CHARLOTTE, N.C. – March 21, 2024 – For the third consecutive season, the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team claimed a first-round victory in the NCAA Tournament, this time with an 83-49 decision Thursday night against No. 15-seeded Saint Peter’s.
Sixth-ranked, second-seeded Tennessee (25-8, 14-4 SEC) led wire-to-wire at Spectrum Center and got a game-best 23 points from fifth-year guard Dalton Knecht, who entered the top five on the program’s single-season scoring list. The triumph also served as the 200th for head coach Rick Barnes in his Tennessee tenure, making him the 19th coach ever to hit that number at two Division I schools.
Knecht, who recorded 20-plus points for the 14th time in the last 19 affairs, shot 8-of-15 from the floor, including 4-of-8 beyond the arc. He also led all players with eight rebounds in his 29 minutes of action.
Junior guard Zakai Zeigler, in a showdown with his half-brother, Armoni, recorded the first points/assists double-double by a Volunteer in NCAA Tournament play. He totaled 11 points and 10 assists, the latter the fourth-most ever by a Tennessee player in the NCAA Tournament, while committing just two turnovers.
Aidoo finished with 15 points on 5-of-6 field-goal shooting, grabbed three rebounds and blocked three shots to enter the top three on the school’s single-season leaderboard.
Senior guard Latrell Reid finished as the lone Peacock with double-digit points, tallying 17 on a 6-of-13 clip in the setback.
Source: UT Sports
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