Xavier beats Tennessee 86-70 in 2026-27 exhibition game

The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team opened its 2026-27 campaign, dropping an 86-70 exhibition decision to Xavier at Food City Center. The Volunteers held a 10-point advantage early in the second half before a late-game shooting surge by the Musketeers reversed the outcome.

Tennessee Builds Halftime Lead with Defensive Lockdown

Tennessee controlled stretches of the opening twenty minutes, utilizing a defensive lockdown to build a lead. The Volunteers held Xavier scoreless for a span of 4:59 early in the contest, forcing eight consecutive misses from the floor. Junior guard Terrence Hill Jr. snapped a 4:43 drought for the hosts with a 3-pointer, putting Tennessee ahead 11-10 with 10:55 remaining in the first half. The home side extended its margin to 35-27 by halftime.

During the opening frame, Tennessee shot 3-of-14 from beyond the arc while converting 8-of-13 attempts inside the arc and 10-of-14 at the free-throw line. Xavier struggled similarly from long range in the first half, hitting 2-of-13 attempts, while managing a 9-of-21 mark inside and 3-of-8 on free throws. Hill paced all scorers in the first half, tallying 16 of his game-high 22 points in the initial 21 minutes.

Xavier Overcomes Early Deficit with Second Half Surge

The game shifted decisively after intermission as Xavier exploited defensive gaps and perimeter shooting. The Musketeers launched a 13-2 run featuring three 3-pointers in just 1:53 to capture a 45-44 lead with 16:15 left to play. Although Tennessee briefly answered to reclaim a two-point advantage, Xavier eventually outscored the Volunteers 31-9 over a rapid 7:14 stretch to pull ahead 86-66 with 2:24 remaining.

Xavier closed the contest by making its final six shots from the field, accumulating 10 straight points in 1:56. While Tennessee led for nearly as much time as its opponent across 15 lead changes, the Volunteers cooled drastically in the second half, hitting just 1-of-12 attempts from deep. Xavier countered with an 8-of-14 clip from long distance in the second period, fueled by senior guard Ruben Dominguez, who scored 12 of his 14 points on a quartet of 3-pointers in the final 10 minutes.

Terrence Hill Jr. Leads Tennessee Scoring

Hill finished with 22 points, three assists, and three steals on 9-of-17 shooting for Tennessee. Junior guard Juke Harris added 15 points, and sophomore guard Jalen Haralson contributed 10 points and six boards. Sophomore forward DeWayne Brown II led all players with 10 rebounds while chipping in six points.

For Xavier, senior forward Nikos Chitikoudis scored 17 points, including 13 in the second half. Junior forward Jovan Milicevic recorded 16 points and seven rebounds, while redshirt sophomore forward Gabriel Pozzato added 11 points. Senior guard Tru Washington rounded out the double-digit scorers for the Musketeers with 10 points.

Nine players saw their first action in a Tennessee uniform during the exhibition, including Haralson, Hill, Harris, senior guard Dai Dai Ames, freshman guard Marquis Clark, fifth-year forward Christian Fermin, freshman guard Manny Green, junior forward Braedan Lue, and senior center Miles Rubin. Sixth-year guard Tyler Lundblade did not play due to an offseason back injury.

Tennessee Prepares for Final Exhibition Game Against Duke

The fixture marked the first meeting between Tennessee and Xavier since November 29, 2013, in Paradise Island, Bahamas. The Volunteers now hold an all-time exhibition record of 88-21, including a 16-3 mark in exhibition contests under head coach Rick Barnes.

Tennessee concludes its exhibition slate on October 20 at 7 p.m., facing Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina, with a live broadcast scheduled on the ACC Network.

More on Tennessee: Tennessee Falls 2-0 to No. 11 South Carolina, utsports.com reported