Lady Vols basketball went to Norman to play Oklahoma and dropped its fourth-straight game on Sunday afternoon. Tennessee hung around, but fell short, losing 100-93.
Here are three quick takeaways from the loss.
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Jaida Civil Shines
Lady Vols freshman Jaida Civil had her best game yet on Sunday. The freshman came off the bench and was consistently a force on both ends of the floor.
By the end of the game, Civil produced 21 points on 8-for-16 shooting from the field and 2-for-7 from range. She also contributed 10 rebounds and three assists without a turnover in 32 minutes.
Throughout her freshman year, Civil has been a strong piece in Kim Caldwell’s press. Her offensive game has been up-and-down, though. Getting her this involved on the offensive end could be huge going forward. That’s not just for the final stretch of this season, but next year as she’ll be expected to play a much bigger role.
Tennessee Got Hammered on the Glass
Oklahoma is at its best when it’s dominating the glass. That’s exactly what it did against the Lady Vols.
The final mark sat at 47-34 in favor of the Sooners. This included 22 offensive rebounds for Oklahoma, which led to 22 second-chance points.
The biggest issue was trying to slow down Reagan Beers. The Sooners’ big recorded 18 points and 18 rebounds. She had seven of these boards on offense.
With Janiah Barker not making the trip for the game, the bulk of the work on the glass was placed on Zee Spearman. However, she only managed to come down with three boards.
Lady Vols Were Without a Key Piece
Tennessee was down one of its best players for the trip to Oklahoma. Janiah Barker did not travel with the team to Norman. However, it wasn’t due to injury. The ESPN broadcast said she ‘did not meet program expectations’ and that’s why she’s watching from home.
As the final buzzer sounds, it’s unclear how long this decision will be in effect. Barker could return for the team’s next game, or we could have seen the last of her in orange. We’ll get a better insight into what Kim Caldwell is thinking during the ensuing postgame press conference.
However, without Barker, Tennessee played Oklahoma tight. There’s no excuse for losing any game, especially four in a row, but the Lady Vols handled the absence of Barker mostly well.
Final Stats
Up Next
Things don’t get any easier going forward. The Lady Vols have a road clash on Thursday at No. 7 LSU. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN. Then, the regular season finale is scheduled for Sunday against No. 5 Vanderbilt.
The SEC Tournament will follow as Tennessee’s final chance to boost its NCAA Tournament resume.
