KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Kennedy Chandler and Justin Powell scored 15 points apiece to lead No. 13 Tennessee Volunteers to a 86-44 victory over Presbyterian Blue Hose on Tuesday night.
Chandler, a freshman guard, had seven assists and seven steals. Powell, a transfer from Auburn, came off the bench to hit all five of his 3-point attempts.
''Our guys were locked in,'' Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. ''We don't care who we're playing, we're always playing against ourselves.''
Victor Bailey added 14 points and Santiago Vescovi had 13 for the Volunteers (5-1).
Kobe Stewart and Winston Hill led Presbyterian (5-3) with nine points each.
Barnes was upset with his team's defense in last week's win over Tennessee Tech, especially from Chandler, considered one of the top point guards in the country.
''Our point guards were getting tagged a lot,'' Barnes said. ''Kennedy fought hard through some screens. We've seen how electrifying he can be on offense. Why not on defense? He understands he has to play harder than he ever played before. He can get out of his comfort zone.''
Powell, a 6-foot-6 marksman, is adjusting to his role and showing he can provide instant offense. He has been competing for playing time since he joined the Vols.
''My mindset is to always be ready,'' Powell said. ''Someone's gotta come off the bench. Why not me?
''(Fighting for minutes in practice) is great. I love it. I wasn't promised anything when I came here. I like to fight for my spot.''
Tennessee held Presbyterian scoreless for the final 4:53 of the first half. During that stretch, the Vols scored 17 straight points, leading 45-21 at the break. Tennessee went 9 for 14 (64.3%) on 3-pointers in the first half.
''We were mentally better (than against Tennessee Tech),'' Barnes said. ''We had a methodical game prep. We came back to play with a purpose.''
BIG PICTURE
Presbyterian: The Blue Hose arrived in Knoxville with their best record since they joined Division I in 2012. They hope playing a power like Tennessee will be beneficial down the road.
Tennessee: The Vols need Josiah-Jordan James to be healthy in time for the meat of their schedule. They have depth, but his versatility is a potent weapon. He missed his third straight game Tuesday with a finger ligament problem on his left hand. Barnes ruled out the possibility of surgery, saying James is ''on the mend.''
UP NEXT
Presbyterian: After its quick visit among the nation's elite in Knoxville, the Blue Hose return to Clinton, South Carolina, for a Friday night meeting with Bob Jones University.
Tennessee: The Vols have a couple tough tests on the near horizon. They play at Colorado on Saturday. On Dec. 7, they face Texas Tech in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.
---
More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25
Copyright 2025 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
1st Half
PRES
Blue Hose
21
TENN
Volunteers
45
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Winston Hill vs. Olivier Nkamhoua (Kennedy Chandler gains possession)
19:28
+3
Santiago Vescovi makes three point jump shot (Victor Bailey Jr. assists)
0-3
18:56
+2
Trevon Reddish makes two point layup (Winston Hill assists)
2-3
18:50
Victor Bailey Jr. turnover (bad pass)
18:25
Winston Hill turnover (bad pass) (Santiago Vescovi steals)
18:16
+3
Kennedy Chandler makes three point jump shot (Santiago Vescovi assists)
2-6
17:59
Olivier Nkamhoua blocks Winston Hill's two point layup
17:57
Winston Hill offensive rebound
17:55
Winston Hill turnover (lost ball) (Kennedy Chandler steals)
17:50
Kennedy Chandler misses two point layup
17:48
Winston Hill defensive rebound
17:29
+2
Winston Hill makes two point pullup jump shot
4-6
17:04
Jump ball. Olivier Nkamhoua vs. Winston Hill (Winston Hill gains possession)
17:04
Olivier Nkamhoua turnover (lost ball) (Winston Hill steals)
16:46
+2
Brandon Younger makes two point pullup jump shot
6-6
16:18
+2
Santiago Vescovi makes two point reverse layup (Olivier Nkamhoua assists)
6-8
15:55
+2
Rayshon Harrison makes two point pullup jump shot
8-8
15:48
Zakai Zeigler turnover (bad pass) (Rayshon Harrison steals)
15:38
Rayshon Harrison misses three point jump shot
15:36
Trevon Reddish offensive rebound
15:33
Olivier Nkamhoua personal foul (Trevon Reddish draws the foul)
15:33
TV timeout
15:33
Trevon Reddish misses regular free throw 1 of 2
15:33
Trevon Reddish misses regular free throw 2 of 2
15:33
John Fulkerson defensive rebound
15:28
Victor Bailey Jr. misses three point jump shot
15:26
Trevon Reddish defensive rebound
15:03
Trevon Reddish misses two point jump shot
15:01
Olivier Nkamhoua defensive rebound
14:43
Santiago Vescovi misses three point jump shot
14:41
John Fulkerson offensive rebound
14:41
John Fulkerson misses two point tip shot
14:39
Terrell Ard Jr. defensive rebound
14:24
+2
Terrell Ard Jr. makes two point floating jump shot
10-8
14:13
+3
Victor Bailey Jr. makes three point jump shot (Santiago Vescovi assists)
10-11
13:52
Owen McCormack misses three point jump shot
13:50
Blue Hose offensive rebound
13:47
Olivier Nkamhoua blocks Trevon Reddish's two point layup
13:45
Justin Powell defensive rebound
13:37
+3
Justin Powell makes three point jump shot (Kennedy Chandler assists)
10-14
13:02
Rayshon Harrison misses three point jump shot
13:00
Kennedy Chandler defensive rebound
12:55
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield misses two point layup
12:53
Uros Plavsic offensive rebound
12:55
Owen McCormack personal foul (Uros Plavsic draws the foul)
12:44
+2
Santiago Vescovi makes two point layup (Uros Plavsic assists)
10-16
12:07
Rayshon Harrison misses two point pullup jump shot