KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Lamonte’ Turner and Jordan Bowden combined to score 40 points off the bench, and No. 3 Tennessee downed Arkansas, 106-87, on Tuesday night for its 11th consecutive victory.
The game was not as close as the final score indicated. The Volunteers had built a 30-point lead before the Razorbacks closed the gap a little late in the second half.
Turner scored 21 points and hit 6 of 8 shots. Bowden was 6-of-7 shooting and 5 of 6 from 3-point range en route to 19 points, and Tennessee’s bench outscored Arkansas’ 50-23.
Tennessee last won 11 straight in the 2007-08 season. Tennessee (15-1, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) is off to its fastest start since that 2007-08 campaign, when the Vols won 16 of their first 17.
Grant Williams scored 18 points for Tennessee and made all 14 of his free-throw attempts. Admiral Schofield scored all 17 of his points in the second half, and Kyle Alexander added 12 points.
Isaiah Joe scored 23 points, Mason Jones had 18, Reggie Chaney 11 and Daniel Gafford 10 for Arkansas (10-6, 1-3).
Arkansas’ five losses before Tuesday had been decided by a total of 19 points. The Razorbacks’ largest margin of defeat all season was six.
Yet they never had a chance in this one.
The game wasn’t even five minutes old when Tennessee started a 14-0 run for a 20-5 margin. Tennessee maintained a double-digit edge the rest of the way.
Tennessee built a 55-34 halftime advantage and led by 30 during the second half. Tennessee made 15 of 16 shots during one stretch midway through the game.
Foul trouble prevented Arkansas from ever having a chance. Gafford, the Razorbacks’ top scorer and rebounder, played just 20 minutes before fouling out with 4:33 left.
Reserve forward Gabe Osabuohien and starting guard Adrio Bailey also fouled out. Osabuohien got his five fouls in only 10 minutes of playing time.
The Vols continue to show they have the depth to thrive even when one of their top players isn’t contributing much.
Schofield entered the night averaging 17.7 points to rank second in the SEC, but he picked up two fouls in the first six minutes of the game and had a scoreless first half.
It didn’t matter.
Tennessee still led 55-34 at halftime. Schofield did score Tennessee’s first 14 points of the second half.
Arkansas visits Ole Miss on Saturday.
