Lady Vols Falter Against SC Lady Gamecocks, 62-56
Staff Photo by Angie Stanley
Despite outstanding performances by several of the Lady Vols, the President’s Day matchup between the Tennessee Lady Volunteers and the South Carolina Gamecocks (#2/3) turned out to be a tough battle, and Tennessee’s 10th loss of the season.
The night began with Tennessee pulling ahead in the first quarter, going on a 12-8 run against the #2 team. Neither team shot particularly well for the first half of the game, and continued going neck and neck throughout the half. Even though for the first half both teams shot just over 30%, the Lady Vols achieved an exceptional rebounding average for a majority of the game, grabbing up 43 offensive rebounds to the Gamecocks’ 30. Though Tennessee’s defense proved to be a stumbling block for the Gamecocks, the first half ended with South Carolina on top 24-21.
Staff Photo by Angie Stanley
The third quarter ended up being the hardest part of the battle, with the lead changing 4 times. Unfortunately for Tennessee, South Carolina rallied with 3 minutes left in the quarter, and went on a 12-4 run against the Lady Vols. The fourth quarter proved to be just as dramatic. The Gamecocks extended their lead by as much as 13, but Diamond Deshields and Basharra Graves would both grab several pivotal rebounds as the Lady Vols tried to close the gap with just less than a minute left in the game. Bringing the score within a few points, and a buzzer 3 pointer by Deshields, the Lady Vols would fall just short of the South Carolina Gamecocks 62-56.
Diamond Deshields led Tennessee in scoring with 21 points, leaving her with only 5 points before she hits the 1000 point benchmark. Basharra Graves led on the defensive end of the ball with 10 rebounds, and Mercedes Russell had 8 rebounds, 2 Blocks, and 1 steal. Graves also would thrive on the offensive end of the ball with 13.
The Lady Vols are gearing up to host Ol’ Miss on Thursday, February 18. The game will be on SEC Network+ with a 7p.m. tipoff.
Staff Photo by Angie Stanley
