The Tennessee Volunteers shocked the No. 2 seed Iowa State Cyclones in the NCAA March Madness Sweet 16 on March 27, 2026, at the United Center in Chicago. The final score was 76-62. Nate Ament scored 18 points and Ja’Kobi Gillespie added 16, which helped the Vols win their third straight Elite Eight game.
At halftime, Tennessee was ahead 34-33, but the Volunteers went on a 13-4 run in the second half, with a three-point play from forward Carey making it 57-43. Tennessee’s tough “Orange Crush” defense and rebounding edge were too much for Iowa State’s high-powered offense, which had been beating Kentucky and Tennessee State in earlier rounds. This is only the fourth time these two teams have played each other. Tennessee leads the series 2-1 after winning in 2018.
- Nate Ament scored 18 points for Tennessee.
- Ja’Kobi Gillespie: 16 points and experience as a point guard.
- After halftime, Iowa State had a hard time and lost 29-8 after winning strong tournament games.
Tennessee (24-11) moves on to the Elite Eight, where they will play the winner of Michigan vs. Alabama. They are one win away from their first Final Four under coach Rick Barnes.
About the author
Daya Nanoskar is an Entertainment Writer at Awesome TV and a contributor to AWSM Times. Daya covers film news, streaming releases, celebrity updates and industry news across Hollywood and Bollywood, and has written more than 2,300 stories for Awesome TV. Story tips and corrections: hello@awesometv.com.
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