Vols ride second half scoring run to Sweet 16 win over Creighton
DETROIT — For the second time in program history, Tennessee is heading to the Elite Eight.
The 2-seed Vols went from cruise control to needing late stops to hold off a comeback from 3-seed Creighton, but in the end, a 82-75 victory puts Tennessee within reach of its first ever Final Four berth.
The Vols last reached the Elite Eight in 2010.
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After a sluggish offensive performance against Texas in the Round of 32, Tennessee (27-8) shot better than 41% from the floor and 45% from three-point range, knocking down timely shots late to stay in front.
Dalton Knecht paced the Vols with 24 points while Zakai Zeigler scored 18 along with six assists. Josiah-Jordan James finished with 17 points.
Jahmai Mashack entered the starting lineup in place of Santiago Vescovi, who was out with illness and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, blocked two shots and grabbed two steals while turning a plus/minus of 10.
Baylor Scheierman led the Bluejays (25-10) with 25 points and Steve Ashworth scored 16. Ryan Kalkbrenner finished with 14 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Tennessee's defense gave Creighton fits early, forcing four turnovers and a shot clock violation in the first six minutes of the first half.
Both teams exchanged 3-pointers out of a timeout, with James putting the Vols in front for the first time with back-to-back threes. Tennessee maintained its lead with some productive minutes from Jordan Gainey, who scored a quick 4 points to put the Vols ahead 18-14 with less than nine minutes to go in the half.
Offense was hard to come by over midway point, but it was even harder for the Bluejays, who went more than three minutes without a field goal. A pair of free throws cut the Tennessee lead to two but Zeigler answered with a floater to lead 20-16.
Creighton's struggles didn't last, though. The Bluejays hit three-straight field goals and re-took the lead on an Ashworth three with four minutes remaining. Knecht answered to push the Vols back ahead, 29-27.
Creighton rattled off a 6-0 run, helped by 3-pointers from Ashworth and Scheierman to swell its lead to 33-29 with two minutes, 20 seconds before the intermission, leading to a Rick Barnes timeout.
Gainey and Mashack set stretches on the bench with two fouls each, leading to freshmen Freddie Dilione V and Cameron Carr getting minutes. Carr quickly made the most of them, entering the game out of the timeout and draining a corner three to get the Vols within one at 33-32.
A missed layup from Aidoo turned into a late dunk from Kalkbrenner that sent Creighton into halftime up 35-34.
Creighton led by two with less than a minute into the second half but Tennessee went on an 18-0 run started by Knecht free throws and highlighted by a James blocked shot that went for two more Knecht points on the other end.
Zeigler added to to the scoring stretch with a three and Knecht laced another from the corner to swell the lead to a commanding 55-39 with 13 minutes, 51 seconds remaining.
Scheierman ended Creighton's scoring drought with a three but Awaka responded with his first basket to lead 57-42.
Creighton didn't go away, responding with a 20-7 run to cut what was on the cusp of becoming an insurmountable deficit to five at 62-59 with seven minutes left.
Knecht, who went without a shot attempt for seven minutes, hit a much-needed 3-pointer to extend Tennessee's lead to 65-59. He provided another to follow up a Ashworth three to stay ahead by four.
Tennessee needed stops and came up with them. After Creighton knocked on the door again, it went three minutes, 19 seconds without a score and the Vols took advantage on offense.
Awaka's and-1 with one minute, 39 seconds left and the ensuring free throw that rattled in all but put it away for the Vols.
STAT OF THE GAME
Tennessee's explosive 20-3 run changed the trajectory of the game.
Creighton was able to make a game out of it, but never overcame its deficit.
The Vols showed how high their ceiling can be during that stretch, clicking on both ends of the floor. A similar show of force on Sunday will very likely send Tennessee to the Final Four.
WHAT WAS SAID
UP NEXT
Tennessee and Purdue will meet for the second time this season.
The 1-seed Boilermakers ran away from Gonzaga in the second half to win convincingly, 80-68 behind 27 points from forward Zach Edey.
The defending Naismith Player of the Year, Edey gave Tennessee plenty of trouble in the last meeting between the two teams at the Maui Invitational in Honolulu back in December. Purdue won that game, 71-67 and Edey scored 27.
The Vols and Boilermakers last met in the NCAA Tournament in 2019 with Purdue winning 99-94 in overtime to punch its ticket to the Elite Eight.
Tip-off between Tennessee and Purdue in the Elite Eight is set for 2:20 p.m. ET.
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