Bowden, Turner Cross 1,000-point Mark as No. 20 Tennessee routs Alabama State
Jordan Bowden and Lamonte Turner both remember what it was like when they were young freshman attempting to find their niche.
They’ll probably remember the feeling they both had on Wednesday even more.
Bowden scored 16 points, Turner added 13 points and six assists and Yves Pons tallied 11 points as 20th-ranked Tennessee (4-0) throttled winless Alabama State (0-4) 76-41 at Thompson-Boling Arena.
John Fulkerson added 10 points and Josiah-Jordan James had 13 rebounds and five assists for the Vols, who have now won four straight, including 29 consecutive at home going back over the last two seasons.
That was the last thing that head coach Rick Barnes was focused on following the game, however. It was the moments that Bowden and Turner shared that got UT’s leading man talking.
“Their (Bowden and Turner’s) growth has been amazing, both of them are really hard-working,” Barnes said. “They’re the kind of people that you want to be around every day.”
While it certainly hit its fair share of rough patches throughout, Tennessee had plenty of reason to celebrate despite going against an opponent that had yet to record a victory on the season.
You can thank Bowden and Turner for that.
Notching 12 of his points in the first half, Bowden knocked down three 3-pointers over the course of the opening 20 minutes as the Vols struggled to find an offensive rhythm.
It was his pullup jumper at the free throw line with 5:53 left, however, that pushed him into quadruple figures for his career. Fellow Knoxville native Drew Pember basked in the glory for his teammates, calling them the “best backcourt in the country.”
“Those guys work so hard and going against them in practice helps us a lot,” Pember said. “They’re going down in history at Tennessee and being teammates with those guys, I’m a part of that.”
Part of that experience included watching Bowden set the tone in the first half, but for Turner, the honor would not come as quick.
While he eclipsed the double figure mark in the first half, the Florence, Alabama native missed six consecutive shots following his three from the corner at the end of the opening half.
He would not let that deter his confidence, though.
Slowing down the pace to start the second half, Turner found himself in a zone, but tot the type of zones he’s experienced in the past. Not the type that includes a high volume of shots.
Using a cerebral approach the veteran guard could sense the moment with just under 12 minutes remaining. Sneaking under the basket and using his body as a shield, Turner softly laid the ball through the net as the crowd erupted.
He had done it. The first player that was recruited by Barnes when he arrived at Tennessee, the former IMG Academy star had reached an echelon that few players across the country get the chance to get to.
“Lamonte was really the first player we recruited as a staff coming in,” Barnes said. “His development not only as a player but watching him grow as a human being is something that we’re all very proud of.”
The praise didn’t stop there.
Barnes, who helped develop Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield into NBA Draft picks, went on to state that not only were both Bowden and Turner important to Tennessee’s newly-established culture, but that they were as important as the four starters that departed following last season.
If you’re in either of their positions, it’s hard to ask for more.
“Jordan has been a mainstay from the time he came in. He got pushed in there and he’s had to play different roles,” Barnes said. “Those guys have been as big of a part of the success we’ve had over the last couple years as the guys that we lost.”
Tennessee will remain home for a matchup with Chattanooga on Nov. 25. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.
