Michigan vs Tennessee score, highlights: Wolverines dominate Vols in Elite 8

Tennessee led Michigan 16-14 midway through the first half of their Elite Eight matchup on Sunday, March 29. Then, the Wolverines took over.

Michigan went on a 21-0 run from that point forward, taking a commanding 35-16 it only built on throughout the rest of its dominant 95-62 win over the No. 6 Vols to advance to the Final Four. Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg led the way, scoring 27 points with seven rebounds and four assists, along with a steal and two blocks.

Michigan's defense sucked the life out of Tennessee the final 30 minutes of regulation. The Vols shot 32% from the field and were outscored by 33 points on the afternoon despite attempting 20 more shots overall thanks to their 19 offensive rebounds.

Michigan even got its walk-ons in the game late, with coach Dusty May's son, Charlie May, nailing a corner 3-pointer to make matters worse for Tennessee.

The Wolverines will next face fellow No. 1 seed Arizona in a highly anticipated game between two heavyweights. Here are the highlights from Michigan's impressive win:

Michigan vs Tennessee basketball live score

Michigan vs Tennessee live updates

Michigan advances to Final Four

Michigan defeats Tennessee 95-62 in dominant fashion, and heads into the Final Four against fellow No. 1 seed Arizona with momentum. The Vols shot 32% from the field on 76 shots and were outscored by 33 points despite attempting 20 extra shots.

Dusty May's son hits a 3-pointer

Michigan puts in the walk-ons, and coach Dusty May's son, Charlie May, hits a corner 3-pointer. What a moment for the father-son duo.

Michigan leads 83-52

Michigan is up to an 83-52 lead with 5:35 left over Tennessee, all but securing a spot in the Final Four. Michigan vs. Arizona for a spot in the national championship game is likely to be a slugfest.

Ja'Kobi Gillespie not giving up

It'll take a miracle for Tennessee to come back from its 71-44 deficit, but Ja'Kobi Gillespie isn't giving up yet. The Vols' leading scorer steals a pass, drives in transition and dunks over a trailing Yaxel Lendeborg, who fouls Gillespie in the process.

The 6-foot-1 guard has 18 points, three rebounds and four assists, along with five assists. The dunk also came after Lendeborg was waiting to pick up the ball on an inbounds pass, which prompted boos from Tennessee fans.

Yaxel Lendeborg up to 19 points

Yaxel Lendeborg started slow, but he's now up to 19 points with four rebounds and four assists on 7-of-12 shooting. The first-team All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year has the Wolverines rolling right now, as they lead 60-34 with 15:15 left in regulation.

Aday Mara makes a 3-pointer

Michigan's 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara gets in on the offensive fun, making his third 3-pointer of the season in transition. The Wolverines lead 55-31 early in the second half.

Michigan takes 48-26 lead into halftime

Trey McKenney hits a 3-pointer just before halftime, which extends Michigan's lead to 48-26. The Wolverines are dominating on both ends, shooting 52% as a team to Tennessee's brutal 24% mark.

Michigan leads 35-16, up to 21-0 run

Michigan has completely taken over this game, now leading 35-16 amid a 21-0 run late in the first half. Lendeborg leads all scorers with 10 points.

Michigan on 14-0 run

Michigan is starting to pull away, taking a 28-16 lead after Roddy Gayle Jr. and Elliot Cadeau make back-to-back 3-pointers. Tennessee is 5-of-23 shooting, and its star duo of Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Nate Ament are 1-for-12 combined.

Yaxel Lendeborg makes acrobatic reverse layup

What a shot by Yaxel Lendeborg. The first-team All-American catches a pass in transition, dodges a defender and sinks a reverse layup as he's fouled. He completes the 3-point play to give Michigan a 22-16 lead with under 10 minutes to go in the half.

Michigan, Tennessee tied 14-14

It's been a slow start for both teams offensively so far, but Michigan and Tennessee are tied at 14-14 anyway with 11:22 left in the first half. The Vols are dominating on the offensive glass, with seven offensive rebounds leading to five more shot attempts than the Wolverines already.

Ja'Kobi Gillespie making things happen early

Tennessee guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie has been outstanding in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 22 points with 5.7 assists per game. And while he's 0-for-4 shooting against Michigan through the first few minutes, he's getting it done defensively, already grabbing two steals.

Tennessee leads 7-6 at the under-16 timeout, having attempted six more shots than the Wolverines thanks to its six offensive rebounds.

Michigan wins tipoff

Michigan wins the tip, and we're off from the Elite Eight. The winner gets No. 1 Arizona from the West Region in the Final Four.

Is the SEC or Big Ten the best conference in college basketball?

Which conference is best? Players discussed the ongoing debate between the SEC and Big Ten ahead of the Sweet 16 in Chicago.

What time is Michigan vs Tennessee in Elite 8?

• Time: 2:15 p.m. ET, Sunday, March 29.

What channel is Michigan vs Tennessee? How to watch, streaming info

• The game is airing on CBS, streaming via Paramount+. and Fubo, which offers a free trial.

Michigan vs Tennessee prediction, odds

∎ Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press: Michigan 81, Tennessee 69.

Michigan has played every style this season and rarely had a problem. Yaxel Lendeborg comes off a historic game and has made 10 of 18 3's in United Center in U-M's four games in Chicago the past two weeks. With Trey McKenney and Gayle providing consistent scoring off the bench, Mara and Johnson as a deep front line and Cadeau pacing the offense, U-M may take a moment to figure out Tennessee's defense that walls off at the rim, but should eventually be able to drive and kick its way to victory.

∎ Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press: Michigan 75, Tennessee 67

The Wolverines just beat the SEC’s best offensive team and now they face the SEC’s best defensive team. As U-M has shown all season, few teams adapt as well as it does. The Wolverines will again.

∎ Wynton Jackson, Knoxville News-Sentinel: Michigan 77, Tennessee 72

Tennessee's path to victory remains constant: win big on the offensive glass, limit mistakes down the stretch and turn to either point guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie or Ament for big buckets in crunch time. The Vols have had considerable frontcourt advantages in their first three NCAA Tournament games, but Michigan narrows that gap. There's an even fewer margin for error against Michigan, one that Iowa State couldn't exploit without injured Joshua Jefferson.

The Wolverines are the most complete team Tennessee has faced thus far, and at risk of getting egg on our face (again), Michigan should advance to the Final Four.

• Jeff Seidel: Michigan 79, Tennessee 70
• Carlos Monarrez: Michigan 92, Tennessee 78
• John Leuzzi: Michigan
• Jordan Mendoza: Michigan
• Ehsan Kassim: Michigan
• Austin Curtright: Michigan
• Moneyline: Michigan (-350); Tennessee (+275)
• Spread: Michigan (-7.5)
• Over/under total: 146.5

Michigan will reach Final Four if...

• John Leuzzi: Slow down Tennessee's offense, and break through Tennessee's front court.
• Jordan Mendoza: It controls the tempo.
• Ehsan Kassim: It can limit Tennessee's offensive rebounding.
• Austin Curtright: It takes advantage of its size advantage. Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara make up perhaps the best frontcourt in college basketball, and they've been wildly efficient under the basket this season.

Tennessee will advance to Final Four if...

• John Leuzzi: It can stop Yaxel Lendeborg, and win on the offensive glass.
• Jordan Mendoza: Wins the battle of the bigs.
• Ehsan Kassim: It finds a way to neutralize Yaxel Lendeborg.
• Austin Curtright: Limits turnovers. While Tennessee upset Iowa State in the Sweet 16, it surrendered 16 turnovers against the pesky Cyclones defense. It won't get any easier to score against Michigan, either.

How old is Yaxel Lendeborg?

Yaxel Lendeborg is 23 years old. Lendeborg played three seasons at Arizona Western Community College before heading to UAB where he played two seasons. This is his first year at Michigan.

Is Elliot Cadeau deaf? Michigan PG overcame hearing, vision issues

Elliot Cadeau is half-deaf in one ear, dealt with blurred vision in one eye. That hasn't stopped Michigan point guard from turning in his best season.

∎ Read more about Cadeau overcoming adversity via USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg.

Nate Ament injury update: How much will Vols star play vs Michigan?

The All-SEC freshman is still dealing with soreness. He played 29 minutes in the Vols' second round win over Virginia, scoring 16 points and 25 minutes in Tennessee's Sweet 16 win over Iowa State, scoring 18 points.

"There's no chance I'd sit out a March Madness game," he said prior to the UVA game. "It's about what can we do to get back to 100%, or as close to it as we can."

Tennessee coach Rick Barnes called the injury a "problem," and Ament won't be fully healthy until he gets time off at the end of the season.

"We need Nate. He knows it, but he will give us everything that he can, and that's really all I can say about it. If it's up to him, he would play every minute if he could," Barnes said.

Has Tennessee ever been to a Final Four?

No. Tennessee men's team has never been to a Final Four.

Rick Barnes March Madness record

Barnes is 38-25 in his career in the NCAA Tournament and led Texas to the 2003 Final Four.

Nate Ament 2026 NBA Draft, mock draft prediction

No. 11 overall to Portland Trail Blazers.

Kalbrosky's Analysis:

After a relatively slow and inefficient start to the season, Tennessee freshman Nate Ament is starting to realize some of his lofty expectations. The freshman averaged 21.6 points per game while shooting 38.9 percent on 3-pointers during a 13-game stretch before an injury against Alabama on Feb. 28. The All-SEC forward then had 27 points (4-of-6 on 3-pointers) with eight rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal against Auburn on March 12. It will only take one team to fall in love with Ament and given so much of what he brings to the table cannot be taught, that team is probably picking fairly early in the lottery.

See USA TODAY's full mock draft here

Nate Ament stats

(all stats as of March 15)

• 17.5 points per game
• 6.6 rebounds per game
• 2.5 assists per game
• 40.5% field goal percentage
• 33.1% three-point field goal percentage