Tennessee out-lasts Virginia, advances to Sweet 16
By Rolando Rosa
Published:
Tennessee edged Virginia 79-72 in the Round of 32 on Sunday from Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Tennessee advances to take on Iowa State in the Sweet 16. This is the fourth year in a row that Tennessee has reached the Sweet 16.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie led Tennessee with 21 points and six assists. Tennessee had a balanced scoring attack, with five players in double figures. Nate Ament bounced back with 16 points after going scoreless in Tennessee’s first round victory vs. Miami (OH). Bishop Boswell finished with 13 points and a team-best four 3-pointers.
Thijs De Ridder scored a game-high 22 points along with five rebounds in the loss for Virginia.
A major key for Tennessee came at the free throw line. Tennessee had a +13 advantage on free throw points.
It was a tight game throughout, with no double-digit leads. Tennessee took a 36-31 lead into halftime. Both teams also protected the ball well, with just a combined 17 turnovers between them.
Tennessee has reached the NCAA Tournament seven times in a row under Rick Barnes. Tennessee will now aim to reach the Elite Eight for the third year in a row. This will be the first meeting between Tennessee and Iowa State since 2018. In that last matchup, Tennessee beat Iowa State 68-45.
