INDIANAPOLIS — Tennessee, on the cusp of its first-ever Final Four for the second-straight season, had its run end inside Lucas Oil Stadium Sunday.
The 2-seed Vols missed their first 14 three-point attempts and trailed by 19 at halftime before making a push in the second half that pulled them within 10, but 1-seed Houston pulled away late to roll into its second Final Four in five years, 69-50.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
Tennessee (30-8), which shot just 28.8% from the field and 17% from perimeter, spent all afternoon trying to claw its way back from one of its worst halves of the season.
Jordan Gainey, in his final game with the Vols, tried to get the them there, taking over a stretch in the second half that was part of a 17-point performance, but it wasn’t enough. Emanuel Sharp hit three 3-pointers down the stretch to put Tennessee away for good.
Chaz Lanier was the only other Vols’ player to finish in double-scoring figures with 17 points.
Houston (34-3) out-rebounded Tennessee, 42-35 and finished with 19 second-chance points. L.J. Cryer led the Cougars with 17 points. Sharp scored 16.
Two days after Tennessee put together one of its strongest starts of the season against Kentucky, the Vols were sluggish out of the gate vs. Houston.
Tennessee was 1-for-5 from the field in the first four-plus minutes, its only score a floater from Jahmai Mashack to beat the shotclock after Mashack had gone 0-for-3 at the free throw line.
The Cougars, meanwhile built a 9-2 lead on 50% shooting early, including a 3-pointer from L.J. Cryer.
The Vols’ shooting woes continued. They were 0-for-7 from three as Houston went on a 6-0 run to go up 15-4 after a missed shot went the other way for a Cryer layup, leading to a Rick Barnes timeout with 11:37 to go in the first half.
Felix Okpara ended a nearly four minute scoring drought with a dunk, only for Ja’Vier Francis to answer with a layup on the other end to stretch the Cougars’ lead to 19-6.
Part of Tennessee’ struggles were its inability to get defensive rebounds. Houston kept one possession alive on two missed shots before Terrance Arceneaux buried a 3-pointer to swell the Cougars’ advantage.
Chaz Lanier answered with a jumper, his first points at the 8:10 left the half to trim the Houston lead to 22-8.
Zakai Zeigler hit the Vols’ first 3-pointer with 39 seconds left in the half after Tennessee missed its first 14 from deep, but it went int the intermission down, 34-15 after shooting just 21.4% from the field and were out-rebounded, 26-17.
The Vols started to show a little life in the early-going of the second half after Lanier knocked down a three in transition, but J’Wan Roberts scored and was fouled by Okpara on his way up in response to put Houston up, 38-20 with 15:51 left.
But Tennessee maintained the momentum, which it never had in the first half. Jordan Gainey had a lot to do with that. He made a 3-pointer and finished a hard drive with a layup.
His second three less than a minute later pulled the Vols within 14 at 44-30 and forced the Cougars into calling a timeout with 13:09 remaining.
Tennessee’s shooting had improved, but it wasn’t hitting enough shots. Lanier laced a jumper that cut the Vols’ deficit to 13 with 8:16 left, but Cryer, off of an offensive rebound, scored and Houston’s lead was 50-35.
Tennessee received another jolt on Igor Milicic Jr. dunk that was followed by its defense forced the Cougars into a 10-second violation that gave the ball back to the Vols.
Darlinstone Dubar was fouled went 1-of-2 at the line, suddenly making it a 10-point game at 50-40 with 5:42 left on the clock.
Houston went through a scoring drought that lasted for more than three minutes as Tennessee made another push, but Emanuel Sharp came up with two big 3-pointers, and Mylik Wilson added another to give the Cougars as 17-point cushion at 59-42 with 3:43 left.
Sharp provided the dagger with his third 3-pointer in three minutes.
