Tennessee ends Mercer's NCAA keep up 83-63 prance
After turning Tobacco Roadway into" Raleigh Top," Tennessee is gone to the round of 16.
Tennessee denied Mercer a second straight upset in extremely discriminatory style, routing the Bears 83-63 in the third round of the NCAA event on Sunday night behind 17 factors and a career-high-tying 18 rebounds for Jarnell Stokes.
Josh Richardson had a career-high 26 factors and Antonio Barton had 18 for the 11th-seeded Vols (24-12), who are taking advantage of their very first event appearance because 2011.
" NIT 2 straight years, I suppose that's just what you 'd call starting from the bottom," Stokes mentioned." A lot of people questioned us, which merely makes the flight considerably better.".
The Tennessee band had lots of chances to blare their beloved" Rocky Leading" during this beating, which adhered to the very same script as their 19-point clunk of Massachusetts two days earlier: The Voles outrebounded Mercer 41-19 to keep the Southeastern Seminar perfect in the competition.
They joined Florida and Kentucky in the regional semifinals - the first time 3 SEC teams made it that far considering that 2007.
" I've been listening to that the SEC has been a football conference for a long period of time however I have no idea how you can still mention that when you've acquired three SEC colleges in the Sugary food 16," Tennessee guard Jordan McRae stated.
Tennessee will deal with second-seeded Michigan (27-8) in a Midwest Regional semifinal Friday night in Indianapolis.
Stokes damaged his 2-day-old school competition document for rebounds.
Langston Venue had 15 indicate lead the 14th-seeded Bears (27-9). They knocked off Duke in the signature upset of the competition however couldn't answer Tennessee's size.
" I think ideally by the time (truth) sets in, we'll all manage to put a smile on and recognize that what we've managed to do at our college, and for the city, has been extraordinary," forward Jakob Gollon stated." It's sort of tough to view today.".
Mercer tracked by dual figures for the entire 2nd fifty percent just before the Bears intimidated another great surface.
They had the ball down 12 with around 2 1/2 minutes left when Gollon - among the heroes of the Duke upset two days earlier - tossed the ball away in the lane, then fouled out a few seconds later.
McRae attacked 2 free throws, and Richardson included a fast-break layup to press the Tennessee result in 77-61 with 1 1/2 minutes left.
McRae finished with 13 points for the Volunteers, who have actually gained eight of nine with the only loss pertaining to the top-ranked Gators in the SEC competition.
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They are in the round of 16 for the 4th time in 8 years, and the 3rd team to go from the First 4 to the Sugary food 16 because the introduction of the additional round in 2011.
They likewise acquired a bit of repayment: Mercer ended Tennessee's season last year with a 75-67 win in the first round of the NIT.
Ike Nwamu racked up 12 points, Anthony White Jr. had 11 and huge man Daniel Coursey added 10 for Mercer, the plucky Atlantic Sunlight Conference school trying to match Florida Gulf Shore's run in 2012 to the regional semifinals.
The Bears drew an ideal competition for their first video game - and couldn't have had a worse one for their 2nd.
" Any time we have Jeronne (Maymon) and Jarnell using Tennessee orange," McRae said," we always feel like we have the advantage.".
They were bigger, much more seasoned and much more accurate compared to a Battle each other group filled with high school All-Americans and a leaking defense, carving them up down the stretch in a 78-71 triumph that rates amongst the leading upsets in the history of the tournament.
Mercer begins five elders and has 7 on the lineup - however the Bears were down one with 6-foot-11 Monty Brown out with a feasible concussion.
Despite having him, a Tennessee team with Stokes - which established the institution's brief competition record with 14 rebounds in that 86-67 rout of UMass - was going to be an obstacle.
Without him, it was nearly difficult.
" It's challenging to compare with them, yet at the end of the day, primarily it was most likely my fault to the end," Coursey shared." They had a bunch of rebounds, and I ought to have boxed them out.".
Tennessee never tracked and held a 24-4 rebounding benefit in the very first one-half. Richardson racked up 10 straight points midway for the Volunteers to transform a tight video game into a double-figure lead. His 3 from the right wing made it 29-18 with 6 1/2 minutes left.
Meanwhile, Stokes and Maymon successfully transformed Mercer into a jump-shooting team: The Bears took care of merely one offending rebound in the initial fifty percent and really did not attempt their very first free throw until there was merely 8:40 left.
