Volunteers Trip Ragin' Cajuns

In what had been a rough and physical game, a light touch ended up deciding it.

Tony Harris made two free throws with 10.8 seconds to play to help Tennessee seal a 63-58 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette on Friday in the first round of the NCAA South Regional.

The free throws ended a controversial sequence that cost the 13th-seeded Ragin Cajuns' (25-9) a chance to upset the fourth-seeded Volunteers (25-6).

"Often times you see phantom calls that you have to be right on top of to see," Louisiana-Lafayette coach Jessie Evans said. "I guess that's how it was today.".

But Smith was called for a questionable reach-in foul that sent Harris to the line with 15 seconds to play. Smith was positive he didn't foul Harris.

"I just looked at the crowd and was like `What just happened?' " Smith said. "I couldn't have made that steal any cleaner than that."

Harris missed the front end of the 1-and-1, but the Cajuns claimed a referee was talking to them during the shot and distracted them from going after the rebound.

"We're taught to listen to the ref," Evans said. "I guess we should have been using peripheral vision instead."

Ron Slay got the rebound and was flagrantly fouled by Smith with 13 seconds to go allowing Tennessee to keep the ball after the free throws. Smith admitted to being frustrated when he hacked at Slay fter the rebound, but Slay took some of the credit for getting the flagrant call.

"I was partly fouled and the other part was me working on my Oscar performance," Slay said.

After Slay missed both free throws, Tennessee inbounded to Harris, who was promptly fouled.

Harris, 4-for-14 from the field, hit both shots to prevent the Volunteers from yet another NCAA tournament early exit. The Vols have not advanced past the second round in their previous 11 tournament appearances.

Five techincal fouls were called both teams were hit with double-technicals for shoving in the first half and both coaches were brought together seven minutes into the game by the referees.

"Both teams are capable of playing the finesse game or the physical game," Tennessee coach Jerry Green said. "We were both playing with a high energy level today."

But Evans said he regretted not settling the Cajuns down after he was told to. Reggie DeGray was called for the Cajuns' third technical away from the basket midway through the second half, and Evans said the calls seemed to go against them from there.

"Maybe my guys were a little too physical and maybe I should have pulled them back a bit," Evans said. "But it's tough when that style of play is what got you here."

Louisiana-Lafayette was called for 41 fouls 10 more than Tennessee and the Volunteers went 23-for-29 at the line.

The free throws kept Tennessee in the game. The Vols trailed through most of it and by as many as 12 in the first half but took the lead for good at 56-54 on Slay's jumper with 4:07 to play.

Harris and Slay led Tennessee with 15 points each. C.J. Black added 14 and Vincent Yarborough scored 11.

Lonnie Thomas led Louisiana-Lafayette with 19 points. Orlando Brown scored 12, but only two in the second half.

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