CHICAGO — Jaylen Carey corralled a J.P. Estrella miss and took a power dribble. He navigated a traffic-filled lane and put the shot down through contact. The eyes closed, and the emotions flowed out as Carey roared to the visiting crowd that was overruled by Cyclones in the United Center Friday night.
He helped guide Tennessee to a second-half outburst against Iowa State that pushed the Vols to their third straight Elite Eight appearance, 76-62. The Vols are the SEC’s last team standing in March Madness.
Iowa State’s defensive intensity was no match for Tennessee’s interior physicality. The Vols punished the Cyclones on the glass, winning the rebound battle 43 to 22. They reeled in 16 rebounds on the offensive end and converted on 14 second-chance points.
The Cyclones (29-8, 12-6 Big 12) were without All-American forward Joshua Jefferson, and the slack was not picked up. Tamin Lipsey posted 18 points, while sharpshooter Milan Momcilovic only made two 3-pointers.
Carey’s bench spark was exactly what the Vols needed in a game plan where Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Nate Ament were the focal point. Carey posted 11 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in 22 minutes.
Ament still led the Vols in scoring with 18 points while Gillespie posted 16 for the Vols (25-11, 11-7 SEC)
Statistical disparities, nearly gridlocked first half
Tennessee led in points, rebounds — by a hefty 12-board margin — field goal percentage and blocks at the break. But the pesky Cyclones refused to go away.
Iowa State forced 10 turnovers in the first half and buried 11 free points off of them. The Cyclones made Gillespie and Ament uncomfortable, who combined to shoot 6-for-15 from the floor with a 1-for-7 stripe from deep. They pushed Gillespie to turn the ball over four times.
Despite hauling in 10 first-half offensive rebounds, the Vols were limited to six second-chance points. They failed to cash in on back-to-back possessions in the first half with multiple offensive rebounds.
It all combined to give the Vols a 34-33 lead at the break.
The Felix Okpara game
Tennessee’s center has saved the best for March — and he’s put the well-rounded nature of his game on display when it matters most. Okpara went for 12 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks on Friday. He added six rebounds on the offensive end.
He put Iowa State on notice in the first half with 10 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and a steal in 17 minutes on the floor. He hauled in five offensive rebounds while shooting 4-for-5 from the floor.
Okpara’s block party came emphatically — swatting a shot off the backboard that led to an early transition bucket by Gillespie and a trailing poke away on an easy dunk attempt by the Cyclones.
Vols open second half on heater
Carey pulled in Estrella’s miss and put it back in to give the Vols their biggest lead at 14 points with 12:57 remaining. It was part of a 7-0 run, and a greater 20-8 run out of the locker rooms by Tennessee.
The Vols made six of their first eight shots, holding the Cyclones to four makes on nine attempts during the run. Gillespie and Ament played enforcer roles, scoring 13 points on an efficient 4-for-5 shooting.
Tennessee pulled in six rebounds, dished out five assists and turned the ball over twice in the stretch. The Vols took advantage on the inside, getting to the free-throw line three times in the first eight minutes, while using their physicality to hold the Cyclones to a singular rebound.
After Carey’s bucket that forced an Otzelberger timeout, Carey recorded a loud and-one basket and celebrated with a loud roar toward the crowd.
That 14-point cushion was enough to abide by the remainder of the way. Tennessee never let the margin get closer than eight points after that.
Tennessee will be tasked with No. 1 Michigan on Sunday, March 29, with a chance to advance to the program’s first-ever Final Four on the line.
