Halftime Report: Tennessee vs. Creighton

The Tennessee Volunteers and Creighton Jayhawks head into halftime locked in a fierce competition during their Sweet 16 affair.

Mar 29, 2024; Detroit, MN, USA; Creighton Bluejays guard Trey Alexander (23) battles Tennessee / Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

The Tennessee Volunteers and Creighton Jayhawks head into halftime locked in a fierce competition during their Sweet 16 affair.

The Tennessee Volunteers knew things wouldn't be easy on Friday evening. The Creighton Jayhawks are an impressive program with tournament history and experience; they've got a team filled with capable shooters and strong interior defensive play. Things have been ugly in the first half on the offensive side, but defensively, it's been a good start for both sides. The Jayhawks made a barrage of threes to close the first half and at the break they lead by one point.

The television broadcast noted that these ugly contests usually favor the Vols, so they should be comfortable heading into the break. However, Creighton is a tough team that isn't here to go home. Guard Dalton Knecht has been a saving grace offensively for Tennessee, netting X points and making several big shots to stimmy Jayhawk runs.

Tennessee guard Santiago Vescovi is out for the evening, which has shortened head coach Rick Barnes' rotations. As we head down the final stretch, the Vols will need help from their veteran players. Creighton clearly came to play, as they shot lights out to close the first half. The game is far from over, but Tennessee must close in the second half. That's been a struggle for them in the Barnes era, but this team has risen to expectations all year. They'll need to do it again to reach the Elite 8 and hopefully continue their chances at a national championship.

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