Postgame Notes: Georgia 81, Vols 72

Jan. 13, 2016

Postgame Notes

The Basics

Tennessee drops to 8-8 (1-3 SEC) following an 81-72 loss to Georgia on Wednesday night.

With the loss, the Vols are now 0-7 away from Knoxville.

Tennessee had four players finish in double figures, led by 17 from senior Kevin Punter Jr. Detrick Mostella added 16, Devon Baulkman had 12, and Armani Moore finished with 10.

Tennessee allowed Georgia to score 53 points in the second half, marking the second consecutive game that UT has given up 50+ in the second half. The Vols surrendered 54 in the second half in its loss to No. 21 Texas A&M on Jan. 9.

Georgia Natives

Wednesday represented was is likely to be the final game for Vol seniors Armani Moore and Devon Baulkman in their home state of Georgia.

A native of Kennesaw, Moore nearly finished with a double-double, scoring 10 points while pacing the Vols on the glass with eight rebounds.

Meanwhile, Baulkman -- who hails from Bainbridge -- knocked down a pair of 3-pointers en route to 12 for the game. It was his second consecutive game in double figure scoring.

Freshman Shembari Phillips (Atlanta) is the third Georgia native on the squad. He finished with three points in just eight minutes of action.

Turnovers Forced

Tennessee forced 20 Georgia turnovers on Wednesday night and came away with a season-high 10 steals. Entering the game, UT's season-high for turnovers forced was 17 at Auburn on Jan. 2.

The Vols converted those turnovers into 20 points.

UT nearly forced a season-high for turnovers in the first half as the Bulldogs committed 16 turnovers before the break.

Three Vols finished the game with multiple steals, led by a career-high three from Derek Reese.

Mostella's First-Half Spark

Offense came at a premium in the first half, but sophomore guard Detrick Mostella provided the early spark for Tennessee as he posted 11 points over the first 20 minutes.

Mostella was 4-of-8 from the field in the first half, including a 3-for-5 mark from 3-point range.

He connected on his third 3-pointer of the game just before halftime, getting an attempt from near the top of the key to drop just prior to the buzzer sounding.

The first-half scoring effort gave Mostella his sixth game in double figures over his last seven. He finished the contest tied for the team lead with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting.

For Starters

Tennessee's starters were Kevin Punter, Devon Baulkman, Robert Hubbs III, Armani Moore, and Admiral Schofield.

It was the third straight game that UT opened with that lineup and the Vols are now X-X in that span.

Senior forward Derek Reese was the first Vol off the bench, checking in for Admiral Schofield at the 17:34 mark.

The Series

With the loss, Tennessee's losing streak in Athens is extended to five games. UT's last win at Stegeman Coliseum came on Jan. 18, 2011, when the Vols earned a 59-57 victory.

Tennessee continues to lead the series, 94-57, but is now 33-38 in games played in Athens.

Up Next

Tennessee continues SEC play on the road this Saturday when it travels to Mississippi State for a 3:30 p.m. ET tipoff.

Saturday's game will be televised by the SEC Network.

Following the game at MSU, the Vols return to Knoxville for two home games against in-state rival Vanderbilt and No. 19 South Carolina.

University of Tennessee Athletics