It was worth wondering how Tennessee would come out after such an emotional Sweet 16 win over bitter rival Kentucky. The answer? Flat.
Tennessee couldn’t buy a bucket to open this one. Heck, they couldn’t hardly even get inside the arc with penetration. Houston’s man-to-man defense was suffocating, flexing that No. 1 scoring defense to start.
Houston big man J’Wan Roberts picked up his second foul with 14:46 to play in the first half, perhaps giving Tennessee an opening in the paint. But they didn’t take advantage.
A 15-4 Houston run to open the game put Tennessee in a huge hole, and the shots just weren’t falling.