Vols Sweet In NCAA Win Over Virginia

It's so late.. it's early. After our live coverage in Columbus, we drove home and arrived in Knoxville at 1am. It's now 3am, so there's nothing witty about the postgame blog. Keeping my forehead off the keyboard is a challenge right now.

The game against Virginia went as expected. Vols showed some serious toughness when they were down 11-points in the first half, and didn't fold. Despite Wayne Chism's two quick fouls to open the second-half, the Vols slowly took the lead and managed to build a nice ten-point cushion. It didn't last, but UT did all the right things to make it happen-- and get the win. Their trademark defense (forcing turnovers), hitting some key shots (JaJuan Smith/Ryan Childress), and clutch free throws (Lofton) shows the Vols now know how to win big games in the postseason.. on a national stage. That's not easy. Next is Ohio State-- the biggest game yet. The Vols have a chance to do something no other UT team has done-- make the Elite Eight.

The Vols practice in San Antonio on Wednesday. They face Ohio State in a late game (9:57pm ET) on Thursday.