Well, it was anything but boring…

Chris Lofton hit a 3-point basket with 12 seconds remaining in the game to barely defeat the South Carolina Gamecocks 87-89 in the quarterfinals of the SEC Basketball Tournament this afternoon at the Georgia Dome. The Vols were sluggish throughout the game, despite the fact that four Vols scored in double figures. Wayne Chism led the Vols with 23 points, followed by JaJuan Smith with 19, Tyler Smith with 13, and Chris Lofton with 10.  After shooting only 44% from the field in the first-half, the Vols led by a point at the break.  During the second-half, the Vols managed to pour on some steam, shooting 73%, en route to the victory.

To their credit, the Gamecocks fought hard down to the wire, and if they had been able to hit free throws consistently, probably would have defeated the Vols. Thus, Tennessee advances to the semifinals to face the winner of the Arkansas / Vanderbilt game.

Though it was ultimately Chris Lofton who hit the clutch shot to win the game, it was Wanye Chism who had the greatest impact on turning the tide to help the Vols notch their 29th win of the season. Hopefully, Tennessee will manage to calm themselves and re-focus before their game tomorrow, and the possibility of earning their 30th win.

– Go Figure …

About the Author:  "Lawvol" -- I'm just a guy living in North Carolina who has an unnatural fascination with the color orange. Just because I'm a Tennessee alum and die-hard Volunteer fan doesn't mean that I can't poke a little fun at the Big Orange and anybody else for that matter. Feel free to complain all you want. >> Read more from this author

Allegedy Related Posts (Computer Generated):

• BasketVols: The Joy of Disappointment (7)
• BasketVols Fall in SEC Tournament (2)
• A Small Apology to the Lady Vols … (3)

2 Responses to “Whew! The BasketVols Somehow Hang on to Beat the Gamecocks”