REPLAY: Tennessee basketball vs. Lithuania U21. Vols' first game in Italy

FLORENCE, Italy − Tennessee basketball has the first game of its international tour in Italy on Friday.

The Vols face the Lithuania U21 team at 1 p.m. ET in Florence. Tennessee will play the same team Saturday. Both games are available to stream on FloHoops.com, which also will stream UT's game against Stella Azzurra on Monday in Rome.

Tennessee returns a core of veterans, including fifth-year seniors Josiah-Jordan James and Santiago Vescovi. It also added firepower in freshman guard Freddie Dilione and Northern Colorado transfer Dalton Knecht.

The Vols reached the Sweet 16 in 2023 for the second time under coach Rick Barnes.

Tennessee is on its first international trip since it went to Spain and France prior to the 2017-18 season. The Vols won a share of the SEC regular-season title that season following the international trip.

[ 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 19-7.

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.

First Quarter

The Volunteers played under FIBA rules during the exhibition game with 10 minute quarters.

Rick Barnes was not coaching Friday, but associate head coach Justin Gainey spread the message of defensive intensity early. Through the first five minutes of action, the Vols forced several turnovers and held a 7-0 lead.

Refs let both teams play and the Vols took advantage of the physicality. Dillione set the tone early with eight early points. Knecht wasn't shy and shot 2-for-5 from 3-point range.

Vols led the Lithuania U21 team 29-16 after one.

Second Quarter

The Vols continue to pressure the Lithuanian defense a combination of their outside shooting and attacking the basket.

Redshirt freshman guard D.J. Jefferson and sophomore forward Tobe Awaka announced their presence with loud back-to-back dunks, sending the Vols bench to a frenzy.

The Lithuanian U19 team was undermanned, as they had ten players suiting up compared to the Vols full roster. With the Vols' depth, they were able to keep up with the pace and went into the locker room with a comfortable 52-28 lead.

Third Quarter

Following his loud dunks in the first half, Awaka followed that up with an impressive play on both sides of the ball. Though Awaka was trailing the play, he hustled and blocked a layup in transition.

Then, he sprinted down the court and followed a miss 3-pointer by Knecht and drew a foul, making the layup in the process.

The Vols hold Lithuania to just six points in the third quarter, ending the quarter with a 74-34.

PREVIEW: Freddie Dilione, Dalton Knecht in spotlight for Tennessee basketball in Italy

Final Score

The Vols defeat the Lithuanian National Team 97-57.

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: REPLAY: Tennessee basketball vs. Lithuania: Vols' first game in Italy