Even in the middle of an undefeated start when top-ranked Tennessee had throttled anyone who happened to get in its way, Zakai Zeigler had stayed on the floor for all but 30 plays against top-100 teams this season.

"I need you to give me your favorite play." Tennessee ran that play Saturday at Illinois, executing it masterfully to get Jordan Gainey a game-winning layup to propel the No. 1 Vols (10-0) to a 66-64 win at the buzzer over the Fighting Illini (7-3).

Jordan Gainey scored on a driving layup as time expired and finished with a career-high 23 points as No. 1 Tennessee extended its season-opening winning streak to 10 games, beating Illinois 66-64

No. 1 Tennessee survived an upset bid from Illinois after guard Jordan Gainey made a layup at the buzzer to give his team a 66-64 win. Illinois guard Kasparas Jakučionis made his second free-throw attempt to tie the game at 64 with less than six seconds left before Gainey raced down the floor to end the game in dramatic fashion.

It took a long driving layup through plenty of traffic at the buzzer, but Jordan Gainey saved the day for Tennessee on Saturday night.

Jordan Gainey drove the length of the court and scooped in a right-handed layup on the left side of the hoop at the buzzer to lift No. 1 Tennessee to a 66-64 nonconference victory over Illinois before a sellout crowd Saturday afternoon in Champaign,