Lady Vols basketball played No. 5 Vanderbilt tight for the majority of the game, but again, couldn’t come out with a win. Instead, the Tennessee regular season concluded with an 87-77 loss to the Commodores.
Here are three quick takeaways from the loss.
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Almost a Good Third Quarter
This wasn’t the first time the Lady Vols have played a top team tight in the first half. However, it’s been the third quarter that has seen Tennessee collapse and cough up any reasonable chance to win.
Against Vanderbilt, it looked like the Lady Vols finally turned the corner in that period. UT had given up its narrow lead it took into the second half, but were staying in step with the Commodores. With 3:31 left in the quarter, Mia Pauldo hit a pair at the line to bring it back within a one-point game.
That’s when things crumbled. Instead of carrying that momentum, the Lady Vols did not score for the rest of the quarter. On the other end, Vanderbilt scored eight unanswered points to take a nine-point lead into the fourth.
The third quarter has been brutal to this team, and just when it looked like they were going to flip the script, there was the costly drought.
Make That Six Straight Losses
That’s now six straight losses the Lady Vols have suffered.
It all started with a two-point loss at home to No. 4 Texas. Tennessee actually played pretty well in the game, but couldn’t pull it out on the final possession. Then, UT hit the road and lost by 13 to No. 17 Ole Miss. While that wasn’t a pretty loss, you cna see why it proved to be a tough matchup.
What followed was inexcusable, though. The Lady Vols hosted Texas A&M and came out completely flat. Tennessee dropped a game it really needed to win to the Aggies, 82-74.
Since then, it’s been a loss at No. 11 Oklahoma and No. 6 LSU and now, at home to No. 5 Vanderbilt. Those three games were all relatively in reach, but the Lady Vols couldn’t pull any out.
In a vacuum, all but just the Texas A&M loss are fine. Losing each and every one of those matchups can’t happen, though. Now, due to the backloaded schedule and underwhelming showings, the Lady Vols head to the postseason trending all the way in the wrong direction.
No Answer for Vanderbilt’s Stars
The Commodores boast two of the best players in the league, who will likely take home big-time awards. Mikayla Blakes is a shoo-in for SEC Player of the Year and may win the national award, as well. The Lady Vols had no answer for her.
Blakes finshed with 34 points on 12-for-23 shooting from the field and 6-for-9 from range. She also grabbed six rebounds and passed for four assists.
Aubrey Galvan also stands out for Vanderbilt as the likely SEC Freshman of the Year. Running point for the Commodores, she also carved through the Tennessee press. She finished with 24 points on 10-for-17 shooting from the field and 4-for-7 from three. She totalled four rebounds and five assists, as well.
Nobody has had much of a response for that duo, but the Lady Vols certainly didn’t either.
Final Stats
Up Next
The Lady Vols now turn their attention to the SEC Tournament. Tennessee is seemingly in a position to earn a single-bye in the tournament, meaning it’ll open up play on Thursday in Greenville, S.C. The full bracket will be revealed later today.
