Zakai Zeigler and Tennessee are won win away from the program’s first Final Four. (Andy Hancock/NCAA Photos/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
(Andy Hancock/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
A common sports theory states you never want to face a team you swept in the regular season once you get to the postseason.
That held true on Friday for Kentucky.
The Wildcats swept Tennessee in two regular-season games in SEC play. But when the teams faced off for a third time in the Sweet 16 on Friday, it was all Tennessee in a 78-65 win to advance to the Midwest regional final.
This one was never in doubt. The Volunteers opened up a 19-9 lead in the game’s first eight minutes and never let the Wildcats back in the game. Tennessee will now play in the Elite Eight for a second straight season with its sights set on the first Final Four in program history.
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Tennessee has thrived in 10 seasons under Rick Barnes and is in the NCAA tournament for a fifth straight season. But much like Barnes, who’s found a ceiling to his success with a single Final Four and no national titles in previous head coaching stops at Clemson, Texas and Providence, Tennessee is seeking to ascend to college basketball’s upper-echelon for the first time.
For both, this may be their best opportunity. Powered by an All-SEC backcourt featuring Zakai Zeigler and Chaz Lanier, Tennessee has the experience and guard talent to make a run. Tennessee looked very much like a contender on Friday behind big games from both of its star guards.
Tennessee controlled virtually every aspect Friday’s game against a strong Kentucky team that earned a No. 3 seed out of a bruising SEC. The Volunteers dominated the boards with a 34-24 rebounding advantage, including a 14-7 edge on the offensive glass that led to repeated second-chance points.
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Tennessee made the most of its opportunities when it had them, while shooting 50.9% from the field. The Volunteers repeatedly got looks inside with dribble penetration and crashed the glass when they missed.
And they took care of the ball. The Volunteers turned the ball over just eight times, while Kentucky gave it away 12 times.
Tennessee opened up a 39-20 lead late in the first half in what looked like a runaway. It pretty much was when by the time the final buzzer sounded, even if the gap had closed. Kentucky reduced its deficit to 15 points at halftime and then largely traded buckets with Tennessee after the break as it never cut its deficit to single digits.
Tennessee put the game to bed for good with a five-point outburst in a span of five-second half seconds that extended its lead to 65-48.
Felix Okpara slammed home a putback dunk, and Zeigler followed up with a 3-pointer off a Lanier steal on the ensuing inbounds pass. Kentucky never recovered.
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Zeigler finished with a double-double including a game-high 18 points alongside 10 assists and one steal. Lanier finished with 17 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal. Jordan Gainey added 16 points and three rebounds off the bench.
Lamont Butler led Kentucky with 18 points, six rebounds and three assists in the final college game for the fifth-year senior. Amari Williams tallied 14 points, four rebounds and three assists in what was likewise the final game of his college career.
For Kentucky, the season can be considered a success under first-year head coach Mark Pope, who led the program to its first Sweet 16 since 2019. Expectations will be higher next season.
For Tennessee, it advances to face the winner between No. 1 seed Houston and No. 4 seed Purdue with a shot at program history on the line.
This news was originally published on this post .
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