Knecht gets hot in second half, scores 17 as No. 5 Tennessee rallies past Mizzou, 72-67
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) Tennessee coach Rick Barnes asked the young guys on his bench at halftime, when the fifth-ranked Volunteers were losing to struggling Missouri, what they needed to turn things around over the final 20 minutes.
“They said, ‘I think we need more effort,’” Barnes recalled.
Dalton Knecht provided that, scoring 15 of his 17 points after the break, and a bigger lineup Barnes used out of the locker room paid off as Tennessee rallied from a seven-point deficit to beat the Tigers 72-67 on Tuesday night.
Tobe Awaka had 18 points and 10 rebounds, Jonas Aidoo added 14 points and Zakai Zeigler 10 for the Vols (20-6, 10-3), whose fifth straight win at Mizzou Arena allowed them to close within a half game of No. 13 Alabama in the SEC race.
“We knew they were going to come in and fight and it's hard to do that when you've had the kind of conference season they've had,” Barnes said, “but they came in and fought. I thought in the first half they played with a greater sense of urgency.”
Sean East II scored 24 points and Noah Carter had 20 for the Tigers (8-18, 0-13), who have lost 15 of their last 16 overall.
“They're well-balanced. They have everything you need that's a characteristic of a national championship team," Missouri coach Dennis Gates said. "They have inside play, they have depth, they have shooting."
The Vols also drew a lot of fouls, which Gates said his own team was “terrible” at doing - while dropping a four-letter word that begins with “F” and he pointedly asked reporters not to “bleep out" while transcribing his comments.
The Vols and Tigers combined for a single point - Carter's free throw for Missouri - over the first four-plus minutes, missing the first 10 field-goal attempts and turning the ball over seven times in a sloppy and disjointed start to the game.
The Tigers didn't make a field goal until Tamar Bates hit a 3-pointer with 10:55 left in the first half.
Tennessee was unable to take advantage, though, because a team that has struggled to get off to good starts the past six weeks had an even tougher time scoring. Knecht missed his first eight shots, the Vols started 0 for 9 from the 3-point arc and they had nearly as many turnovers (eight) as field goals (nine) over the first 20 minutes.
“If we weren't going to make shots,” Carter said, “we weren't going to let them make shots.”
Missouri led 29-26 at the half, the fourth time in the last 12 games that Tennessee was held to 28 points or fewer.
But while the Vols lost the other three games, they were able to overcome their slow start against the Tigers, wiping away a 42-35 deficit in just a couple of minutes midway through the second half Tuesday night.
Knecht's runner in the lane gave Tennessee a 50-49 lead, he buried a 3-pointer from the top of the key on his next drip down the floor, and the SEC's leading scorer wound up scoring 10 points over four consecutive trips to extend the Vols' lead.
Tennessee was never seriously threatened down the stretch.
BIG PICTURE
Tennessee simply looked out of sorts for much of Tuesday night. That included Knecht, who committed only 17 turnovers over his last 16 games but coughed the ball up five times against the Tigers.
Missouri got into foul trouble in the second half, losing big man Jordan Butler to fouls with 10 minutes to go. That not only forced the Tigers to dial back their physical defense but also gave Tennessee too many free points at the line.
UP NEXT
Tennessee begins a two-game homestand against Texas A&M on Saturday night.
Missouri plays the first of two games on the road at Arkansas on Saturday.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Jonas Aidoo vs. Noah Carter (Volunteers gains possession) | |||
19:43 | Dalton Knecht misses two point floating jump shot | |||
19:41 | Noah Carter defensive rebound | |||
19:30 | Tamar Bates personal foul | |||
19:15 | Zakai Zeigler misses three point jump shot | |||
19:13 | Tigers defensive rebound | |||
19:00 | Santiago Vescovi personal foul | |||
18:47 | Sean East II turnover (bad pass) (Josiah-Jordan James steals) | |||
18:34 | Jordan Butler shooting foul (Dalton Knecht draws the foul) | |||
18:34 | Dalton Knecht misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
18:34 | Dalton Knecht misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
18:34 | Tamar Bates defensive rebound | |||
18:13 | Noah Carter misses two point jump shot | |||
18:12 | Noah Carter offensive rebound | |||
18:12 | Dalton Knecht shooting foul (Noah Carter draws the foul) | |||
18:12 | +1 | Noah Carter makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 0-1 | |
18:12 | Noah Carter misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
18:12 | Dalton Knecht defensive rebound | |||
17:55 | Santiago Vescovi misses three point jump shot | |||
17:36 | Noah Carter misses two point jump shot | |||
17:34 | Zakai Zeigler defensive rebound | |||
17:28 | Jordan Butler blocks Zakai Zeigler's two point layup | |||
17:26 | Noah Carter defensive rebound | |||
17:17 | Nick Honor misses three point jump shot | |||
17:15 | Santiago Vescovi defensive rebound | |||
17:10 | Dalton Knecht turnover (bad pass) (Tamar Bates steals) | |||
16:43 | Sean East II turnover (bad pass) (Zakai Zeigler steals) | |||
16:40 | Josiah-Jordan James turnover (bad pass) | |||
16:19 | Tamar Bates misses three point jump shot | |||
16:17 | Sean East II offensive rebound | |||
16:08 | Sean East II misses two point layup | |||
16:06 | Sean East II offensive rebound | |||
16:02 | Noah Carter turnover (lost ball) (Jonas Aidoo steals) | |||
16:00 | Santiago Vescovi turnover (lost ball) | |||
15:39 | Tamar Bates misses two point jump shot | |||
15:38 | Mabor Majak offensive rebound | |||
15:38 | Josiah-Jordan James personal foul (Mabor Majak draws the foul) | |||
15:38 | TV timeout | |||
15:34 | Sean East II turnover (bad pass) (Jordan Gainey steals) | |||
15:23 | +2 | Jordan Gainey makes two point dunk | 2-1 | |
15:09 | Sean East II misses two point layup | |||
15:09 | Volunteers defensive rebound | |||
15:00 | Dalton Knecht misses two point jump shot | |||
14:58 | Jonas Aidoo offensive rebound | |||
14:50 | Tamar Bates shooting foul (Zakai Zeigler draws the foul) | |||
14:50 | Zakai Zeigler misses regular free throw 1 of 3 | |||
14:50 | +1 | Zakai Zeigler makes regular free throw 2 of 3 | 3-1 | |
14:50 | +1 | Zakai Zeigler makes regular free throw 3 of 3 | 4-1 | |
14:28 | Jordan Gainey shooting foul (Jesus Carralero Martin draws the foul) | |||
14:28 | +1 | Jesus Carralero Martin makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 4-2 | |
14:28 | Jesus Carralero Martin misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
14:28 | Anthony Robinson II offensive rebound | |||
14:04 | Anthony Robinson II misses three point jump shot | |||
14:01 | Tobe Awaka defensive rebound | |||
13:49 | Tobe Awaka turnover (traveling) | |||
13:22 | Jesus Carralero Martin turnover (bad pass) (Dalton Knecht steals) | |||
13:21 | Aidan Shaw personal foul (Santiago Vescovi draws the foul) | |||
12:51 | Aidan Shaw blocks Jahmai Mashack's two point layup | |||
12:49 | Jesus Carralero Martin defensive rebound | |||
12:41 | Sean East II misses three point jump shot | |||
12:39 | Dalton Knecht defensive rebound | |||
12:35 | Sean East II personal foul | |||
12:30 | Santiago Vescovi misses three point jump shot | |||
12:28 | Aidan Shaw defensive rebound | |||
12:15 | Jesus Carralero Martin turnover (bad pass) | |||
11:54 | +2 | Jahmai Mashack makes two point floating jump shot | 6-2 | |
11:54 | Mabor Majak shooting foul (Jahmai Mashack draws the foul) | |||
11:54 | TV timeout | |||
11:52 | +1 | Jahmai Mashack makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 7-2 | |
11:36 | Jonas Aidoo blocks Tamar Bates's two point layup | |||
11:34 | Josiah-Jordan James defensive rebound | |||
11:25 | Josiah-Jordan James turnover (bad pass) (Jordan Butler steals) | |||
11:12 | Tamar Bates misses two point layup | |||
11:10 | Tigers offensive rebound | |||
10:59 | +3 | Tamar Bates makes three point jump shot (Jesus Carralero Martin assists) | 7-5 | |
10:50 | +2 | Jonas Aidoo makes two point hook shot (Zakai Zeigler assists) | 9-5 | |
10:37 | +2 | Nick Honor makes two point layup (Tamar Bates assists) | 9-7 | |
10:09 | Josiah-Jordan James misses three point jump shot | |||
10:07 | Santiago Vescovi offensive rebound | |||
9:59 | Zakai Zeigler turnover (lost ball) (Tamar Bates steals) | |||
9:44 | Nick Honor misses three point jump shot | |||
9:42 | Santiago Vescovi defensive rebound | |||
9:31 | Jahmai Mashack misses two point layup | |||
9:29 | Tamar Bates defensive rebound | |||
9:19 | Tamar Bates misses three point jump shot | |||
9:17 | Dalton Knecht defensive rebound | |||
9:08 | Nick Honor personal foul (Dalton Knecht draws the foul) | |||
9:08 | +1 | Dalton Knecht makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 10-7 | |
9:08 | +1 | Dalton Knecht makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 11-7 | |
8:49 | +3 | Sean East II makes three point jump shot (Tamar Bates assists) | 11-10 | |
8:31 | Jonas Aidoo turnover (lost ball) (Mabor Majak steals) | |||
8:10 | Tamar Bates misses two point jump shot | |||
8:08 | Josiah-Jordan James defensive rebound | |||
7:59 | Dalton Knecht misses three point jump shot | |||
7:57 | Mabor Majak defensive rebound | |||
7:47 | Sean East II offensive foul | |||
7:47 | Sean East II turnover (offensive foul) | |||
7:47 | TV timeout | |||
7:35 | Dalton Knecht misses two point jump shot | |||
7:30 | Jump ball. (Tigers gains possession) | |||
7:30 | Mabor Majak defensive rebound | |||
7:15 | +2 | Noah Carter makes two point layup | 11-12 | |
7:03 | +2 | Tobe Awaka makes two point layup (Zakai Zeigler assists) | 13-12 | |
7:03 | Noah Carter shooting foul (Tobe Awaka draws the foul) | |||
7:03 | Tobe Awaka misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | |||
7:03 | Noah Carter defensive rebound | |||
6:34 | +2 | Nick Honor makes two point floating jump shot | 13-14 | |
6:34 | Tigers 30 second timeout | |||
6:17 | +2 | Josiah-Jordan James makes two point layup | 15-14 | |
6:05 | +2 | Sean East II makes two point jump shot | 15-16 | |
6:05 | Zakai Zeigler shooting foul (Sean East II draws the foul) | |||
6:03 | Sean East II misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | |||
6:03 | Tobe Awaka defensive rebound | |||
5:52 | +2 | Zakai Zeigler makes two point layup | 17-16 | |
5:25 | Sean East II turnover (out of bounds) | |||
5:16 | Josiah-Jordan James misses three point jump shot | |||
5:15 | Tobe Awaka offensive rebound | |||
5:15 | Jordan Butler personal foul (Tobe Awaka draws the foul) | |||
5:12 | +1 | Tobe Awaka makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 18-16 | |
5:12 | +1 | Tobe Awaka makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 19-16 | |
4:55 | Tobe Awaka shooting foul (Noah Carter draws the foul) | |||
4:55 | +1 | Noah Carter makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 19-17 | |
4:55 | +1 | Noah Carter makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 19-18 | |
4:38 | Josiah-Jordan James misses three point jump shot | |||
4:36 | Dalton Knecht offensive rebound | |||
4:28 | Dalton Knecht misses two point layup | |||
4:26 | Mabor Majak defensive rebound | |||
4:23 | Tobe Awaka shooting foul (Sean East II draws the foul) | |||
4:23 | +1 | Sean East II makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 19-19 | |
4:23 | +1 | Sean East II makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 19-20 | |
4:10 | Zakai Zeigler misses two point jump shot | |||
4:08 | Mabor Majak defensive rebound | |||
4:08 | Jonas Aidoo personal foul | |||
4:08 | +1 | Noah Carter makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 19-21 | |
4:08 | +1 | Noah Carter makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 19-22 | |
3:58 | Noah Carter personal foul (Jordan Gainey draws the foul) | |||
3:58 | TV timeout | |||
3:58 | Jordan Gainey misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
3:58 | +1 | Jordan Gainey makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 20-22 | |
3:42 | Nick Honor turnover (bad pass) | |||
3:35 | Jahmai Mashack misses two point layup | |||
3:33 | Jahmai Mashack offensive rebound | |||
3:30 | Jahmai Mashack turnover (lost ball) (Nick Honor steals) | |||
3:27 | Tamar Bates misses two point jump shot | |||
3:25 | Jahmai Mashack defensive rebound | |||
3:08 | +2 | Jonas Aidoo makes two point driving hook shot | 22-22 | |
2:44 | +2 | Sean East II makes two point jump shot | 22-24 | |
2:24 | Jonas Aidoo misses two point jump shot | |||
2:22 | Tamar Bates defensive rebound | |||
2:15 | Jordan Gainey blocks Nick Honor's three point jump shot | |||
2:14 | Noah Carter offensive rebound | |||
2:12 | +3 | Sean East II makes three point jump shot (Noah Carter assists) | 22-27 | |
2:12 | Volunteers 30 second timeout | |||
2:01 | Dalton Knecht misses three point jump shot | |||
1:59 | Tobe Awaka offensive rebound | |||
1:52 | Tobe Awaka misses two point layup | |||
1:50 | Tobe Awaka offensive rebound | |||
1:47 | +2 | Tobe Awaka makes two point layup | 24-27 | |
1:42 | Tamar Bates turnover (lost ball) (Tobe Awaka steals) | |||
1:18 | +2 | Tobe Awaka makes two point dunk (Jahmai Mashack assists) | 26-27 | |
0:51 | Noah Carter misses two point layup | |||
0:49 | Tobe Awaka defensive rebound | |||
0:33 | Jordan Butler blocks Zakai Zeigler's two point floating jump shot | |||
0:31 | Jordan Butler defensive rebound | |||
0:10 | Jahmai Mashack shooting foul (Sean East II draws the foul) | |||
0:10 | +1 | Sean East II makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 26-28 | |
0:10 | +1 | Sean East II makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 26-29 | |
0:04 | Josiah-Jordan James misses three point jump shot | |||
0:02 | Anthony Robinson II defensive rebound | |||
0:00 | End of period |