GAME NOTES: In-state rivals get together on Saturday night, as the Tennessee Volunteers host the Tennessee State Tigers in non-conference action at Thompson-Boling Arena.

The Tigers have gotten off to a brutal start in 2014-15, losing all but two of their first dozen contests. In fact, not only has Tennessee State lost nine straight, the team has yet to defeat a single opponent from the Division I ranks, having conquered only Reinhardt and Fisk in the first week of the campaign.

Most recently the squad was leveled by another opponent from the Volunteer State, bowing to Middle Tennessee last weekend by a score of 67-45 on the road. The team is in the midst of a six-game road trip that will conclude on Monday at nationally-ranked TCU.

As for the Volunteers, they are currently just two games over .500, but being at home has provided great comfort and a mark of 5-0 thus far. The program has won two straight and four of the last five, thanks to a 64-54 triumph over Mercer earlier in the week.

Tennessee has hosted all four previous meetings between the programs and won each matchup, including an 88-67 final last season.

Against the Blue Raiders, Tennessee State made a total of just nine field goals in the first half, fell behind by a dozen at the break, and then struggled to convert a mere seven baskets in the second half, en route to the lopsided loss yet again. Marcus Roper was the lone double-digit scorer for the visitors with 10 points, shooting just 2-of-11 behind the 3-point line. Darreon Reddick pitched in with nine points and eight rebounds, the same numbers as Christian Mekowulu, although the latter made just one of six field goal attempts and 7-of-16 at the free-throw line.

Not a single player has started all 12 games for the Tigers, with Jay Harris having come off the bench in only one of those outings en route to a team-best 11.5 ppg. Roper accounts for another 11.4 ppg, with the duo having combined for 48 of the unit's 66 made 3-pointers. Unfortunately, there is little scoring strength from anyone else, which is why TSU is being limited to just under 60 ppg.

If the Tigers thought they had a tough time in their last outing, the Mercer Bears looked even more dreadful in the first half versus Tennessee as they logged a grand total of just four field goals, en route to a lopsided halftime deficit before making the loss a bit more respectable. Devon Baulkman came off the bench to score 22 points and pull down six rebounds, followed by Josh Richardson with 11 points, six assists and three steals for a UT squad that made good on 53.5 percent from the floor in order to overcome 16 turnovers. . Richardson, who has at least shared the scoring lead for the Vols eight times already this season, paces the program overall with 16.3 ppg and is also first on the team with 29 assists and 22 steals. Kevin Punter and Armani Moore pitch in with 10.1 and 10.0 ppg, respectively, although the former is shooting only 29.6 percent behind the 3-point line and 63.0 percent at the charity stripe, while the latter has connected on only one of his 10 3-point tries and is just behind Punter at the stripe (.625), and that has brought the entire team down to only 65.3 percent at the line.

Tennessee is far from a dominating team, but you can be assured that the Vols will not be the first D-I opponent to be taken down by TSU.