Before No. 14 Tennessee took on South Carolina, everyone was wondering if the Vols could shut down Devan Downey.

They should have been asking if the Gamecocks could handle Wayne Chism.

Chism's career-high 30 points led the Vols to a 79-53 routing of South Carolina at Thompson-Boling Arena Saturday night.

"South Carolina did not have an answer for him," said UT head coach Bruce Pearl of Chism. "Our guys did a great job of getting him the ball. We took advantage of having Chism, and when we do that, we are a great team."

"He outplayed our guys," said South Carolina head coach Darrin Horn. "It's really that simple."

Chism's previous career-high point total was 27 against Auburn in the SEC tournament last March.

Downey, who has scored at least 30 points in five of eight SEC games this season, had 26 points, 13 of which came from free throws.

"One guy cannot guard Downey," Pearl said. "You have to guard him with a team. The way you hedge him off of ball screens is different than other guys you face. We cupped him. You just try to build a wall."

Senior Bobby Maze, who had 11 points, was tasked with covering Downey for much of the night.

"Bobby Maze obviously was aggressive offensively early, and stepped up to the challenge of guarding Devan Downey," said Pearl. "Bobby's been very focused against the best point guards on our schedule."

The Vols shot 46 percent from the field, while South Carolina (13-9, 4-4 SEC) was held to 28 percent.

Click here for the extended gallery of game photos

With the win, Tennessee (18-4, 6-2 SEC) stayed competitive in SEC East play, still holding second place behind No. 18 Vanderbilt and No. 4 Kentucky, their next two opponents.

"We know the challenges of playing in Nashville and then in Lexington," said Pearl. "If we're going to defend our SEC East championship, we're going to have to do something special."

We took advantage of having Chism, and when we do that, we are a great team. Bruce Pearl, UT head coach

The game started slowly, with a combined 10 points in the first 10 minutes of play. However, the Vols used 11 first-half points by Chism to take a 30-16 lead into the locker room. It was the second consecutive game that the Vols held their opponent to 16 points in the first period.

The Vols kept the energy up in the second half, starting the first six minutes with a 19-8 run capped by a layup from freshman Kenny Hall. Hall finished the night with 11 rebounds and six points.

Junior Melvin Goins hit a layup with 8:41 left in the game to give the Vols their biggest lead, 65-38.

Sophomore Scotty Hopson quietly had 11 points, as well as three assists and zero turnovers.

It was announced before the game that Pearl had reinstated junior center Brian Williams after he had been indefinitely suspended since his arrest New Year's Day. He dressed for the game, but did not play.

The win at home was important for Tennessee, as they play four of their next five games on the road, where they have struggled. At LSU, who is winless in SEC play, the Vols blew a double-digit lead, but escaped with a 59-54 win on Thursday. A few weeks ago against Georgia, who is last in the SEC East, the Vols suffered a 78-63 loss.

The Vols' next game is at Vanderbilt on Tuesday at 7 p.m.