Tennessee rolls past Alabama State

Tennessee rolls past Alabama State.

KNOXVILLE — The Tennessee men’s basketball team extended their Division I-leading home winning streak to 29 games after defeating the Alabama State Hornets on Wednesday night, 76-41.

The Hornets jumped out to a three point lead on the opening possession, but the Vols answered back and tied the score just one minute into the game; UT took the lead on their next possession and held it for the rest of the game. Their largest lead of 37 came at the 1:01 mark of the second half after a late-game surge, and Alabama State managed to sink a couple of free throws in the final minute to clinch the ending score.

Tennessee was led by Jordan Bowden, who notched 16 points to pace the Vols, while adding a couple of rebounds and an assist. Three other starters also posted double-digit points, with Lamonte Turner adding 13 of his own along with six dimes, Yves Pons adding 11 with five rebounds, and John Fulkerson scoring 10 points with three rebounds in support. Guard Josiah-Jordan James pulled down 13 boards and dished out five assists.

The Vols hit 46 percent of their shots from the field, though that includes a sub-par 29 percent mark from beyond the arc. They only shot 64 percent from the charity stripe on 25 attempts, which could stand for some improvement. Tennessee’s 12 turnovers to ASU’s 19 is a respectable margin, and the team total of eight blocks is encouraging.

The Vols’ next game is on November 25 against the Chattanooga Mocs at Thompson-Boling Arena. Tip-off is schedule for 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcasted on SEC Network+.