Sat Dec 29 20:01:14 2007

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Vols down Zags to win seventh in a row

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Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - JaJuan Smith scored 18 points to lead 11th- ranked Tennessee to an 82-72 win over Gonzaga at KeyArena.

J.P. Prince added 12 points for the Vols (12-1), who have won seven in a row since suffering their only loss of the season. Chris Lofton tallied 11 points for Tennessee, which led this game by as many as 18 points before receiving a scare down the stretch.

Matt Bouldin scored 21 points to lead Gonzaga (9-4), which has dropped two in a row. David Pendergraft and Josh Heytvelt each added 12 points for the Bulldogs, whose rally at the end fell short.

After falling behind by 18 points midway through the second half, the 'Zags began to get back in the contest. The Bulldogs scored 25 of the next 37 points to draw within single figures.

Bouldin's three-pointer with 1:19 left got Gonzaga as close as it would get. Tennessee never allowed the contest to become a one-possession affair and the Vols pulled away for the 10-point win.

"We got beat by a really, really good basketball team," said Gonzaga head coach Mark Few. "They did a good job taking it to us on the offensive end and on the defensive end."

Wayne Chism and Ramar Smith each tallied 10 points for the Vols, who shot 46.3 percent from the floor for the game.

Trailing 17-15 midway through the first half, the Vols went on a 15-4 run to take the lead for good. Tyler Smith's layup with 4:05 left in the stanza capped the surge, giving Tennessee a 30-21 edge.

Gonzaga rallied to draw within 32-29 when Pendergraft hit a pair of free throws with 1:39 on the clock, but Ramar Smith banked home a three-pointer in the final seconds to send Tennessee into the break with a 36-31 cushion.

The Vols pulled away in the second half, using the three-pointer to do so. Ahead 45-40 just over six minutes into the stanza, Ryan Childress started a 19-6 run with a layup. Later, Lofton hit a three-pointer to cap the burst for a 64-46 advantage with 9:53 on the clock. Tennessee hit three treys during the surge with Lofton draining a pair.

Austin Daye had 11 points for the 'Zags.

Game Notes

This was the first meeting between these two schools... The Vols improved to 5-1 playing away from home...Gonzaga, considered the home team, fell to 5-2 as the host...This was Tennessee's first trip to the state of Washington... The Vols are off to their best start since going 16-1 to begin the 2000-01 campaign.