The No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers used efficiency and balance on the offensive end of the floor to defeat the Georgia Bulldogs 74-71 at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Ga. The Vols completed the season sweep of the Bulldogs, as they also defeated Georgia 85-69 earlier this season in Knoxville.

Chris Lofton finished with 22 points to lead the Vols (23-2, 10-1 Southeastern Conference). The senior guard scored early and often in the second half as he hit five 3-point field goals and scored 19 points.

Wayne Chism had 14 first half points to keep the Vols in the game while Lofton and others were cold from the field. Chism finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. 

Tyler Smith finished with 12 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. J.P. Prince also had 12 points.

Sundiata Gaines led Georgia (12-11, 3-7 SEC) with 23 points, nine rebounds, eight assits and three steals. The performance came as no surprise, as Gaines leads his team in each category this season.

The shorthanded Bulldogs were without second-leading scorer Billy Humphrey who was serving the third game of his suspension for underage drinking. Georgia had only seven scholarship players available Saturday.

Even with the short bench the Bulldogs stayed competitive throughout the game, leading by as many as six in the first half. Still, Tennessee used 22 combined points from Wayne Chism and Tyler Smith to take a 35-31 lead into halftime.

The Vols built a ten-point during the second half, but Georgia continued to fight back. The Bulldogs managed made it a one possession game at 74-71 with under a minute remaining, and they were later kept alive by a missed Tyler Smith free throw with six seconds remaining.

Gaines gained control of the rebound and was fouled in the backcourt. The senior missed the front end of the one-and-one and got his own rebound, however, he was unable to connect on a three-point shot as time expired.

The Vols have won seven consecutive games since losing to Kentucky at Rupp Arena on Jan. 22. With the win, Tennessee has now won its last eight meetings with the Bulldogs and 10 of the last 11 in the series.

UT will look to extend its 29-game home winning streak Wednesday against the Auburn Tigers. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

A season for the record books

Tennessee now has 23 wins on the season, three shy of tying the school record for most wins in a season. The 1999-2000 Volunteers won 26 games as they advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.

With a win against Auburn on Wednesday, the Vols will match last year's win total of 24.

Leading by example

Senior guards Chris Lofton of Tennessee and Sundiata Gaines of the Bulldogs combined for 92 points in the team's two meetings.

Lofton scored 49 points and hit 13 three-point field goals in the two contests with the Bulldogs. Gaines scored 43 points, with 13 rebounds and 11 assists in his two meetings against the Vols.