GAME NOTES: The Tennessee Volunteers try to make it two straight wins on Saturday when they visit Missouri for a Southeastern Conference tilt at Mizzou Arena.

After a slow start to the season Tennessee has responded with six wins in its last seven games and improved to 2-1 in conference play on Tuesday with a 74-69 upset win over 19th-ranked Arkansas.

Josh Richardson scored 20 points to lead the way, while Robert Hubbs III added 16 points and Armani Moore chipped in 14 for Tennessee, which has posted multiple wins over ranked teams for the ninth time in 10 seasons.

The Vols, who also beat then-No. 15 Butler in Knoxville on Dec. 14, almost blew it against Arkansas, as they saw a 16-point lead evaporate to one with 13.9 seconds left. Tennessee then connected on a pair of free throws to push the lead to three, but inexplicably fouled Anton Beard on a long 3-point try with 5.1 seconds remaining. Beard, though, missed the first two foul shots, then the third one on purpose and Tennessee grabbed the rebound to hold on.

Up next will be a Missouri team that was utterly embarrassed by the best team in the nation on Tuesday, as the Tigers fell to Kentucky, 86-37.

Leading scorer Johnathan Williams III managed just three points on 1-of-13 shooting and Missouri starters combined for just 27 points on 11-of-44 shooting. Wes Clark and Keanau Post both had 10 points to lead the Tigers, who have lost two in a row and five of their last seven games.

It was the fewest points scored by a Missouri team since a 41-36 loss at Oklahoma on Jan. 9, 1950. It was also the Tigers' largest loss since a 111-56 rout at Kansas State on Jan. 3, 1998.

Missouri split two meetings versus the Volunteers last season. Overall, though, the Tigers hold a 5-4 advantage.

Richardson, who is 15 points shy of 1,000 for his career, has stayed relatively consistent all season long, and leads Tennessee and ranks fourth in the SEC in scoring at 16.4 ppg. Kevin Punter is the only other Volunteer to own a double-digit scoring mark with 10.1 ppg. Tennessee enters Saturday's clash netting 64.6 ppg, which is second to last in the conference behind only Mississippi State. The Volunteers are holding opponents to just 62.8 ppg this season on 41.4 percent shooting.

A victory Saturday would mark the first time since 2009 that Tennessee won its first two SEC road games.

Missouri's primary issue this season has been its inability to light up the scoreboard, as it averages just 65.0 ppg behind typical shooting outputs of .417 overall, .343 from 3-point land and .671 at the free-throw line. The team boasts just two double-digit scorers in Williams III (13.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and Montague Gill-Caesar (11.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg), although Clark (9.5 ppg) and Shamburger (8.8 ppg) are close to joining them. Despite Tuesday's lopsided showing, the Tigers have played well defensively at times, permitting 69.5 ppg with foes shooting just 42.3 percent from the field, which includes a 34.3 percent showing from downtown.

Missouri should be a bit inspired at home especially after its awful showing versus Kentucky. Even with that, though, it might not be enough against an improving Tennessee squad.