Instant Reaction: Tennessee survives rival Florida behind Fulkerson's second half dominance
Fortunes for Tennessee basketball have not been kind to the program as of late.
Following a blown 17-point second half lead on the road at Auburn, the Vols' chances at making a third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament have effectively been extinguished.
That didn't stop them from trying to change the narrative on Saturday.
Behind 22 points from John Fulkerson (16 in the second half) and 12 points, eight rebounds and six assists from Josiah-Jordan James, Tennessee was able to hang on at the end for a 63-58 win over its conference rival from Gainesville.
Some quick takeaways from the Vols' win:
James’ aggressiveness set the tone early
It’s been an up-and-down freshman season for the former five-star recruit, but James’ aggression in all facets of the game established a tone for Tennessee early on.
The Charleston, South Carolina native tallied 10 points, four rebounds and three assists through the opening 13 minutes of the first half, clearly having shaken off the struggles that have plagued him since he missed time with a groin injury.
Whether it was scoring or setting up plays for his teammates, James was the steadying force behind a Tennessee team that, until that point, had struggled to find an offensive rhythm over the past two weeks.
James would not continue to look for his shot in the second half, but was able to knock down a big free throw late to put the game out of reach.
No blown double-digit leads this time around...barely
Tennessee was up by 17 points with just over 14 minutes to play in the second half at Auburn. 14 turnovers later, and the Vols found themselves on the losing end of a winnable game.
Not this time around...but barely.
UT held a 15-point lead heading into the locker room and found itself up by as much as 19 in the early portions of the second half, but a 14-2 run by the Gators, including eight consecutive points, pulled Florida within striking distance.
The Vols' lead would shrink to as little as one point with 2:55 to play, but a last-ditch effort from Tennessee kept it in front.
Vols take advantage of a plethora of first half turnovers
The Vols built their reputation under Rick Barnes off of hard-nosed, gritty defense. That aspect finally made an appearance on Saturday.
By the halfway point of the first half, the Gators had already turned the ball over five times, and it didn’t take Tennessee long to begin taking advantage. UT scored 13 points off of 11 Florida turnovers during that span.
Halftime slowed down that trend.
Behind a newly-found sense of urgency, Florida committed just three giveaways to finish the game.
Tennessee would eclipse that total by turning the ball over five times down the stretch, but as time wound down, it appeared to be a case of too little, too late for the road team.
Fulkerson’s second half dominance carries UT across the finish line
It was a quiet first half for the Kingsport native, but that didn’t stop Fulkerson from ramping up the energy down the stretch.
Tennessee’s All-SEC hopeful’s energy was contagious, too...until the final five minutes. From that point on, it was all No. 10.
Fulkerson scored seven points in the final 6:11 of regulation, including hitting his first career 3-pointer with 2:24 left that pushed the Vols' lead to multiple possessions.
That wasn't the shot of the game, however.
His putback dunk with 46 seconds to play put the Vols up four and effectively sealed Fulkerson's spot on an All-SEC team.
The streak lives on…
Tennessee had not lost to Florida dating back to the 2016-17 season heading into Saturday's matchup, and that streak found a way to live on.
UT's last defeat at the hands of the Gators came on Jan. 7, 2017 in Gainesville, a 83-70 loss that saw Jordan Bowden and Admiral Schofield combine for 33 points in a hostile environment.
Tennessee will be back in action on Tuesday in Lexington as the Vols prepare for another showdown with No. 8 Kentucky.
