Game Overview
In a strong performance on Wednesday night, Nate Ament reached his career-high with 29 points, leading the University of Tennessee to a comfortable 89-66 win against Oklahoma in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Volunteers (19-7, 9-4 in the Southeastern Conference) dominated the game from start to finish, never trailing and consistently maintaining a lead of ten or more points throughout much of the second half. This victory marked the third consecutive win for Tennessee and their seventh in the last eight games.
Player Highlights
Ament’s shooting was notably efficient; he went 9 for 17 from the field and was perfect from the free-throw line, sinking all eight attempts while also contributing three of the five successful three-pointers for his team. Felix Okpara added an impressive performance with five dunks, scoring 18 points total. Meanwhile, Ja’Kobi Gillespie chipped in with 16 points, and DeWayne Brown II provided valuable support from the bench, scoring 13.
Team Performance
Overall, Tennessee boasted an impressive shooting percentage of 52%, hitting 33 of their 63 attempts. They capitalized on Oklahoma’s struggles, scoring 31 points off of 15 turnovers committed by the Sooners. For Oklahoma (13-13, 3-10), Nijel Pack was the standout player, making four shots from beyond the arc and scoring 20 points. Tae Davis and Derrion Reid added 12 and 10 points, respectively, but their efforts were not enough to overcome the Volunteers’ offensive onslaught.
Halftime Analysis
The halftime score reflected Tennessee’s advantage, as they led 45-36, thanks in part to Ament and Gillespie’s contributions of 12 and 9 points in the first half. Oklahoma’s Pack and Davis each managed eight points before the break, while the team shot 52% from the field and connected on 5 of 12 from three-point range.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, Oklahoma will host Texas A&M on Saturday, while Tennessee prepares for a challenge at No. 19 Vanderbilt on the same day.
