Knecht leads No. 7 Tennessee past Wofford

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Dalton Knecht scored 18 points to lead No. 7 Tennessee to an 82-61 victory over Wofford on Tuesday night.

The Northern Colorado transfer scored all but four of his points in the second half, helping the Volunteers (3-0) pull away after leading by just five at halftime. Jordan Gainey scored 16 points and Santiago Vescovi added 11 for Tennessee.

Corey Tripp scored 19 points for Wofford (2-1). Chase Cormier added 15 and Jackson Sivills had 10.

Gainey had three 3-pointers and 11 points at the half as Tennessee led 36-31 at halftime.

Wofford didn't wilt under the Vols' defensive pressure. The Terriers shot 38% despite having every pass contested. Tennessee shot 46% in the first 20 minutes, but was outrebounded in the half by much smaller Wofford, 19-17.

BIG PICTURE

Wofford: The Terriers won't be accused of dodging tough competition. They had a three-point exhibition loss to South Carolina, and after this game, they play at Virginia Tech. They went 17-16 last season, and balance will be a key in this campaign. Heading into Tuesday's game, Wofford had six players averaging in double figures, led by Dillon Bailey (16.0 points) and Tripp (15.5). Bailey went 0-for-7 from the field and finished with three points against the Vols.

Tennessee: The Vols are preparing for three weeks away from Knoxville. After a tough tournament in Hawaii — featuring No. 1 Kansas, No. 2 Purdue, No. 4 Marquette and No. 11 Gonzaga — Tennessee will play at No. 20 North Carolina in the SEC/ACC Challenge.

UP NEXT

Wofford: The Terriers will play their second straight team from a Power Five conference when they visit Virginia Tech on Sunday.

Tennessee: The Vols will head to Honolulu, the site of this year's Maui Invitational because of the wildfires that devastated Maui. Their first game is Nov. 20 against Syracuse.

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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball