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Live Updates: Tennessee vs. Lithuania U21 in second exhibition game in Italy

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•08/05/23•

GrantRamey

Santiago Vescovi Tennessee basketball
Santiago Vescovi warms up before facing Lithuania in Italy (Tennessee Athletics)

Almost as quickly as Tobe Awaka had checked in Friday in Italy, Tennessee’s sophomore power forward had already grabbed a rebound and scored in the paint. Later in the second half of the 97-57 exhibition win over the Lithuanian U21 national team, Awaka entered full Awaka mode. 

On the defensive end, he blocked a shot and dove for the loose ball, saving it before it went out of bounds. After his Tennessee teammates ran the fast break, it was Awaka who was trailing the play, grabbed an offensive rebound and scored again, getting fouled in the process.

Awaka stayed busy during his 18 minutes on the floor, scoring 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting and grabbing a team-high 14 rebounds. He had eight offensive rebounds and six on the defensive glass.

He’ll get another shot at the same Lithuania team Saturday (1 p.m. Eastern Time; Live stream: FloHoops) as Tennessee’s 10-day tour through Italy continues. After the second game in Florence, the Vols will train to Rome where they’ll face A.S. Stella Azzurra on Monday. 

Follow along with all of the in-game updates from Saturday’s exhibition game on The General’s Quarters

Tobe Awaka was one of six Vols in double-figures in Friday’s win

After Friday’s game, junior wing Jahmai Mashack was asked who he thought was the game’s MVP. It didn’t take much thought before he settled on Awaka.

“Man, Tobe,” Mashack said. “I definitely give it to Tobe. He did a lot of stuff that doesn’t always show up on the box score. But rebounds, hustle points. I think the way he runs the floor, the way he talks to his teammates. I think that’s very important.”

Awaka in Italy was simply picking up where he left off earlier this summer in Hungary.

While playing for Team USA in the FIBA U19 World Cup, Awaka averaged a double-double with 11.6 points and 10.6 rebounds despite playing just 20.7 minutes per game. He led all players in rebounding average and offensive rebounding.

Up Next: Tennessee vs. Lithuania U21, Saturday, 1 p.m. ET, FloHoops

The 6-foot-8, 250-pound power forward from Hyde Park, N.Y., averaged 3.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game off the bench as a freshman at Tennessee last season. He showed off a knack for rebounding in his 350 minutes played, grabbing 128 boards, including 59 offensive rebounds.

“He’s got a great knack for (rebounding),” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said last week. “… It’s what he does. It’s a talent and it’s something that is God given because he goes and gets it.  

“You’re guarding him, anybody and everybody that has played against him will tell you that when that shot goes up, you gotta keep him off the glass and he would tell you. I pick at him about it (and he says) ‘Well, they can talk about it, but they aren’t going to get it.’ 

“He keeps that mindset, he’ll be fine.”

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