DETROIT, Mich. — Second-seeded and sixth-ranked Tennessee used a 21-4 run to start the second half and third-seeded and 1th-ranked Creighton’s comeback fell just short as the Vols won 82-75 in action at the MIdwest Regional Semifinal in Detroit late on Friday night.
The Volunteers (27-8) advance to Sunday’s Regional Final against top-seeded Purdue (32-4), which beat Gonzaga 80-68 in the first game of the evening. Creighton finishes its season with a 25-10 mark, its most wins since also finishing 25-10 in 2016-17.
A deep three-pointer by Scheierman, followed by a thee-point play from Trey Alexander, helped tie the score at 24-all with 5:06 left in the opening half. Steven Ashworth then swished a three-pointer on the next trip as CU retook the lead at 27-26. After Dalton Knecht responded with a trey, Ashworth and Scheierman bombed consecutive triples as CU matched its largest lead at 33-29 and prompted a Tennessee timeout.
The teams exchanged the lead eight times in the first half, with Kalkbrenner’s 75th slam of the season giving CU a 35-34 lead at the break. Scheierman led all players with 15 points in the first half, while Kalkbrenner added eight points and a game-high six rebounds before intermission. Knecht led the Vols with 10 pionts in the first half as UT shot 5-for-10 before the break after going 3-for-25 form downtown in a Second Round win vs. Texas.
Tennessee turned up the defense early in the second half, using a 18-0 run to take its largest lead at 55-39. That stretch started with two free throws from Knecht and would include four lay-ups in addition to a pair of three-pointers before a three-ball by Scheierman snapped the scoreless drought at just over five minutes.
The Bluejays battled back after falling behind by as much as 15, using a 9-2 run to halve the deficit to 62-55 with 8:10 remaining after Scheierman’s traditional three-point play. A Kalkbrenner lay-up and two free throws made it a three-point game (62-59) with 6:02 left but the All-American Knecht drilled a contested three-pointer to half the Bluejay momentum. Ashworth buried a three-pointer but again Knecht answered with a trey.
A three-point play by Tobe Awaka with 1:39 left gave the Vols a 71-64 lead and UT converted at the line down the stretch to ice the game as CU never got any closer than six points in the final minute.
Scheierman led CU with 25 points in the final game of his standout career.
Knecht paced Tennessee with 26 points.
Creighton Men fall to Tennessee in Sweet 16
