March Madness is built on the promise of the impossible. You sit there with a bracket in one hand and a cold drink in the other, waiting for a 15-seed to ruin some powerhouse’s entire year. When the Tennessee Volunteers Wofford Terriers NCAA tournament matchup finally flickered onto the screens at Rupp Arena in Lexington, the atmosphere felt weirdly tense. It wasn't just another game. Tennessee was a No. 2 seed carrying the weight of a fan base that has basically been starved for a Final Four trip since the beginning of time. Wofford, meanwhile, was the classic "bid thief" out of the SoCon, a team that shouldn't have been there based on their regular season but caught lightning in a bottle in Asheville.
Most people expected a blowout.
The oddsmakers definitely did, setting the spread at a massive 18.5 points. But if you’ve followed Rick Barnes’ tenure at Tennessee, you know that "easy" isn't usually in the vocabulary during the first round. The Vols have a history of making their fans sweat through their orange T-shirts, and for about 30 minutes of game time, this one was a grinders' delight.
The Night Chaz Lanier Became a Legend
Honestly, if you didn't know who Chaz Lanier was before the 2025 tournament, you certainly did by the ten-minute mark of the second half. He was unconscious.
Lanier put up 29 points, which is officially the most points ever scored by a Tennessee player in an NCAA tournament win. That’s not just a "good game." That is a "carrying the entire state on your back" performance. He went 11-of-22 from the floor and drained six triples. Every single time Wofford went on one of those annoying little 6-0 runs that make favorite fans start biting their nails, Lanier would just walk down the court and bury a contested jumper. It was cold-blooded.
But the story wasn't just about the scoring.
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The heart of this Tennessee team has always been Zakai Zeigler. In this specific game, ZZ didn't just lead the floor; he made history. By the end of the night, he became the all-time career assist leader in Tennessee program history, hitting the 716 mark. He finished with 12 assists in the game, which some analysts believe challenged the single-game tournament record for the school. Watching him manipulate Wofford’s defense was like watching a master chess player toy with a beginner. He knew where the ball was going before the Wofford defenders even knew they were out of position.
Why Wofford Refused to Go Away
Wofford is a different kind of animal. They play slow. Really slow. They ranked 333rd in the country in pace, basically trying to turn every basketball game into a half-court wrestling match.
The Terriers were led by Jackson Sivills, who finished with 15 points. They also had Corey Tripp (14 points) and Jeremy Lorenz (12 points) keeping things respectable. The weirdest part of the game? Wofford actually tied Tennessee on the glass. Both teams had 31 rebounds. For a mid-major to match an SEC giant in the paint is usually a recipe for an upset.
Wofford shot 42.3% from three-point land. In most universes, if a 15-seed hits 11 threes at that clip, the 2-seed is heading home to pack their bags. So why didn't Tennessee lose?
- Turnovers: Tennessee only gave it up 5 times. Wofford had 11.
- Points off Turnovers: The Vols won this category 14-0.
- Free Throws: Tennessee lived at the line, making 15-of-22. Wofford only got there 9 times.
- Fast Break Points: Wofford didn't score a single point on the break. Not one.
The Tactical Breakdown of the 77-62 Win
Rick Barnes has a reputation for being a defensive curmudgeon, and this game showed why. Even when Wofford was hitting shots, the Vols never panicked. They forced Wofford into long, agonizing possessions that ended in contested heaves.
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Tennessee’s defense, which finished the season ranked No. 3 on KenPom, was just too physical. They didn't let the Terriers get any easy buckets inside. Felix Okpara might have struggled offensively, but his presence in the paint meant Wofford had to rely almost exclusively on the perimeter. When you live by the three, you eventually die by it, even if you’re shooting 42% for a while.
The Vols led for almost the entire game—all but the first 13 seconds. Yet, it never felt like a "safe" 15-point lead until the final four minutes. That’s the beauty and the horror of the Tennessee Volunteers Wofford Terriers NCAA tournament history. Wofford came in with a 0-8 record against UT all-time, and while they moved to 0-9, they earned a lot of respect in the process.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Matchup
There’s this narrative that Tennessee "struggled" because they didn't cover the 18.5-point spread. That’s sports bettor logic, not basketball logic.
In the NCAA tournament, winning by 15 points is a dominant performance. Tennessee didn't allow a single point off a turnover. Read that again. In 40 minutes of high-stakes basketball, they didn't give Wofford a single opportunistic basket. That is elite discipline.
People also forget that Wofford wasn't some fluke. They won three games in three days to take the SoCon title. They were battle-tested and played a style specifically designed to frustrate high-seeded teams. Tennessee didn't "almost lose"; they methodically dismantled a team that was trying to drag them into the mud.
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Key Performance Markers
| Category | Tennessee | Wofford |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 48.1% | 41.8% |
| 3-Point % | 35.7% | 42.3% |
| Free Throw % | 68.2% | 55.6% |
| Total Rebounds | 31 | 31 |
| Steals | 9 | 3 |
Moving Forward: What This Game Taught Us
If you’re looking at Tennessee’s trajectory, this game was the perfect tune-up. It forced them to guard the line, it tested their composure when a mid-major wouldn't go away, and it allowed their stars to find their rhythm.
For Wofford, the 2025 season ended in Lexington, but they proved the SoCon is still a nightmare for power conferences. Dwight Perry has something special cooking in Spartanburg. For the Vols, it was just another step toward that elusive Final Four.
To really understand how this game shifted the momentum for Tennessee, you have to look at the defensive rotations in the second half. Jahmai Mashack and Zakai Zeigler provided a masterclass in perimeter denial. If you want to see how elite guards shut down a hot-shooting underdog, go back and watch the tape of the final eight minutes.
Next Steps for Analysis:
Check out the advanced scouting reports for Tennessee's next opponent, as the defensive metrics from the Wofford game suggest the Vols are switching more effectively on high-ball screens than they did in the SEC tournament. You should also keep an eye on Zakai Zeigler’s assist-to-turnover ratio, which is currently pacing for a career-best in post-season play.