For Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Bishop Boswell, being roommates on the road is more than a convenience — it’s a winning formula. The Tennessee standouts spend nearly every waking moment together, from practice courts to the weight room to social activities, and the results were on full display Sunday in the NCAA Tournament.
Gillespie scored 21 points, while Boswell and freshman Nate Ament came through with clutch free throws down the stretch as sixth-seeded Tennessee topped No. 3 seed Virginia 79-72 to advance to the Sweet 16 for the fourth straight year. The Vols (24-11) will face No. 2 seed Iowa State in a Midwest Region semifinal Friday night in Chicago.
A year after helping Maryland reach the Sweet 16, Gillespie led the way for the Vols with another stellar performance. Tennessee has been a model of first-weekend success under 71-year-old coach Rick Barnes, who has yet to guide the program to a Final Four. Gillespie amassed 50 points in two tournament games — 29 against Miami (Ohio) in the first round — and delivered in key moments against Virginia.
With the shot clock winding down, Gillespie nailed a desperation 3-pointer before threading a perfect lob to J.P. Estrella for an alley-oop, giving Tennessee a 62-53 lead. But Virginia, coming off its first NCAA Tournament victory since its 2019 national championship, didn’t fold. The Cavaliers closed to within two points late, highlighted by Thijs De Ridder’s 3-pointer to give Virginia a 71-70 lead with just over two minutes remaining. De Ridder finished with a team-high 22 points.
Tennessee responded calmly. Ament hit two free throws, Boswell converted one of two, and Gillespie sealed the game with six clutch free throws in the final 30 seconds. A tense replay moment showed Dallin Hall knocking the ball out of bounds, preserving Tennessee’s possession and effectively ending Virginia’s comeback hopes. Ament, scoreless in the first round, finished with 16 points, while Boswell added 13 points and nine assists, including four 3-pointers.
Virginia, under first-year coach Ryan Odom, made strides after a period of early tournament exits and the abrupt retirement of former title-winning coach Tony Bennett. Despite Jacari White’s struggle in the second round, the Cavaliers showed promise for the future.
For Tennessee, another March Madness weekend as roommates and teammates brought familiar rewards: another Sweet 16 berth, another chance to chase a Final Four that has so far eluded Barnes’ long tenure. And for Gillespie and Boswell, it proved that chemistry off the court translates into magic on it.
