Tennessee is heading back to the Elite Eight as defense clamps down in 78-65 win over Kentucky

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Those two regular-season losses to Kentucky don't mean anything to Tennessee now.

The Volunteers avenged them in convincing fashion on the big stage of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night, posting a no-doubt 78-65 victory that sent them to a second consecutive Elite Eight.

Zakai Zeigler had 18 points and 10 assists, and Tennessee outhustled and outplayed Kentucky on both ends of the court. The second-seeded Vols (30-7) beat their border rival in the first all-Southeastern Conference Sweet 16 matchup since 1986 and will play No. 1 seed Houston (33-4) on Sunday in the Midwest Region final.

“We really wanted to set the tone and show them who we were,” Zeigler said. “The first two times we played them at their place and our place. We knew regardless of what happened, we were going to go out and play Tennessee basketball on the offensive and defensive end, and I feel like we did that great tonight.”

No one enjoyed the show at Lucas Oil Stadium more than Peyton Manning, who was back in the town where he spent 13 years and won a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts. The Vols' most famous sports alum was in a bright orange ballcap seated behind the bench as Tennessee ran off with the win in the “House Peyton Built.”

Lamont Butler scored 18 points to lead first-year coach Mark Pope's third-seeded Wildcats (24-12), who were held 20 points under their season scoring average. Their 65 points matched their fewest in a game this season.

“It’s hard to talk about basketball right now,” Pope said. “Congratulations to Tennessee. They played really hard and really well. I have a ton of respect for coach (Rick) Barnes. Mostly, we’re just sad that this is over.”

The Vols did what they failed to do in their first two meetings with Kentucky, when they lost 78-73 at home and 75-64 in Lexington. They've been one of the best in the nation at defending the 3-pointer, yet the Wildcats shot 12 of 24 on 3s in each of those games.

It was apparent early the Vols weren’t going to let the Wildcats put up 3s at will again. Kentucky finished 6 of 15 from distance.

The Vols were in full control by the middle of the first half, using relentless defense and attacking the glass to generate offense and build a 19-point lead.

They scored 13 second-chance points off nine offensive rebounds on their way to a 43-28 lead at the half, only the second time Kentucky has been held under 30 points in a first half this season. Barnes is now 15-0 in the NCAA Tournament when up by 10 or more at halftime.

The Vols picked up where they left off at the start the second half, forcing a shot-clock violation and an airball 3 by Koby Brea on Kentucky's first two possessions. Their effort on the boards continued, too. They finished with 19 points on 14 offensive rebounds.

The Vols all but finished off the victory with under nine minutes to play after Butler cut the lead to 12. Felix Okpara chased down his missed shot and dunked it, and Lanier made a steal and passed to Ziegler. The 5-foot-9 Zeigler hit a 3 from the wing and then looked up and held a stare at the 6-10 Brandon Garrison, who was the nearest defender.

“It felt like we were playing Tennessee basketball, playing aggressive, playing smart all-around,” Okpara said.

Kentucky: The Wildcats maxed out — some would say overachieved — in Pope's first season. They returned no production from a year ago. Pope brought in nine transfers and they led Kentucky to the second weekend of the tournament for the first time since 2019.

Tennessee: The Vols are one win away from reaching the Final Four for the first time. While they've built a reputation as one of the nation's top defensive teams, their offense can't be overlooked. They shot 51% from the field against Kentucky and are getting big contributions from sixth man Gainey.

This was the fourth time in 11 years the Wildcats took a big loss in Indianapolis.

In 2015, they took a 38-0 record into their Final Four matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium and lost 71-64 to Wisconsin. They began the 2018-19 season with a 118-84 loss to Duke in a top-five matchup at nearby Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and three years later they lost their NCAA Tournament opener to No. 15 seed Saint Peter's 85-79 in overtime at Gainbridge.

The Vols are having lots of fun in Indianapolis, on and off the court. Los Angeles Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht, who played at Tennessee, got the team into a Gainbridge Fieldhouse suite to watch Wednesday's game against the Indiana Pacers. And then they had Manning — there's a statue of him outside Lucas Oil Stadium — cheering them on.

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Kentucky's Amari Williams (22) dunks during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament game against Tennessee Friday, March 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Tennessee's Igor Milicic Jr. shoots over Kentucky's Andrew Carr (7) as Tennessee's Chaz Lanier (2) watches during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Tennessee's Darlinstone Dubar (8) celebrates alongside Kentucky's Ansley Almonor (15) during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Tennessee's Zakai Zeigler (5) heads to the basket past Kentucky's Koby Brea, center, and Amari Williams, right, during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Richard “Dick” Codey, a former acting governor of New Jersey and the longest serving legislator in the state's history, died Sunday. He was 79.

Codey’s wife, Mary Jo Codey, confirmed her husband’s death to The Associated Press.

“Gov. Richard J. Codey passed away peacefully this morning at home, surrounded by family, after a brief illness,” Codey's family wrote in a Facebook post on Codey's official page.

"Our family has lost a beloved husband, father and grandfather -- and New Jersey lost a remarkable public servant who touched the lives of all who knew him," the family said.

Known for his feisty, regular-guy persona, Codey was a staunch advocate of mental health awareness and care issues. The Democrat also championed legislation to ban smoking from indoor areas and sought more money for stem cell research.

Codey, the son of a northern New Jersey funeral home owner, entered the state Assembly in 1974 and served there until he was elected to the state Senate in 1982. He served as Senate president from 2002 to 2010.

Codey first served as acting governor for a brief time in 2002, after Christine Todd Whitman’s resignation to join President George W. Bush’s administration. He held the post again for 14 months after Gov. Jim McGreevey resigned in 2004.

At that time, New Jersey law mandated that the Senate president assume the governor’s role if a vacancy occurred, and that person would serve until the next election.

Codey routinely drew strong praise from residents in polls, and he gave serious consideration to seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2005. But he ultimately chose not to run when party leaders opted to back wealthy Wall Street executive Jon Corzine, who went on to win the office.

Codey would again become acting governor after Corzine was incapacitated in April 2007 due to serious injuries he suffered in a car accident. He held the post for nearly a month before Corzine resumed his duties.

After leaving the governor’s office, Codey returned to the Senate and also published a memoir that detailed his decades of public service, along with stories about his personal and family life.

“He lived his life with humility, compassion and a deep sense of responsibility to others,” his family wrote. “He made friends as easily with Presidents as he did with strangers in all-night diners.”

Codey and his wife often spoke candidly about her past struggles with postpartum depression, and that led to controversy in early 2005, when a talk radio host jokingly criticized Mary Jo and her mental health on the air.

Codey, who was at the radio station for something else, confronted the host and said he told him that he wished he could “take him outside.” But the host claimed Codey actually threatened to “take him out,” which Codey denied.

His wife told The Associated Press that Codey was willing to support her speaking out about postpartum depression, even if it cost him elected office.

“He was a really, really good guy,” Mary Jo Codey said. “He said, ‘If you want to do it, I don’t care if I get elected again.’”

Jack Brook contributed reporting from New Orleans.

FILE - New Jersey State Sen. and former Democratic Gov. Richard Codey is seen before New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the statehouse, in Trenton, N.J., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)