No. 20 Tennessee dominated Gardner-Webb 94-52 on December 21 at Food City Center, tying a program record with its 43rd straight non-conference home victory. The Vols' stifling defense limited the Runnin' Bulldogs to 19 first-half points, while a balanced offense featured double-digit scoring from four players. Ethan Burg sat out due to illness, but Tennessee improved to 9-3.
Tennessee basketball started sluggishly against Gardner-Webb, trailing 5-3 early and missing its first five shots over three minutes. But the No. 20 Vols quickly awoke, with Ja'Kobi Gillespie draining a three-pointer at the 16:42 mark to ignite a 17-0 run. They extended it to 24 of the next 26 points, surging to a 24-7 lead by the 9:41 mark of the first half.
The Vols' defense was relentless, forcing 12 turnovers including 10 steals—three each from Amari Evans and Amaree Abram. Gardner-Webb shot just 7-of-28 (25%) from the field and 3-of-16 from three in the opening half, managing only 19 points. Tennessee closed the period on a 14-2 spurt over the final 3:56, leading 52-19 at halftime—the fewest points allowed in a half since holding Mississippi State to 16 on January 21.
Scoring was balanced across the roster, with 10 of 11 players contributing points in the first half and seven tallying at least five. Gillespie and Amaree Abram led with 15 points apiece; Abram was efficient at 6-of-7 shooting in 13 minutes. Jaylen Carey added 12 points and six rebounds, J.P. Estrella had 10 points and seven boards, and DeWayne Brown grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds. Tennessee outrebounded Gardner-Webb 26-13 in the half, scoring 34 points in the paint and 32 from the bench while shooting 57.9% from the field.
For the Runnin' Bulldogs (2-13), former Tennessee guard DJ Jefferson scored 13 points in the loss, with Curtis Williams adding 14. Gardner-Webb has yet to defeat a Division I opponent this season. Sophomore guard Ethan Burg missed the game due to illness; he averages 3.5 points in 12.4 minutes across 11 appearances. Tennessee coach Rick Barnes had praised Burg's recent play after a strong showing against Louisville.
The win ties a school record and comes ahead of a December 30 matchup with South Carolina State. Tennessee opens SEC play at Arkansas on January 3.
