NASHVILLE — Tennessee is one game away from the SEC Tournament throne room.

The 4-seed Vols began their 2025 postseason debut in convincing fashion, never trailing 13-seed Texas and using a commanding push midway through the second half to end the Longhorns’ run in the quarterfinals, 83-72 at Bridgestone Arena on Friday.

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Tennessee (26-6) will play 1-seed Auburn in its first semfinal berth since 2022, the same year it won the SEC Tournament, on Saturday.

Texas (19-15) will await its NCAA Tournament fate.

Chaz Lanier set an early tone for the Vols. The Nashville native scored 14 of Tennessee's first 16 points on his way to 23-point outing.

Zakai Zeigler was the headliner in the second half, scoring all 19 of his points over the last 20 minutes and spearheading the Vols' push off. Jahmai Mashack finished 13 and Igor Milicic Jr. totaled 12.

Jordan Pope led the Longhorns with 14 points.

Chaz Lanier made the most of his homecoming early.

He scored Tennessee’s first basket two minutes into the first half, then tallied 7 of the Vols’ next 5 points, including a 3-pointer to open up an 11-7 lead.

Lanier pulled the trigger on another to answer one from Texas to stretch and followed it up with a jumper that rattled home to stretch the Tennessee advantage to 15-10 with just under 13 minutes to go in the half.

The Vols’ onslaught had them up by seven past the midway point of the half, but the Longhorns had withstood the first punch. A three from Tre Johnson and Jayson Kent layup pulled them within one at 23-22.

But Tennessee clapped back. Jordan Gainey hit a pair of free throws, then came up with a steal on the Vols’ end of the floor, dishing the ball back to Igor Milicic Jr. who ended up finishing the added possession with a 3-pointer to go up 28-22 with 7:50 remaining.

Tennessee felt mostly in control at that point, but Texas hung around. Johnson and Kaidn Shedrick scored on consecutive possessions to trim the Vols’ lead to two before scores from Milicic and Felix Okpara kept Tennessee ahead by a couple of possessions at 37-33 with less than three minutes left before halftime.

The Longhorns remained with striking distance, though. Lanier scored with 22 seconds left, but Tramon Mark sunk a floater at the buzzer to cut Tennessee’s lead to three at 41-38 at the intermission.

Zakai Zeigler, who sat much of the first 20 minutes with two fouls, scored on both of the Vols’ first two possessions of the second half. Then he dished his 228th assist of the season to Jahmai Mashack to put Tennessee up 47-40 and become the program’s single-season assist record holder.

The Vols’ most electrifying run was kick-started by Milicic, who finished off a strong drive with a layup. Cade Phillips was left open under the basket and fired up the overwhelming Tennessee contingent inside Bridgestone Area.

Zeigler stepped into a Texas passing lane and took the ball back for a layup and the Vols had their largest lead of the afternoon at 55-45 with no signs of slowing down.

Another defensive stop was followed by an and-1 from Lanier, who was bumped as he pulled up for a jumper, then hit the ensuing free throw to give Tennessee a 59-45 lead.

The Longhorns never recovered, and the Vols’ semifinal rendezvous with Auburn was in sight after Zeigler laced a deep 3-pointer to lead 75-61 with 4:49 to go.

Tennessee will get its rematch with Auburn for a spot in the SEC Tournament Championship Game.

The Vols, who lost to the Tigers by two at Neville Arena back on Jan. 25, will face 1-seed Auburn in their first semifinal appearance in three years on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET at Bridgestone Arena.

The Tigers beat 8-seed Ole Miss, 62-57 earlier Saturday.

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