Senior guard Jordan Gainey not solely clinched the victory with a buzzer-beating layup, but additionally poured in a game-high 23 factors, his most in two seasons as a Volunteer, for top-ranked Tennessee (10-0). He scored 18 of his factors within the last 14 minutes in entrance of a sold-out crowd of 15,544 at State Farm Arena.
Illinois (7-3, 1-1 B1G) scored the preliminary eight factors over the opening three-and-a-half minutes, marking the primary time this season the Volunteers confronted a deficit better than three. Tennessee shortly responded with a 9-1 run to drag inside one on the 11:58 mark, leveling the rating at 14 with 9:50 on the timer after which took its first lead, 18-17, with 7:01 to go earlier than the break after which made it 20-17 simply 22 seconds later.
The Fighting Illini countered with a 7-0 surge in 67 seconds to return up by 4, 24-20, with 4:20 left within the first half. Tennessee regained a 26-25 benefit on a dunk by sophomore ahead Cade Phillips with 2:31 remaining within the session and the 2 sides then traded 5 made free throws apiece down the stretch, giving the guests a 31-30 edge getting into the locker room.
Both groups shot below 25.0 % from the sector within the opening 20 minutes, together with below 21.0 % from 3-point vary, as 34 of the 61 factors got here from the road. The Volunteers went 17-of-24 (70.8 %) on first-half free throws by way of 14 Illinois fouls, whereas the Fighting Illini shot 17-of-21 (81.0 %) on the stripe off 12 Tennessee fouls. Fifth-year guard Chaz Lanier totaled 15 first-half factors for Tennessee, together with 12 of the staff’s first 16.
Despite senior guard Zakai Zeigler departing with 18:13 left after choosing up his fourth foul on a game-tying three-point play by Illinois junior guard Kylan Boswell, Tennessee took its greatest lead, 37-33, with 16:46 to go. The Fighting Illini, although, answered with a 10-0 surge—capped by a four-point play by freshman guard Kasparas Jakučionis on the staff’s second made 3-pointer of the evening after a 1-of-14 begin—in simply two minutes to make it 43-37 with 14:20 remaining.
The Volunteers, regardless of conceding one other four-point play to Jakučionis, evened the rating at 52 with 8:49 on the clock after back-to-back 3-pointers from fifth-year guard Darlinstone Dubar and Gainey.
Tennessee regained the lead, 55-54, on one other 3-pointer by Gainey, this one with 7:32 remaining. After Illinois twice went again up by three, Gainey tied the rating at 62 on a 3-pointer with 2:27 to play. Senior ahead Igor Miličić Jr., then stole a sideline out-of-bounds go and turned it right into a fast-break dunk to place the Volunteers on prime, 64-62, with 1:32 left.
Boswell cut up a pair of free throws with 1:08 remaining to slice the deficit in half. After neither staff scored for the subsequent minute-plus, Jakučionis made the second of two free throws with 5.7 ticks left to tie the sport. Gainey then dribbled down the ground and hit a driving layup moments earlier than the horn sounded to ship the Volunteers streaming onto the courtroom in jubilation.
After conceding the go-ahead basket with 4:55 on the countdown, Tennessee didn’t enable one other subject aim the remainder of the sport and gave up simply 4 complete factors in that stretch, culminating with its first buzzer-beating win in over 5 years, since Nov. 30, 2019. It additionally dedicated zero second-half turnovers, its third time with zero in a body in head coach Rick Barnes‘ 10-year tenure, together with the primary time in a real street outing.
Gainey shot 6-of-14 from the ground, together with 3-of-6 past the arc, and 8-of-9 on the free-throw line, tying his profession excessive in each makes and makes an attempt from the stripe. He performed level guard for almost the complete second half, as a consequence of Zeigler’s early fouls, but ended the competition with zero turnovers.
Lanier posted 17 factors within the triumph, whereas Miličić had seven to associate with a game-best 14 rebounds, the highest ledger by a Volunteer this 12 months. He pulled down 9 of his boards within the first 12 minutes alone.
Jakučionis paced Illinois with 22 factors, ending 10-of-14 from the road, however Tennessee held him to a 5-of-15 field-goal clip, together with a 2-of-7 mark from deep. Junior guard Tre White notched 11 factors, whereas Boswell contributed 10. Sophomore middle Tomislav Ivisic led the Fighting Illini with 12 rebounds, however the Volunteers restricted him to a 1-of-5 field-goal mark.
Tennessee, which 17 offensive rebounds and a 30-12 bench scoring margin, made 16 of its last 37 pictures from the ground following a 4-of-25 begin. It shot higher from the sector than Illinois, which it held to an general 15-of-51 (29.4 %) mark. The Volunteers additionally held the house staff to a 4-of-23 (17.4 %) tally past the arc, in addition to posted as 12-6 cushion in factors off turnovers, forcing 11 and committing solely six.
In a recreation that featured 14 ties and 13 lead modifications, each of which surpassed Tennessee’s complete in first 9 outings mixed, the 2 sides mixed for 50 factors on the line, with the victors capturing 20-of-28 (71.4 %) and Illinois going 30-of-36 (83.3 %).
The Volunteers now start a four-game homestand Tuesday at 7 p.m. towards Western Carolina, stay on SEC Network+ from Food City Center.
To sustain with the University of Tennessee males’s basketball staff on social media, comply with @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, in addition to /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS POSTGAME NOTES
• Tuesday marked the twelfth recreation in program historical past with Tennessee ranked No. 1 within the AP Poll, because it improved to 10-2, together with 9-1 in Barnes’ tenure.
• The Volunteers additionally upped its file to 23-4 all-time whereas ranked top-three within the AP Poll, together with 20-2 below Barnes.
• Tennessee remained one of many solely seven undefeated groups within the nation and the lone faculty unbeaten in each males’s and girls’s basketball.
• After the house staff gained the primary 4 video games of the sequence, Saturday marked the primary time the customer has gained a Tennessee/Illinois matchup, with the Volunteers growing their ledger to 4-1.
• Barnes elevated his profession win complete to 816, tying Rollie Massimino for No. 12 on the all-time wins record (min. 10 years at Division I degree).
• Tennessee is the one staff within the SEC with a real street win over a Big Ten faculty this 12 months, as every of the opposite two to play such a recreation—Alabama at Purdue and South Carolina and Indiana—fell quick and no different such contests are scheduled.
• The Volunteers moved to 10-0 to start a season for the fifth time in program historical past, alongside 1999-2000 (11-0), 1997-98 (10-0), 1922-23 (14-0) and 1915-16 (completed 12-0).
• Tennessee now has its twelfth successful streak of double-digit video games in program historical past, together with its tenth in a single season and first since 2018-19 when it claimed a program-best 19 consecutive victories.
• The Volunteers’ final victory by one possession got here on March 16, 2023, in Orlando, Fla., within the opening spherical of the NCAA Tournament, a 58-55 conquer Louisiana.
• Tennessee’s final buzzer-beating win was on Nov. 30, 2019, towards VCU within the Emerald City Classic in Niceville, Fla., when Lamonté Turner hit a nook 3-pointer for a 72-69 triumph.
• Just twice prior in Barnes’ tenure has Tennessee dedicated zero turnovers in a half, each after the break in neutral-site defeats: Nov. 27, 2015, versus George Washington within the Barclays Center Classic in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Nov. 22, 2023, versus Kansas within the Maui Invitational in Honolulu.
• Before Illinois, the final staff to made 30 free throws and/or try 35 in a recreation towards Tennessee was North Carolina, when it shot 33-of-38 on Nov. 29, 2023, on its house courtroom.
• Only twice prior within the final 20 seasons (2005-25) has Tennessee performed a recreation through which it made 20-plus free throws and its opponent made 30-plus: a 77-74 win over Virginia (22-of-32 for, 31-of-36 towards) on March 18, 2007, within the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 in Columbus, Ohio, and an 80-72 defeat versus Arkansas (25-of-34 for, 32-of-39 towards) on March 13, 2015, within the SEC Tournament quarterfinals in Nashville, Tenn.
• Saturday marked the tenth time within the final 20 seasons (2005-25) the Volunteers have tried 28-plus free throws and conceded 36-plus, bettering to 6-4 in such affairs, together with 3-1 below Barnes.
• Eleven gamers—six on Illinois and 5 on Tennessee—entered the second half with two fouls, whereas each side every had two gamers with one apiece.
• Illinois is the fourth staff Tennessee has held beneath 30.0 % capturing this 12 months, together with the third from a Power Six league, alongside Louisville (26.7 % on Nov. 9 in Louisville, Ky.), Virginia (28.6 % on Nov. 21 in Nassau, Bahamas) and UT Martin (22.6 % on Nov. 27 in Knoxville).
• The Fighting Illini are the fifth staff the Volunteers have conceded 18 or fewer made subject objectives towards, together with the third from a Power Six convention, becoming a member of Louisville (16-of-60), Montana (18-of-52 on Nov. 13 in Knoxville), Virginia (14-of-49) and UT Martin (12-of-53).
• The 4 made 3-pointers for Illinois marked the fewest by a Tennessee opponent this season and the bottom complete since Purdue shot 3-of-15 on March 31, 2024, within the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in Detroit.
• This is the fiftieth time within the final eight seasons (2017-25) the Volunteers have conceded fewer than 5 made 3-pointers, together with the twenty second on the street.
• The first half featured simply 12 made subject objectives—six for every staff—and a complete of three assists on these makes.
• Tennessee held Illinois to only one made 3-pointer within the first half, because the Fighting Illini posted an 8.3 % (1-of-12) clip.
• Zeigler, who performed simply 6:05 within the second half, registered his third foul with 18:14 left within the recreation, added his fourth only one second later after which fouled out with 5.7 seconds to go.
• Meanwhile, Lanier picked up his fourth foul with 7:47 to go within the contest after which fouled out with 3:42 left.
• Tennessee performed from behind for 23:49 within the victory after trailing for a complete of simply 6:38 in its first 9 video games of the 12 months.
• The Volunteers have held a halftime benefit in all 10 of their outings this season, together with a margin of nine-plus factors eight instances, double digits seven instances, 12-plus 5 instances, 14-plus 4 instances and 23-plus twice.
• Saturday marked Tennessee’s sixth victory over a Power Five opponent—it has none left in non-conference motion—in its first 10 video games of the season, together with its fifth away from house and second on the street.
• Tennessee has conceded 35 or fewer factors in each first half this season, together with 29 or fewer in six and 22 or fewer in three.
• The Volunteers’ first 9 contests this season featured 12 ties and 12 lead modifications, with highs of 5 and 6, respectively.
• Gainey’s prior prime level complete at Tennessee, which he matched within the last 14 minutes alone, was 18, recorded on Feb. 7, 2024, towards LSU.
• Gainey has three earlier outings with eight made free throws, most lately on Feb. 4, 2023, towards UNC Asheville, throughout his USC Upstate tenure.
• Additionally, Gainey has two prior performances with 9 free-throw makes an attempt, the final of which got here on Feb. 2, 2022, at Hampton, additionally whereas at USC Upstate.
• Saturday marked the 14th time Gainey has scored 20-plus factors as a collegian, as he did so on 13 events in his two years at USC Upstate.
• Lanier has now scored 17-plus factors in eight of his 10 appearances as a Volunteer, together with every of the final six, a stretch throughout which he’s averaging 22.3 factors per recreation.
• Miličić tied for the second-most rebounds of his profession and tallied the highest mark by a Volunteer this 12 months, eclipsing the 13 he grabbed Nov. 27 versus UT Martin.
• Miličić now owns 18 collegiate performances with double-digit rebounds, together with 4 up to now eight outings.
• With his lone steal of the night, on the 13:56 mark of the primary half, Zeigler turned the third particular person to file 200 steals as a Volunteer, becoming a member of Santiago Vescovi (212 from 2019-24) and Vincent Yarbrough (211 from 1998-2002).
• Dubar (5) and freshman guard Bishop Boswell (three) each set season highs in rebounds within the victory.
