points.
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Photo Cred: Rocky Top
Knecht’s layup granted Tennessee its first lead of the half, followed swiftly by a three-pointer from Jordan Gainey, assisted by Knecht, extending the lead to 53-49. Nine minutes from the final buzzer, Knecht capitalized on a timeout from Missouri, sinking a jumper. His subsequent three-pointer, assisted by Aidoo, widened Tennessee’s advantage to 58-52. Knecht furthered the lead by assisting sophomore forward Tobe Awaka for a layup, stretching the lead to 60-52 with 7:51 left.
“We knew he (Knecht) was going to make some shots,” remarked Missouri head coach Dennis Gates. “We started to get discouraged when he got hot.”
Knecht concluded the game with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and two assists, prompting praise from Gates, who advocated for Knecht as SEC Player of the Year.
“He (Knecht) has my vote,” Gates affirmed. “To see a player who means that much to his team and be that explosive like he was tonight is very impressive.”
Photo Cred: KCTV
Under coach Rick Barnes, Tennessee maintained and expanded its lead. Gainey’s assist led to a three-pointer from junior guard Zakai Zeigler, pushing Tennessee’s lead to 63-54. Awaka then contributed four consecutive points, hitting free throws and a dunk off an assist from Zeigler, extending the lead to 67-54 with 4:03 left. Apart from Knecht, three other Tennessee players reached double digits.
Awaka secured a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, Aidoo amassed 14 points and four rebounds, while Zeigler contributed 10 points and led in assists with three. Sean East II and Noah Carter combined for 44 of Missouri’s 67 points. East led with 24 points, shooting 3-6 (50%) from beyond the arc. Carter contributed 20 points, with 13 in the second half, including a crucial three-pointer during Knecht’s run, reducing Missouri’s deficit to 53-52.
