CLEMSON, S.C. — Tennessee capped off its preseason with a thrilling, 71-67 victory over Clemson at Littlejohn Coliseum on Sunday afternoon.
Clemson used a 15-4 run in the final minutes of the game to pull within two, but a basket by Admiral Schofield—who fielded a perfect outlet pass from a poised James Daniel III, who was surrounded by multiple defenders after receiving the in-bounds pass—with five seconds left sealed the game for the Volunteers.
Grant Williams led UT with 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting to go along with seven rebounds. Lamonte Turner turned in an impressive all-around performance with 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals. Junior forward Kyle Alexander pitched in with eight points, six rebounds, one block and a steal.
Marcquise Reed fueled Clemson’s offense with 25 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field, including 16 points in the second half.
Tennessee’s defense was locked in early on, holding the Tigers without a field goal until 11:49 remaining in the first half. During that stretch, UT jumped out to a 14-2 lead. Clemson would fight back, though, holding the Vols to six minutes without a basket during one stretch.
Tied at 23-23, sophomore point guard Jordan Bone stole the ball and sped the length of the court to snap the drought with a transition dunk.
Williams fueled Tennessee’s offense in the opening half, dropping 12 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting from the field.
The Vols held a 28-25 advantage going into intermission.
Tennessee shot .426 as a team, including a .375 clip from 3-point range (9-for-24). The Vols recorded 15 assists on 26 made field goals and out-rebounded the Tigers 41-36.
WITH THE WIN: Tennessee earned its first exhibition victory against an ACC team in school history and extended its winning streak in preseason play to 14 games.
HURRICANE RELIEF: The NCAA approved a waiver enabling Clemson to host Sunday’s charity exhibition game, with net proceeds going toward the Salvation Army’s hurricane relief efforts in Texas and Florida.
UP NEXT: Tennessee opens the regular season Friday, Nov. 10, at home against Presbyterian at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed online and viewable worldwide through SEC Network+ (WatchESPN).
-UT Athletics
