The first-round contest at the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, was close early but a 14-3 spurt led to Tennessee's 43-27 halftime advantage.
UT then built its lead to 66-41 on Skylar McBee's 3-pointer about six minutes into the second half, and the losers never were competitive from that point.
Bobby Maze scored 15 points.
Cameron Tatum scored 14 with four steals.
Tyler Smith scored 13 with four assists, while Melvin Goins added 10 points and five assists for the unbeaten Volunteers (3-0).
Point guard Brock Young's 15 points and four assists led East Carolina, but facing constant defensive pressure, he committed a game-high 12 turnovers.
Jontae Sherrod scored 12 points, and Chris Turner 11 for the Pirates (1-3), who have lost three in a row.
Copyright 2009 by United Press International.
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