Tennessee ended up pulling out an 83-77 overtime victory over Iowa despite their best efforts to blow the game on Sunday, highlighted by a questionable coaching decision.
Volunteers star guard Admiral Schofield got into foul trouble after picking up his fourth foul with 7:23 left and Tennessee leading 71-65. Rick Barnes was likely worried that Iowa’s guards would go after Schofield aggressively with under three minutes left and the game close to try and get him to foul out, so he subbed Schofield out. But that’s when things got weird.
Barnes never put Schofield back into the game, even for the team’s final possession in regulation following a timeout with the game tied at 71. That would have been a perfect opportunity to put him back in.
Schofield began overtime on the bench and once Tennessee built a lead thanks to clutch play from Grant Williams, Barnes probably didn’t think there was a reason to bring him back in. The result was Schofield spent the final eight minutes of the game on the bench, much to the shock of viewers.
Schofield did not seem bothered despite spending the end of the game on the bench. The Vols star maintained a team attitude in his postgame interview with CBS:
Hear from Admiral Schofield & Grant Williams after their win in the OT thriller in Columbus! #MarchMadness | @Vol_Hoops pic.twitter.com/8niRhZXZST
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 24, 2019
Schofield and Williams each scored 19 points in the win, which the Vols were probably relieved to escape with. They blew a 25-point lead and allowed the game to go to overtime — questionable fouls didn’t help — but they never trailed, and they ended up advancing, which is really all that matters.
