CHAMPAIGN, Ill. –– Thirty possessions. Even in the middle of an undefeated start when top-ranked Tennessee had throttled anyone who happened to get in its way, Zakai Zeigler had stayed on the floor for all but 30 plays against top-100 teams this season.
Chaz Lanier is Tennessee’s best scorer, but Zeigler is the heartbeat of the Vols and the Iron Man who plays 40 minutes without seemingly breaking a sweat and has the self-confidence to probably gun for Cal Ripken Jr.’s streak if he opted for the diamond instead of the hardwood.
That changed Saturday. Zeigler, frustrated by the defense of Kasparas Jakucionis, committed two fouls in one second of game time and found himself on the bench with 18:13 left in regulation. If you were cooking up the recipe for Illinois to knock off No. 1, a lot of what transpired Saturday would’ve been included in the secret sauce.
No Zeigler. Lanier struggling to find his footing in the second half. Jakucionis emerging from a foul-filled slog to nail not one, but two (!) four-point plays, and yet, it’s the Vols who emerged with a 66-64 stunner after Jordan Gainey’s coast-to-coast, game-winning layup found the bottom of the net as the clock expired.
Onions. What a gutty win.