DETROIT — Tennessee's season came to a close in the Elite 8 against Purdue on Sunday in Detroit by a final score of 72-66.
The Vols trailed 10-9 after the first media timeout. Tennessee picked up four fouls in just over four minutes of play. The stars of both teams made shots as Zach Edey for Purdue scored four points and Dalton Knecht had four of his own in the early going.
With the Vols down one, Knecht started cooking. Josiah-Jordan James blocked Edey and on the other end Knecht splashed home a three-pointer. Edey made a jumper on the other end, but Knecht responded with another three and UT led 17-12.
Tennessee benefitted from Purdue starting 0-5 from three-point range, but a make from Braden Smith to snap the early slump for the Boilermakers would tie the game at 17-17. Edey would score on the next possession and Purdue went up 19-17.
The Vols went over five minutes without scoring a point. Then some players stepped up and made some big shots from deep. James knocked in a three and then Zakai Zeigler did so for a 23-19 lead.
Purdue cut the lead to 23-21 and James scored again with a jumper in the paint to put the Vols back up by four points.
Zeigler made a free throw after that. James got an offensive rebound after the second was missed and drew a foul. Knecht would score after that sequence from downtown again. On the next possession, Santiago Vescovi, who returned after missing the Sweet 16 game because of the flu, got his own miss and dished it to Knecht. Knecht sunk another from deep and the Vols got up 32-21.
After a timeout, Purdue punched back. Fletcher Loyer scored on a layup and then dunked one in. Loyer scored on another layup shortly after.
At the final media timeout of the first half, the Vols led 32-27.
After that, Purdue kept surging. Edey made two free throws, Loyer made two free throws and then Edey scored inside. Purdue regained the lead at 33-32. The
Purdue got up 34-32 in what was a 13-0 run. The Vols snapped a close-to-five-minute scoring drought after Knecht got a steal and finished with a dunk on the other end to tie the game at 34-34. with 41 seconds to halftime.
Edey would score on the other end in the paint and the Vols were unable to score again before the half ended. Purdue led 36-34 at halftime. Knecht led the Vols with 18 first-half points while Edey had 19 for Purdue to go along with 10 rebounds.
The Vols got off to a bad start in the second half after a turnover turned into a bucket for Purdue. Knecht responded with another three though and then a layup. Tennessee regained the lead at 39-38.
Edey would respond as two of the best players in the country continued to go toe-to-toe. He scored inside and later hit a free throw. Purdue retook the lead at 41-39.
The Vols would fall behind 47-41. Tennessee would cut the lead to 47-46 after Jordan Gainey hit a three and then James came up with a steal that led to a Zeigler layup.
Purdue would go back up 52-46 as Loyer and Edey scored and then Edey made a free throw with 11:39 to and Tennessee had files piling up early. The Vols were called for 8 fouls in the first eight-plus minutes of the second half, putting Purdue in the bonus. Edey scored again on another bucket to put the Boilermakers up 54-46.
After a block by Gainey, Zeigler lobbed one up to Knecht who scored on an alley-oop dunk to make the score 54-48. Gainey hit a three soon after to trim the deficit to three points. Then he came up with a steal that led to Knecht scoring a layup to make it a one-point game.
Edey scored again and then the Vols had a loose ball turnover. But Jahmai Mashack came up with a steal which led to a Knecht three. Tennessee tied the game 56-56.
After Edey scored again, the Vols tied it up once more as Knecht lobbed up a pass to J.P. Estrella who hammered a dunk home to make it 58-58.
With 3:56 to go Purdue led 61-58. All three points after the tie came from Edey's free throws.
After Knecht made two free throws to trim the deficit to one point, Edey scored inside again to put Purdue up 63-60 with just over three minutes to go. Tennessee couldn't capitalize on the other end Lance Jones knocked down a big three for the Boilermakers. They led 66-60.
After another empty trip, Edey was fouled again and he made two free throws. for a 68-60 lead.
Zeigler trimmed the lead to six points after a layup with 1:29 to go.
The Boilermakers closed the game out from the free-throw line.
Edey finished with 40 points, and Knecht had 37.
The Vols finished the season in the Elite 8 for just the second time in program history. It was the deepest run they've had in the tournament since the 2009-2010 season.
Tennessee fell short of the Final Four, which they still haven't reached as a program.
