Knecht, Aidoo help No. 2 seed Tennessee roll past 15-seed Saint Peter's in March Madness
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht pushed the ball in transition, took a bump from a Saint Peter’s defender and hit a layup through the whistle. As he landed, he stumbled over a baseline cameraman, but twisted to recover as he fell and landed in a position befitting a quality-form pushup.
The Volunteers were too strong. Too deep. And they weren't going to allow the Peacocks even a hint of another memorable March Madness run.
Knecht scored 23 points and Tennessee shot 64% in the first half to build a huge lead before beating Saint Peter's 83-49 on Thursday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Jonas Aidoo added 13 of his 15 points by halftime for the Midwest Region's No. 2 seed.
Tennessee (25-8), which won the Southeastern Conference regular-season title, lost its regular-season finale to Kentucky and its lone SEC Tournament game against Mississippi State. But there was no sign of the hiccups from multiple recent March stumbles, setting up a reunion for coach Rick Barnes and his former Texas program in the second round.
“When we went back on the court and went to work, they did respond,” Barnes said. “Just proud of them. They were really focused with what we needed to get done.”
Tennessee ran out to a double-digit lead in the first eight minutes, used a 9-0 burst to push the margin past 20, then increased it to 29 shortly before halftime.
“We kept trying to tell them to have fun," Barnes said of the leadup to the game. “We've worked hard to be here.”
The Volunteers came in ranked third in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency by allowing 91.2 points per 100 possessions. And they were smothering, both in contesting shots early and using their strong frames to assert complete ownership of the glass (47-21).
Knecht, voted a first-team All-American by The Associated Press earlier this week, buried a 3-pointer on a catch-and-fire inbounds pass just 20 seconds in, finishing with eight rebounds and four 3s.
There was little the Peacocks (19-14) could do in response, between the Vols repeatedly getting point-blank or clean looks while Saint Peter's struggled to knock down much of anything. That included Tennessee locking down on Corey Washington, who was averaging 16.8 points but finished with two on 1-for-9 shooting.
“Man, those guys are good,” coach Bashir Mason said as soon as he sat down for his postgame news conference.
Latrell Reid scored 17 for Saint Peter's, which became a March Madness legend two years ago by becoming the only No. 15 regional seed to reach a regional final. The hope was to re-create a taste of that magic against the Volunteers despite a nearly complete overhaul of roster and coaching staff, but the Peacocks missed 17 of their first 20 shots to watch this one get away quickly.
“It's like playing yourself, but like 3 inches taller,” Reid said. “It's a little different. Windows close a little faster. Every time you make a mistake, they make you pay.”
BIG PICTURE
Saint Peter's: The Peacocks busted brackets during that 2022 run, with wins against Kentucky, Murray State and Purdue. They weren't supposed to be back in March Madness this year after being picked 10th in the 11-team Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, yet they stunned regular-season champion Quinnipiac in the MAAC Tournament semifinals before beating Fairfield to win the title and secure only their fifth NCAA bid. But there would be no Cinderella story this time around, with Saint Peter's shooting 29.1% overall and 4 of 24 from 3-point range.
Tennessee: The Volunteers' postseason history under Barnes had been spotty, with five NCAA losses to lower seeds in as many seasons. Four of those came to teams sitting at least five seed lines lower than Tennessee, which has reached the second weekend just twice despite carrying at least a No. 5 seed each time. There was no worries with this one, as the Vols handling business with ruthless efficiency expected in a 2-vs-15 matchup.
AIDOO'S BURST
The 6-foot-11 Aidoo had a fast start, following Knecht’s 3 with a pair of quick dunks. He added a third slam moments later, putting a little extra swing and kick while hanging on the rim after being futilely fouled from behind by Mouhamed Sow - a play that had Mason say to Sow from the sideline simply: “Why?”
“For me, it was just saying aggressive at all times," Aidoo said. “Coach preached that to me a lot, so I was just really staying aggressive with that.”
MY BAD
Reid was ejected with 49 seconds left for picking up his second technical foul for what he said was jawing with a Tennessee player. He was called for his first technical for some words with Tennessee's Jordan Gainey in the first half.
Reid apologized for getting ejected at the news conference.
“I'm a competitor, and I didn't mean for it to get the best of me today,” Reid said.
UP NEXT
The Volunteers have faced the Longhorns twice in Barnes' tenure in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, losing on the road in January 2022 but winning the home matchup the following year.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Mouhamed Sow vs. Jonas Aidoo (Volunteers gains possession) | |||
19:45 | Santiago Vescovi misses three point jump shot | |||
19:43 | Volunteers offensive rebound | |||
19:42 | +3 | Dalton Knecht makes three point jump shot (Zakai Zeigler assists) | 0-3 | |
19:15 | Michael Houge misses three point jump shot | |||
19:13 | Mouhamed Sow offensive rebound | |||
19:08 | Jonas Aidoo blocks Mouhamed Sow's two point putback layup | |||
19:06 | Jonas Aidoo defensive rebound | |||
18:58 | Josiah-Jordan James misses three point jump shot | |||
18:56 | Volunteers offensive rebound | |||
18:56 | Marcus Randolph personal foul (Jonas Aidoo draws the foul) | |||
18:56 | Santiago Vescovi turnover (traveling) | |||
18:28 | Michael Houge turnover (lost ball) (Zakai Zeigler steals) | |||
18:19 | +2 | Jonas Aidoo makes two point dunk (Zakai Zeigler assists) | 0-5 | |
18:01 | Michael Houge misses three point jump shot | |||
17:59 | Dalton Knecht defensive rebound | |||
17:40 | +2 | Jonas Aidoo makes two point dunk (Zakai Zeigler assists) | 0-7 | |
17:16 | Jonas Aidoo blocks Marcus Randolph's two point layup | |||
17:14 | Santiago Vescovi defensive rebound | |||
17:10 | Dalton Knecht misses two point jump shot | |||
17:08 | Latrell Reid defensive rebound | |||
16:55 | +2 | Latrell Reid makes two point pullup jump shot | 2-7 | |
16:30 | +2 | Jonas Aidoo makes two point dunk | 2-9 | |
16:30 | Mouhamed Sow shooting foul (Jonas Aidoo draws the foul) | |||
16:30 | +1 | Jonas Aidoo makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 2-10 | |
16:15 | +3 | Brent Bland makes three point jump shot (Roy Clarke assists) | 5-10 | |
15:46 | Josiah-Jordan James misses two point driving layup | |||
15:44 | Roy Clarke defensive rebound | |||
15:20 | Latrell Reid misses three point jump shot | |||
15:18 | Dalton Knecht defensive rebound | |||
15:10 | Dalton Knecht misses three point pullup jump shot | |||
15:09 | Peacocks defensive rebound | |||
15:09 | TV timeout | |||
14:47 | Latrell Reid misses two point pullup jump shot | |||
14:45 | Stephon Roberts offensive rebound | |||
14:43 | Jahmai Mashack shooting foul (Stephon Roberts draws the foul) | |||
14:43 | Stephon Roberts misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
14:43 | Stephon Roberts misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
14:43 | Tobe Awaka defensive rebound | |||
14:20 | Dalton Knecht misses three point jump shot | |||
14:18 | Tobe Awaka offensive rebound | |||
14:10 | +2 | Dalton Knecht makes two point pullup jump shot (Tobe Awaka assists) | 5-12 | |
13:45 | Corey Washington misses two point stepback jump shot | |||
13:43 | Dalton Knecht defensive rebound | |||
13:21 | Stephon Roberts blocks Santiago Vescovi's two point cutting layup | |||
13:19 | Brent Bland defensive rebound | |||
12:59 | Brent Bland misses three point jump shot | |||
12:57 | Zakai Zeigler defensive rebound | |||
12:49 | +3 | Zakai Zeigler makes three point pullup jump shot | 5-15 | |
12:22 | Brent Bland misses three point pullup jump shot | |||
12:20 | Jahmai Mashack defensive rebound | |||
12:14 | +2 | Dalton Knecht makes two point driving layup | 5-17 | |
12:14 | Corey Washington shooting foul (Dalton Knecht draws the foul) | |||
12:14 | TV timeout | |||
12:14 | +1 | Dalton Knecht makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 5-18 | |
11:50 | Michael Houge misses three point jump shot | |||
11:48 | Jonas Aidoo defensive rebound | |||
11:34 | +2 | Jonas Aidoo makes two point jump shot (Zakai Zeigler assists) | 5-20 | |
11:16 | Michael Houge misses two point driving floating jump shot | |||
11:14 | Dalton Knecht defensive rebound | |||
11:06 | Dalton Knecht turnover (lost ball) | |||
11:00 | +2 | Latrell Reid makes two point driving layup | 7-20 | |
10:41 | Brent Bland shooting foul (Jonas Aidoo draws the foul) | |||
10:41 | Jonas Aidoo misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
10:41 | +1 | Jonas Aidoo makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 7-21 | |
10:29 | Corey Washington misses two point pullup jump shot | |||
10:27 | Zakai Zeigler defensive rebound | |||
10:17 | Latrell Reid personal foul (Zakai Zeigler draws the foul) | |||
10:15 | Zakai Zeigler turnover (bad pass) | |||
9:46 | Roy Clarke turnover (bad pass) (Josiah-Jordan James steals) | |||
9:39 | +2 | Jonas Aidoo makes two point cutting layup (Jordan Gainey assists) | 7-23 | |
9:39 | Roy Clarke shooting foul (Jonas Aidoo draws the foul) | |||
9:39 | +1 | Jonas Aidoo makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 7-24 | |
9:38 | Jordan Gainey personal foul (Armoni Zeigler draws the foul) | |||
9:21 | Armoni Zeigler misses three point pullup jump shot | |||
9:19 | Stephon Roberts offensive rebound | |||
9:10 | Corey Washington misses three point jump shot | |||
9:08 | Josiah-Jordan James defensive rebound | |||
8:54 | +3 | Dalton Knecht makes three point jump shot (Josiah-Jordan James assists) | 7-27 | |
8:23 | Armoni Zeigler misses two point jump shot | |||
8:21 | Roy Clarke offensive rebound | |||
8:07 | Josiah-Jordan James shooting foul (Corey Washington draws the foul) | |||
8:07 | Corey Washington misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
8:07 | Corey Washington misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
8:07 | Volunteers defensive rebound | |||
8:06 | Stephon Roberts personal foul (Jonas Aidoo draws the foul) | |||
8:06 | Jonas Aidoo misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | |||
8:06 | Stephon Roberts defensive rebound | |||
7:39 | Josiah-Jordan James blocks Corey Washington's two point driving layup | |||
7:37 | Santiago Vescovi defensive rebound | |||
7:33 | Jonas Aidoo turnover (bad pass) (Corey Washington steals) | |||
7:32 | Santiago Vescovi personal foul (Corey Washington draws the foul) | |||
7:32 | TV timeout | |||
7:13 | Corey Washington misses three point jump shot | |||
7:11 | Josiah-Jordan James defensive rebound | |||
7:04 | Brent Bland personal foul (Zakai Zeigler draws the foul) | |||
7:04 | +1 | Zakai Zeigler makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 7-28 | |
7:04 | +1 | Zakai Zeigler makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 7-29 | |
6:42 | +3 | Latrell Reid makes three point jump shot (Marcus Randolph assists) | 10-29 | |
6:14 | Jonas Aidoo misses two point jump shot | |||
6:12 | Corey Washington defensive rebound | |||
5:52 | +3 | Marcus Randolph makes three point pullup jump shot | 13-29 | |
5:39 | Brent Bland flagrant 1 (Jonas Aidoo draws the foul) | |||
5:39 | Jonas Aidoo misses flagrant free throw 1 of 2 | |||
5:39 | Jonas Aidoo misses flagrant free throw 2 of 2 | |||
5:37 | +2 | Jordan Gainey makes two point fadeaway jump shot (Zakai Zeigler assists) | 13-31 | |
5:16 | Marcus Randolph misses three point jump shot | |||
5:14 | Jahmai Mashack defensive rebound | |||
5:13 | Corey Washington personal foul (Jahmai Mashack draws the foul) | |||
5:13 | Jahmai Mashack misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
5:13 | +1 | Jahmai Mashack makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 13-32 | |
4:53 | Zakai Zeigler shooting foul (Latrell Reid draws the foul) | |||
4:53 | +1 | Latrell Reid makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 14-32 | |
4:53 | +1 | Latrell Reid makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 15-32 | |
4:43 | +2 | Dalton Knecht makes two point cutting dunk (Jordan Gainey assists) | 15-34 | |
4:18 | Jahmai Mashack blocks Mouhamed Sow's two point layup | |||
4:16 | Tobe Awaka defensive rebound | |||
4:06 | +2 | Tobe Awaka makes two point layup (Zakai Zeigler assists) | 15-36 | |
3:45 | Michael Houge misses two point layup | |||
3:44 | Volunteers defensive rebound | |||
3:44 | TV timeout | |||
3:32 | Latrell Reid shooting foul (Jordan Gainey draws the foul) | |||
3:32 | Latrell Reid technical foul | |||
3:32 | Jordan Gainey technical foul | |||
3:32 | Jordan Gainey turnover | |||
3:32 | Jordan Gainey misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
3:32 | +1 | Jordan Gainey makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 15-37 | |
3:06 | Latrell Reid misses three point pullup jump shot | |||
3:04 | Santiago Vescovi defensive rebound | |||
2:51 | Mouhamed Sow personal foul (Tobe Awaka draws the foul) | |||
2:51 | +1 | Tobe Awaka makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 15-38 | |
2:51 | +1 | Tobe Awaka makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 15-39 | |
2:30 | Marcus Randolph misses two point jump shot | |||
2:28 | Dalton Knecht defensive rebound | |||
2:19 | +2 | Tobe Awaka makes two point layup (Dalton Knecht assists) | 15-41 | |
1:56 | +2 | Roy Clarke makes two point driving layup | 17-41 | |
1:55 | Santiago Vescovi shooting foul (Roy Clarke draws the foul) | |||
1:55 | Roy Clarke misses regular free throw 1 of 1 | |||
1:55 | Volunteers defensive rebound | |||
1:39 | +3 | Santiago Vescovi makes three point jump shot (Josiah-Jordan James assists) | 17-44 | |
1:08 | Michael Houge misses two point turnaround jump shot | |||
1:06 | Tobe Awaka defensive rebound | |||
0:54 | +2 | Tobe Awaka makes two point layup | 17-46 | |
0:53 | Peacocks 30 second timeout | |||
0:53 | TV timeout | |||
0:40 | Michael Houge offensive foul (Santiago Vescovi draws the foul) | |||
0:40 | Michael Houge turnover (offensive foul) | |||
0:17 | Jordan Gainey misses three point jump shot | |||
0:15 | Peacocks defensive rebound | |||
0:02 | +3 | Roy Clarke makes three point stepback jump shot | 20-46 | |
0:00 | End of period |