The Tennessee Volunteers and the Virginia Cavaliers collided with a spot in the Sweet 16 of the 2026 Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament in the opener of two contests at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Sunday evening. A pro-Virginia (UVA) crowd cheered the Cavs in a tight contest, but ultimately, it was the Vols who emerged victorious in the 79-72 win to advance in the bracket.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie led Tennessee with 21 points in the victory, while Thjis De Ridder scored 22 points to pace the Cavaliers in the losing effort.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with wild scoring swings in both directions. Virginia surged to a slim 20-16 lead following a 12-4 run, sending the orange-clad fans into a frenzy on South Broad Street. However, the euphoria wouldn’t last long, as Tennessee responded with a 20-5 run to take an eight-point lead with under two minutes to play in the half. UVA scored the final points of the opening 20 minutes to reduce the deficit to five points, 36-31, as the teams hit the locker rooms for a short rest.
Tennessee’s Bishop Boswell led the Volunteers in scoring with nine points and five assists in the first half, while Jacari White paced UVA with 10 points. The Volunteers took the whole “City of Brotherly Love” moniker to heart during their short stay in Philly, with 13 assists in the first half (compared to five assists for Virginia).
Both teams played a tight second half with Tennessee leading the majority of the way. With under six minutes to play, Virginia ripped off an 11-4 scoring run to tie the ballgame at 66-66 before De Ridder provided their first lead of the second half at 71-70 after a distance shot nailed the twine and sent Philadelphia into a frenzy.
Tennessee took a timeout to calm things down and took control of the contest over the final five minutes of action. After taking a two-point lead at 73-71 advantage, the Volunteers salted the game away at the free throw line, leading to a 79-72 victory over Virginia to send the orange-and-white-clad ballers to the squad’s fourth consecutive Sweet 16 appearance.
Tennessee advances to play the No. 2 seed Iowa State Cyclones, who punched their ticket to the Sweet 16 following an 82-63 win in St. Louis, Missouri, on Sunday afternoon. The NCAA Tournament resumes on March 26 and March 27 with the next round of the single-elimination bracket.
Philadelphia and Las Vegas are the only two sites announced as host locations for the preliminary round of the 2027 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament in March 2027. Missed out on the madness this March? Folks in and around Philadelphia will have the opportunity to join in on the fun next spring at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
