Tennessee got back to its winning ways with a 87-69 victory against UNC-Asheville at Thompson-Boling Arena on Wednesday, its 35^th consecutive home win.  The team's usual high-tempo offense looked sluggish, but pressure defense helped propel them to a 6-1 record and head coach Bruce Pearl's 400^th career victory.

The story of the night was Tyler Smith who recorded a triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, the first such feat in school history.

Smith was the bright spot on offense this game.  The team was 16-25 (62 percent) from the free throw line not to mention only 42 percent from the field after averaging 49 percent on the year.  They were able to out-rebound UNC-Asheville which is what kept Tennessee on top.  The Vols looked to have problems setting up their offense and executing it efficiently.  J.P. Prince, Cameron Tatum, and Josh Tabb were other big contributors on offense with 10 points each and key rebounds.

The defense is really what lead Tennessee to victory.  The Vols had six blocks and were able to hold the Bulldogs to 40 percent shooting from the field and 21 percent from behind the arc.

Even though Tennessee seems to be struggling on offense, they still found a way to get a win.  Next they travel to Philadelphia and play the 3-2 Temple Owls on Dec. 13.  The Vols will have to step up the execution if they want to win consistently on the road.