It was a bit of a scare, but Tennessee beat Missouri State on Wednesday.

The No. 23 Volunteers nipped the Bears 60-56 at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn. The win advances Tennessee to the third round of the Dick’s Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off, which will be held at Madison Square Garden next week in New York City.

The Volunteers (3-0) appeared on their way to an easy win after leading 26-15 with 5:34 in the first half. But then the Bears (2-1) attacked. They posted a 12-5 run which gave Tennessee a perilous 31-27 lead going into halftime.

The break didn’t slow Missouri State’s momentum. It tied the game at 33 early in the second half. Nathan Scheer drained a free throw and Kyle Weems nailed a jumper to give the Bears a 36-33 lead from there.

Consecutive baskets by Josh Fields and Scotty Hopson pushed the Volunteers back into the lead. The two teams played close for the remainder of the game, but Tennessee never trailed again.

Weems led the Bears with 18 points.