KNOXVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tennessee Volunteers shot 62 percent from the floor in the second half, and answered a Tyrell Nelson (Charlotte, N.C.) three-point play midway through the final period with a 34-7 surge to pull away for an 89-64 win over Gardner-Webb on Sunday afternoon in Thompson-Bowling Arena.

Tennessee (3-1) knocked down 52.5 percent of its attempts from the floor in the contest, including a 13-for-28 afternoon behind the arc, while limiting Gardner-Webb (1-3) to a field goal percentage of 30.6 percent. The Volunteers won the battle on the glass by a 52-41 margin, including a 42-25 advantage on the defensive boards, while combining for 23 assists against just 10 turnovers.

Harold McBride (Bronx, N.Y.) led the Runnin' Bulldogs with 17 points, three assists and three steals while Nelson posted his second straight double-double with 15 points and 10 boards. Adonis Burbage (Orlando, Fla.) and David Efianayi (Orlando, Fla.) chipped in 13 and 10 points, respectively.

Tennessee's Kevin Punter poured in 24 points on 8-of-13 shooting to lead all scorers, as the Bronx native added seven rebounds and a game-high six assists. Devon Baulkman chipped in 22 points and seven boards, while Armani Moore recorded a double-double with 15 points and a game-high 16 rebounds. Robert Hubbs III contributed 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting.

Tennessee's three-point shooting and interior defense proved to be the difference early on, with the Volunteers knocking down five of their first 11 treys to open a 25-11 lead at the 8:10 mark of the first half. The Volunteers would push the margin to 34-15 with a 9-4 spurt, capping the stretch with a lay-in by Hubbs III with 5:12 on the clock.

Gardner-Webb fought back with a 22-7 surge to close the first half, cutting the lead from 19 to four over a five-minute span to finish the period. Burbage capped the run with a runner at the buzzer to trim the margin to 41-37 heading into the intermission.

Tennessee answered in the early moments of the second half, opening the period with an 8-2 run to push the lead back to double digits, 49-39, on a Moore jumper with 16:01 to play. The Runnin' Bulldogs battled back with a 13-4 run, cutting the lead to 53-52 on a McBride trey with 12:34 left on the clock.

Nelson gave Gardner-Webb its first lead of the second half moments later, sinking the basket, drawing the foul and completing the three-point play to put the Runnin' Bulldogs up 57-55 with 10:26 to play. The Volunteers quickly countered with an 11-2 run to regain the lead, 66-59, on a three by Hubbs III at the 7:45 mark.

Tennessee would stretch the margin to 73-62 over the next four minutes, capping the 7-3 spurt with a Baulkman trey with 3:56 to play. The Volunteers would pull away from there, closing out the game with a 16-2 run over the final three minutes to survive the upset scare and cap the 89-64 win.

Gardner-Webb returns to the court on Tuesday morning when the Runnin' Bulldogs take on George Washington at 11:00 am in Washington, D.C.