CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — On Saturday, Jordan Gainey delivered a thrilling finish with a driving layup as the clock hit zero, securing a career-best 23 points and leading No. 1 Tennessee to a narrow 66-64 victory over Illinois. This win marks the Vols’ impressive achievement of extending their season-opening streak to 10 consecutive victories.
Just before the game’s conclusion, Illinois tied the score at 64 following a pair of free throws from Kasparas Jakucionis with only 5.7 seconds remaining. Gainey took charge for Tennessee, quickly inbounding the ball to Igor Milicic before retrieving it and navigating nearly the entire court. He finished strong with the basket over Jakucionis, sealing the game as the buzzer sounded.
In addition to Gainey’s standout performance, Chaz Lanier contributed 17 points to the team’s effort before fouling out with 3:42 left on the clock. Milicic also made a significant impact with 14 rebounds, along with a pivotal steal and dunk that pushed Tennessee ahead 64-62 in the final moments of the game.
This victory marks the first time in 25 years that Tennessee has opened a season with 10 straight wins. On the other side, Jakucionis led Illinois (7-3) with a commendable 22 points, while Tre White added 11 points and both Kylan Boswell and Will Riley chipped in with 10 points each.
Going into halftime, Tennessee held a slim lead at 31-30 and later finished strong, converting 20 out of 28 free throw attempts. Illinois, however, was more proficient from the foul line, making 30 of 36 attempts.
One of the takeaways from the game is that Tennessee seems poised to maintain its No. 1 ranking in the AP poll following this victory. In contrast, Illinois experienced a rare setback, losing the rebounding battle for the first time this season, ending with a count of 42-37 against them.
A significant moment occurred early in the game when Tennessee faced an 8-0 deficit for the first time this season but managed to bounce back, eventually taking a 18-17 lead.
Notably, under coach Rick Barnes, Tennessee boasts a 9-1 record when ranked first in his 10 seasons, and they are 10-2 in total when achieving this ranking. Meanwhile, Illinois’ record against No. 1-ranked teams now stands at 3-23 overall.
Looking ahead, Tennessee will host Western Carolina on Tuesday, while Illinois is set to face Missouri on December 22 in St. Louis.
