Tennessee Volunteers Dominate Rutgers in Men’s Basketball Championship Opener

LAS VEGAS – The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team triumphed over Rutgers with an impressive 85-60 win on Monday morning in the Players Era Men’s Championship at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Senior guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie led the Volunteers with a career-high 32 points in just 29 minutes, maintaining an undefeated record of 6-0.

Tennessee established dominance early in the game, building a 21-10 lead through a quick 12-3 run at the 10:27 mark of the first half. Gillespie had already contributed 14 points by that point. Freshman forward Malik Estrella added to the momentum, scoring 14 points in a span of 55 seconds, which extended the lead to 41-22 with just over five minutes remaining in the first half.

The Volunteers continued to excel offensively, hitting eight of their final nine shots before halftime. They closed out the first half with a remarkable 56 points, the most scored in any half this season. The team shot 59.4 percent from the field and 90.9 percent from the free-throw line in the first half.

Tennessee maintained a strong lead, reaching a 29-point advantage thanks to a three-pointer from Gillespie with 13:34 left in the game. He went on to finish with 32 points on 11-of-20 shooting, including a personal best of six three-pointers made. Ament contributed significantly as well, scoring 20 points and recording several assists and rebounds.

Rutgers, despite the defeat, had notable performances from Harun Zrno, who led the Scarlet Knights with 14 points. The team struggled to find a rhythm, shooting 36.5 percent overall while failing to capitalize on second-chance opportunities. Tennessee held Rutgers to zero fast-break points throughout the game.

The Volunteers’ victory sets the stage for their next challenge in the tournament against No. 3 Houston on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET.