No. 11 Tennessee basketball wallops No. 2 Gonzaga 99-80 in exhibition
FRISCO, Texas — Tyreke Key handed the ball off to Uros Plavsic — and he was gone and so was Tennessee basketball.
The Vols guard rolled toward the rim, gathered a well-lobbed pass from Plavsic and banked it in as Gonzaga’s Hunter Sallis tried to draw a foul. It was the play in a run of plays amid one of Tennessee's many blistering runs in its stellar opening act — even though none of it counted.
The No. 11 Vols walloped No. 2 Gonzaga 99-80 in an exhibition at Comerica Center on Friday.
Key led the Vols with 26 points, shooting 8-for-11 from the field and 4-for-6 from 3-point range. Plavsic had 13 points on 6-for-6 shooting.
Five-star freshman Julian Phillips didn't score in the first half but had 12 second-half points. He got rolling from 3-point range late in the second half as Tennessee's lead grew to 19 and beyond.
The Vols held Gonzaga to 10 points in the final 7:42 after the game was largely played within a two-possession window throughout the first 25 minutes.
Tyreke Key is ready for a major role
Key was the first player off the bench for the Vols when Phillips picked up two early fouls. The Indiana State transfer took no time in showing the important role he will have for the Vols this season. Key hit three first-half 3-pointers and had a game-high 16 points at halftime. He hit all three 3-pointers in a 1:17 span.
He didn't miss a beat in the second half, showing his offensive savvy in getting to where he wanted to on the floor.
The offenses were in midseason form early, then Tennessee's defense arrived
Zakai Zeigler hit a 3-pointer a minute into the game and the offenses were rolling. The Vols made their first three 3-pointers on their way to eight first-half threes.
UT and Gonzaga combined for 104 first-half points and shot 57% and 59%, respectively. The teams hit 13-for-23 from three in the first half. Key led the way, and Jonas Aidoo stepped out and hit an early 3-pointer.
But Tennessee clamped down on the Bulldogs in the final 10 minutes, running away after trailing 67-65 with 12:40 to play. UT had multiple high-scoring spurts while limiting Gonzaga to 28.6% shooting in the second half.
Josiah-Jordan James didn't play
Josiah-Jordan James did not play for the Vols as he continues to work back from an offseason knee procedure.
James and Barnes have stated they expect the 6-foot-6 guard will be ready for the regular season. Barnes said Friday that remains the hoped-for timeline.
James was named second-team All-SEC preseason in early October. He averaged a career-high 10.3 points and 6.0 rebounds as a junior. He shot 32.4% on 3-pointers and shot better late in the season. He entered the NBA Draft process but returned to UT.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: No. 11 Tennessee basketball wallops No. 2 Gonzaga 99-80 in exhibition
