Tennessee halted a two-game skid after getting rid of South Carolina, 78-59, at Colonial Life Arena on Tuesday.
The No. 23 Volunteers had a strong start, erecting a double-digit lead at halftime, 40-28. While the Gamecocks played better in the second half, Tennessee held on, improving to 21-9, including 11-6 in the SEC.
Tennessee played without Nate Ament due to a leg injury. The talented freshman had not missed a game before sitting out versus South Carolina.
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes did not provide a timetable for Ament's return, although he sounded optimistic, as reported by 247Sports' Ben McKee.
“He looks good today. We obviously knew he was not going to play. Our doctors and trainers will tell us about that. I could just tell you, if it were up to Nate, he would have played today,” said Barnes.
“I've told you guys all year, he's one of the toughest kids I've ever been around. The fact that he played in the Missouri game after that high ankle turn, he wanted to play the other night. Obviously, doctors didn't think it was the wisest thing to do. I can tell you, if it were up to him, he would have played today. Obviously, the right decision was not to play him.”
The 19-year-old forward, who hails from Manassas, Virginia, is the Volunteers' second-leading scorer with 17.4 points per game. Ament is also averaging 6.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.0 steals per outing.
The timing of his leg injury is awful, as the conference playoffs and the NCAA Tournament are on the horizon.
Without Ament, JP Estrella and Felix Okpara stepped up against the Gamecocks. Estrella had 22 points, seven rebounds, and three assists off the bench, while Okpara tallied 20 points and eight rebounds. They combined for 20-of-27 field goals.
