The Vols' depth and experience weren't quite enough against Purdue's trio of skilled juniors, and No. 9 Tennessee (4-1) fell in the championship of an in-season tournament for the second year in a row, 73-72.

Wayne Chism led all scorers with 24 points, but missed an open three-pointer with two seconds left. After missing two free throws moments earlier, Purdue freshman Kelsey Barlow grabbed the rebound to help clinch the title.

"That's a shot we'll take every time," said senior Bobby Maze.

E'Twaun Moore, who was selected as the Paradise Jam MVP, scored 22 points, and fellow juniors Robbie Hummel and JuJuan Johnson added 20 and 11, respectively for No. 6 Purdue (4-0).

"It was a physical game, but it would have been even more physical if both teams weren't a little fatigued from playing (Sunday) night," Head Coach Bruce Pearl said after the game. "I thought both teams played very well, and I thought we played well enough to win."

After a tight first half, Purdue held a 42-41 lead. The game remained close until the end.

I thought both teams played very well, and I thought we played well enough to win. Bruce Pearl, UT head coach

As well as the final score, statistics for both teams were similar.

Both teams had dismal long-distance shooting efforts. Tennessee shot just 3 of 11, while Purdue went only 4 of 16.

Tennessee converted a commendable 82 percent of their free throws, notching 23 points from the charity line. Purdue shot 19 of 26.

The Boilermakers won the battle on the boards 30-27, and also edged the Vols in turnovers, 17-14.

After going 14 for 18 from three-point range in the first three games of the season, sharp-shooting sophomore Scotty Hopson was 0 for 6 in his last two outings.

The tournament proved to be good experience for the Vols, as they won in a variety of ways.

Opening the tournament against East Carolina, the Vols posted over 100 points for the second consecutive game, overpowering the Pirates 105-66.

Five players posted double-digit scoring efforts, and the Vols hit 58 percent of their field goal attempts.
The following round was a completely different story.

Tennessee survived a scare against DePaul, using a pair of late free throws from senior Tyler Smith to seal the win, 57-53.

The Vols showed defensive grit throughout the game, and managed to come away with the victory after allowing the Blue Demons to come within two points in the last minute.