Late 3 gives Tennessee win over Gonzaga

Tennessee lost the reigning SEC player of the year down the stretch against the nation’s top-ranked team.

The Vols still had the Admiral to lead them.

Admiral Schofield hit a 3-pointer with 24 seconds left and scored 25 of his 30 points in the second half, helping No. 7 Tennessee knock off topranked Gonzaga 76-73 in the Colangelo Classic on Sunday.

“Our team really executed in the second half,” Schofield said. “A lot of good looks for a lot of guys and anyone could have knocked down those shots, we have so many talented people on this team.”

Tennessee (7-1) jumped on Gonzaga early and fought back from a ninepoint, second-half deficit.

Reigning SEC player of the year Grant Williams fouled out with 2:30 left, but the Vols went up two when Schofield banked in a 3-pointer with 80 seconds left.

After Rui Hachimura tied it with two free throws, Schofield hit a long 3 and Tennessee held on for its first win over a No. 1 team – fifth overall – since beating Kansas in 2010.

“We knew it would have a March kind of feel to it,” said Tennessee coach Rick Barnes, who moved into a tie with Gary Williams for 25th in Division I with 668 victories. “When you play against a No. 1 team, you’re going to play 40 minutes and we probably did that better today that we had any other game this season.”

Gonzaga (9-1) had two shots at a tying 3-pointer, but Zach Norvell Jr. and Hachimura missed.

Hachimura and Brandon Clarke had 21 points each for the Bulldogs.

“It was heck of a basketball game,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said.