That was looking exactly like a movie I’ve seen far too many times. Shades of Tennessee vs. Ohio State in the 2007 Sweet 16 were dancing through my head. Many other late game collapses that I’ve buried away in a deep, dark place inside my mind were also coming back up.
This Tennessee-Texas Round of 32 game was headed down a similar path. Different groups of Tennessee friends and I were texting the “here we go again” messages and memes on our group chats. This indeed appeared to be another Tennessee loss that was going to sting and lead to talks of a talented team gone to waste again on Rick Barnes’ watch.
That is, until it wasn’t.
The Vols managed to get a couple of key stops in the game’s final minute and change and, just as importantly, they drained some clutch free throws in the final minute to keep Texas just far enough at bay to hold on for a 62-58 win.
I’m used to the opponent shooting what feels like 95% inside the final two minutes and a lid going onto the bucket for Tennessee from the field and at the free throw line. Seeing Tennessee players appear intimidated by the moment and playing tight as their far looser opponent finds another gear to blow past Vols.
But to their credit, the Vols did what they needed to do when they needed to do it, and that turned out to be in the first half, early part of the second half, and in the final 75 seconds.
Dalton Knecht went 5 of 18 from the field and just 1 of 8 from deep. But it was at the charity stripe where he shined, going 7 of 8 and making 4 huge shots that Tennessee needed. He also hit a catch and shoot three from the corner off a screen that UT badly needed late in the second half. Jonas Aidoo, who shoots 60% from the stripe, made 3 of 4 down the stretch.
That’s….not easy to do. That’s pressure at the highest level. Heck, my heart was beating through my chest just watching it.
And while the Vols were completely off their game offensively, their defense – particularly in the first half – was the reason they won on Saturday night. The Vols’ suffocating defense forced 11 first half Texas turnovers and held them to 19 points. Santiago Vescovi and his three steals passed Vincent Yarborough for most in program history, by the way.
Defense, free throws, and some clutch shots. That’s how you win in March. And that’s exactly what cold shooting Tennessee did to advance to the Sweet 16 for the second straight season and just the ninth time in program history.
And that’s why Tennessee fans can have hope that this season’s ending will be a movie that they haven’t seen before.