When Jordan Gainey's three-point shot fell through with less than nine minutes left in the first half on Saturday, it did more than just provide Tennessee with a double-digit lead over Alabama.
For the Vols' guard, it marked the end of a shooting slump that plagued him through the first three games of SEC play and it gave Tennessee an offensive jolt off of the bench.
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Gainey was part of a shooting onslaught that allowed Tennessee to rout the Crimson Tide, 91-71 at Food City Center and it didn't come a moment too soon. He finished third on the team in scoring with 15 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field and three 3-pointers.
"It felt good to finally see on go through," Gainey said. "Even going through a minor slump, I'd say, just being able to rely on my practice and the things that I've been doing. Just relying on my work. Being able to work out and just do what I do. It felt good."
Gainey was one of two transfers that bolstered Tennessee offensively early in non-conference play alongside Dalton Knecht.
In the Vols' exhibition match up with Michigan State in October, Gainey scored 20 points in his debut. He scored in double figures in six of Tennessee's first seven regular season games, including a 15-point outing vs. then-No. 2 Purdue in the Maui Invitational.
Gainey's production began to dip in late December and he averaged just 1.4 points four games into the Vols' league slate. He didn't score at all in the three games leading up to Alabama, but Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes noticed his confidence starting to return in a 85-66 win over Florida.
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"Jordan Gainey was a huge factor in the game. A huge factor," Barnes said. "I mean, we knew it was just a matter of time...I do think he went through a couple games there where obviously he was pressing and we kept on him to shoot it and because we watched him in practice every day. But he actually, (Tuesday) against Florida, I thought he looked really comfortable and he's had a couple that went in and out.
"We just felt, again, from the coaching staff, and I think his teammates told him too, if he could just get one to go down, it would open up for him and for us. Of course it came today because he was definitely a major factor in the game.”
There was a time that Gainey looked poised to be a kick-starter for Tennessee off the bench.
It was a role he excelled in and was seemingly the answer during shooting lulls in the first month of the season. It remains to be seen if Gainey's latest performance will be the remedy needed to get back to giving the Vols productive minutes on the offensive end, but it was a good place to start.
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And it wasn't just shooting where Gainey contributed. The best way to stay on the floor on a Barnes-coached team is to play defense, too, which all of the Vols' guards are expected to do.
Gainey made strides there, coming up with a season-high three steals on an afternoon where Tennessee forced 22 Alabama turnovers. In fact, Gainey took more pride in the takeaways than the baskets he made.
"(I'm more proud of) the three steals, for sure," Gainey said. "That's what we put our pride on. You know, it's always fun playing defense when everyone is locked in and swarming the basketball, playing together. Just playing as one. That's the biggest thing. Just everyone having fun out there on the defensive end."
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