The Tennessee Volunteers faced off against the Creighton Bluejays in a highly anticipated basketball matchup that ended with a final score of 75-82 in favor of Creighton. The game was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams showcasing their offensive prowess and defensive tenacity. Tennessee came out strong in the first half, taking an early lead and maintaining it for much of the game. However, Creighton's sharp shooting and aggressive defense proved to be too much for the Volunteers to handle.
As the game unfolded, it became clear that both teams were evenly matched. Tennessee's defense was able to contain Creighton's scoring threats, while Creighton's quick ball movement kept Tennessee on their toes. The game went down to the wire, with both teams trading baskets in the final minutes.
Vescovi did not practice Thursday with the Vols at Little Caesars Arena. Vols coach Rick Barnes indicated Vescovi was ill but he expected that Vescovi would play when No. 2-seeded Tennessee (26-8) faces No. 3 seed Creighton (25-9) on Friday (10:15 p.m. ET, TBS/truTV) in March Madness.
Vescovi is averaging 6.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game this season. It is the fourth game Vescovi has missed in his five-year career. UT had started the same lineup in 28 straight games. He is day-to-day moving forward and will be reevaluated Saturday.
First Team All-American Dalton Knecht paced Tennessee with 26 points, also contributing six rebounds and five assists. Zakai Zeigler never left the floor and finished with 18 points, six assists and four rebounds while drawing six fouls. Rounding out UT's double-figure trio was Josiah-Jordan James with 15. The Volunteers shot 41.8 percent from the field and hit 45.8 percent of its shots from downtown (11-24). UT won the rebound battle 36-34 and outscored CU 10-0 off turnovers, 18-5 in transition and 15-4 off the bench. The first half was a good one. A deep three-pointer by Scheierman, followed by a thee-point play from Alexander, helped tie the score at 24-all with 5:06 left in the opening half. Ashworth then swished a three-pointer on the next trip as CU retook the lead at 27-26. After 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 guard's offensive play has lacked during the 2023-24 season, but he remains an integral piece on the defensive end. He became Tennessee's all-time steal leader during the win against Texas during the Round of 32. His veteran presence on the defensive end is one that the Vols have utilized.
With Vescovi sidelined, some options to fill his minutes would be Jordan Gainey or Jahmai Mashack. Gainey provides a 3-point shooting threat but also lacks on the defense end at times. Mashack is a lockdown defender, but his offense has often come second to defense.
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