Tennessee: 83 Mercer: 63
The Mercer Bears gave us all NCAA gold Friday when they defeated Duke and Nae Nae’d into the hearts of America. But their Cinderella story would be cut short by a Tennessee Vols team they beat just a year prior in the NIT.
It was clear from the beginning that this was not the same Bears team that stunned the Blue Devils. I’m not sure if it was the loss of their big man Monty Brown to a concussion, or if they were still on cloud nine from two days ago, but Mercer came out flat. The whole story of the game can be told in one stat. The Vols out-rebounded the Bears 41 – 19. There was no way Mercer was going to the Sweet Sixteen with that line.
But the 7 seniors on Mercer’s team, including all five of their starters, ended their basketball careers with an experience they’ll never forget. When asked how he would explain this to his kids when he gets older, forward Bud Thomas summed it up like this:
I’ll probably tell them–there’s no words, really, to describe it as far as I can come up with. It’s been the best four years of my life, no doubt about it. We’ve been together so much, no just through practice and on the court but rooming together and we do everything together. Weŕe really like brothers and it’s — I really won’t be able to explain it. I can’t. It’s too good for words.
The Volunteers became the third team to advance to the Sweet 16 of further after playing in the First Four where theyĺl play 2nd seeded Michigan.
UVA: 78 Memphis: 60
For the first ten minutes it looked like we would be in for a treat for our final game in Raleigh as the Memphis and Virginia traded buckets. Then the Cavaliers showed us why they were the ACC Regular Season and Tournament Champs and seeded number one in the East Region.
Propelled by a crowd that heavily favored them, UVA went on a 16 – 2 run to end the half and never looked back. They took Memphis, one of the most unselfish teams in the country, completely out of their game and held them to 40.7% shooting 24-59 from the floor.
Barring a first half against Coastal Carolina Friday night, Virginia has been playing some of the best basketball of this tournament. Tonight they shot 55.6% from the floor and out-rebounded the Tigers 40 – 28.
At the end of the game UVA fans broke out in a loud ACC chant, making a subtle yet loud statement as they know their team is the lone league representative standing.
UVA will be making their first trip to the Sweet Sixteen since 1995, where theyĺl meet the Michigan State Spartans in Madison Square Garden.