Tennessee basketball live updates vs. Lithuania: Vols playing in Italy
FLORENCE, Italy − Tennessee basketball is running it back against the Lithuanian U21 team Saturday (7 p.m. ET).
The Vols play Lithuania after winning 97-57 on Friday in the first matchup between the teams. The game is available to stream on FloHoops.com, which also will stream UT's game against Stella Azzurra on Monday in Rome.
Freddie Dilione had 13 points and five assists in Friday's win, while Dalton Knecht had 14 points. Tobe Awaka had a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds.
[ Mike Wilson, who covers Tennessee men's basketball for Knox News, is the only media member traveling with the Vols during their trip to Italy. Follow his daily coverage at knoxnews.com and in the News Sentinel. ]
Tennessee owns an all-time international exhibition record of 20-7.
The Vols have previously made similar international trips to Spain in 1976, France and Italy in 1997, the Dominican Republic in 2003, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria in 2007 and Italy in 2012.
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First Quarter
In a stark contrast to Friday's game, the Lithuanian U21 team came out with more fire and precision. They commanded a 5-4 lead early, but the Vols came back and took their first lead at 6-5. The Vols continued to put their foot on the gas pedal and ended the quarter with a 27-15 lead.
Awaka and guard Santiago Vescovi had eight early points to lead the Vols. Redshirt freshman guard D.J. Jefferson got the start today as Dilione came off the bench.
Second Quarter
The Vols offensive presence picked up, as they extended their lead to as much as 33 points during the second quarter.
Defensively, the Vols stopped fouling, which resulted in their consistent play on offense. They cooked up 28 fouls Friday, as the Vols had a tendency to foul based on their aggressive defense. The young players got caught reaching and the fouls slowed down the pace.
Tennessee’s size worked against the Lithuanian team. Their athleticism continued to put the pressure on the U21 team and the Vols went into the locker rooms with a 62-35 lead.
Third Quarter
Lithuania came out of the jump with energy while the Vols started to relax a bit. Nojus Kuliesa connected on several 3-pointers in the quarter, as the U-19 team trimmed the 27 point lead to 69-46 midway through the third.
Vescovi continued his hot shooting with 19 points at the end of three quarters as he banked in a 3-pointer from the right wing. They finished the third with an 88-59 lead.
Final Score
Things got pretty feisty in the fourth quarter, as Lithuania's Ernestas Matulevic instigated a fight near midcourt. He's been pretty vocal and hostile in both games.
It was a balanced effort as seven players for the Vols scored in double figures Saturday. The Vols defeat the Lithuanian National Team 116-90.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee basketball live updates vs. Lithuania: Vols score in Italy
