Tennessee basketball put together the worst half in NCAA Tournament history for a 2-seed with its 15 points in the first half. The Vols trailed by 21 in a game that looked like Tennessee shouldn't be anywhere near.
That changed as Tennessee woke up at halftime and forced some pressure onto Houston. The Vols matched Houston's scoring in the second half and looked like a team worthy of competing for a spot in the Final Four, but it wasn't nearly enough for Tennessee to complete the comeback.
Houston's dominant defense was the highlight of today's game, as Tennessee's scoring, especially around the perimeter, was at a premium. Combine that with a bad rebounding day, and Tennessee lost 69-50 to Houston in the Elite Eight.
Tennessee’s shooting woes began behind the three-point line, shooting a disgusting 17.2% from beyond the arc. That alone eliminated Tennessee from having a chance to upset Houston.
Despite the horribly bad first half, shooting woes, and poor rebounding efforts, Tennessee battled in the second half, bringing the deficit to ten points with five minutes to go in the game.
The Vols outscored Houston for most of the second half. They looked like they might be able to get it close if they could make some shots, but they missed virtually every shot they needed to make in the second half to close the gap enough to make a difference in the outcome.
Chaz Lanier scored 17 points despite an abysmal day shooting with a 22% field goal percentage on the day. Jordan Gainey matched Lanier in points with 17 in a much more efficient day, shooting 50% from the field.
Zakai Zeigler finished the game with five points, Jahmai Mashack scored four points, Igor Milicic scored two points, and Darlinstone Dubar finished with one point as their season and college basketball careers came to an end.
Zeigler and Mashack leave the program as the winningest players in its history. No other Vol has won more postseason games than those two, and they have undoubtedly left their mark on the program.