Tennessee adjusts without Dalton Knecht late to seal 17-point win over Syracuse
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When Tennessee trainers began tending to Dalton Knecht with 10:20 remaining, Syracuse appeared to receive a huge break. SU was down 42-39, and Knecht’s game-high 17 points was fueling the Volunteers’ lead. Then, he limped off to the sidelines, where he began nursing an apparent lower-body injury.
The Volunteers were forced to rely on their remaining veterans to carry the load. Boosted by Josiah-Jordan James’ 15 points and Jonas Aidoo’s 14, they outscored the Orange 31-17 during the final 10 minutes of the game.
Tennessee had to adjust without its go-to scoring option. And it did.
“Really proud of our older group at the end,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said postgame. “I thought we kept our composure through some tough situations for us.”
After Knecht’s performance caused Syracuse (3-1, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) to fall behind late in the first half, No. 7 Tennessee (4-0, 0-0 Southeastern Conference) flourished in his absence en route to a 73-56 win in the Allstate Maui Invitational quarterfinals. Knecht scored 15 of the Volunteers’ 30 first-half points and was the only player giving the Orange trouble during the opening 20 minutes.
In his absence, Knecht’s teammates shot a combined 12-for-22 in the second half, including 15-for-17 from the free throw line, to seal a 17-point victory over SU.
Knecht came to Tennessee in the offseason as a graduate transfer from Northern Colorado. Last season, Knecht won the Big Sky Conference scoring title, averaging 20.2 points per game. Through his first three games with the Volunteers, he became their top scoring option, leading the team with 19.7 points per game.
Against Syracuse, Knecht continued his hot start to his Tennessee career. He nailed the game’s first bucket, a 3-pointer from the right wing. Then, when the Orange held a 19-12 lead over the Volunteers, Knecht brought them within four off of another 3. On their next possession, Knecht drove through SU’s Peter Carey and converted an and-one layup. The 6-foot-6 guard completed the 3-point play, capping off a personal six-point run.
Knecht finished the first half with 15 points and went 3-for-4 from long range. He nailed one mid-range jumper early in the second half, which gave Tennessee a 38-27 lead at the time. But after battling Chris Bell to get to the rim midway through the half, Knecht fell to the ground, clutching his left calf.
Despite losing their best offensive player, James said the Volunteers didn’t flinch. They’ve got a roster filled with experience, he added, more than capable of picking up the lost production of one player.
“I would definitely say we were ready,” James said of playing without Knecht. “We were more than prepared for that type of game and that type of physicality.”
Immediately, James displayed the physical style of play that Tennessee needed to hold on. Stationed in the right corner, James pump-faked and dribbled around his defender, Benny Williams. He penetrated the lane and drew a shooting foul on Kyle Cuffe Jr., knocking down the ensuing two free throws.
A little over three minutes later, at the 6:42 mark, Volunteers guard Zakai Zeigler missed a long 3 from the left wing. With forwards Maliq Brown and Bell under the basket, Syracuse couldn’t box out. Jahmai Mashack was right there to grab the board and sink the put-back to give Tennessee a 54-48 advantage.
Syracuse struggled on the glass throughout Monday’s loss. The Orange were outrebounded 48-33 by the Volunteers. SU head coach Adrian Autry highlighted its inability to rebound as the primary defensive inefficiency leading to Tennessee’s late run.
“It all starts on the defensive end, finishing plays and rebounding,” Autry said.
Syracuse had glaring offensive issues down the stretch as well, unable to match Tennessee’s stretch of dominance. Point guard Judah Mintz scored 13 of his 15 points during the second half, partly due to Knecht’s exit. Mintz often attacked Tennessee guard Jordan Gainey, once shooting over him at the left elbow and drilling the shot to force an and-one opportunity. Mintz finished the 3-point play to lessen Syracuse’s deficit to four.
“When Dalton went out, (Syracuse) was going at Jordan Gainey there and I don’t think he’s ever been in that situation,” Barnes said. “But once we got back with the guys that were there, they’ve been in a lot of games like that where we strictly had to rely on our defense to get things done.”
Barnes subbed Gainey out after the play, which led to a difficult span of offense by the Orange. With Tennessee up 50-45, Brown misfired on a 3 from the top of the key. Going the other way, Justin Taylor poked a ball from Aidoo as Syracuse regained possession.
SU worked the ball to Williams on the right block as he posted up on Tennessee’s Santiago Vescovi. Brown spun to the left to try a mid-range fadeaway. But Vescovi knocked it out of his hands and Mashack drew a shooting foul on the other end, draining the ensuing pair of free throws.
As Knecht jumped up and down in the tunnel, trying to work his way back into the game, the Orange failed to take advantage of his lengthy exit. In the second half, they shot 1-for-9 from 3-point range and never took back the lead when Knecht was out. SU was outscored 21-17 from when Knecht left until he got back out there, failing to replicate the offensive production of a Tennessee team missing its top scorer.
At the 2:24-mark of the second half, Knecht returned to the floor after nearly eight minutes on the bench. Tennessee was up 63-56, searching for the dagger. The Volunteers broke Syracuse’s full-court press and got the ball to Knecht on the right baseline.
Knecht, backing down J.J. Starling, turned right and was positioned below the right elbow. His move drew Brown onto him as he prepared to fend off a shot from Knecht. Seeing Brown converge, Knecht passed to Aidoo — Brown’s man — who nailed a wide-open jumper from the free throw line.
Knecht’s assist helped spur Tennessee’s game-ending 12-0 run.
