Tennessee was in control for a portion of its game against the Villanova Wildcats this afternoon in the Bahamas and in the hunt for most of it, but it was lost for a short period to begin the second half and that was all it took to eventually lose 85-76.
The Vols led by 15 at one point and went to the locker room at the half up by 12, but Villanova came out on fire, erased the Vols’ lead and then built one of their own that they held the rest of the way. Tennessee did make a game of it late, climbing to within three points with less than a minute remaining, but with time running out, they had to foul, and Nova doesn’t miss free throws.
Grant Williams once again led the Vols with 20 points and eight rebounds. Admiral Schofield added 16 points, and James Daniel III had 10.
It was a disappointing finish, but the Vols have now proven that they can play with anyone, and it will be interesting to see how the rest of the season shakes out.
The Vols get NC State tomorrow at 2:30, and the game will be televised on ESPN2.