No. 11 Tennessee 83, No. 3 Pitt 76: Scotty Hopson, Vols Deal Panthers Their First Loss

On Saturday in Pittsburgh, No. 11 Tennessee built a first-half double-digit lead over No. 3 Pitt, and the Volunteers held on to give head coach Bruce Pearl the 450th win of his career. Tennessee’s 83-76 win preserves their status as the only undefeated team in the SEC.

Junior Scotty Hopson scored a season-high 27 points, and Melvin Goins chipped in with 14 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Forward John Fields may have made the most spectacular play of the afternoon with an authoritative block of an Ashton Gibbs lay-up attempt.

Gibbs had a tough day for Pitt; although he scored 15 points, he was only 4-for-13 from the field. Brad Wanamaker led the Panthers with 21 points, eight assists, and four steals.

This loss drops Pitt to 10-1 on the season and bumps them out of first place in the Big East.

For more, check out SB Nation’s Tennessee blog, Rocky Top Talk, and our Pitt blog, Cardiac Hill.