KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — The Tennessee Volunteers built a commanding first-half lead and held off the Texas Longhorns for an 85-71 victory in a Southeastern Conference men’s basketball game Tuesday night at Thompson-Boling Arena.

Tennessee led 48-33 at halftime before Texas outscored the Volunteers 38-37 after the break. The result moved Tennessee to 11-3 overall, while Texas fell to 9-6. A crowd of 17,402 watched the game.

The Volunteers, pregame favorites, covered the spread as their defense contained the Longhorns. The combined score fell under the projected total. Texas visits Alabama on Saturday, while Tennessee travels to Florida.