KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — John Fulkerson turned to the Tennessee basketball crowd and waved his hands in the air Wednesday night at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Vols forward, who suffered through a deflating and emotional first senior season, had done it again. He was in the right place at the right time, running to the rim and gathering a loose ball after Kennedy Chandler’s shot was blocked.
Fulkerson tossed the ball into the hoop as Arizona’s Dalen Terry tossed him. Fulkerson converted the three-point play, his final terrific moment to hold off a furious Arizona comeback.
Tennessee got its best win of the season behind a vintage Fulkerson performance, a 77-73 victory against No. 4 Arizona (11-1).
Fulkerson, who returned to Knoxville for a sixth season, had 24 points and 10 rebounds for No. 19 Tennessee (9-2). He was 8-for-13 shooting and 8-for-12 from the free-throw line, as he put many of Arizona’s key players in foul trouble.
Tennessee’s first-half defensive clinic
Chandler swatted the ball away from Kerr Kriisa on Arizona’s second possession. Tennessee kept pestering the Wildcats, forcing turnover after turnover in the first half and stifling the nation’s highest-scoring offense.
The Vols had three straight steals — Olivier Nkamhoua and Santiago Vescovi followed Chandler’s. They forced nine turnovers in the first 7:32, fueling the lockdown effort.
Tennessee limited Arizona to 21 points before halftime. The Wildcats averaged 91 points per game entering…
