Miami (OH) vs Tennessee

Tennessee's suffocating defense was on full display in this NCAA Tournament First Round matchup, as the sixth-seeded Volunteers overwhelmed eleventh-seeded Miami (OH) at a neutral site. The Volunteers jumped out early, building a 23-15 lead behind a devastating 13-2 run, then extending that dominance with an 11-2 run to put Miami (OH) in an early hole. Tennessee's defense was relentless—the RedHawks endured a 35-play scoring drought in the second half that essentially put the game away. Miami (OH) showed brief life late, stringing together a 9-1 run to cut the deficit to single digits at 62-45, but it was too little, too late. Tennessee's 26-point advantage at its peak proved insurmountable, and the Volunteers cruised to a 78-56 victory to advance. The RedHawks' inability to generate consistent offense—including a 32-play scoring drought in the first half—never allowed them to mount a serious comeback threat against Tennessee's suffocating tourney defense.