Latest news with #JordanGainey
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Vols season comes to an end in Elite 8
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (WATE) – Tennessee's season has come to an end in the Elite 8 for the second straight season, as the Vols fell to Houston 69-50. A disastrous first half for Tennessee put the Vols in a hole they couldn't quite get out of. After falling behind by more than 20 in the first half, UT cut the lead to 10 in the second half, but strong three-point shooting from the Cougars ended any chance of a Vols comeback. Lady Vols fall to Texas in Sweet 16 round of NCAA Tournament The Vols finished 15-of-52 from the field (29%), while the Cougars ended the day 28-of-66 (42%). Tennessee was outrebounded 42-35, recorded eight second-chance points compared to 19 from the Cougars. Houston also picked up 30 points in the paint, while Tennessee had just 14. Jordan Gainey and Chaz Lanier led the way for the Vols with 17 points, while Zakai Zeigler was held to just five points. Houston jumped out to a 4-0 lead early with back-to-back buckets from Joseph Tugler. Tennessee had a chance to get on the board with a pair of free throws from Jahmai Mashack, but the senior missed both. However, Mashack still managed to get the Vols on the board with a jumper as the shot clock was winding down to cut the Cougars' lead to two points. Houston followed up with a quick 5-0 run, highlighted by a LJ Cryer triple. Felix Okparta responded with a pair of free throws to cut the deficit down to five points with 14:46 left in the opening half. The Cougars then went on an 8-0 run to take a 17-4 lead. Ja'Vier Francis started things off with a dunk and then a trio of shots from three different Houston players gave the Cougars a 13-point advantage. Okpara ended Houston's run with a dunk, but Houston quickly found an answer with a Franis layup off Houston's fifth offensive rebound of the half. The Cougars extended their lead to 16 points with a Terrance Arceneaux triple, before Lanier pulled the Vols back within 14 thanks to a Chaz Lanier jumper. At the under-8 timeout, Tennessee was shooting just 19 percent from the field while the Cougars had a 48 percent field-goal percentage. A quick five points from Arceneaux gave Houston its largest lead of the day so far, as the Cougars led by 19 with 4:52 left in the first half. Out of the break, Cryer gave Houston a 21-point lead, before Jordan Gainey provided a spark off the bench and pulled the Vols back within 17 with quick back-to-back buckets. Another quick 5-0 run from the Cougars gave Houston a 22-point advantage, but after starting the game 0-of-14 from deep, Zakai Zeigler drained Tennessee's first triple of the game with 29 seconds left in the half. The Cougars took a 34-15 lead into the locker room at half as the Vols finished 6-of-28 from the field and 1-of-15 from three-point range in the first 20 minutes of play. Tennessee also had four turnovers compared to just one from Houston, while the Cougars outrebounded the Vols 26-17 in the first half. After starting the game 0-of-7 from deep, Lanier finally hit his first triple to cut the deficit to 16 points with 16:28 left in the game. However, as they had done all game long, Houston found a response with a J'wan Robverts three-point play to push the lead back to 19. Gainey started to take over as the Vols sixth man picked up a quick ten points with two jumpers and two triple to make it a 14-point ballgame at the under-14 timeout. Jahmai Mashack hit his second bucket of the game with a driving layup to cut the deficit down to 13 with 10:22 left as the Vols started to chip away at the Cougars' lead. Emanuel Sharp extended Houston's advantage to 15 with a layup, before Jahmai Mashack went to the line with a chance to cut the deficit back down to 13. However, Mashack missed both shots as he was 0-for-4 from the charity stripe at that point in the game. Back-to-back free throws from Chaz Lanier, followed by an exclamation dunk from Igor Milicic, his first field-goal of the day, pulled the Vols within 11 points. Darlinstone Dubar headed to the free throw line and sunk one of two shots, as Tennessee cut the deficit down to 10 points with 5:42 remaining on the clock. Houston's Emanuel Sharp put an end to Tennessee's run with a deep three-pointer to make it a 13-point ballgame. Jordan Gainey hit a pair of free throws to cut the deficit down to 11 points as Gainey was up to 17 points in the game. READ: More top stories on Sharp immediately took that momentum away as he drained his third long ball of the game, and second straight, to push the Houston lead back up to 14. Things went from bad to worse as the Cougars hit their third straight three-pointer, this time from Mylik Wilson as Houston took a 17-point advantage into the under-4 timeout. Sharp's fourth triple of the game, followed by another three-pointer from Cryer was the exclamation point and ended Tennessee's chance of a comeback. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
30-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Houston eliminates Tennessee from NCAA Tournament
Houston eliminates Tennessee from NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed Houston (34-4) defeated No. 2 seed Tennessee (30-8), 69-50, in the Elite Eight of the 2025 NCAA Tournament Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Cougars led, 34-15, at halftime after holding the Vols to a .214 field goal percentage over the first 20 minutes of the contest. Houston also held Tennessee to its lowest point total in a half during a NCAA Tournament game in program history. Chaz Lanier and Jordan Gainey led the Vols with 17 points each. Lanier totaled seven rebounds, while Gainey recorded three rebounds, two assists and one steal. Zakai Zeigler ended his career for the Vols with five points and five assists, while Felix Okpara finished with four points, nine rebounds and two blocks for Tennessee, which posted a .288 field goal percentage in the game. L.J. Cryer finished with 17 points for the Cougars, who committed five turnovers in the game.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
March Madness 2025: No. 1 Houston heads to the Final Four after holding No. 2 Tennessee to just 15 first-half points
Tennessee had a brutal first half against Houston in the Elite Eight. (Photo by) (Gregory Shamus via Getty Images) Houston is going to the Final Four after holding Tennessee to just 15 first-half points. The No. 1 Cougars beat the No. 2 Volunteers 69-50 in the Elite Eight on Sunday after amassing a 34-15 halftime lead. Tennessee's fourth basket of the game came on its 23rd shot attempt. And that shot by Jordan Gainey simply cut a 21-point lead into a 29-10 advantage for Houston with 3:37 to play before the break. Advertisement Tennessee was 1-of-15 from behind the 3-point line during the first half and missed its first 14 shots from behind the arc. The Vols' first make came when Zakai Zeigler hit one with 39 seconds to go. That was Zeigler's first field goal of the game as both he and Chaz Lanier went a combined 2-of-16 in the first half. Gainey was the only Tennessee player to make two baskets in the first 20 minutes. The 15 points were the fewest a team has ever scored in a half in the Elite Eight and the fewest a team seeded No. 1 or No. 2 in the men's NCAA tournament had ever scored in a single half of postseason basketball. It's also the second-fewest points in a first half during March Madness this year. No. 5 Clemson scored 13 points in its first-round loss to No. 12 McNeese. The shot clock-era record for fewest points in a half was set in 2001 by Wake Forest and tied in 2008 by Kent State. Both teams had 10 points. The 19-point halftime lead for Houston made the second half a formality. Both Tennessee and Houston are among the best defensive teams in the country — and perhaps the two best teams in college basketball. A 19-point lead for Houston can seem like twice as much with how tenacious the Cougars are. Advertisement Tennessee's defense affected Houston's shooting in the first half too — but not nearly to the extent that Houston may have bothered the Volunteers. Houston shot 42% from the field and was just 3-of-10 from the 3-point line. But Houston also got nine offensive rebounds and scored 11 second-chance points. Tennessee had four second-chance points in the half despite all its missed shots But even as Houston didn't have a fantastic shooting day, the Cougars made up for it by not turning the ball over. Houston went over 20 minutes in a span stretching from the end of the first half into the second half without a turnover. Overall, Houston turned the ball over just four times and had twice as many points in the paint as the Volunteers. Tennessee's loss continues a Final Four drought that continues over 26 tournament appearances. Only BYU (31), Xavier (29) and Missouri (28) have gone to the men's NCAA tournament more without going to a Final Four. The ugly way the streak continued was summed up magnificently by this CBS camera shot of a disappointed Tennessee fan in the second half. Houston was last in the Final Four in 2021 The Big 12 champions are making their second Final Four appearance in Kelvin Sampson's tenure and have finally broken through as a No. 1 seed. Houston has been a No. 1 seed in each of the last three NCAA tournaments but was eliminated in the Sweet 16 in both 2024 and 2023. Advertisement But this Houston team has been a more efficient offensive one than the previous two, even as there was a very close call in the Sweet 16. The Cougars needed a last-second bucket by Milos Uzan on an inbounds play to get past No. 4 Purdue and avoid a third-straight exit in the third round. Sunday, there was no such drama. Tennessee never got Houston's lead into single digits in the second half and Emmanuel Sharp made sure to quell any hope of a Tennessee upset in the final six minutes. Sharp's back-to-back 3-pointers gave Houston a 14-point lead with 4:42 to go and a three by Mylik Wilson on the following possession put the game away for good. It was a fitting cap to the game for a team that leads college basketball at just under 40% from behind the arc. Houston will probably be an underdog against Duke in the Final Four, but the Cougars present a fascinating matchup against the team that's been the most dominant so far in the NCAA tournament. Houston has given up the fewest points per game of any team in college basketball and has the athletes to match up against Cooper Flagg and the Blue Devils.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tennessee's Jordan Gainey is a sixth man in name only. His coach and teammates consider him a star
Tennessee's Jordan Gainey is a sixth man in name only. His coach and teammates consider him a star Kentucky's Lamont Butler, right, drives past Tennessee's Jordan Gainey (11) during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Tennessee guard Jordan Gainey (11) celebrates after a win against UCLA after the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Tennessee guard Jordan Gainey (11) shoots the ball against UCLA guard Eric Dailey Jr. (3) during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier (2) celebrates with Tennessee guard Jordan Gainey (11) during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament against UCLA, Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier (2) celebrates with Tennessee guard Jordan Gainey (11) during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament against UCLA, Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Kentucky's Lamont Butler, right, drives past Tennessee's Jordan Gainey (11) during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) Tennessee guard Jordan Gainey (11) celebrates after a win against UCLA after the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Tennessee guard Jordan Gainey (11) shoots the ball against UCLA guard Eric Dailey Jr. (3) during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier (2) celebrates with Tennessee guard Jordan Gainey (11) during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament against UCLA, Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Lexington, Ky. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — When the public address announcer turns to Tennessee's starting lineup during pregame introductions on the road, the team stays in its huddle while the five names are read rather than have the starters step onto the court individually. The Volunteers don't mean to be rude. They just consider sixth man Jordan Gainey deserving of having his name called, too. Advertisement 'Our motto has been 'It's not about me,'' coach Rick Barnes said. 'So, again, we don't go out. They stay together, work together, sweat together. Jordan, you know, he's a starter. He's as much a starter as anybody." Gainey transferred from USC Upstate in April 2023, a year after his dad, associate head coach Justin Gainey, joined Barnes' staff. Jordan, who started 61 of his 64 games at Upstate and earned all-conference honors two years there, embraced the sixth-man role with the Vols and has thrived in it this season as the first guard off the bench. 'My teammates help me every day in practice, making sure I do what I'm supposed to do,' he said. 'When it comes to game time, there's nothing new out there. Everything seems natural, and we're all playing team basketball.' Gainey was on the floor in the middle of the first half Friday night when Tennessee began imposing its will against Kentucky in a 78-65 Sweet 16 win. Shortly after he entered early in the second half, he hit a sweet step-back jumper to keep the lead at 15 points, and he helped punctuate the victory with an uncontested dunk. He finished with 16 points in 29 minutes, and his plus-10 rating was second only to Zakai Zeigler's plus-12. Advertisement 'He's the best sixth-man in the country,' Zeigler said. 'JG is a sixth starter. Every time he steps on the court, he's like a microwave. He's hot already.' Gainey will be expected to play a prominent role Sunday when the second-seeded Vols meet No. 1 seed Houston in the Midwest Region final. The Vols are trying for their first Final Four. Gainey is third on the team in scoring and minutes in the tournament, averaging 12 points and just over 29 minutes. He made three 3-pointers, scored 13 points and had all three of his assists in the second half of a 67-58 second-round win over UCLA. Asked what he thought of his son's play, Justin Gainey said, 'You want dad or you want coach? As a coach, I think he's been very impactful. He adds a dimension coming off the bench scoring and defending. As dad, I think he's done a good job and I think he still has more room to grow.' Advertisement How about as a proud parent? 'It is cool,' he said, his voice cracking, "especially when you get to this time of the season, you don't know how many more chances you'll have. I never had a chance to coach him growing up, and I missed a lot of games when he was in high school and at college before here. The chance to be able to coach him and see him every day, just to say, ''How ya doing?' has been special.' Justin said there has been no conflict with Jason being a coach's son. 'It hasn't always been smooth,' Justin said. 'There's been times he's had to fight through things. If he were somewhere else, I wouldn't see the struggle. As a parent sometimes, you hate to see your son struggle.' Advertisement Justin said he's touched by the respect Jordan's teammates have shown by not going out for starting lineups on the road and at neutral sites. Justin said he doesn't know why the team goes out for introductions at home games — possibly to not disappoint the fans, he guesses. 'This team, man, it's the most connected team I've ever been with,' Justin said. 'They genuinely love each other. They pull for each other and cheer for each other. They all want to see each other do well. Nobody cares how many they score, how many minutes they're playing. All they care about is winning and looking out for each other.' ___ AP March Madness bracket: and coverage: Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.
USA Today
17-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Tennessee vs. Wofford First Round: Game Time, TV Channel and More
Tennessee vs. Wofford First Round: Game Time, TV Channel and More Details for the NCAA Tournament first-round game between the No. 2 seed Tennessee Volunteers and the No. 15 seed Wofford Terriers have been announced. The contest will be at 6:50 p.m. ET on Thursday. In its last game, Tennessee fell 86-77 to Florida on Sunday, March 16. Jordan Gainey led the team with 24 points. Wofford won its last game against Furman 92-85 on Monday, March 10, led by Jackson Sivills' 20 points in the winning effort. Check out: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll What Time and TV Channel is the Tennessee vs. Wofford Game on? Game Day: Thursday, March 20, 2025 Thursday, March 20, 2025 Game Time: 6:50 p.m. ET 6:50 p.m. ET Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky TV Channel: TNT TNT Live Stream: Sling TV - Watch Now! Watch the NCAA Tournament on Sling! Tennessee Players to Watch Zakai Zeigler averages a team-leading 7.3 assists per game. He is also posting 13.8 points and 3.1 rebounds, shooting 41.0% from the floor and 32.4% from downtown with 1.7 made 3-pointers per game. Chaz Lanier is tops on the Volunteers with 17.7 points per contest and 1.0 assists, while also putting up 3.8 rebounds. Igor Milicic Jr. paces the Volunteers at 6.9 rebounds per game, while also putting up 2.1 assists and 10.0 points. Gainey posts 11.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, shooting 39.8% from the floor and 29.7% from downtown with 1.3 made 3-pointers per contest. Felix Okpara puts up 7.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game, shooting 58.9% from the field. Wofford Players to Watch Kyler Filewich is the Terriers' top rebounder (9.4 per game), and he produces 11.9 points and 3.1 assists. Justin Bailey is averaging 9.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per contest, making 48.5% of his shots from the floor and 45.1% from 3-point range, with 1.7 treys per contest. The Terriers get 11.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game from Dillon Bailey. Jeremy Lorenz is posting 7.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists per contest, making 49.5% of his shots from the field. Tennessee vs. Wofford Betting Info Spread: Tennessee -19 Tennessee -19 Moneyline Favorite: Tennessee -3704 Tennessee -3704 Moneyline Underdog: Wofford +1480 Wofford +1480 Total: 132.5 Follow the latest college sports coverage at College Sports Wire.
