National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Tennessee 87, Virginia 52
When: 7:00 PM ET, Monday, December 30, 2013
Where: Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, Tennessee
Officials: # Rob Groover, # Doug Sirmons, # Brian Shey
Attendance: 16142


Tennessee 87, Virginia 52: Josh Richardson scored 15 of his 20 points in the first half and the host Volunteers used hot shooting in the opening minutes to beat the Cavaliers.

Tennessee (8-4) hit 57.7 percent of its shots from the field in the opening half, including 8-of-11 beyond the arc, in building a 48-26 halftime advantage. Jordan McRae led the Volunteers with 21 points, Jarnell Stokes added 20 points and Antonio Barton scored 14 points, hitting three 3-pointers in the first half.

Justin Anderson scored 11 points for Virginia (9-4), which came in second in the nation in scoring defense at 54.2 points. The Cavaliers finished 2-for-12 from beyond the arc and shot 32.7 percent overall.

Tennessee broke open the game early, riding a 21-6 run to a 27-10 lead midway through the opening period. The Volunteers hit five 3-pointers in a four-minute span during the spurt, including three from Richardson, to build the 17-point advantage.

Virginia converted only one field goal over nearly seven minutes as the Volunteers poured it on, extending the lead to 39-15 on Barton’s second 3-pointer with 4:36 left in the half. Barton closed the half with another 3-pointer, and Tennessee led by as many as 37 points in the second half while finishing 11-for-18 from 3-point range.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Volunteers were held to 38 points in last year’s eight-point loss to the Cavaliers, but surpassed that mark on Barton’s second 3-pointer. … Virginia is winless in Knoxville in three tries. … Richardson, who cracked double figures in scoring in three of Tennessee’s first 10 games, has 39 points in his past two outings.

Top Game Performances
 
Virginia   Tennessee
Justin Anderson 11 Scoring Jordan McRae 21
Justin Anderson 2 Assists Jordan McRae 5
Akil Mitchell 9 Rebounds Derek Reese 9
Evan Nolte 4 Free Throws Made Jarnell Stokes 12
London Perrantes 2 Steals Jeronne Maymon 2
Justin Anderson 2 Blocks Josh Richardson 2
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Virginia 52 32.7 2-12 14-17 8 32 5 2 12
Tennessee 87 50.0 11-18 22-25 18 34 3 7 6