Tennessee defeats Texas 85-71 to notch first SEC win of the season

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I honestly don’t know where this team would be without Ja’Kobi Gillespie. Nowhere near where they’re at right now, to be sure.

Gillespie had a massive game in the Tennessee Vols’ home opener against Texas, carrying the former to an 85-71 win at the Food City Center on Tuesday night. He totaled 34 points on 12-18 shooting and 5-8 from three to go along with 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Tennessee got three other players in double figures in DeWayne Brown II (10 points), JP Estrella (11) and Jaylen Carey (10).

The first half started in a relative tight fashion. Tennessee jumped out to an 11-5 lead and the game was tight early at 21-17. That’s when Gillespie started to heat up and gave the Vols some space they’d carry for the rest of the game. With the Vols up 16-14, he scored all of Tennessee’s next seven opponents and dished it to Brown for a dunk and a 25-17 lead. Shortly before half, Gillespie knocked down back to back long threes for a 44-28 lead. Tennessee would carry a 48-33 lead into the locker room.

Tennessee ballooned the lead up to 56-33 early in the second half after another Gillespie-to-Brown connection for two. But Tennessee went cold on the offensive end, scoring 5 points over the next 7 minutes. Texas went on their own run to cut the lead to 61-51 with around 10 minutes left.

However, an alley-oop to Felix Okpara from Gillespie, a pair of Gillespie free throws, and a Nate Ament and-one built the lead back up to 16 again and averted danger. The Longhorns wouldn’t get closer than 12 points the rest of the game.

Up next for Tennessee is a big one on Saturday. The Vols travel to Gainesville to take on the defending national champion Florida Gators, who knocked off No. 18 Georgia 92-77 on Tuesday night.

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