Tennessee Secures Sweet Sixteen Spot

0:00On March 23, Tennessee grabbed a solid win over third-seeded Virginia, 79-72, and the second round of the NCAA tournament. The sixth-seeded volunteers dominated early and held on late to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16 for the fourth year in a row. They built a big first-half lead with sharp shooting from beyond the arc and just one turnover. Things got shaky in the closing minutes, though, as a couple of inbound mistakes led Virginia claw back into it. The Cavaliers even grabbed the 71-70 lead on a late three-pointer, their first of the second half. Fans buzzed about the tension, with Tennessee's path to the program's first final four, looking steeper under coach Rick Barnes and his 39-year. Career. The turning point came with under a minute left, and Tennessee up 73-71. Officials stuck with an on-floor call that the ball went out off Virginia after a miss, even though replay wasn't clear-cut. That gave the ball's possession to seal it. Tennessee now gears up for a tough Sweet 16 match-up, keeping their postseason run alive.