PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The whole family came down from Massachusetts to join Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl on his 50th birthday.
“He’s from 20 minutes away from here, so it’s really special to be here, playing in front of his old family,” said his son Steven, a backup forward on the Volunteers. “All of our aunts and uncles live up here, so that’s been special, and a lot of friends have come to support us.”
But it wasn’t until midnight had passed, San Diego State’s last shot had sailed wide and the Volunteers had advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament that the Pearls were able to celebrate.
“When I woke up this morning I thought to say something to him, but I said ‘I’m going to wait,'” Tennessee guard Bobby Maze said after the sixth-seeded Vols held off No. 11 seed San Diego State 62-59 on Thursday night in the first round of the Midwest Regional. “The only way to give him his praise is to win this game. Now we did that. Now I guess we can say ‘Happy Birthday’ to him.”
The Volunteers (26-8) will play Saturday against No. 14 seed Ohio, a surprisingly easy upset winner over third-seeded Georgetown, and a victory would put Tennessee in the round of 16 for the third time in four years. Tennessee has not missed the tournament in Pearl’s five years in Knoxville, and its only first-round loss was last year.