LEXINGTON, Ky. — Chaz Lanier was 4-for-5 on 3-pointers in a 20-point performance to help No. 2 seed Tennessee advance to a program-record third straight Sweet 16 in the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament, with the Volunteers beating seventh-seeded UCLA 67-58 at Rupp Arena to get there.
The last second-round game to tip off Saturday didn’t finish until shortly after midnight, although Tennessee’s defensive dominance had all but settled the outcome well before Sunday arrived.
The Vols (29-7) will play either No. 6 seed Illinois of the Big Ten or No. 3 seed Kentucky, a border rival in the Southeastern Conference whose home court was the site of Tennessee’s first two wins in this year’s NCAA tourney.
Senior guard Jahmai Mashack said this kind of streak of deep tourney runs is what he wanted when he signed to play for coach Rick Barnes at Tennessee.
“I’m not saying that to be cocky,” Mashack said. “I’m saying that because I put in the work … Just knowing that the Sweet 16 was a possibility that I wanted to get to, I wanted to do it, and I knew this team was going to be able to do it.”