University of Tennessee Athletics
NCAA Tournament History
March 05, 2001 | Men's Basketball
| 2007 NCAA South Region | |||
| Regional Semifinal | |||
| #5 Tennessee (24-11) | 84 | ||
| #1 Ohio State (33-3) | 85 | ||
| March 22, 2007 - Alamodome - San Antonio, Texas | |||
Senior Ron Lewis and fellow freshmen Mike Conley and Greg Oden lifted Ohio State past Tennessee, 85-84 Thursday night in the semifinals of the NCAA South Regional.
Lewis scored 25 points, and Conley had nine of his 17 from the foul line, including the winner with 6.5 seconds left.
But Conley missed a second shot, giving Tennessee one last chance. Ramar Smith grabbed the rebound and went all the way to the rim with Conley defending him. They went up together and time expired with his ball in the air.
Then it was Oden to the rescue, swatting the ball into the Volunteers' cheerleaders and dropping back to earth himself with his biggest smile of the night, while Smith planted himself facedown in front of the Tennessee bench. The Buckeyes (33-3) won their 20th straight game.
For the Volunteers (24-11), this was a second straight heartbreaking loss to one of the nation's top teams.
The 7-foot, 270-pound Oden scored only nine points, matching his lowest in 15 games, and set a season-low with three rebounds.
After trailing 49-29 in the final minute of the first half, the Buckeyes got back into the game with a 19-5 spurt, keyed by six free throws from Conley. Fittingly, his pair of foul shots tied it at 64.
Things went back and forth from there, with 6-foot-9 Ryan Childress hitting two 3s for Tennessee and Conley making a three-point play but also missing a pair of free throws.
Ohio State tied it at 79 with 2:44 left on David Lighty's eighth 3-pointer of the season. It was a biggie because the Buckeyes never trailed again.
Chris Lofton, the SEC player of the year, scored 24 points to lead Tennessee. He was 6-of-13 on 3-pointers, including one that tied it at 82 only seconds after Lewis had put Ohio State ahead with a 3 of his own.
Smith scored 15 points and JaJuan Smith added 14 points and eight rebounds. Childress scored 12, hitting 4-of-5 behind the arc.
With a 13-2 run, Tennessee went up 32-18, prompting Matta to rub his brow and put back in Oden. Just 64 seconds later, Oden was back beside his coach in a black folding chair, stuck with three fouls. The Volunteers soon got rolling again and were ahead 49-29 in the final minute of the half.
NOTES: The Vols set a school-record with 16 3-pointers made.
| 2007 NCAA South Region | |||
| Second Round | |||
| #5 Tennessee (24-10) | 77 | ||
| #4 Virginia (21-11) | 74 | ||
| March 18, 2007 - Nationwide Arena - Columbus, Ohio | |||
JaJuan Smith led a second-half comeback, Chris Lofton made one free throw after another in the final seconds and the Volunteers held off Virginia 77-74 Sunday in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Fifth-seeded Tennessee (24-10) reached the round of 16 for the first time since 2000 under second-year coach Bruce Pearl.
Point guard Sean Singletary missed a 3-pointer with 1 second left as Virginia (21-11) watched its top two scorers come up empty at the end.
Lofton, the Southeastern Conference's player of the year, hit all six of his free throws in the last 27.7 seconds, keeping Tennessee ahead. Lofton finished with 20 points, and the Volunteers went 22-of-32 overall from the free-throw line.
It was a numbing finish for Virginia, which got another big game from its guard tandem of J.R. Reynolds (26 points) and Singletary (19 points).
From start to finish, the guards controlled it.
In the opening minute, Reynolds and Lofton turned it into a game of H-O-R-S-E. Reynolds hit a 3 from the top of they key on Virginia's first possession, and Lofton responded with a longer 3 a minute later.
The challenge was on, and Reynolds was on his game.
Tennessee repeatedly switched defenders, but none could stop Reynolds, who made five of his first seven shots. He was at his best during an 18-3 spurt that gave Virginia a 36-25 lead, scoring 12 of the points on assorted shots.
Then, it was Tennessee's turn.
The Volunteers slowly cut into the lead, and Smith had a three-point play and a steal-and-layup during a 15-2 spurt early in the second half that put Tennessee ahead to stay 54-44. Smith finished with 16 points.
At that point, Singletary tried to bring Virginia back. He got a rebound while falling and, while on his chest, passed to Adrian Joseph for a lay-in that cut it to 61-59.
Smith ended the comeback there by hitting a 3-pointer, then taking a charge from Singletary. Lofton, an 80.5 percent free-throw shooter, then finished it off by going 6-for-6 from the line.
NOTES: The Vols advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2000 ... The victory was the first over Virginia in NCAA tournament play in three tries.
| 2007 NCAA South Region | |||
| First Round | |||
| #5 Tennessee (23-10) | 121 | ||
| #12 Long Beach State (24-8) | 86 | ||
| March 16, 2007 - Nationwide Arena - Columbus, Ohio | |||
With Chris Lofton leading the way with 25 points, the Tennessee Volunteers set off some offensive fireworks to beat the Long Beach State 49ers 121-86 in an NCAA first-round shootout.
The point total matched the most in a first-round game, set by UNLV in 1977 against San Francisco.
It was the most points ever scored in the tournament by Tennessee and its most in 18 seasons in any game. The Volunteers topped 100 on a dunk by Duke Crews with more than 6 1/2 minutes left.
It was also the most lopsided NCAA win for the Volunteers (23-10).
JaJuan Smith added 24 points, Ramar Smith 22, Crews 12 and Wayne Chism 10 points. Dane Bradshaw had 11 assists.
Kejuan Johnson scored 24 points, Aaron Nixon 23 and Kevin Houston 17 for the 12th-seeded 49ers (24-8), regular-season and tournament champs of the Big West who were making their first NCAA appearance in a dozen years.
Lofton, the Southeastern Conference player of the year, led the way as the Volunteers shot 59 percent from the field and made 14 of 27 3-pointers. He hit half of his eight shots behind the arc and JaJuan Smith hit 4-of-6.
Each team hit seven 3-pointers in a wild opening half that featured the Volunteers racing to a 29-12 lead in the opening 7 1/2 minutes. They did it with precision shooting, their full-court press and trapping pressure.
The 49ers got as close as 41-35 thanks to their own long-range marksmanship, with Nixon hitting four shots behind the arc and Johnson three - each of which were arching rainbows that barely rustled the net.
Ahead 57-45 at the break, the Volunteers ran off 12 of the first 14 points in the second half - seven by Lofton - to build the lead to 69-47.
NOTES: The Vols set eight team NCAA Tournament game records, including points (121), field goals made (43), field goal percentage (58.9), 3-point field goals made (14), 3-point field goal percentage (51.9), turnovers-low (6), points in first half (57) and points in second half (64) ... For the first time in NCAA Tourney history, three Vols scored at least 20 points with Chris Lofton's 25, JaJuan Smith's 24 and Ramar Smith's UT freshmman record 22.
| 2006 NCAA Washington, D.C. Region | |||
| Second Round | |||
| #2 Tennessee (22-7) | 73 | ||
| #7 Wichita State (25-8) | 80 | ||
| March 18, 2006 - Greensboro Coliseum - Greensboro, N.C. | |||
Karon Bradley hit a go-ahead stepback jumper with about 2 minutes left while P.J. Couisnard followed with a big 3-pointer to help Wichita State beat Tennessee 80-73 in the second round of the Washington Regional.
Couisnard finished with 20 points on 6-for-7 shooting to lead the seventh-seeded Shockers (26-8), who used a late 7-0 spurt to break a 65-all tie.
Chris Lofton -- who hit a last-second shot to beat Winthrop 63-61 in the first round -- and C.J. Watson each scored 20 points to lead the Volunteers. Major Wingate finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and five blocks.
Kyle Wilson added 17 points to help make up for an off day by first-round leaders Paul Miller and Sean Ogirri. Miller, the MVC's player of the year, managed 10 points on 1-for-9 shooting. Ogirri scored 12 points.
But the Shockers found a way to survive Tennessee's up-tempo attack and pressure defense with a strong late-game effort. Ryan Martin threw down a slam with 5.2 seconds left to seal it.
NOTES: Major Wingate set a UT tournament record with five blocks ... It was the third time UT's tournament history that the Vols has two players score at least 20 points in a game.
| 2006 NCAA Washington, D.C. Region | |||
| First Round | |||
| #2 Tennessee (21-7) | 63 | ||
| #15 Winthrop (23-7) | 61 | ||
| March 16, 2006 - Greensboro Coliseum - Greensboro, N.C. | |||
Chris Lofton's only field goal in the second half couldn't have come at a better time as he took an inbounds pass from Dane Bradshaw and hit a running jump shot from deep in the corner with four-tenths of a second remaining to give the Vols a 63-61 win over Winthrop in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Greensboro, N.C.
Neither team could take a clear advantage in the game that had nine ties and eight lead changes. Winthrop took a 61-60 lead on a James Shuler 3-pointer with 3:25 but the Eagles did not score again. Dane Bradshaw tied the score when he made one of two free throws with 2:42 left. Neither team scored again until Lofton's last-second jumper.
"It was a real gut check for both teams," said first-year Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl. "Both teams were physically exhausted at the end of that game."
Major Wingate led Tennessee with 15 points to go with six rebounds. Andre Patterson recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Lofton had 12 points while C.J. Watson added nine after being limited to 27 minutes of action because of foul trouble.
Torrell Martin led Winthrop with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Craig Bradshaw added 12 points.
NOTES: The win was UT's first in the NCAA Tournament since the 2000 season while Winthrop dropped to 0-6 in the tournament.
| 2001 NCAA Midwest Region | |||
| First Round | |||
| #8 Tennessee (22-11) | 63 | ||
| #9 UNC-Charlotte (22-10) | 70 | ||
| March 16, 2001 - University of Dayton Arena - Dayton, Ohio | |||
Poor shooting in the second half was too much for Tennessee to overcome as the Vols fell 70-63 to Charlotte in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Vols finished the game shooting 42 percent from the field, but only 31 percent in the second half. The Vols also hit only 1-of-7 free throw attempts and 1-of-11 three-point attempts in the second half. Free throw shooting plagued the Vols the entire game as they made only 7-of-18. The Vols missed four free throws late in the second half including the front-end of two one-and-ones.
"We just couldn't make a shot," head coach Jerry Green said. "From a coach's perspective, it's frustrating and you feel like you missed an opportunity. But again, those same guys are the ones over the last several years who have made those free throws."
Tennessee opened the game by hitting 10 of its first 17 shots to take a 26-18 lead. Foul trouble proved costly though and Charlotte was able to come back and tie the game at 43 at the half.
The opening of the second half was the mirror opposite of the first half. The Vols scored only four points in the first 10:30 of the second half and were down 52-50 after a three-point shot by Jon Higgins with 9:20 to play.
By that point they had hit only two of 12 shots and committed nine turnovers.
Charlotte eventually opened up a 59-50 lead with 6:59 to play. The Vols battled back and had the ball down by 66-63 with just under 40 seconds left in the game. Tony Harris' three-point attempt was off the mark and the 49ers got the rebound. Jobey Thomas made four free throws in the final 24 seconds to seal the victory for Charlotte.
NOTES: Charlotte lost to No. 1 seeded Illinois in the second round ... UT fell to 8-14 all-time in the NCAA Tournament ... The Vols made their first appearance in the Midwest Region.
| 2000 NCAA South Region | |||
| First Round | |||
| #4 Tennessee (25-6) | 63 | ||
| #13 Louisiana-Lafayette (25-9) | 58 | ||
| March 17, 2000- 7:30 p.m.- Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center - Birmingham, Ala. | |||
Tony Harris made two free throws with 10.8 seconds to play to help Tennessee seal a 63-58 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette.
Louisiana-Lafayette cut UT's lead to two at 60-58 on Brett Smith's jumper with 45 seconds to play. With the shot clock running down, Harris made a move to the basket and appeared to turn the ball over to Smith. But Smith was called for a reach-in foul that sent Harris to the line with 15 seconds to play. He missed the front end of the one-and-one, Ron Slay got the rebound and was flagrantly fouled by Smith with 13 seconds to go allowing Tennessee to keep the ball after the free throws.
Slay then missed both free throws and Tennessee in-bounded the ball to Harris, who was quickly fouled. Harris hit both shots to seal the victory.
Tennessee trailed most of the game. The Vols were down 48-42 with just under 10 minutes left to play. Slay, a freshman from Nashville, then got the Vols offense rolling. Slay scored 11 of his 15 points in the final 8:15, including a coast-to-coast drive that he converted into a three-point play. Slay's drive cut what had been a six-point UL-Lafayette lead to 48-45 with 8:15 remaining.
"When Ron took it all the way, I felt we had `Mo' (momentum) back on our side and had it going the right direction," UT coach Jerry Green said,
Slay's 8-footer inside the Cajuns' variation of a 2-3 zone defense broke a 54-54 tie at the 4:07 mark. He hit a similar shot to make it 60-56, Vols, with 1:48 to play.
"We struggled offensively but our defense kept us in the game," Green said. "We did just exactly what we had to do down the stretch to win the game."
Harris and Slay led Tennessee with 15 points each. C.J. Black added 14, including 10-of-10 from the foul line, and Vincent Yarborough scored 11. Lonnie Thomas led Louisiana-Lafayette with 19 points.
NOTES: Louisiana-Lafayette earned its bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the Sun Belt Conference.
| 2000 NCAA South Region | |||
| Second Round | |||
| #4 Tennessee (26-6) | 65 | ||
| #5 Connecticut (25-10) | 51 | ||
| March 19, 2000 - 7:30 p.m. - Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center- Birmingham, Ala. | |||
Tennessee capitalized on an ankle injury that reduced Connecticut point guard Khalid El-Amin to one basket in 13 minutes and posted a 65-51 victory. The Vols made school history by winning two games in the NCAA tournament.
The Vols trailed only once, at 4-2, and had the upper hand, 32-22 by halftime. The Huskies cut a 12-point deficit to 38-34 when El-Amin hit his only basket, a 3-pointer, with 13:36 to play.
Vol freshman Jon Higgins answered with his own 3-pointer 14 seconds later, igniting a 16-4 run that put the game away.
Connecticut went 6:15 without scoring during the major portion of that stretch, missing six consecutive shots and turning the ball over twice.
One was a Higgins steal and break-away that ended up being juggled and dished to Vincent Yarbrough for a dunk and subsequent free throw. The three-point play restored the margin to 44-34.
Harris led the Vols with 18 points, including 9-of-12 from the foul stripe. Yarbrough got 11 of his 14 in the first half, helping shoot the Huskies out of a zone defense with three 3-pointers. Black added 13 points, 10 in the second half, as UT penetrated UConn's defense for dunks and free throws.
The Vol defense also stood tall by converting seven steals into 14 points and holding the Huskies to 38.6 percent shooting. UT shot 44.7 percent from field which was up from 33.3 percent in the first round victory.
"We played awfully good," Tennessee coach Jerry Green said. "That could have been as good as we played all year. Time and again, making the extra pass - or passes - produced good looks against the UConn defense."
Albert Mouring scored 17 points to lead the Huskies, and El-Amin was limited to three points, 13 below his season average.
NOTES: The 51 points was a season-low for the Huskies ... Connecticut was the defending NCAA Champion having won the 1999 NCAA Tournament with a 77-74 victory over Duke.
| 2000 NCAA South Region | |||
| Regional Semifinal | |||
| #4 Tennessee (26-7) | 69 | ||
| #8 North Carolina (21-13) | 74 | ||
| March 24, 2000-9:15 p.m.- Frank Erwin Center-Austin, Texas | |||
Ed Cota spurred a late second-half comeback, then he and freshmen Joseph Forte and Julius Peppers hit six straight free throws in the final 34.9 seconds, giving North Carolina a 74-69 victory over Tennessee in the South Regional semifinals.
The Tar Heels' winning rally kicked into top gear when Forte drilled a 3-pointer and Jason Capel hit a lay-up to get the Tar Heels within 64-63. Cota made a running jumper in the lane and then hit another floater to make it 66-64 with 2:00 left. Tennessee's scoring drought, which left the Vols without a field goal since 7:15, ended with 13.6 seconds left when Tony Harris made his first basket of the night, a 3-pointer.
"I thought for about 35 minutes, we played awfully well," Tennessee coach Jerry Green said. "Then we started trying to make hard plays, and it wasn't just one person, it was about four or five different people. And while we were making hard plays, they were making baskets."
Tennessee got off to a slow start as North Carolina led by seven early. Then, the Vols' speed and athleticism carried them to a 22-7 run and a nine-point lead. Capel kept the Tar Heels close by scoring the last five points of the first half, pulling North Carolina to within 39-36.
"I can't really put it into words," Vincent Yarbrough said of the loss. "I thought we had the game won, but they just out-played us in the last four minutes. We came out of the last timeout and still thought we had the game, but they made some shots and that was the game."
C.J. Black led the Volunteers with 17 points, Vincent Yarbrough had 13 and Ron Slay added 12. Isiah Victor had 11. Forte scored a game-high 22 for the Tar Heels, while Brendan Haywood and Cota each scored 11, followed by Kris Lang with 10.
NOTES: North Carolina defeated Tulsa 74-69 in the Regional Finals to advance to the Final Four ... The Tar Heels then lost to Florida, 59-71, in the national semifinals in Indianapolis.
| 1999 NCAA East Region | |||
| First Round | |||
| #4 Tennessee (21-8) | 62 | ||
| #13 Delaware (24-6) | 52 | ||
| March 12, 1999- 7:30 p.m. -Charlotte Coliseum-Charlotte, North Carolina | |||
Tennessee's offense was spurting but the Vols turned up their defense pressure to post a 62-52 victory over Delaware. It was the Vols' first NCAA Tournament win in 16 years.
The Vols shot only 33 percent from the field but held Delaware to 30 percent shooting. Forward Mike Pegues did score 23 points for Delaware but it came on 7-of-23 shooting. Tennessee's perimiter defense held the Blue Hens starting perimeter players to 2-of-13 from 3-point range.
"As long as we play defense like we did today, we have a chance to win, not matter how bad we shoot the ball," Tennessee guard Brandon Wharton said.
Wharton scored all 16 of his points in the second half after missing seven shots in the first half including an uncontested lay-up after a steal.
"I just kept telling the players `Continue to play good defense and the shots are going to fall. Believe me. Trust me. They're going to fall,'" Tennessee coach Jerry Green said.
Two free throws from Pegues gave Delaware a 20-14 lead with 3:45 left in the first half. Tennessee then reeled off 11 unanswered points to open a 25-20 lead with 35 seconds left in the half. Pegues hit a jumper at the first half buzzer to pull the Blue Hens to within three at the break and then opened the second half with a 3-pointer to tie the game at 25.
Tennessee then got the offense rolling with a lay-up from Wharton, a 3-pointer from Tony Harris and a C.J. Black dunk. The Vols led 32-25 and never trailed again.
"We were almost too ready to play," Green said. "Survive and advanced. That's what it's all about."
NOTES: Tennessee's win snapped Delaware's 13-game winning streak ...Delaware's point total and field goal were percentage were its lowest of the season ... Delaware won the America East Conference tournament to earn its bid into the NCAA Tournament.
| 1999 NCAA East Region | |||
| Second Round | |||
| #4 Tennessee (21-9) | 51 | ||
| #12 SW Missouri State (22-10) | 81 | ||
| March 14, 1999 - 7:30 p.m. - Charlotte Coliseum - Charlotte, North Carolina | |||
Poor shooting proved costly for the Vols as Southwestern Missiouri State gave Tennessee its worst loss ever in NCAA Tournament action with a 81-51 victory.
Tennessee shot 29.5 percent from field and hit only 6-of-29 3 point attemps for 20.7 percent.
"Their defense didn't give us many open looks," forward Isiah Victor said. "And when they did, we weren't making those shots either, so it really didn't matter."
Southwest Missouri State on the other hand shot 51.9 percent from the field and hit 9-of-22 3-pointers. It was a 3-pointer at the end of the first half that seemed to douse all hopes of a Vol victory. Ken Stringer banked in a 25-footer at the buzzer to give the Bears a 36-26 halftime lead.
Southwest Missouri then opened the second half by scoring on nine of its first 10 possessions. The lead expanded out to 58-33 with 12:38 to play.
"I'd say they played a perfect ballgame," Tennessee coach Jerry Green said. "The more shots they hit, the more confident they got and the less we got. It seemed all the basketball gods were on their side and not on ours."
Tennessee never led in the game as the Bears jumped out to a 9-2 lead 3:10 into the game. The Bears got two easy buckets off of Tennessee turnovers caused by a full-court press. It was all uphill from there.
NOTES: Southest Missouri lost to Duke in the Regional Semifinals ... Southwest Missouri State won the Missiouri Valley Conference to earn its trip to the NCAA Tournament ... A Missouri Valley Conference team (Illinois State) eliminated the Vols from the 1998 NCAA Tournament.
| 1998 NCAA West Region | |||
| First Round | |||
| #8 Tennessee (20-9) | 81 | ||
| #9 Illinois State (25-5) | 82 | ||
| March 12, 1998 - 7:30 p.m. - Arco Arena - Sacramento, California | |||
Illinois State's Dan Muller scored the winning basket off a pass from Kyle Cartmill with 1.3 seconds left to lift the Redbirds to an 82-81 overtime victory over Tennessee.
The Vols had taken an 81-80 lead on C.J. Black's lay-up off a pass from Tony Harris with 15.4 seconds left before the game-winning bucket by Muller.
The Vols struggled in the second half with foul trouble and poor shooting. They finished the game shooting 36.7 percent from the field and had nearly a five minute stretch in the second half without scoring. A free throw by Harris at the 7:13 mark finally broke the scoring drought but the Vols found themselves down 66-58.
The Vols battled back to tie the score at 70 on C.J. Black's rebound and basket with 2:53 left. Tennessee took a 72-70 lead on Black's slam dunk off a pass from Brandon Wharton, but Illinois State tied the score on Steve Hansell's lay-up with 53 seconds left.
That gave the Vols the ball back with a chance to win. They worked the shot clock down to 17 seconds and the game clock down to 34.6 before calling a timeout.
Wharton took a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 22 seconds left, but missed and Illinois State rebounded.
The Redbirds had their own chance at a game-winning shot, but Hill missed a 14-foot jumper. The Vols rebounded and threw a desperation pass, but it was on to overtime.
Tennessee had opened up a nine-point lead in the first half but could not put the Redbirds away. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Rico Hill and Steve Hansell at the end of the half enabled the Redbirds to pull to within 41-38 at the break.
NOTES: Illinois State starting backcourt during the season did not play due to injury. Skipp Schaefbauer broke his leg in the MVC tournament. Jamar Smiley didn't start because of back problems. Smiley got into the game, but immediately came out writing in pain and was taken for treatment ... This was Tennessee's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in nine years ... The Redbirds lost 82-49 to Arizona in the second round.
| 1989 NCAA East Region | |||
| First Round | |||
| #10 Tennessee (19-11) | 68 | ||
| #7 West Virginia (26-4) | 84 | ||
| March 16, 1989- 7:30 p.m.- Greensboro Coliseum-Greensboro, North Carolina | |||
Tennessee fell behind by 10 points less than five minutes into the game and never recovered as West Virginia cruised to an 84-68 victory.
It was the Vols' first NCAA Tournament appearance in six years but the Mountaineers made the visit a short one. They scored on their first nine possessions and their defense frustrated the Vols througout the game.
"West Virginia got the upper hand about as quickly as you can in an NCAA Tournament game," Tennessee coach Don DeVoe said. "It was obvisiously a game where we didn't do many things right. West Virginia did a lot of things right and the scoreboard bore that out."
Tennessee shot 29 percent from the floor in the first half and fell behind as many as 15 points. The Vols battled back to go into the break trailing 35-23. But the opening minutes of the second half once again put the Vols in a deep hole.
The Mountaineers scored the first six points of the second half which keyed a 12-4 run that opened the lead out to 47-27 wtih 16:51 left in the game. Tennessee got back to within 57-45 on a 3-pointer from Doug Roth but West Virginia answered with two buckets. Tennessee never got closer than 12 points the rest of the game.
West Virginia shot a blistering 77 percent from the field in the second half on 17-of-22 shooting and finished the game at 62 percent. Tennessee finished the game shooting 38 percent from the field.
"It looked like to me the guys were playing a little tight at both ends of the floor," DeVoe said. "I know it's the NCAA but that's when you should bring your game up to another level."
Dyron Nix led the Vols with 22 points and West Virginia native Greg Bell added 14. Starting guard Clarence Swearengen, who was averaging 12 points a game, played only 14 minutes and did not score.
NOTES: Tennessee had won five consecutive first round NCAA Tournament games before losing to West Virginia ... West Virginia lost to Duke 70-63 in the second round.
| 1983 NCAA Mideast Region | |||
| First Round | |||
| #8 Tennessee (20-11) | 57 | ||
| #9 Marquette (19-11) | 56 | ||
| March 18, 1983 - 7:30 p.m. - Roberts Municipal Stadium - Evansville, Indiana | |||
Michael Brooks hit two free throws with five seconds left in the game to secure a 57-56 victory over Marquette.
Brooks only had 11 points in the game but four came via the charity strip in the game's final 61 seconds. Brooks two free throws with 1:01 remaining gave the Vols a 55-53 lead. Dale Ellis and Jerald Hyatt had just missed opportunities at the foul line before Brooks gave the Vols their two-point lead.
Kevin Woods then came up with a steal on Marquette's ensuring possession and was fouled. He came up empty on the front end of a one-and-one. Doc Rivers countered by making one of his two free attempts on the next possession to cut the lead to 55-54 with 20 seconds left.
Brooks then brought the ball up court and was tied up in front of the Tennessee bench. It looked as though Brooks was going to be called for a five-second violation, but instead was fouled by Rivers. He then sank the two free throws. Marquette's Kerry Trotter hit a lay-up at buzzer to provide the final score.
"I wanted the ball," Brooks said. "I knew they would have to foul me because time was running out. I felt I could ice the game."
Brooks free throws were his most obvious contribution to the Vol victory but he also turned in a stellar performance on the defense end. He held Rivers to 10 points and ran the Volunteer offense for 40 minutes. Rivers only hit 4-of-13 shots as Brooks guarded him most the game.
"Michael sank those two free throws, but defense won this game," Tennessee guard Tyrone Beaman said. "He played probably his best defensive game. He came through for us in the clutch."
Tennessee trailed 43-38 with 11:38 remaining the game but a three-point play by Willie Burton, a bucket from Dale Ellis and two more free throws by Burton gave the Vols a 45-43 lead with 9:15 left. Tennessee then hit 10-of-15 free throw attempts the rest of way including the two from Brooks. The only field goal the Vols scored in the last 10 minutes was a long jumper from Brooks.
NOTES: The victory over Marquette was the 100th for Don DeVoe at Tennessee ... Tennessee was only one of six teams to appear in the past five NCAA Tournaments with the other teams being Arkansas, Georgetown, Iowa, Louisville and North Carolina.
| 1983 NCAA Mideast Region | |||
| Second Round | |||
| #8 Tennessee (20-12) | 57 | ||
| #1 Louisville (30-3) | 70 | ||
| March 20, 1983 -7:30 p.m. -Roberts Municipal Stadium -Evansville, Indiana | |||
Louisville used an 11-2 run midway through the second half to halt a Tennessee rally and post a 70-57 victory over the Vols.
The Cardinals used their pressure defense in the first half to force 10 Tennessee turnovers which enabled them to open up a 34-27 halftime lead. A 15-foot jumper from Lancaster Gordon and a lay-up from Charles Jones pushed the lead out to 42-30 with
15:26 left in the game.
The Vols then mounted a rally. Two buckets apiece from Dale Ellis and Willie Burton keyed a 13-3 scoring run for the Vols as they pulled to with 45-43 with 10:26 on the clock.
Louisville then called timeout to regroup. The Cardinals responded with an 11-2 rally to open the lead back out to 56-45 with just under six minutes left in the game. Tennessee could get no closer than eight points the rest of the game.
"We had worked so hard to get that close," Tennessee point guard Tyrone Beaman said. "They get a couple of quick, easy baskets and it took a little bit out of everybody."
Ellis was held to 13 points, nine below his season average, on 6-of-13 shooting. Louisville's man-to-man defense made him work hard to get the ball, and the Cardinals' fast break offense continually put pressure on the Vols to get back on defense.
"This is as tired as I've ever been on the court all year," Ellis said. "This is one of the worst shooting games ever. I missed a lot of easy shots."
Michael Brooks led the Vols with 18 points, and Beaman added 10. Louisville was led by Milt Wagner's 15 points and Scooter McRay's 10.
NOTES: The Mideast Regional Semifinals were held at Stokely Athletic Center ... Louisville advanced to the Final Four before losing 94-81 to Houston ... Ellis finished his career as the third leading all-time scorer at Tennessee behind Ernie Grunfeld and Reggie Johnson.
| 1982 NCAA Mideast Region | |||
| First Round | |||
| #9 Tennessee (20-9) | 61 | ||
| #8 SW Louisiana (24-8) | 57 | ||
| March 12, 1982 -7:30 p.m. - Market Square Arena -Indianapolis, Indiana | |||
Michael Brooks hit six free throws for Tennessee in the game's final minute to secure a 61-57 victory over Southwestern Louisiana.
"We did some things right that assured the win," Tennessee coach Don DeVoe said. "The key was having the lead going into the final five minutes. We had our best foul shooters in the game, and we kept the ball in the best man's hands."
The Vols trailed 35-33 with 16:58 to play. Back-to-back buckets by Tyrone Beaman gave the Vols a 37-35 advantage but a lay-up from Dion Brown for the Ragin' Cajuns tied the game at 37.
The Vols then outscored Southwestern Lousiana 14-6 over the game's next nine minutes to hold a 51-43 lead with 6:39 left in the game. Two free throws from Dan Gay and a lay-up each from Alford Turner and Johnny Collins off of Vol turnovers cut the margin to 51-49.
Two free throws and a jumper from Dale Ellis opened the margin back up to 55-49 with just under four minutes to go.
"We got the ball to Dale Ellis in the second half," DeVoe said. "Those two turnovers were the turning point that allowed Southwestern Louisiana to come back. They got themselves back in the game because of their ability to persevere."
Ellis finished with a game-high 23 points, and Brooks finished with 16. Turner had 14 points to lead Southwestern Louisiana.
"We expected Ellis to be outstanding, and he certainly was," Southwestern Louisiana coach Bobby Paschal said. "We knew if they had the lead as the clock ran down, ti would be difficult. They are an excellent free throw shooting team. Near the end, we knew it was a calculated risk to foul but there was no other way."
NOTES: Dale Ellis was named the SEC's Player of the Year, and Don DeVoe was named the league's Coach of the Year following the 1982 season.
| 1982 NCAA Mideast Region | |||
| Second Round | |||
| #9 Tennessee (20-10) | 51 | ||
| #1 Virginia (30-3) | 54 | ||
| March 14, 1982 - 7:30 p.m. - Market Square Arena - Indianapolis, Indiana | |||
Tennessee missed 4-of-5 free throws in the final 3:12, and Virginia's Ricky Stokes hit two with 15 seconds remaining to lift Virginia to a 54-51 victory in a rematch of a 1981 NCAA Tournament game.
Tennessee had made 10 consecutive free throws during the second half but the shots did not fall during crunch time. Tyrone Beaman missed the front end of a one-and-one and then missed the back end of a one-and-one. Michael Brooks, who hit six straight in the final minute in the first round Vol victory, then missed the front end of one-and-one. Dan Federmann then followed with a miss.
"When it got down to it, we choked at the foul line," Tennessee coach Don DeVoe said. "We just did not do what it takes internally to win. Stokes just did what we could not do."
The one free throw the Vols did make in the game's closing minutes gave them a 51-47 lead but Ralph Sampson hit back-to-back buckets to pull the Cavaliers even at 51. Tennessee had a chance to regain the lead but Federmann missed the front end of his one-and-one. Stokes then made his two to give Virginia a 53-51 lead.
"We had the game under control," Tennessee forward Dale Ellis said. "All we had to do was the hit the free throws. That has been a problem."
Tennessee had a chance to tie the game at 53 but the play never developed, and a long jumper by Brooks was off the mark. Jones then hit a free throw for the final margin of victory.
"We had the right person taking the shot," DeVoe said. "Michael was a little anxious. I didn't think the shot was that poor, but we never got into our play."
The Vols got off to fast start and opened up a 10-point lead at 24-14 in the first half behind 14 points from Michael Brooks. Jones finished the first half by scoring five points in the final 21 seconds to pull Virginia to within 32-25 at the break.
Virginia continued to rally in the second half and Jones and Sampson sparked a 15-2 rally in the second half to give the Cavaliers a 43-40 lead with 10:41 to go.
Brooks then scored eight straight points for Tennessee to give the Vols a 48-45 lead with 6:11 left in the game.
NOTES: Virginia was upset by Alabama-Birmingham 68-66 in the Region Semifinals.
| 1981 NCAA East Region | |||
| Second Round | |||
| #4 Tennessee (21-7) | 58 | ||
| #5 Virginia Commonwealth (24-5) | 56 | ||
| March 15, 1981 - 7:30 p.m. - Charlotte Coliseum - Charlotte, North Carolina | |||
Dale Ellis drilled a 15-foot jumper at the buzzer to lift Tennessee to a 58-56 overtime victory over Virginia Commonwealth.
"I just stood there after I shot that ball," Ellis said. "That was the greatest feeling to make that shot."
Ellis' shot was the only shot taken in the five-minute extra period. Virginia Commonwealth got the opening tip in overtime and stalled away the first half of the period. The Rams lost their chance at attempting a shot when Steve Ray forced Danny Kottak out-of-bounds.
Tennessee then held the ball the second half of overtime and called a timeout with 19 seconds remaining. Michael Brooks passed the ball over to Ellis with five seconds remaining and the sophomore from Marietta, Ga., hit the game-winner. Ellis was the not Vols' first option to take the shot though.
"The ball was supposed to come to me, and I was supposed to pass it to Howard (Wood) in the corner," Ellis said. "It was Howard that kept us in the game, and it's usually (him) who takes the final shot."
The play was the same play the Vols ran at the end of regulation in attempt to make the game-winner. But Ellis threw an ill-advised pass to Steve Ray, and the Vols lost their opportunity to win at the end of regulation.
Tennessee coach Don Devoe told Ellis to go with the shot if the opportunity arose again. It did, and Ellis made good.
"I don't think there's been a bigger shot in Tennessee basketball in a long time than the one Dale Ellis made," DeVoe said. "We were able to make the play at the end because they gave us the opportunity by making a turnover."
Overtime looked unlikely as Tennessee built a 14-point first half lead and led 38-25 at the start of the second half on dunk by Ellis. The Rams erased the last two points of the deficit with a bucket from Kottak with 2:24 left in the second half to put the score at 56-56 which eventually forced the overtime.
Ellis finished with 22 points, and Howard Wood 18. Greg McRay led the Rams with 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting.
NOTES: Tennessee received a first-round bye in the 1981 NCAA Tournament. Tennessee's victory ended Virginia Commonwealth's 16-game winning streak which was the longest in the nation.
| 1981 NCAA East Region | |||
| Regional Semifinal | |||
| #4 Tennessee (21-8) | 48 | ||
| #1 Virginia (27-3) | 62 | ||
| March 19, 1981 - 7:30 p.m. - Charlotte Coliseum - Charlotte, North Carolina | |||
Virginia outscored Tennessee 27-4 over a 12-minute span in the second half en route to a 62-48 victory.
Tennessee stayed close in the first half but could never taken the lead against the Ralph Sampson-led Cavaliers. The Cavaliers shot 61.5 percent from the field during the first 20 minutes but only could manage a 27-26 lead at the break.
The Vols then got things rolling early in the second half. Virginia got the first bucket in the second half with a putback by Jeff Lamp. The Vols then outscored Virginia 10-2 over the next six minutes to hold a 36-31 lead.
Jeff Lamp then scored six of the game's next eight points with the other two coming from a jumper by Virginia's Othell Wilson. The Cavaliers led 39-36 with 11:14 left in the game and never looked back.
"We knew Lamp was their money player but we didn't realize it on the floor today," Tennessee guard Michael Brooks said. "They had a great player who took control, made the great plays and got back and played defense. If he hadn't taken control at that point, they wouldn't have won."
Lamp scored a game-high 18 points. Jeff Jones and Lee Raker added 10 apiece for Virginia. Tennessee did slow down the All-America Sampson by holding him to a season-low nine points and five rebounds. He had only one point and one rebound in the second half.
The sagging defense to stop Sampson may have proved costly for the Vols. Sampson hit on only 4-of-13 shots but the rest of the Cavaliers combined to hit 20-of-30 for 66.6 percent.
"You may take Ralph out of the offense but you leave yourself vulnerable somewhere else," Virginia forward Terry Gates said. "Raker and Lamp have thrived off that."
NOTES: Virginia advanced to the Final Four before losing to North Carolina 78-65.
| 1980 NCAA East Region | |||
| First Round | |||
| #7 Tennessee (18-10) | 80 | ||
| #10 Furman (23-7) | 69 | ||
| March 6, 1980 - 7:30 p.m. - Greensboro Coliseum - Greensboro, North Carolina | |||
A change in the starting line-up proved fruitful for the Vols as they posted a 80-69 victory over the Palladins.
The Vols inserted Steve Ray and Chuck Threeths in starting lineup for Dale Ellis and Kevin Nash respectively. The change was made so the Vols could used their quickness against Furman's man-to-man defense. The strategy worked.
Tennessee was able to get the fastbreak going early with the line-up change and jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead. Furman rallied though with a 13-4 scoring spree to hold a 15-12 advantage with 13:08 remaining the first half.
But two baskets by Howard Wood, a lay-up from Kevin Nash and two free throws from Reggie Johnson gave the Vols a 20-15 lead with just under 10 minutes left in the half. It was all Tennessee from there on out.
"The way we came out and clicked and got our open shots to drop made all the difference in the world," Nash said. "It gave us the feeling we weren't going to lose."
Adding to Furman's woes was a poor performance from the free-throw line. Furman's starters entered the game shooting better than 70 percent from the line. Furman hit only 17-of-32 free throws for 53 percent.
"We missed a potential 13 points at the line in the first half and that was the difference in the game," Furman coach Eddie Holbrook said. "Almost everything that went wrong in this game goes back to the free throws. Once we got behind, we got out of what we wanted to do."
Tennessee held a 40-29 lead at the halftime break, and Furman trimmed it down 49-41. But three straight baskets by Wood capped a 9-2 run that broke that game open. Tennessee led by as many as 21 points in the second half.
Wood was one of three Vols in double figures with 19 points. Reggie Johnson had a game-high 28 points along with 14 rebounds. Jonathan Moore led Furman with 22 points and 17 rebounds.
NOTES: Future Vol assistant coach Michael Hunt (1994-97) was on the Furman team ... Furman's berth in the NCAA Tournament came via its Southern Conference championship.
| 1980 NCAA East Region | |||
| Second Round | |||
| #7 Tennessee (18-11) | 75 | ||
| #2 Maryland (24-6) | 86 | ||
| March 8, 1980 - 7:30 p.m. - Greensboro Coliseum - Greensboro, North Carolina | |||
Foul trouble for Reggie Johnson spelled doom for Tennessee as Maryland posted an 86-75 victory over Tennessee.
"When you have a team that relies on one man to score and he gets in foul trouble, your team is in serious trouble," Tennessee coach Don Devoe said. "When Reggie doesn't play, you don't win."
Tennessee was rolling in the first half and Johnson was nearly unstoppable. He scored 17 points in the game's first 14 minutes to help Tennessee to a 29-18 lead. Johnson picked up his second foul of the game just under three minutes left in the first half but Tennessee still held a 40-32 advantage at the break.
Johnson scored two buckets in the opening minutes of the second half and the Vols led 46-39 with 16:23 left in the game. Then in a matter of 10 seconds Johnson got whistled for his third and fourth foul and went to the bench with 15:06 left in the game. He didn't score again.
"I guarantee we got the short end of the officiating in the second half," Devoe said. "You don't win in the tournament play when you get the short end. The two fouls on Johnson were the turning point."
Greg Manning pulled the Terrapins even at 50 with a rebound basket at the 13:26 mark in the second half. Maryland eventually pulled out to a 70-62 lead but the Vols rallied back and pulled to within 78-75 on a short jumper from Howard Wood with 45 seconds remaining. Manning then had back-to-back three-point plays for Maryland to squelch any Vol hopes for a victory.
Gary Carter also had 21 points for the Vols along with eight rebounds. Bert Bertlekamp dished out a career-high 16 assists against only two turnovers in 39 minutes of action.
Manning led Maryland with 28 points to pace four Terrapins in double figures. Albert King added 20, Buck Williams 19 and Ernest Graham 14. Maryland also shot a hot a 63.2 percent from the field compared to 47 percent to Tennessee.
NOTES: Maryland's Albert King is the brother of former Vol All-America Bernard King ... Maryland lost in the Regional Semifinals 74-68 to Georgetown.
| 1979 NCAA Mideast Region | |||
| First Round | |||
| #8 Tennessee (21-11) | 97 | ||
| #9 Eastern Kentucky (21-8) | 81 | ||
| March 9, 1979 - 7:30 p.m. - Murphy Athletic Center - Murfreesboro, Tennessee | |||
Tennessee turned an early 10-point deficit into a 44-38 halftime lead and eventually turned in a 97-81 victory over the Colonels. This was Tennessee's first ever win in the NCAA Tournament.
The Vols fell behind 15-5 in the first five minutes of the game before finally getting things on track. Gary Carter made three consecutive field goals to spark a Tennessee rally to pull the Vols within 16-13. Johnny Darden then hit a long jumper, and the Vols had the Colonel lead to one.
Eastern Kentucky regained its composure and had the lead back out to 30-26 with 4:44 left in the first half.
Terry Crosby then reeled off three consecutive buckets for the Vols and Tennessee held a 32-30 with just under four minutes left in the half.
"This game was won in the final eight minutes of the first half," Tennessee coach Don Devoe said. "By getting the ball to Terry Crosby, we were able to turn it around. We played poorly in the first 10 minutes but our kids snapped out of it."
The game was still close five minutes into the second half but Tennessee went on an 18-6 run to turn a 54-50 lead into a 72-56 advantage with 8:21 left in the game.
"We were too psyched up at the beginning," Reggie Johnson said. "That was a terrible start. We had to come down from our high before we could play."
Johnson led the Vols with 20 points and nine rebounds. Gary Carter added 18 points with a game-high 11 rebounds. Crosby finished the game with 19 points.
James Tillman led Eastern Kentucky with 21 points. He was one of five Colonels in double figures as Dave Tierney netted 13, Bruce Jones had 12, and Vic Merchant and Kenney added 11 each.
NOTES: Eastern Kentucky was the Ohio Valley Conference champion.
| 1979 NCAA Mideast Region | |||
| Second Round | |||
| #8 Tennessee (21-12) | 67 | ||
| #1 Notre Dame (23-5) | 73 | ||
| March 11, 1979 - 7:30 p.m. - Murphy Athletic Center - Murfreesboro, Tennessee | |||
Notre Dame outscored the Vols 14-4 to open the second half to turn a 32-32 halftime tie into a 46-36 lead. Tennessee got no closer than five points the rest of the game and fell 73-67 to the Irish.
"It was one of our poorest games in terms of poise and concentration," Tennessee coach Don Devoe said. "We hustled and worked the boards hard in the first half, but Notre Dame made us play as if were scared in the first two minutes of the second half."
Notre Dame opened the second half with a full-court press forcing four Tennessee turnovers in the first 2:05 of the second half.
"We noted that Tennessee made 21 turnovers against Eastern Kentucky so our staff decided to go right after them with the press," Notre Dame coach Digger Phelps said. "We played it loosely at the start then went to a closer press with a quick-trap. That forced some turnovers and gave us some breathing room."
Both Terry Crosby and Reggie Johnson had poor games shooting the ball for the Vols. They combined to hit 7-of-21 field goal attempts. Johnson also missed five his 10 free throw attempts.
"Neither Terry Crosby and Reggie Johnson had a good offensive game," Devoe said. "When that happens, we have problems."
Johnson finished with 13 points, eight below his season average. Gary Carter led the Vols with 16 points. Chuck Threeths added 10 points and eight rebounds.
"I was taking normal shots but there was a lid on the basket," Crosby said. "Almost any night we play, Reggie and I have to have good games offensively for us to win. Neither of use scored as we must to win."
NOTES: Tennessee had won nine consecutive games before losing to the Irish including two games in the SEC Tournament on its way to the tournament championship ... Notre Dame lost 80-68 to Michigan State in the Regional Finals ... 1979 was the first year tournament seeding was used.
| 1977 NCAA Mideast Region | |||
| First Round | |||
| Tennessee (22-6) | 88 | ||
| Syracuse (26-3) | 93 | ||
| March 13, 1977 - 7:30 p.m. - Assembly Center - Baton Rouge, Louisiana | |||
Syracuse posted a 93-88 overtime victory to put an end to the Bernie-Ernie Show at Tennessee.
Things looked good early for Tennessee as the Vols raced out to a 20-10 lead against a pressing Syracuse defense. But the Orangemen regained their composure and eventually tied the score at 32 with just under five minutes left in the first half.
Tennessee held strong though and an Ernie Grunfeld jumper put the Vols up eight at 47-39 with 17:51 left in the second half. Syracuse then staged a 14-2 run over the next five minutes to take a 53-49 advantage.
Syracuse then held a 78-74 lead with 1:31 left in the second half. But Reggie Johnson hit a short jumper and converted two free throws to tie the game. Larry Kelley's shot at the end of regulation could have won the game for the Orangemen but it was off the mark.
A Ross Kindel steal and lay-up gave Syracuse an 86-80 lead with 2:03 left in the overtime. Syracuse then hit 7-of-9 free throws in the final minute of the overtime to seal the victory.
"We didn't score when we needed to score," Tennessee coach Ray Mears said. "The break worked well early then went dry. Our game is based on King, Grunfeld and Jackson playing 40 minutes each. Maybe that is a fallacy. If you live by that idea, you die by it."
It certainly hurt the Vols as Grunfeld, Bernard King and Mike Jackson all watched the end of the game from the bench. Not helping matters were the 26 turnovers the Vols had.
Grunfeld led the Vols with 26 points and 12 rebounds, King tossed in 23 and also grabbed 12 rebounds. Reggie Johnson added 17 points and 10 rebounds.
"I hope what happened against Syracuse won't wash out the things we've done all year," King said. "It was a great year for me and the team."
NOTES: The 22 wins by the Vols set a school record at that time ... Tennessee won a share of the SEC championship along with Kentucky ... Syracuse was being coached by first-year coach Jim Boeheim ... Syracuse lost 81-59 to UNC-Charlotte in the Regional Semifinals to finish its season 26-4.
| 1976 NCAA East Region | |||
| First Round | |||
| Tennessee (21-6) | 75 | ||
| VMI (21-9) | 81 | ||
| March 13, 1976 - 7:30 p.m. - Charlotte Coliseum - Charlotte, North Carolina | |||
VMI placed five players in double figures and shot a sizzling 66 percent from the field to upset the Volunteers 81-75 in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
The Bernie was missing from the Ernie and Bernie Show in this game as Bernard King was out of action with an injured left thumb. Ernie Grunfeld held up his end of the show though as he poured in 36 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
"I'm not embarrassed that we lost to VMI," Grunfeld said. "I'm never embarrassed if we try and we tried hard. We just didn't get enough done. We can't let them shoot like that and expect to win."
Grunfeld scored 12 straight points for Tennessee to close the first half and the Vols had as much as a six-point lead during that stretch.
The scored stood tied at 60 with 5:42 left in the game when the Keydets reeled off eight unanswered points. Tennessee had three shots blocked during that stretch, and Dave Montgomery scored six of the eight points for VMI. Two free throws from Austin Clarke pulled to the Vols to within 70-67 with 2:08 remaining but the Vols could get no closer.
Tennessee coach Ray Mears made a move at halftime in hopes to give the Vols an emotional lift as King dressed out.
"We let him dress out to see if it would give us a mental lift," Mears said. "I wasn't about to play him. We were not going to risk his future. Most of you don't realize how much he means to us. We were just hoping to get through this first game."
Will Bynum led the Keydets with 20 points, followed by 19 from Ron Carter. John Krovic added 17, Curt Reppart tossed in 11, and Montgomery finished with 10.
Mike Jackson was the only other Vol in double figures with 14 points.
NOTES: VMI lost 91-75 to Rutgers in the Regional Semifinals.
| 1967 NCAA Mideast Region | |||
| Regional Semifinal | |||
| Tennessee (21-6) | 52 | ||
| Dayton (23-5) | 53 | ||
| March 17, 1967 - 7:30 p.m. - McGaw Hall - Evanston, Illinois | |||
A cold shooting first half was too much for Tennessee to overcome as the Volunteers fell 53-52 to Dayton in their first NCAA Tournament appearance.
Tennessee trailed 36-25 at the break as Dayton hit 58 percent from the field compared to the Vols 23 percent. Tennessee hit only seven buckets in 31 attempts. Tennessee fought back though and whittled the lead down to 50-48 with 8:01 left on the clock when both teams started holding the ball.
The Vols had possession of the ball and were looking for the perfect shot to tie the game. But Tom Boerwinkle was called for walking, and Dayton took over possession.
Tennessee regained possession though when Billy Hann came up with a steal with 3:10 remaining. Bill Justus then knotted the score at 50 when he hit a jumper with just over two minutes left in the game.
Dayton then held the ball looking for a game winning shot. The Vols forced the issue with 24 seconds remaining and fouled Bobby Joe Hooper. Hooper was good on one of his free throw attempts giving the Vols a chance for the final shot and the win.
The man picked to take the shot was Ron Widby who had hit the game winning shot against Mississippi State in the Vols' regular season finale to clinch the SEC championship
But Widby's jumper from 20-feet was off the mark and Dayton eventually regained possession. Two free throws later the Flyers led 53-50. Widby hit an uncontested lay-up at the buzzer to finish the scoring.
"Somebody has to take the last shot," Widby said. "I never mind the pressure. I thought the ball was going in."
The Vols held All-America Don May, who came into the game averaging 22 points, to nine points on 2-of-10 shooting but the guard duo of Hooper and Gene Klaus led the Flyers with 14 and 12 respectively. They shot a combined 11-of-14 from the field.
"We did a fine defensive job on May but got beat by the outside shooting of their guards," Tennessee head coach Ray Mears said. "They surprised us. We just didn't think they could shoot so well from long range."
Widby finished with a game-high 20 points to pace four Vols in double figures.
NOTES: Dayton advanced to the National Championship game before falling 79-64 to UCLA ... The Vols won the SEC Championship with a 15-3 record.
| 1967 NCAA Mideast Region | |||
| Regional Consolation | |||
| Tennessee (21-7) | 44 | ||
| Indiana (18-8) | 51 | ||
| March 18, 1967 - 7:30 p.m. - McGaw Hall - Evanston, Illinois | |||
Poor shooting and poor rebounding led to a 51-44 defeat at the hands of Indiana in the consolation game for the Volunteers.
The Vols stayed close throughout the game and had as much as a three point lead in the second half but eventually faltered down the stretch. Tennessee connected on 14-of-46 shots from the field for 30.7 percent. Indiana did not fair much better at 37.2 percent but dominated the boards 43 to 27.
A short jumper from Ron Widby gave the Vols an 18-16 lead with just over five minutes left in the first half. Indiana then went into a stall in attempt to take the last shot of half. The eventually got a bucket from Bill Joyner to tie the score. Tennessee failed the score on its next possession and Vernon Payne gave the Hoosiers a 20-18 led. Bill Justus hit a jumper at the halftime buzzer to pull the Vols even.
Justus hit two free throws in the opening minutes of the second half to give the Vols a 27-24 advantage. But Indiana outscored the Vols 21-11 to open up a 45-38 lead.
Justus and Widby hit back-to-back buckets for the Vols to cut the lead to three but Russell and Jack Johnson hit two free throws each to put the game out of reach.
The game was physical from the start which did not suit the playing style of Tennessee.
"We played as hard as we could under the conditions," Tennessee coach Ray Mears said. "They are taking the finesse out of the game when they depend on brute strength. We were not real sharp but there were a lot of bumps and bruises out there."
NOTES: Indiana coach Lou Watson signed a scholarship with Tennessee coach John Mauer in 1946 but eventually played at Indiana ... Widby was named the to the all-tournament team ... Widby scored 619 points during the 1966-67 season which was the most ever by a Vol. He surpassed the mark of 522 set by Carl Widseth during the 1955-56 season ... Widby averaged 22.1 points a game which was tops in the SEC ... Indiana was the Big Ten champion.
