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Vols pull out close win over Middle Tennessee

Fri 21st, November 2008

Murfreesboro, Tennessee (Sports Network) - Tyler Smith scored 18 points and pulled down 10 rebounds as 14th-ranked Tennessee overcame Middle Tennessee for a 76-66 victory.

Bobby Maze scored 12, while J.P. Prince and Scotty Hopson each added 10 for the Volunteers (3-0), who shot 55.3 percent from the field.

"We've played three games so far and each game was completely different," said Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl. "We played a tougher opponent in a different environment tonight. We took 47 shots, only eight of those were threes and we just grinded it out."

Demetrius Green scored 17 to lead the Blue Raiders (2-1), who also got 13 points from Nigel Johnson and 11 from Kevin Kanaskie. Both Johnson and Kanaskie had six assists.

"Tennessee is a team that presses a lot and makes you want to speed up," said Johnson. "We just wanted to keep control and make plays. We just have to work on rebounding and getting back on defense."

Prince's jam in the opening moments of the second half moved the Volunteers to a 38-32 lead, but Middle Tennessee came back with the next six, capped by a long jumper from Johnson.

Tennessee then scored 10 in a row, started by a Smith jumper and finished by a Cameron Tatum three-point play.

Kanaskie's layup had the Blue Raiders within 69-63 with 2:17 left, but Maze nailed two foul shots, Smith hit a jumper and Wayne Chism connected on a foul shot for a 74-63 difference.

It was tight throughout most of the first half, but the Volunteers scored 10 in a row for a 35-26 lead. They were up 36-32 after 20 minutes.

Game Notes

Tennessee held a 38-23 rebounding advantage...The Volunteers are 7-1 all-time against MTSU...The Volunteers had 16 turnovers to just nine for MTSU...The Volunteers next play Siena on Thanksgiving in a tournament in Orlando.