Virginia Cavaliers at Tennessee Volunteers

Lanier's 26 points lead No. 11 Tennessee past Virginia 64-42 at the Baha Mar Championship

The Volunteers found themselves locked in a tight contest going to the locker room, their lead trimmed to 22-21 when Virginia’s Andrew Rohde hit a long, straightaway three in the final seconds of the half.

After the break, the Volunteers grabbed control of the game, taking advantage of misses and turnovers to turn the contest into a rout.

Dai Dai Ames led the Cavaliers with 12 points and Rohde added eight, but UVA shot just 28.6% from the floor. Tennessee held leading scorer Isaac McKneely to four points on 1-for-6 shooting.

Takeaways Virginia: In its first major test of the Ron Sanchez interim era, UVA’s deliberate style and defensive intensity kept things interesting before getting overwhelmed by a superior opponent in the second half.

Tennessee: The Volunteers shook off a shaky first half and took control physically in the second. Tennessee outscored UVA 19-5 in second-chance points and had eight steals, using its size and athleticism to dominate.

Key moment Tennessee asserted itself with a 9-0 run early in the second half, aided by three Virginia turnovers. That surge swelled the margin to 37-24 with 13:06 left and, though the Cavaliers tried to hang around, the outcome was decided.

Key stat Virginia’s poor shooting was a problem, but maybe not as much as its 18 turnovers that led to 30 Tennessee points.

Up next Tennessee faces Baylor in the championship game Friday at 9:30 p.m., while Virginia draws St. John’s in the consolation matchup Friday at 7:30 p.m.

How can I watch Virginia vs. Tennessee?

• TV Channel: Virginia at Tennessee 2021 College Basketball, week 3, is broadcasted on CBSSN.
• Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo Free trial.
  Try Vidgo for free.