Tennessee basketball holds off Iowa in overtime to reach Sweet 16

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jordan Bone could have had flashbacks Sunday at Nationwide Arena.

The Tennessee junior guard got a good look at a 3-pointer with a chance to beat Iowa and secure Tennessee a Sweet 16 spot, just as he did last year against Loyola Chicago.

He missed, as he did then. And Tennessee, which once led by 25, headed for overtime against Iowa, which frantically came back to put UT’s season in serious jeopardy.

He forced a turnover on Iowa’s first overtime possession with UT ahead by two. Then he caught a Grant Williams pass on the wing in front of Tennessee’s bench and nailed a 3-pointer feet away from where he missed at the end of regulation.

“It was what our team needed,” Bone said. “Grant made the right read, and I just shot the ball with confidence. It went, and it really felt good. … When I needed it most is when it went in.”

With Bone’s shot and Williams dominating the overtime period, Tennessee is on to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2014 and the eighth time in program history, beating Iowa 83-77.

“This team has made history for the Tennessee basketball program,” Bone said. “We have to continue to do that and continue to have fun. You never know when the last game is going to be. We understand what our common goal is, and we are going to continue to strive for that.”

Williams had 19 points to match Admiral Schofield for the team lead for Tennessee (31-5), which tied the program record for wins in a season.

Williams scored six in overtime as UT avoided becoming the second team in NCAA Tournament history to give up a 25-point lead and lose. Instead, the Vols survived and will face Purdue (25-9) in the Sweet 16 on Thursday in Louisville, Ky.

“Teams like Kentucky and North Carolina and those guys have done this for so long and have experienced this,” Williams said. “They understand this. Loyola felt it, too, last year. It is incredible. I’m at a loss for words right now.”

Schofield led the UT charge early with 17 first-half points, including seven straight that put Tennessee ahead by 25 less than 16 minutes in. That start fueled by solid defense and high-powered offense was a distant memory by the time Schofield sat on the bench in overtime – a decision he made, telling Vols coach Rick Barnes to play Kyle Alexander instead to match up with the Hawkeyes.

“For Admiral to do that, he is a leader for that,” guard Jordan Bowden said. “He means a lot for our team.”

Said Barnes: “I trust my players. I do. And for the fact they felt he needed to be in the game, we went with it.”

UT held Iowa to 32.1 percent shooting in the first half, but the Hawkeyes stormed back incredibly in the second half as Tennessee could not put the ball through the hoop or hold onto it.

Tennessee had 10 second-half turnovers that turned into 17 Iowa points. A Bowden turnover flipped into an Isaiah Moss 3-pointer with 4:53 to play, and UT’s once massive lead was down to one.

“It scares you,” Bowden said. “Nobody is going to give up. Everybody is going to play a full 40 minutes because we are all playing for something.”

Tennessee extended its lead to three thanks to a pair of clutch free throws from Lamonte Turner. The junior guard appeared to make the game-saving play when he blocked a Jordan Bohannon 3-point attempt. But a late whistle assessed a foul to Turner, who was incredulous.

“All ball,” Turner said. “I didn’t touch him. But we won the game so, whatever.”

Bohannon made all three free throws to tie the score 67-67.

Turner hit a 3-pointer with 2:18 to play. Bowden made a free throw to put Tennessee ahead by four. Iowa tied it 71-71 before Bone missed a 3-pointer with four seconds to play and the game headed for overtime.

Williams scored first in overtime – making a pair of free throws. Then he drove into a double team and chucked a pass across the court to Bone on the wing.

“I don’t know how he got that pass to him,” Barnes said.

Bone’s shot was good to put Tennessee ahead by two possessions. Williams pushed UT and kept scoring and Iowa only got close again with 11 seconds left. Schofield chalked up Williams’ overtime as a big-time player making “big-time plays.”

Tennessee got plenty of those from a whole lot of players Sunday, which proved to be enough to overcome what was almost a catastrophe. Instead, Tennessee will play on.

“One of the things we always say is that it doesn’t have to be perfect, never has to be perfect because basketball is never perfect,” Schofield said.