The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team is headed back to the Sweet 16. The sixth-seeded Volunteers knocked off third-seeded Virginia, 79-72, on Sunday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena, marking Tennessee’s fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Men’s Tournament’s second weekend.
Tennessee (24-11) was led by senior guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie, who scored a team-high 21 points and delivered in the clutch down the stretch. The Volunteers controlled much of the game, trailing for just over three minutes total, and used a balanced offensive attack along with timely defensive stops to hold off a late Virginia surge.
The Vols jumped out to an early lead before Virginia responded with a hot shooting stretch from beyond the arc. Tennessee answered with a decisive 12-0 run midway through the first half, fueled by defensive intensity that held the Cavaliers scoreless for more than five minutes. That momentum carried into halftime, where Tennessee held a 36-31 advantage.
In the second half, Tennessee extended its lead to as many as nine points, but Virginia battled back with a series of made shots to tie the game with under five minutes remaining. The Cavaliers even briefly grabbed their first lead of the half in the final minutes, setting up a tense finish.
Tennessee responded with composure. Key free throws from Gillespie and freshman Nate Ament, along with a critical three-pointer earlier from Bishop Boswell, helped the Vols regain control. A late 7-0 run in the final minute sealed the victory and punched Tennessee’s ticket to the regional semifinals.
Ament finished with 16 points, including 13 in the second half, while Boswell added 13 points and dished out nine assists without committing a turnover. J.P. Estrella and Jaylen Carey each chipped in 10 points, and Felix Okpara contributed across the board with seven points, eight rebounds, and four blocks.
Defensively, Tennessee limited Virginia to just 39.1 percent shooting from the field and held the Cavaliers to one made field goal over the final five-plus minutes. The Vols also finished with 20 assists and a strong edge in bench production.
Virginia (30-6) was led by Thijs De Ridder’s game-high 22 points, while Malik Thomas added 12. However, Tennessee’s defensive pressure proved decisive late.
With the win, Tennessee advances to face second-seeded Iowa State in the Sweet 16 on Friday at the United Center in Chicago. Game time and broadcast details are expected to be announced soon. The Cyclones are coming off route of UT archrival Kentucky, where the Cylcones dominated on offense, playing without injured star forward Joshua Jefferson.
