NEW YORK — All the talk around Tennessee this season has been about Coach Bruce Pearl and his suspension for violating NCAA rules and misleading investigators.
After the 24th-ranked Volunteers’ 78-68 victory over No. 7 Villanova on Friday in the championship game of the NIT Season Tip-Off, it may be time to start talking about them.
“It would be good for people to write about these kids and how we play,” said Pearl, who was suspended for Tennessee’s first eight SEC games. “We’re in the season right now. And I think the focus should be shifted to our season and where we’re at.Obviously I’m happy for the guys. We’ve handled some adversity. Now we have to handle some success. That will be the next step for this basketball team.”
Scotty Hopson scored 18 points for Tennessee (5-0), while senior point guard Melvin Goins was the key late for the Volunteers, scoring seven of his nine points and coming up with two big steals in the final 2:17.
Goins and Hopson played tough defense on Villanova’s three guards, considered one of the best backcourts in the country.
Corey Fisher finished with three points on 1 of 10 shooting from the field for the Wildcats (5-1), while Maalik Wayns had 11 points on 3 for 11 shooting and Corey Stokes had 11 on 3 for 9 shooting. In an 82-70 semifinal victory over UCLA, Fisher had a career-high 26 points, Wayns had 19 and Stokes 16. They shot a combined 18 for 45. Against Tennessee, they shot 7 for 30.
“I thought Goins’ defense, I thought the physicality of his defense and the ball pressure he put on Wayns, I thought was very, very significant,” Pearl said. “And I thoughtScotty’s length bothered Corey, and Scotty stayed down and Corey was getting some shots he was getting, but he wasn’t getting to the rim and he was having to shoot over that 6-foot-6 frame.”
Villanova Coach Jay Wright was in complete agreement with his counterpart.
“I think they list Goins at 180 [pounds],” Wright said. “He looked like a defensive back of a football team to me. He is broad-shouldered. He is strong and gets real low. He was very, very physical. The bigs help. Very good defensive team. They didn’t give Fish many 1-on-1 opportunities. Early he got some looks.He got good looks and missed them.”
Tennessee took the lead for good on a putback by Hopson with 11:52 to play. Villanova was never able to get any kind of a run going as its three-guard offense couldn’t penetrate against the Volunteers.
The Wildcats closed within 56-55 on a basket by Dominic Cheek with 7:26 to play. The Volunteers went on a 7-0 run capped by a three-pointer by Cameron Tatum with 5:35 left.
The closest Villanova could get the rest of the way was five points. Hopson, the tournament MVP, scored on a drive to make it a seven-point game and Goins then stole the ball from Wayns and went in for a breakaway layup.
When Stokes hit a threepointer to get Villanova within 71-65, Goins made two free throws, then stole the ball again and was fouled before adding another two free throws.
“He makes those free throws down the stretch,” Pearl said. “It’s terrific. We’re not a young team, we’re a new team. ... I had some senior guys who were backups. Those guys are all starters now.”
Tatum had 17 points for the Volunteers while freshman Tobias Harris had 15 points and nine rebounds.
Mouphtaou Yarou led the Wildcats with 15 points and Antonio Pena had 14.
Villanova finished 4 of 21 from three-point range with Stokes’ 3 of 8 the best effort.
“They played really aggressive,” Fisher said. “Coach told us they were going to come out and play and that’s what they did. They came out andplayed really aggressive. We missed some shots and they didn’t quit during the whole game.”
Tennessee, which beat Virginia Commonwealth 77-72 in the semifinals, had a 10-point lead in the first half and led 35-30 at halftime. The Wildcats opened the second half with a 9-2 run to take their first lead of the game.
“When we got the lead, Coach just told us to keep a great attitude,” Fisher said. “That’s all he kept saying, ‘Attitude. Keep pounding at the rock.’ We continued to play hard.”
Wright complimented Pearl.
“I have a lot of respect for him. I know he’s a good guy. I do know it. I know he has integrity,” Wright said. “This business is tough. It can get to you. He might have skipped, but I admire the way he’s handling all of it. His team, man, he’s doing a great job coaching.”
NO. 3 OHIO ST. 66, MIAMI (OHIO) 45
COLUMBUS, Ohio - David Lighty scored 19 of his 21 points in the second half of his 100th Ohio State victory, leading the third-ranked Buckeyes past Miami of Ohio.
The fifth-year senior, who missed most of the 2008-09 season after breaking his foot, hit all four of his three-point shots after the break to spur a lethargic Ohio State (5-0) offense.
Freshmen Deshaun Thomas and Jared Sullinger added 15 and 12 points, respectively.
The RedHawks (2-4) ran off 13 points in a row at the end the first half and the start of the second, drawing as close as 28-23 before Lighty led a charge to push the Buckeyes to a 25-point lead.
Orlando Williams had 13 points and Julian Mavunga 11 for Miami (Ohio), which lost its third in a row.
NO. 21 TEMPLE 65, GEORGIA 58
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Scootie Randall had 18 points, Ramone Moore scored 14 and No. 21 Temple beat Georgia in the second round of the Old Spice Classic.
Juan Fernandez made a huge threepointer late and Rahlir Jefferson converted a three-point play with 41.4 seconds remaining to lift the Owls (3-1), who rebounded from a tough loss to unranked California in the first round.
Gerald Robinson scored 16 points, and Trey Thompkins had 13 in only his second game this season for Georgia(3-1), which looked tired and out of sync after losing in double overtime to Notre Dame a night earlier.
NO. 23 BYU 77, SOUTH FLORIDA 75, 2OT
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas - Noah Hartsock made the game-winning shot as time expired in double overtime, lifting No. 23 Brigham Young to a victory over South Florida in the third round of the South Padre Invitational.
Jimmer Fredette scored 32 points - 8 for 8 from the line - to help the Cougars improve to 7-0. Jackson Emery was 5 for 13 from three-point range and had 20 points, and Hartsock added 10 points.
Toarlyn Fitzpatrick and Jarrid Famous combined for 13 points to lead South Florida to a 28-23 lead at the break. The Bulls increased the lead to 10 points early in the second half, but BYU rallied.
Ron Anderson had eight points and 13 rebounds, Augustus Gilchrist scored 14 points and Fitzpatrick finished with 10 for South Florida (3-3).
South Florida outrebounded BYU 50-40.
The game was tied 61-all after regulation and 69-69 after the first overtime.
Sports, Pages 30 on 11/27/2010