Knecht, Tennessee take down Creighton in Sweet 16, 82-75

DETROIT (WOWT) - Dalton Knecht scored 24 points to lift No. 2 Tennessee (27-8) to an 82-75 win over No. 3 Creighton (25-10) in the Sweet 16 of the men’s NCAA Tournament on Friday.

“I’m really proud of what we’ve accomplished this year to get back on this stage,” head coach Greg McDermott said. “These guys have been selfless every step of the way. They’ve been absolutely a joy to coach. You hate for that to be over, and I hope, once the hurt subsides, they can look in the mirror and understand what they’ve accomplished.”

A back-and-forth first half gave way to a streaky second frame, as Tennessee went from a one-point deficit at the break to a 16-point lead just six minutes into the half. But Creighton battled back, knocking down six 3-pointers in the final 10 minutes before ultimately falling just short of a second straight Elite 8 appearance.

On top of his 24 points, Knecht recorded five rebounds, five assists, and no turnovers while knocking down a trio of shots from beyond the arc. But as good as he was, he wasn’t the game’s leading scorer — it was Creighton senior Baylor Scheierman.

Scheierman tried everything in his power to will his team to victory, dropping 25 points which included several timely buckets to keep the Jays afloat against Tennessee’s dominant defense.

Senior guard Steven Ashworth went 4-of-6 from 3-point land en route to a 16 point performance, while center Ryan Kalkbrenner chipped in 14 points and seven boards.

An 18-0 run from Tennessee in the early minutes of the second half sent shockwaves through the Creighton bench and the team’s fans inside Little Caesar’s Arena. Greg McDermott quickly reeled his team back in and the Jays charged back without hesitation, cutting the Volunteers’ lead to just four points with under four minutes remaining.

In the end, though, Tennessee’s stellar free throw shooting made the difference as Creighton was forced to foul when the clock started working against them. The Volunteers finished the night 12-of-13 from the charity stripe.

It’s another heartbreaker for Creighton in the NCAA Tournament, after coming up a possession short of a Final Four appearance a season ago.

Tennessee advances to take on No. 1 Purdue in the Elite Eight on Sunday.

IN-GAME UDPATES

PREGAME COVERAGE

Creighton cruised through the first round of action last week, downing Akron 77-60 with a dominant second half and a 23-point performance from Ryan Kalkbrenner.

But the Jays got everything they could have asked for and more from No. 11 seed Oregon in the second round, as it took two overtimes for Creighton to come out on top and advance to the second weekend.

The win over Dana Altman’s Ducks was a team effort for Greg McDermott’s squad on the offensive end. Steven Ashworth led with 21 points, Trey Alexander had 20, Ryan Kalkbrenner dropped 19, and Baylor Scheierman added 18.

Creighton head coach Greg McDermott gestures to the crowd after defeating Oregon in a college... — Creighton head coach Greg McDermott gestures to the crowd after defeating Oregon in a college basketball game in the second round of the NCAA men's tournament Saturday, March 23, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)(Matt Freed | AP)

“I think all the games we’ve played this year were preparing us for the moments now,” said Ashworth, who’s in his first year as a Bluejay after transferring from Utah State. “That’s a credit and a testament to our coaches for putting together a really good schedule, and also a testament to playing in one of the best leagues in the country in the Big East all year.”

Now, the Bluejays find themselves in a matchup with a team many believed would be a No. 1 seed up until the 11th hour of Selection Sunday: the Tennessee Volunteers.

GAME INFO

WHERE: Little Caesar’s Arena, Detroit, Mich.
WHEN: 9:09 p.m., Friday, March 29
WATCH: TBS/TruTV
LISTEN: 1620 The Zone
VEGAS ODDS: Creighton +2.5, O/U 144.5

The regular season SEC champions appeared to be the hottest team in the country going into the final week of the regular season, but back-to-back losses to Kentucky in the regular season finale and Mississippi State in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament raised questions about Rick Barnes’ team going into March Madness.

Those questions were answered rather quickly as the Vols blitzed 2022 Cinderella and No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s in the first round before squeaking past No. 7 Texas in a rock fight that saw Tennessee’s high-flying offense struggle to eclipse 60 points.

Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht (3) drives as Vanderbilt guard Isaiah West (4) defend during the... — Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht (3) drives as Vanderbilt guard Isaiah West (4) defend during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)(Wade Payne | AP)

That potent scoring attack is led by one of the best individual scorers in the country in SEC Player of the Year, Dalton Knecht. The 6-foot-6 Northern Colorado transfer averages 21.1 points per game and shoots at a 46 percent clip from the floor. He ranks in the top 50 in the nation in scoring and three-point percentage.

It’s not just offense at which the Vols excel, though, as they rank top 10 in the country in opponent field goal percentage.

“Defensively, there’s a standard [at Tennessee] that’s really impressive,” McDermott said. “With how they play, how they compete, how disruptive they are every single play, and it can turn a game in a flash. That message has been drilled into our guys over the course of the week. Whether we’re ready for it, we’ll see.”