Tennessee basketball will play the Governors of Austin Peay in the second of its two home games.
Coming off a dominant 92-57 win against the Montana Grizzlies, Tennessee basketball will take on the Austin Peay State University Governors on Sunday afternoon. The Volunteers and Austin Peay will play on the hardwood for the first time since Tennessee triumphed the Governors 86-44 in the 2022–23 season.
General Information:
Teams: Tennessee (3-0) & Austin Peay (3-0)
Tip-Off: 3 p.m. EST
Watch: SEC Network+
What to know about Austin Peay:
With a 3-0 record through the first three games, Austin Peay is tied for the best season start in the 94-year history of the program. The Govs are coming off a gutsy win, defeating University of Tennessee Chattanooga 67-61 on Nov. 11.
The Governors’ scoring, rebounding, and assisting department has been spearheaded by standout junior guard L.J. Thomas. The Plant City, Florida native leads the Govs with 19.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. Senior guard Isaac Haney and forward Sai Witt, who both average roughly 12 points and 5 rebounds, aid Thomas.
Defense has been the mainstay of Austin Peay, allowing 67.3 points per game, good for second place in the Athletic Sun Conference (ASUN). The Govs will lean on their defensive success and attempt to counter Tennessee’s hot offense.
Latest on Tennessee basketball:
Tennessee basketball has not missed a beat as it extends its winning streak to three games this season. The Volunteers are outscoring opponents by an average of 24 points, with their largest victory margin of 35 points coming vs. Montana.
Against Montana, four players scored in double figures: senior guard Zakai Zeigler scored 11 points, senior forward Igor Miličić Jr. scored a team-high 18, fifth-year guard Chaz Lanier, junior big Felix Okpara, and sophomore guard Cameron Carr scored 13 points, a career-high. Both senior guard Jahmai Mashack and sophomore big J.P. Estrella finished with 8 points, 2 short of double figures. As a team, the Volunteers had a 60/40/80 shooting line for the fourth time in the last 20 seasons, all under Rick Barnes.
Defensively, Tennessee held the Grizzlies to shooting 34.6% from the field and turning the ball over 11 times. The Vols have forced at least 11 turnovers and held opponents below 35% shooting for the second straight game.
Coach Barnes and his team will look to build upon this momentum and continue their win streak before they travel to the Bahamas to compete in the 2024 Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship and play ACC opponent, Virginia Cavaliers.
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