Tennessee roared out to a 16-point lead in the second half and held on to defeat Creighton, 82-75, and earn a coveted spot in the Elite 8.
The Vols trailed 35-34 at the half late Friday night at the Midwest Region.
But Tennessee went on an 18-0 run to lead 55-39 with just under 14 minutes left.
Creighton pulled to within three points at 62-59 with just over six minutes remaining. Two Dalton Knecht threes and a Knecht steal of a cross court pass allowed the Vols to stay in front.
Knecht, the All-American who was the prize of this year's transfer portal, scored 24 points. Zakai Zeigler had 18 and Josiah-Jordan James 17.
Tobe Awaka was a big defensive presence for the Vols, and he speared a key rebound during the closing action.
Vol guard Santiago Vescovi is sidelined with the flu and did not play.