DETROIT — Neither Tennessee nor Creighton has ever been past the Elite Eight. The Vols now have that probability.

Tennessee is the winner of Friday night time’s Candy 16 recreation, 82-75, and retains its Ultimate 4 goals alive within the 2024 NCAA event. Creighton is as soon as once more heading dwelling with one other shut name in March Insanity.

The No. 2 seed Volunteers (27-8) used an enormous second-half run to create a ways vs. the No. 3 seed Bluejays at Little Caesars Enviornment, and the Vols held on down the stretch. They may play Sunday towards 1-seed Purdue, which beat 5-seed Gonzaga 80-68 within the earlier recreation, within the Midwest area ultimate with a Ultimate 4 berth within the steadiness (2:20 p.m., CBS).

First-team All-American Dalton Knecht scored 24 factors on 8-for-21 capturing, including six rebounds and 5 assists to guide Tennessee. Zakai Zeigler completed with 18 factors, six assists and 4 boards. Josiah-Jordan James went 6-for-6 on the free-throw line within the ultimate 1:12 to seal the win for the Vols and had 17 factors.

Jahmai Mashack, a late add to the beginning lineup with Santiago Vescovi out as a consequence of sickness, grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, 5 on the offensive glass. Tennessee turned 12 offensive boards into 15 second-chance factors and had an 18-5 benefit on the fastbreak.

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Third-team All-American Baylor Scheierman had 25 factors and 4 3-pointers for Creighton however went scoreless within the ultimate 8:10. Ryan Kalkbrenner completed with 14 factors and 7 rebounds, however the 7-foot-1 middle did not rating within the final 6:04.

Steven Ashworth had 16 factors and Trey Alexander scored 13 for the Bluejays, combining to hit six of their 11 3-pointers, together with three within the ultimate 19 seconds to make it shut after the Vols went up by as many as 16 within the second half because of an 18-0 run.

Tennessee has solely been to the Elite Eight one different time, in 2010, when it misplaced as a 6-seed below coach Bruce Pearl to Tom Izzo and 5-seed Michigan State, 70-69.

Creighton ended its season 25-10 after advancing to the Elite Eight final season.

Here is how the sport unfolded, with reside rating updates and highlights.

READ MORE:Creighton and Tennessee each have small-school stars who grew to become March Insanity heroes

Tennessee vs. Creighton reside rating updates, highlights in Candy 16

Ultimate: Tennessee 82, Creighton 75

The Vols are going to their second Elite Eight ever, the place they’ll face No. 1 seed Purdue within the Midwest area ultimate at 2:20 p.m. Sunday at Little Caesars Enviornment (CBS).

Mashack, who received the late beginning task, grabbed a essential offensive board and was fouled. Then out of the Tennessee baseline inbound, Zeigler received downhill on a pick-and-roll and bounced the ball to Tobe Awaka, who completed by means of a foul by Ashworth and made the free throw with 1:39 to go to push Tennessee’s lead again to seven.

Tennessee 68, Creighton 64 with 2:47 left within the second half | Tennessee in a dogfight, Creighton closes in

The Bluejays’ approach: one other run to make it a recreation.

Kalkbrenner launched a heave with the shot-clock about to run out, his 3-pointer smacking the backboard and rim. However Scheierman received the offensive board, hesitated on the putback to attract a foul and end by means of contact. His three-point play lower the lead again to single digits with 8:10 to play.

After the media timeout with 7:54 left, Mashack’s layup with the shock clock about to expire rolled off the again of the rim. Kalkbrenner received deep place on the appropriate block and compelled in one other hook shot to chop Tennessee’s result in 5 after seven straight factors in an 11-2 run by the Bluejays.

Kalkbrenner canned a pair of free throws with 6:03 to go, and abruptly Creighton was again inside three. However Knecht doubled the Vols’ lead with a step-in 3-pointer with 5:37 remaining.

Ashworth answered for Creighton with a second-chance triple, however Knecht once more linked from proper nook for 3 with 4:32 left. Ashworth’s driving layup round Knecht seconds later made it a 4 level recreation once more.

Then after Knecht missed a heat-check 3, Ashworth tried to ship a go forward in transition. Knecht elevated for it and the go sailed out of bounds. Two refs did not see if Knecht tipped it, although he was adamant he did not. A 3rd ref got here in and referred to as it Tennessee ball. Creighton coach Greg McDermott was indignant and talked to the referees as the ultimate media timeout hit, they usually went to the replay monitor to test the play. The decision stood, and pissed off Bluejays followers allow them to know their displeasure.

It is establishing for a probably unbelievable end.

Tennessee 62, Creighton 50 with 9:18 left within the second half | Baylor Scheierman, Ryan Kalkbrenner hold Bluejays in it

Creighton is not going away with no struggle.

Scheierman ended Tennessee’s 18-0 run with a smooth-stroke 3-pointer from the left wing with 13:37 to go. Then Jasen Inexperienced received going with a pair of buckets to drag Creighton again inside 11.

Gainey stepped again and dropped a 3-pointer from in entrance of his bench on the following Vols possession.

Scheierman received into the paint for a layup, pushing his complete to 22 factors, and Kalkbrenner with a deep post-up hook shot to chop it to again 10. Kalkbrenner has 10 factors and 7 boards.

However Zeigler delivered one other driving floater on the different finish, and he has 15 factors for the Vols.

Tennessee 55, Creighton 39 with 13:51 left within the second half | Vols in midst of 18-0 run

The Vols are feeling it, extending their run to 18-0 whereas holding the Bluejays scoreless during the last 5:11 on 0-for-6 capturing.

Knecht took off after one other Creighton’s second turnover of the half, raced out in transition and swooped round Scheierman for a layup. Zeigler swirled in his second 3-pointer of the half after the Vols’ third offensive board of the half and seventh total.

Mashack swatted the 7-1 Kalkbrenner, then snagged a Knecht airball and put again a reverse layup to push the result in 13. James at after one other defensive cease drilled a 3-pointer from the nook to drive McDermott to name his second timeout of the half.

Mashack has three rebounds since halftime because the Vols are dominating the glass 10-2 because the break, 4 of these on the offensive boards. Tennessee is 8-for-14 within the half and has made 6 of its final 8 discipline targets. Creighton is simply 1-for-7 within the second.

Tennessee 45, Creighton 39 with 16:12 left within the second half | Dalton Knecht pushes Vols again in entrance

Backwards and forwards they go.

Zeigler opened the half with a 3-pointer for Tennessee after a Mashack offensive rebound. Then Creighton’s Ashworth answered with a jumper, then grabbed a board and pushed it to Scheierman, who received fouled in transition and hit two free throws for the tenth lead change of the sport and second of the half in two possessions.

Knecht received fouled after going up after an offensive board and hit a pair for the fifth tie. James hit a brief post-up jumper on the block for yet one more lead change to provide the Vols again the lead.

After a James block, Knecht received downhill for a driving layup, then picked off a go and fed Mashack on the break for a layup and a six-point lead that’s the largest of the sport for both crew. Creighton coach Greg McDermott referred to as timeout with Tennessee on an 8-0 run during the last 2:37.

Knecht already has 4 factors, two rebounds an help within the half and is as much as 14 factors complete. Scheierman has 17 within the recreation for the Bluejays.

Half: Creighton 35, Tennessee 34

An entertaining, back-and-forth first half got here to a detailed with a bang.

Scheierman drove off the wing to the free-throw line with 39.5 seconds to go and flipped an alley-oop toss for Kalkbrenner, who delivered his third dunk of the half.

That got here after 5-foot-9 Zeigler, who had eliminated the cotton from his bloodied nostril he suffered earlier within the half, once more labored his approach into the paint for a floater over the bushes. He has seven factors and 4 assists at halftime for the Vols, who’re capturing 41.2% total and have made 5 of 10 from 3-point vary.

Creighton has a slight 19-17 edgeon the boards, with 10 between Scheierman and Kalkbrenner. The Bluejays are 6-for-14 from deep and capturing 44.8% total.

The primary half featured eight lead adjustments and three ties, and each groups have 14 factors within the paint and eight assists. Gainey for Tennessee and Alexander for Creighton every have two fouls, the one gamers near foul bother.

Creighton 33, Tennessee 29 with 2:20 left within the first half | Baylor Scheierman taking up, Bluejays draining 3s

Ashworth knocked down a 3-pointer over Vols guard Freddie Dilione V in entrance of the Tennessee bench with 2:55 left earlier than half. Then after Kalkbrenner’s fifth rebound of the half, Scheierman took a go within the left nook and buried the Bluejays’ sixth 3-pointer of the half. Vols coach Rick Barnes referred to as timeout after it to try to quell the short 6-0 run earlier than the break.

Scheierman continues to look {smooth} with the ball. He is as much as 15 factors on 5-for-11 capturing, together with 3-for-6 from deep, with 4 rebounds and an help. Knecht has 10 for Tennessee, however he is simply 4-for-10.

Tennessee 29, Creighton 27 with 3:41 left within the first half | Vols, Bluejays go from chilly to sizzling

The scoring drought ended fast for each groups.

After a pair of Scheierman free throws after a foul on Mashack, Zeigler slithered deep into the lane for a floater. Creighton’s Kalkbrenner received free for his second dunk of the sport, with Jonas Aidoo answering with a brief jumper.

Aidoo then received switched onto Scheierman, with the guard elevating earlier than the large man may shut for a deep 3 from the appropriate wing. Knecht answered with a drive by means of a double crew to attain on the rim.

Alexander answered with a driving layup of his personal by means of a foul from Tennessee guard Jordan Gainey, then transformed the three-point play to tie the sport at 24-all with 5:06 to go earlier than halftime.

Aidoo hit one other brief jumper, then Ashworth buried a 3 on the different finish on a late rotation, flashing three fingers as he ran again down courtroom to the Creighton followers.

However the Bluejays misplaced Knecht on the appropriate wing on the following possession, and he rose up and swished a 3-point reply to swing the lead again to the Vols. Tennessee has hit 5 of its final seven photographs.

Tennessee 18, Creighton 14 with 7:48 left within the first half | Baylor Scheierman getting blended seems

The Vols are rotating just a few gamers to protect Scheierman, who defensively has been matching up with Tennessee’s Knecht.

Scheierman received caught on a Vols display screen, and Knect linked on a midrange jumper to place Tennessee up 4. On the different finish, Knecht – who had lined Scheierman on a previous possession – slid over to assist Mashack and blocked Scheierman’s driving layup try.

On the following out of bounds play, James was guarding Scheierman and received referred to as for a foul as he plowed right into a display screen from Creighton’s Steven Ashworth. Refs reviewed however didn’t change something with the decision.

The 2 groups have missed their final 10 mixed photographs, and the Bluejays are simply 1 of their final 10 with no discipline targets in a 3:06 span.

Tennessee 14, Creighton 12 with 11:30 left in first half | Baylor Scheierman getting sizzling, Vols hitting from deep

Scheierman took an airball desperation 3-pointer with the shot-clock about to expire for a violation that triggered the primary media timeout.

Out of it, Tennessee jumped in entrance on a Josiah-Jordan 3-pointer, his second within the early going. However Scheierman began to warmth up for the Bluejays, getting inside for a layup then burying a deep 3 from the highest of the important thing over Knecht.

Tennessee answered with one other deep ball from Zakai Zeigler, and the Vols are discovering their offensive mojo.

Creighton 7, Tennessee 6 with 14:55 left in first half | Jahmai Mashack begins for Santiago Vescovi

With beginning Santiago Vescovi out with the flu, Jahmai Mashack received the beginning for the Vols. Instantly, the 6-foot-4 junior guard received within the combine.

Mashack took the primary shot try of the sport, along with his 3-point try rimming out.

On the following journey, Mashack grabbed an offensive rebound however received tied up for a turnover. Lower than a minute later, he plucked a steal from Creighton’s Tre Alexander that led to a breakout on which Dalton Knecht received swatted by the Bluejays’ Ryan Kalkbrenner on the rim.

Mashack missed one other 3-point try however recovered to ship a swing-pass help to Josiah-Jordan James for a triple that pulled the Vols inside a degree with 15:32 to go earlier than the media timeout.Tennessee is off to a 2-for-8 begin, with a Knecht jumper the opposite bucket.

Meet the starters

Tennessee: Zakai Zeigler (G, Jr.), Jahmai Mashack (G, Jr.), Josiah-Jordan James (G, fifth), Dalton Knecht (G, fifth), Jonas Aidoo (F, Jr.)

Creighton: Steven Ashworth (G, Sr.), Trey Alexander (G, Jr.), Baylor Scheierman (G, fifth), Mason Miller (F, So.), Ryan Kalkbrenner (C, Sr.)