Volunteers take down their SEC Rivals to Advance to the Elite 8 

By Nick Jenkinson/Excel H Sports

photos by: Tony Harper/Excel H Sports/Indiana Sports Network

   The #2 Seed Tennessee Volunteers took down the #3 Seed Kentucky Wildcats 78-65 in the first game of the NCAA Midwest Regional semifinal Friday Night at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Tennessee is 30-7 on the season to make the Elite 8 for the second consecutive season after losing to Purdue in the Midwest Regional Final in Detroit a season ago. Kentucky finishes the year 24-12 under first year head coach Mark Pope who brought in nine transfers and returned no production from a season ago got to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019.

   Tennessee led 43-28 at halftime as Kentucky outscored the Vols 37-35 in the second half. The Tennessee defense set the tone as Kentucky tied a season low with 65 points and the second time this season the Wildcats have been held under 30 points in the first half. Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes is 15-0 in the NCAA Tournament when he is leading my 10 points or more at halftime.

   Zakai Zigler led Tennessee with 18 points and 10 assists, Chaz Lanier scored 17 points and Jordan Gainey added 16 points off the bench. Felix Okpara pulled down 11 rebounds and added 8 points. Tennessee finished 29-57 from the field for 51%, 5-19 from three-point range for 26% and 15-20 from the field for 75%. The Volunteers pulled down 34 rebounds, dished out 17 assists, 8 steals, 3 blocks and committed 8 turnovers.

  Lamont Butler led Kentucky with 18 points, Amari Williams added 14 points and Otega Oweh added 13 points. Kentucky finished the game 25-51 from the field for 49%, 6-15 from three-point range for 40% and 9-13 from the free throw line for 69%. Kentucky pulled down 24 rebounds, dished out 10 assists, 7 steals, 2 blocks and committed 12 turnovers.

   Kentucky won both meetings against Tennessee in the regular season 78-73 in Knoxville on January 22, and 75-64 in Lexington on February 11. It’s hard beat a time a third time in the same season and Tennessee showed with them with their defense that they were going to beat their SEC rivals and keep their season alive with another trip to the final four on the line Sunday and send the Wildcats home in what some believe that was a overachievement for Mark Pope considering what he had to do from the time he took over in the offseason and rebuild the roster but there is a bright outlook ahead for Kentucky Basketball looking to get back to where they have been in past and getting to the Sweet 16 is a step in the right direction.