Tennessee Once Again Volunteers To Cause Chaos In NCAA Tournament, Beats Texas With Abysmal 3-Point Shooting

CHARLOTTE, NC- Even though the three-point shot might as well have been non-existent for Tennessee on Saturday night, the Vols are moving onto the Sweet Sixteen after beating Texas.

In one of the wildest halves of basketball, (and not for the great play on the court), Tennessee could not hit a three-point shot if its life depended on it. Honestly, it was almost comical every time the Vols tried a shot outside the perimeter, but they still found a way to hold-off Texas in the final six minutes. 

While all of this was happening behind the arc, Tennessee still had Texas on the ropes with their play around the basket, giving them an eight-point advantage with four minutes remaining. This was the type of game that you erase the footage off the video camera after you get back to campus, not even worrying about watching it ever again. 

But, Tennessee still found a way to deter the Longhorns, thanks to Josiah-Jordan James and Dalton Knecht finally hitting two three-point shots at the 3:50 mark. 

The Vols made history on Saturday night, becoming the first team in the NCAA Tournament to win a game while shooting less than 15% from behind the arc. One of the key moments in the game actually came towards the end, when Dalton Knecht drained four free-throws to extend Tennessee's lead to four point, putting the game away. 

"I wanted the ball in my I hands. I told Z (Zakai Zeigler) that when we were walking out of that timeout, saying I want the ball in my hands," Knecht said postgame. "He had trust in me, as well as the whole team had trust in me. Despite my shooting performance today, they had trust in me to go take those shots, and I can't thank my teammates and coaching staff enough,"

CHARLOTTE - Zakai Zeigler of the Tennessee Volunteers reacts to a play during the second half against the Texas Longhorns in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 23. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

It might have been one of the worst games of the NCAA Tournament, at least behind Virginia's opener, but Tennessee still found a way to take care of the Longhorns. The story of the 2023-2024 season for the Vols has centered around transfer Dalton Knecht, and that did not end in Charlotte. The senior had 14 points and 8 rebounds, causing chaos around the basket for Texas defenders. 

But the story of this game is certainly the Vols finding a way to win without much success behind the three-point line, which is mind-blowing if you consider how many times they shot the ball. Now, none of it matters, as Tennessee is headed to Detroit to potentially play Creighton, which will be decided on Sunday. 

In what Josiah-Jordan James described as a ‘Superhero’ performance, Zakai Zielger played all 40 minutes for Tennessee on Saturday night, pressuring the Texas defense into a number of bad shots, while pushing the Vols over the finish line with his handling of the offense. 

"There was one point I think it was second half and I was on the bench, and Coach said, you good? Zakai looked at him kind of crazy like, of course I'm good. Why would you even ask me something like that? He's just a super hero," Josiah-Jordan James said postgame. "We wouldn't be in this position without his leadership, his aggressiveness. He's the engine that ignites us."

As for what we saw on Saturday night, this was nothing new for fans of Tennessee, given that they've had to win games without stellar offensive performances a number of times this season. Having to hold-off the Longhorns down the stretch was one of the crazier spurts of basketball I've witnessed in recent memory. 

The clock read 1:44 and somehow Texas had fought its way back into the game, trailing 55-53, with the Vols looking as if they were about to give another game away that would add to the ongoing NCAA Tournament misery for Rick Barnes and his teams. 

But it was Dalton Knecht who drained two free-throws with eight seconds remaining to put the Vols on the winning side, holding off Texas 62-58. 

For the Vols, a trip back to the Sweet-16 could provide another matchup with Purdue, if both teams win next week in Detroit. But tonight, somehow Tennessee found a way to win a basketball game with just three made baskets from behind the arc. 

That won't get you far when it comes to a Final Four, but tonight in Charlotte it was enough.

It's the NCAA Tournament motto right? Survive and advance