Where Dalton Knecht's 103 points over three games stands in Tennessee basketball history

Of all the jaw-dropping moments for Dalton Knecht through the first 17 games of Tennessee’s basketball season, this one was different. A stretch of seven minutes, five seconds Tuesday night in which the transfer wing torched Florida for 20 points.

Knecht nearly singlehandedly — he scored 20 of Tennessee’s final 22 points of the first half during the run — put the Gators away, turning a nine-point lead into a 17-point lead just before the break.

“That was pretty impressive,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said after the sixth-ranked Vols beat Florida 85-66 at Thompson-Boling Arena.  “I thought his teammates started feeling it, too, that they knew that (Knecht) was in a little bit of, obviously, a good rhythm, a good place, and them trying to really get him the ball.”

Knecht finished with a season-high 39 points, going 13-for-23 from the field, 4-for-6 from the 3-point line and 9-for-9 at the foul line. He had 22 in the first half on 9-for-10 shooting then went for 17 more after halftime. 

After scoring 28 at Mississippi State on Wednesday and 36 at Georgia on Saturday, Knecht now holds a new Tennessee basketball three-game scoring record, with 103 points. Chris Lofton held the previous mark with 89.

Knecht, who is now averaging 18.5 points per game while shooting 48.6% from the floor and 41.7% from the 3-point line, also added his name to another long line of firsts after going off against Florida.

Here’s the full list from Tennessee’s sports information department:

— Knecht’s 14 consecutive points in the first half is tied for the fifth-longest stretch in program history. It’s just the 10th time in program history a player has scored 14 straight points.

— The last player Rick Barnes coached who had 35-plus points three times in a single season was Kevin Durant, who did so four times during his one-and-done season in 2006-07.

— Knecht’s 103 points over his last three games matches the most Durant had in a three-game stretch. Durant also scored 103 over three games (Jan. 27-Feb. 3, 2007).

— According to Jared Berson, the last SEC player with consecutive 35-point games was, based off available data, likely LSU’s Shaquille O’Neal nearly 33 years ago, on Feb. 17 and Feb. 20, 1991.

— Knecht has scored 101 points in his last 100 minutes — five halves — of basketball, with just two of the 103 points coming in the first half at Mississippi State.

— Knecht has scored 16-plus points in four straight halves, dating back to the second half at Mississippi State. He has scored 20 or more in three of those four halves.

— Tennessee has a total of seven 35-point games by four different players in the last 17 seasons (2007-24). Knecht now has three of them, including half of the six in regulation.

— The only Tennessee player with 30-plus points three times in one season in at least the last 19 years (2005-24) is Kevin Punter Jr., who did so in 2015-16, the first season under Barnes. Punter scored 35 or more once.

— According to ESPN Stats & Info, the last Tennessee player with back-to-back 35-point games was Allan Houston (Dec. 22, 1990 … 37 at Oregon State; Dec. 27, 1990 … 36 at Wichita State in Honolulu).

— The last Tennessee player to score 30 or more points in back-to-back games was Chris Lofton (Dec. 6, 2006 … 34 vs. Memphis; Dec. 16, 2006 … 32 vs. Western Kentucky).

— Lofton is also the last Tennessee player with 30 or more in two straight SEC games (31 vs. Kentucky, 33 vs. Georgia, Feb. 2006).

— Knecht’s 39 points vs. Florida is tied for the 16th-most in a game in program history. It was the 19th time a Tennessee player scored 39 in a game.

— Knecht is now one of six players in Tennessee history with at least three 35-point games, joining Bernard King (11), Ernie Grunfeld (eight), Allan Houston (six), Tony White (four) and Dale Ellis (three).

— Only five Tennessee player have three games with 36 or more points: Bernard King (10), Ernie Grunfeld (eight), Allan Houston (six), Dalton Knecht (three) and Tony White (three).

— Only four other Tennessee players — six instances — have scored 35 or more points in back-to-back games: Allan Houston in Dec. 1990 and Feb. 1990, Bernard King in Feb./March 1977, Ernie Grunfeld in March 1976 and Dec. 1977, and Ron Widby in March 1967.

— Knecht, Allan Houston (Feb. 1990), Bernard King and Ron Widby are the only four Tennessee players with back-to-back 35-point games in SEC play. Houston, King and Knecht are the only ones to score 36-plus in both games.

— The only other Tennessee players to record 35 or more points multiple times in SEC play in the same season are Knecht, Allan Houston (1989-90), Tony White (1986-87), Bernard King (three times in 1976-77), Ernie Grunfeld (1975-76) and Ron Widby (1966-67).