Brian Williams had 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench as Tennessee cruised to a 69-56 victory over Auburn on Thursday.

Cameron Tatum added 15 points and seven boards, and Tobias Harris scored 14 points for the Volunteers (15-7, 5-2 SEC), who have won three straight.

Tennessee dominated the opening half as it shot 50 percent and built a 19-5 advantage on the glass. Williams led the way with 12 points, including eight during a 13-2 burst early in the period that put the Volunteers in control.

The second half was the same story as Tennessee ran the lead to 22 points before taking its foot off the gas with five minutes remaining.

The Volunteers will host Alabama on Saturday in their eighth SEC game of the season - the last of coach Bruce Pearl’s suspension for misleading NCAA investigators. Pearl will return to guide his team at No. 11 Kentucky on Tuesday as the Volunteers make a final push toward an NCAA Tournament berth.

Allen Payne had 13 points and seven rebounds for Auburn (8-14, 1-7), which was coming off its first conference victory last weekend at South Carolina.