UT’s Knecht stars in win vs. Illinois
Dalton Knecht spun around in the middle of the madness, his arms lifted high at centercourt.
The Tennessee basketball guard was the man of the moment, canning a 3pointer at the tail end of a highlight-riddled six-minute, second-half crusade. He conjured a three-point play out of nothing, hit free throws, and flung a fantastic finish off the backboard − then swished the three that did in Illinois and gave Knecht the signature stamp Saturday.
Knecht was magic and masterful as Tennessee downed Illinois in the second half, winning 86-79 at ThompsonBoling Arena at Food City Center.
Knecht had 21 points for No. 13 Tennessee (6-3), which outrebounded No. 18 Illinois (7-2) 43-34. The Fighting Illini entered No. 2 in the nation in rebounding.
Illinois star guard Terrence Shannon Jr. had 22 points on 5-for-15 shooting.
Dalton Knecht was elite in a top matchup again
Knecht had 28 points in Tennessee’s exhibition win at Michigan State. He had 24 in UT’s win at Wisconsin and 37 points in its loss at North Carolina.
He was again a star in a top-tier game. Knecht had eight points in 11 firsthalf minutes due to picking up his second foul with 5:25 before the half. Tennessee gave him the ball in the second half and he made it all count, scoring 13 of the first 16 points to rally the Vols out of a deficit.
Santiago Vescovi was the perfect co-star for Knecht
Fifth-year senior guard Santiago Vescovi had an uncharacteristically clunky game at North Carolina then started to snap into form against George Mason.
He was in vintage and excellent form against Illinois. He had 12 points and nine rebounds.
His highlight was a full-speed transition dash that ended with an over-theshoulder toss to Jahmai Mashack for a layup. He sprinkled in a fabulous corner 3-pointer, a big rebounding game and the typical effort that he’s shown for five seasons at Tennessee.
Mashack likewise was a fitting costar alongside Knecht and Vescovi, chipping in nine points and four rebounds.
Tennessee endured a tough offensive stretch
Vescovi controlled the first half with seven points and seven rebounds. He would have had an assist if not for a Tobe Awaka missed dunk that would have put Tennessee ahead 30-20. But he missed and Illinois went on a run.
Illinois scored 11 of the next 13 points to turn a 28-20 Vols lead into a 31-30 Illinois lead. UT was 3-for-17 shooting to close the first half.
Up next
Tennessee hosts Georgia Southern on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network).