The Volunteers beat the West Virginia Mountaineers 74-72 in the semifinals of the StubHub Legends Classic.

Chris Lofton shook off another rough shooting performance to lead the Orange and White with 19 points. Wayne Chism chipped in 17.

Lofton was aggressive in the first half, driving to the rim strong and not settling for early three-point shots.

Both teams did start slow out the gate however. Both missed their first six shots from behind the arc. UT was 2 of 7 from the field while West Virginia was just 3 of 12 just seven minutes into the game.

Both teams were missing a lot of close shots and lay-ups early as they adjusted to the increased level of competition.

The Vols went into halftime shooting 3 of 13 from three-point land. Chism was 2 of 2. Tennessee's pressure was strong, forcing West Virginia into 13 first half turnovers.

The Mountaineers would not go away in the second half. They used a couple runs to keep themselves in the game and keep the pressure on UT. Despite their runs they never got a lead and the Vols were able to hold on for the victory.

Jajuan Smith nailed five free throws down the stretch to help seal the victory for the Vols, and he finished with 15 points.

Coach Bruce Pearl inserted Jordan Howell into the starting the lineup for Ramar Smith, but both logged significant playing time. The move was made due to Smith’s inconsistent play in the opening games.

UT will play in the final game of the Legends Classic Saturday against Texas at 7 p.m. on the Versus channel.