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Tennessee beats South Carolina for 19th straight win

Andy Lyons / Getty Images Sport / Getty

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Admiral Schofield had 21 points and 10 rebounds as No. 1 Tennessee defeated South Carolina 85-73 on Wednesday for its school-record 19th consecutive victory.

Tennessee owns the longest active winning streak of any active Division I team and is 11-0 in Southeastern Conference competition for the first time in school history.

The Volunteers (23-1, 11-0 SEC) also earned their 23rd straight home win. Tennessee's last home loss was a 94-84 setback against Auburn on Jan. 2, 2018.

South Carolina (12-12, 7-4) made a season-high 14 3-point baskets and shot 60.9 percent from beyond the arc but couldn't slow Tennessee's high-powered offense. Tennessee was 9 of 20 on 3-point attempts.

Tennessee's superior accuracy from shorter range made the difference. Tennessee was 25 of 49, while South Carolina was just 12 of 40 on 2-pointers.

Jordan Bowden scored 16 points for Tennessee. Kyle Alexander, Jordan Bone and Lamonte' Turner added 10 points each. Grant Williams had eight points, nine rebounds and seven assists with only one turnover.

Tre Campbell had 19 points for South Carolina. Carlos Silva provided 17 points and 15 rebounds, while Hassani Gravett added 15 points.

Tennessee took command by going on a 26-6 run that turned a 15-12 deficit into a 38-21 advantage. The score was tied 15-all when Jalen Johnson hit a 3-poiner while getting fouled to start a four-point play that put Tennessee ahead for good.

Tennessee reeled off 14 straight points later in that 26-6 stretch. The 14-0 spurt featured two dunks by Alexander and a 3-pointer from Bowden and Schofield.

BIG PICTURE

South Carolina: The Gamecocks haven't figured out a way to slow down Tennessee's high-powered offense. Tennessee shot 56.3 percent in a 92-70 victory at South Carolina on Jan. 29. In Wednesday's rematch, Tennessee shot 49.3 percent and dipped below the 50-percent mark only by missing eight of its last nine attempts.

Tennessee: The Vols are about to enter the toughest stretch of their schedule. Three of their next four games are away from home, including road dates with No. 5 Kentucky and No. 19 LSU each of the next two Saturdays. Tennessee hasn't faced a ranked team since a Dec. 9 victory over No. 3 Gonzaga, which was ranked No. 1 at the time.

UP NEXT

South Carolina: Hosts Texas A&M on Saturday.

Tennessee: At No. 5 Kentucky on Saturday.

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Follow Steve Megargee at https://twitter.com/stevemegargee

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