Philadelphia (TVC) — The No. 23/25 Tennessee Volunteers are off to a strong start in the NCAA Tournament, defeating No. 11 Miami (Ohio) 78-56.

The game remained competitive through much of the first half until the six-minute mark, when Tennessee began to pull away. Guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie provided the spark, scoring 22 points in the first half alone and finishing with a game-high 29 points.

Tennessee dominated the boards, collecting 13 offensive rebounds. Estrella led the effort with five rebounds in the first half and finished with 10 total rebounds and 14 points, second on the team in scoring. Nate Ament did not score before the break. He played limited minutes due to a lower-leg injury. 

The Volunteers took a 51-32 lead into halftime and maintained control throughout the second half. Tennessee’s defense set the tone early, holding the RedHawks to just two points in the first four minutes after the break. Miami (Ohio) was unable to cut the deficit to fewer than 20 points.

Tennessee added 15 fast-break points and committed just nine turnovers, an area that has been a challenge for the team this season.

The Volunteers will remain in Philadelphia and play on Sunday against Virginia. Game time is to be determined at Xfinity Mobile Arena.