The full court press -- Tennessee beat Maryland 56-53
BROOKLYN, NY — Coaches like to say defense travels and for Rick Barnes’ Tennessee Vols a clamped down defensive effort in the first half was the difference in the 7th ranked Vols 56-53 win over 13th ranked Maryland.
No one will call it beautiful basketball, but come March they will call it a quality win as Tennessee building a 21 point first half lead survived a 12-0 Maryland run, a game tying three point attempt with 11 seconds left and a three point shot at the buzzer to get the win.
The Vols (9-1) got 12 points from Zakai Zeigler and nine points from Tyreke Key. Santiago Vescovi returned from his shoulder injury to score seven points and Olivier Nkamhoua scored eight of his own. Freshman power forward Tobe Awaka had career-highs with seven points rebounds in 17 minutes.
Vols play shorthanded again with two players out
Sophomore center Jonas Aidoo and senior wing Josiah-Jordan James did not play Sunday. Aidoo was out with flu-like symptoms and James missed his fifth game of the season due to knee soreness.
Aidoo, who did not practice with the Vols Saturday in Brooklyn, averages 4.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in 16.8 minutes per game off the bench. The 6-foot-11, 241-pound Aidoo has scored at least five points and grabbed at least four boards in each of his last five games, while also serving as the rim protector at the back of the defense.
He played 13 minutes off the bench on Wednesday against Eastern Kentucky, after playing 21 a week ago against Alcorn State. He averaged 24.3 minutes per game during Tennessee’s three-game run to the Battle 4 Atlantis championship two weeks ago.
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James returned last Sunday against Alcorn State, after missing four straight games, and played 14 minutes off the bench. He played 17 minutes off the bench against Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday.
Up Next: No. 7 Tennessee at No. 10 Arizona, Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Tennessee does not have a midweek game this week with finals being held on campus. The Vols are back on the road Saturday, playing at No. 10 Arizona
The Vols beat Arizona 77-73 last December at Thompson-Boling Arena in the first game of the two-year, home-and-home between the two schools. The Wildcats are off to an 8-1 start this season, with their only loss coming at Utah on December 1, 81-66.
Tennessee returns home to host Austin Peay on December 21, the final game before the Christmas break.
