Rickea Jackson went up for the rebound falling her way.
It didn’t matter that 6-foot-7 Kamilla Cardoso had the angle on her. Jackson grabbed the ball, one arm intertwined with Cardoso, and wrestled the rebound away, throwing Cardoso to the ground as a result. Tennessee scored after to keep a lead in the third period against South Carolina, and it was just one of the hustle plays that defined Lady Vols basketball Thursday.
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But the No. 1 Gamecocks’ depth wore on Tennessee in the fourth quarter, and they slowly built a lead in the final 10 minutes. After tying up the game at the end of the third, the Lady Vols’ short rotation caught up to them as the Gamecocks’ outscored them by 11 to win 66-55 at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.
It was a loss for Tennessee (15-9, 8-4 SEC), but if there are any moral victories, this felt like one. After the losses the Lady Vols took in conference play, to play undefeated South Carolina (24-0, 11-0) that close was a stark improvement.
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Jackson scored a game-high 19 points and added six rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. Jasmine Powell added 12 points, eight rebounds and an assist and steal.
Lady Vols play best half of the season to lead at halftime
From defense to rebounding to fighting for every single loose ball, the Lady Vols had their best efforts in a half all season against the Gamecocks. It wasn’t their best offensive half, but that’s what happens when you play the best defense in the country.
Tennessee outrebounded South Carolina 27-23, and 12 of them were offensive rebounds. It only scored four second-chance points, but the rebounding kept South Carolina from gaining more possessions – it only took 30 field goals compared to Tennessee’s 42. It also helped the Lady Vols weather long scoring droughts against the Gamecocks’ defense.
The Lady Vols also scored eight points off nine South Carolina turnovers compared to the Gamecocks’ four points off five Tennessee turnovers. Jackson led all scorers with 13 points at halftime when UT led 28-25.
Sara Puckett a difference-maker on both ends of the court
Sara Puckett pulled up from way behind the arc. The ball sailed through the net to give Tennessee the lead back 33-31 two minutes into the third quarter.
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Puckett scored efficiently for the Lady Vols, but her impact was felt in every area. Her defense was strong all game, she crashed the boards hard and and played her role. She had the highest plus-minus at halftime at +9 and ended as one of two players not in the negatives in the loss.
Puckett ended with 15 points on 7-for-10 shooting, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Both teams cold from 3-point range
Tennessee’s perimeter defense was its best since the win over Mississippi State. The Lady Vols didn’t have many breakdowns and didn’t give up many easy 3-pointers – they held South Carolina to far below its season average of 16.7 3-point attempts per game.
The Gamecocks shot just 2-for-9 from 3-point range, leading to their second-lowest scoring game of the season. But Tennessee didn’t fare much better. The Lady Vols went 2-for-17, which was their worst shooting from 3-point range of the season. Jackson made Tennessee’s only other 3-pointer besides Puckett.
South Carolina made up for it by outscoring Tennessee 48-30 in the paint.
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHY
