Lady Vols basketball had the tough challenge of rebounding from the loss to Mississippi State by traveling to play the No. 1 team in the country, UConn. The result was a blowout 96-66 loss, despite going into the half tied.
Here are three quick takeaways from the game.
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Showed Some Resolve Early
After the loss to Mississippi State, the Lady Vols had the chance to let things snowball into UConn and get ugly. When the Huskies took a 16-point lead six and a half minutes into the first quarter, you could get a feeling that Tennessee might lie down and let things completely fall apart.
That couldn’t be any different than what actually happened, though. Instead, the Lady Vols surged back behind an improved defense and efficient offense. With three minutes left in the second quarter, Tennessee had not only cut into the deficit but taken a lead on the Huskies.
With two minutes to play in the half, UT led by four. However, questionable officiating led to consecutive scores for UConn to tie the game at the half.
Things Fell Apart in the Late Third
After going to the half tied, things unravelled in the third quarter. The teams traded blows to start, with a Zee Spearman basket putting the Lady Vols up one point with just under eight minutes left in the period. Then, it fell apart.
UConn responded to that deficit with a 10-0 run. Kim Caldwell called timeout in an attempt to stop the bleeding and got a three from Mia Pauldo and Spearman layup to bring the margin back to four with 4:45 to go.
That’s when the Huskies ran away with it, though. UConn went on a 14-0 run to finish the half and take an 18-point lead into the final frame.
Lady Vols Got Somewhat Beat at Their Own Game
Kim Caldwell’s system is ran with the hopes of creating more shot attempts for her team than the opponent. The press is supposed to create turnovers, which lead to scores in transitions. With the defense already there to press on makes, offensive rebounding is also a focus.
UConn is a team that has used a lot of similar principles this season, though. When the teams met, it was the chaos caused by the Huskies that seemed to be more effective.
By the end of the game, UConn had forced 20 turnovers, which resulted in 36 points. Conversely, Tennessee managed to force 15 turnovers, but scored nine points off of them.
The Lady Vols did out-offensive-rebound the Huskies with 11, but it resulted in just two points. UConn grabbed nine, which resulted in 14 points.
Final Stats
Up Next
Next, the Lady Vols stay on the road. Tennessee will face Georgia, who is currently ranked but will likely drop out of the poll, on Thursday, Feb. 5. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET and will air on SECN+.
Then, the Lady Vols meet No. 3 South Carolina on the road on Sunday. That game begins at 3 p.m. ET and will air on ABC.
