Lady Vols Stem Alabama’s Tide, 70 – 42

Staff Photo by Angie Stanley

Staff Photo by Angie Stanley

The University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers hosted the Crimson Tide at Thompson-Bowling Arena Sunday afternoon.  The University of Alabama ladies’ basketball team came to Knoxville hoping to defeat the Lady Vols on their home turf, and ultimately failed.

The first quarter started off with some exciting head-to-head action.  Both teams showed a strong defense, and after some back-and-forth, the quarter ended with the score only sitting at 15-12, Lady Vols on top.  The defensive battle continued in the second quarter, but the ladies from the Crimson Tide started to lose some fire, while the Lady Vols had just found theirs.  The half ended with the Lady Volunteers steadily pulling further and further ahead, the score being 34-22.

Staff Photo by Angie Stanley

Staff Photo by Angie Stanley

The third quarter saw Alabama attempt to rally against the Lady Vols, but they found no success. The quarter ended with Alabama being outscored by Tennessee 17-13.  Despite their attempts just a few minutes prior, it almost seemed that the Crimson Tide resigned themselves to a loss in the fourth quarter. The Lady Vols offered no complaint, and quickly ran away with the game in a new burst of energy.  The Lady Vols outscored Alabama 197 in the fourth quarter, closing out the game 70-42.

The evening saw its share of standouts, including sophomore Jamie Nared, who scored 17 Points along with freshman Te’a Cooper.  Mercedes Russell played a major part on the defensive end of the ball, with 11 rebounds on the Alabama end of the court, and several major blocks.  The Lady Vols ran 44.3% in FG, which is a number that hasn’t been seen in several games, and even ran 38.1% from the three point line.

The Lady Volunteers are gearing up to host Arkansas on Thursday. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. EST and can be seen online on SECN+.

Staff Photo by Angie Stanley

Staff Photo by Angie Stanley

Source: Angie Stanley, Jefferson County Post Sports