KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Lamonte’ Turner made the most of a rare start for Tennessee.

Turner scored 23 points and the top-ranked Volunteers held West Virginia scoreless for a 9 1/2-minute stretch Saturday on its way to an 83-66 victory.

The 21-year-old Turner also had five assists in his first start since the 2017 SEC Tournament. Coach Rick Barnes said he replaced Yves Pons with Turner because he wanted a second ball handler against West Virginia’s defense, but he wasn’t sure if he would stay with the same starting lineup.

Turner went 8 for 10 from the field to help Tennessee (18-1) erase its first double-digit deficit of the season. Tennessee took command by ending the first half on a 24-2 run and scoring the first four points of the second half.

That put the Vols on track for their 14th consecutive victory in the school’s longest win streak since it opened the 1922-23 season with 14 straight wins.

“I think they’re as good as anybody in the country,” West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said.

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West Virginia is at Iowa State on Wednesday.

Tennessee is at South Carolina on Tuesday.