Postgame Notes: Nebraska 82, Vols 71

Nov. 28, 2015

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Postgame Notes

The Basics

Guard Kevin Punter Jr. -- who had entered the game tied for the SEC lead in scoring at 22.2 ppg -- scored 20+ points for the fourth consecutive game.

The Vols faced their largest deficit of the season when they fell behind Nebraska by a 60-38 midway through the second half.

Tennessee pulled itself all the way back to within nine at the one-minute mark, outscoring the Huskers 33-20 over the 11-minute span.

The Vols were out-rebounded for the third consecutive game and by double digits for the second straight game. Prior to this streak, Tennessee had won the battle on the glass in three consecutive games.

Nebraska's .492 field goal percentage was the highest surrendered by Tennessee this season. Conversely, Tennessee shot .356 from the field -- its second-lowest mark on the year (.351 at Georgia Tech).

Saturday's contest represented the third-place game of the Barclays Center Classic, with No. 24 Cincinnati and George Washington playing in the title game later Saturday afternoon.

For Starters

Tennessee's starters were Kevin Punter, Robert Hubbs III, Devon Baulkman, Armani Moore, and Derek Reese.

The Vols are now 3-3 behind that starting lineup.

Forward Ray Kasongo was the first Vol off the bench against the Cornhuskers, entering the game at the 17:45 mark.

The Series

Tennessee falls to 0-3 against Nebraska, suffering its largest-ever defeat to the Huskers.

Head coach Rick Barnes is now 10-4 against Nebraska in his career and drops his first ever meeting with Huskers coach Tim Miles.

Punter's Points

Kevin Punter Jr. scored 20+ points for the fourth consecutive contest, dropping a game-high 23 against Nebraska.

A Bronx native, Punter concludes his 'homecoming' averaging 23.5 ppg over his two contests at the Barclays Center.

Punter had entered Saturday's game tied as the SEC's leader in scoring average at 22.2 ppg. That mark improves slightly to 22.3.

The senior also handed out a team-high five assists while notching a season-best four steals in 34 minutes of action.

Baulkman From Deep

Devon Baulkman connected on his first two 3-point attempts to begin the game, giving him five straight games of multiple 3-pointers made.

The senior has now connected on 17 threes over his last five games -- an average of 5.7 per game.

Baulkman finished with six points for the game.

Offensive Highlights

Admiral Schofield knocked down the first 3-pointers of his career in the second half, going 2-for-2 from deep. He would finish with a career-best 12 points in 17 minutes of action.

It was the first double-digit scoring effort of the freshman's career.

Robert Hubbs III reached double-digit scoring for the 10th time in his last 11 outings (dating to last season) with 13 points on Saturday. He is averaging 14.5 points per game over those last 11 contests.

Moore Blocked Shots

After being held without a blocked shot for the first time this season against George Washington, Armani Moore recorded three blocks in the first half against Nebraska.

Two of those stuffs came on one possession as he sent consecutive Husker field goal attempts into the stands behind the baseline.

With those three blocks, Moore ties former Vol Jarnell Stokes for 14th on Tennessee's all-time blocked shots list (94).

It was the 39th time in his career that he's led the Volunteers in blocked shots.

Freshman Kyle Alexander also got in on the act, swatting three shots on Saturday. The trio of blocks marked the first blocked shots of the 6-9 forward's Tennessee career.

Up Next

Tennessee now begins a two-week hiatus as the academic semester winds to a close.

The Vols will not play again until Dec. 12 when it travels to Indianapolis to face Butler at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse.

UT is 2-2 all-time against the Bulldogs, including a 67-55 win over a 15th-ranked Butler team in Knoxville last season. It will be just the second-ever meeting between the two programs in Indianapolis and the first since 1958.

Vols coach Rick Barnes is 0-1 in his career against Butler. His 2014-15 Texas team fell to the Bulldogs, 56-48, in the second round of last year's NCAA Tournament. He is 1-1 in his career against Butler head coach Chris Holtmann.

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