No. 14 Tennessee 66, Memphis 59: Tigers’ 23-Game Home Win Streak Ends

Read more at our Volunteers’ blog, Rocky Top Talk.

December 31, 2009 - Memphis, TN (Sports Network) - Wayne Chism scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and 14th-ranked Tennessee overcame a poor shooting performance to down Memphis, 66-59, and end the Tigers’ 23-game home winning streak.

J.P. Prince added 12 points for the Volunteers (10-2), who have won two in a row after losing at Southern California. Tyler Smith had 11 points for a Tennessee team that shot just 19-of-53 (35.8 percent) from the field in the game.

Doneal Mack had 15 points for the Tigers (9-3), who shot just 31.4 percent (16-of-51) in having the sixth-longest home winning streak in the nation snapped. Elliot Williams, the team’s leading scorer, made just one field goal and added 11 free throws for 13 points, while Wesley Witherspoon added 11 points in defeat.

Neither team scored for the first 4 1/2 minutes, and Memphis grabbed a 13-7 lead with 12 1/2 minutes to go on a Mack free throw.

Tennessee answered with the next nine points, taking a 16-13 lead on a dunk from Prince. The Vols led for the remainder of the half -- by as much as seven, 28-21, after a Scotty Hopson slam capped a 5-0 burst.

The visitors held a 31-24 advantage at halftime after a Chism jumper at the buzzer.

Memphis got to within four early in the second half on a Roburt Sallie three, but an ensuing 9-0 run by Tennessee put the Vols in front by 13, 42-29. The Tigers went over 5 1/2 minutes without a point, and Price had five of Tennessee’s points during the spurt.

The Vols then went 6 1/2 minutes without a point, allowing Memphis to climb back to within seven, 42-35. Hopson drilled a three for Tennessee’s first field goal in about seven minutes, giving the team a 47-37 lead with nine minutes to play.

Mack’s three with just over five minutes left sliced the Tigers’ deficit in half, 53-48, but a Chism layup with 2:09 to go put the Vols back in front by nine.

Memphis got to within 59-55 on a Kemp three with 1:24 left, and Melvin Goins missed a pair of free throws for Tennessee. Willie Kemp and Williams each missed a shot on the Tigers’ next possession, and the Vols were able to make enough free throws down the stretch to earn the win.

Memphis had won its first eight home games this season...Tennessee, which lost to the Tigers, 54-52, last season, leads the all-time series with the schools, 13-8...The Vols shot just 2-of-13 beyond the arc, while Memphis made 9-of-27 shots from long distance.