Zakai Zeigler shooting headlines Vols' rout of Norfolk State

Tennessee played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in college basketball, but its final game before SEC play had very little drama.

The freshly minted No. 5 Vols beat Norfolk State on Tuesday at Food City Center, routing the Spartans 87-50 behind big nights from Zakai Zeigler and Dalton Knecht.

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The difference was Tennessee's offense performance at the end of the first half. The Vols (10-3) outscored the Spartans, 22-2 over the last eight minutes of the period to put it out of reach at halftime.

Zeigler is looking close to 100% if he isn't there already. He continued his resurgence with 17 points and a career-high five 3-pointers.

After scoring below his season average in the last few games, Knecht returned to form, finishing with 15 points.

Tobe Awaka notched a double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

Jamarii Thomas led Norfolk State (9-7) in scoring with 15 points.

It took more than a minute and a half for either team to score.

James opened with a layup that included a foul. The Vols led 3-0 after the ensuing free throw and two scores from Awaka and multiple 3-pointers tallied by Vescovi and James opened a 13-5 advantage six minutes in.

Tennessee suffered through a shooting slump, which included an 0-10 mark on field goal attempts at one point, allowing Norfolk State to pull within four before Knecht answered with a three to pull ahead 23-16.

The Spartans continued to hang around, but a 18-0 run late in the first half allowed the Vols to create more separation. Freshman J.P. Estralla headlined the stretch with a dunk, Zeigler connected from deep and Knecht hit multiple shots to give Tennessee a commanding lead at 43-18 at the intermission.

Vescovi added the exclamation point with his 300th career 3-pointer just before the half, which moves him into third all-time in program history behind Chris Lofton (431) and Allan Houston (346).

Christian Ings scored the Spartans' first basket since the five minute, 44 second mark of the first half early in the second, but it hardly mattered, even as Tennessee's shooting cooled off in opening minutes of the period.

Jonas Aidoo was on the scoring end of Knecht assist for the Vols' first points of the half and Zeigler connected on his second 3-pointer for a 48-22 lead.

Tennessee looked sluggish at times on the offensive end in previous games against NC State and its last performance vs. Tarleton State 11 days ago, but that didn't seem to be a problem for the Vols, who shot 50.0% from the field in the final 20 minutes.

Jahmai Mashack was part of that second half. He scored just 3 points in the first but ended up finishing with eight, including a 3-pointer.

Norfolk State had no answers on its own offensive end. It was 0-for-3 from beyond the arc in the second half and was never a threat after the Vols' run at the end of the first half.

Vescovi was on the cusp of adding to the program record books entering the game. It took him nearly an entire half to get there.

The senior guard ended a dominating first half run by Tennessee with a 3-pointer just before the buzzer, the third of the half and the 300th of his career, which has spanned almost five seasons.

Vescovi, who totaled three 3-pointers in the win, joins elite company with the shot. He is third all-time in program history in career-made 3-pointer, trailing only former Vols Chris Lofton, who made 431 and Allan Houston, who tallied 346.

After a slow start to his final season at Tennessee, Vescovi has started to look like his old self over the last six games. His performance against Norfolk State also bodes well for the most important part of the Vols' 2023-24 season, which begins with its conference slate this weekend.

Tennessee opens its league slate against No. 22 Ole Miss on Saturday.

The Vols will be challenged right out of the gate in its first conference test as the Rebels enter the match up as one of the few unbeaten teams in the country with notable wins over Memphis and NC State in head coach Chris Beard's first season.

Ole Miss (13-0) beat Bryant, 95-78 in its last outing on Dec. 31, 2023.

Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. ET on SEC Network in Knoxville.

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