Tyler Smith had 22 points and J.P. Prince 20 as Tennessee clinched a share of Southeastern Conference Eastern Division with an 86-70 victory over South Carolina on Thursday night. The Volunteers (19-10, 10-5) won their third straight. While the Gamecocks can still earn a piece of the division crown with a win over Georgia and a Vols loss to Alabama this weekend, Tennessee's sweep of South Carolina this year earned it the No. 1 spot. The Gamecocks (20-8, 9-6) hadn't lost a league game at home this season. However, they couldn't match Tennessee's inside power. The Volunteers held a 44-22 rebounding margin. Devan Downey and Zam Fredrick had 16 points each to lead the Gamecocks, who were blown out for a second straight game after 96-83 defeat at Vanderbilt that wasn't that close.
