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February 2, 2012
Knoxville, TN 7:00 PM EST TV: CSS / ESPN3 Internet Audio: Lady Vols Network Live Stats: GameTracker |
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11-12 (3-7 SEC) |
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16-6 (7-2 SEC) |
The scene in TBA should be interesting today. Coming off the South Carolina loss, the Lady Vols know they have to find their groove again. Meanwhile, the fans are getting anxious and (rightly) doubting this year's team's ability to fare well in the NCAA tournament. The talent's in place; they just have to use it, but playing at the top of their game has been increasingly rare as the season wears on. Will this game give them a chance to turn things in the right direction, or will it be more of the same?
| Position | Name | Experience | Height | PPG | RPG | APG | |
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G | Meighan Simmons | So | 5-10 | 10.5 | 2.4 | 1.5 |
| P | Glory Johnson | Sr | 6-2 | 13.5 | 9.4 | 1.1 | |
| PG | Ariel Massengale | Fr | 5-7 | 8.2 | 2.6 | 5.3 | |
| G-F | Shekinna Stricklen | Sr | 6-2 | 15.0 | 6.5 | 1.9 | |
| F | Cierra Burdick | Sr | 6-1 | 4.9 | 2.5 | 1.1 | |
|
G/F | Tyrese Tanner | So | 6-1 | 10.7 | 4.1 | 1.1 |
| G | Camille Glymph | So | 5-10 | 9.4 | 2.1 | 1.6 | |
| G/F | Blanche Alverson | Jr | 6-3 | 9.1 | 4.3 | 0.8 | |
| G | Hasina Muhammed | Fr | 6-1 | 9.0 | 3.7 | 1.2 | |
| PG | Morgan Jennings | Sr | 5-8 | 4.9 | 3.6 | 3.2 |
This is not the Auburn team that Tennessee is used to playing. At 11-12, the Lady Tigers are hard-pressed to get an NCAA invite, short of winning the SEC tournament. This is the kind of game that, over Summitt's career, would be a near-certain blowout. But for the blowout to happen, the Lady Vols have to speed their game up. Their overthinking and tightness causes them to slow down, allowing defenders to stay in position and making even the simplest tasks difficult. It's a team that is in a cycle of terrific practice sessions and terrible games, which taken with their obvious hesitancy on the court, indicates that the problem is not their ability to play with each other or to execute, but that they just don't have their heads on straight.
From here on to the end of the season, the focus is on one thing: will the Lady Vols overcome their mental blocks and just go out and play? In this game: will Tennessee find its groove, pull away, and deny Auburn any hope, or will they fumble their way to a closer-than-it-should-have-been outcome again?
This may very well be the most talented team in the NCAA, but Tennessee has a mental road to recovery ahead of it. That can start today against Auburn.
0 recs | 79 comments
Pregame announcer chatter focused entirely on Tennessee's tendency to let a single player go off on them.
Most of their losses featured that very problem, as did a couple of wins.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Massengale, Simmons, Manning, Johnson, Stricklen for the starting lineup.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
And points 5 seconds in.
VERY aggressive jump ball – tipping forward for the fast break.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Tennessee allows three steals in three possesions early on.
Not good.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
UT timeout at the 17:00 mark.
9-4 Auburn, and UT is getting outplayed.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
And 28 seconds later, it's an Auburn timeout
after Tennessee makes it 9-9. A good series of passing to Glory for the and-1, and then a steal and Simmons layup.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Between the ears
It’s really difficult for me to fathom how a coaching staff with this experience can’t seem to get into the heads of four players they have been with for 4 or 5 years. Vicki, Glory, Kinna, and Alicia have been around it seems like forever and these coaches seem to have no clue how to get good practice to lead to a good game..
Here’s an idea I’ve touted for weeks – CALL A FREAIN TIME OUT EARLY WHEN IT STARTS TO GO WRONG.
aurabass - February 5, 2012
Heh.
They did that today, fortunately.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
I thought the game was at 7 as mentioned above
that post was supposed to be pre game
aurabass - February 5, 2012
Ah.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Still some issues with the close-in shots.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
$immons!
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Bass in at 13:20
And Spani is in.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
#3, Najat Ouardad of Auburn, is 5'-1"
That makes her and Bass a REALLY tiny matchup.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Still rough around the edges, but they are not as tight as Thursday.
That’s step one. Loosen up and get fluid. Nothing else gets corrected until they settle down.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Stricklen and Johnson both have 4 rebounds already.
Leading Auburn by 2 boards despite taking 3 more shots.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Simmons: no no no okay and one. Huh.
bobothevol - February 5, 2012
Kamiko Williams scores about 5 seconds after checking in.
bobothevol - February 5, 2012
Tennessee has not fouled yet.
I think they’re being careful in the paint to avoid fouls.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Refs allowing them to play:
12 minutes in and we have 4 fouls total — and none on the Lady Vols.
bobothevol - February 5, 2012
Baugh coming in
noturnoversnofoulsnoturnoversnofoulsnoturnoversnofoulsnoturnoversnofoulsnoturnoversnofoulsnoturnoversnofouls
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
The pressure defense is doing much better so far.
Halfcourt still has some issues, but that’s probably a consequence of the aggressiveness.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
2 fouls on 2 Auburn starters now.
Good, good.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
$pani!
Good to have you back, gal.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
It wasn't Johnson's elbow that hurt the Auburn gal
it was the floor to the back of the head.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Vols lead is up to 11.
Vols playing with a lot of energy and synergy. Auburn’s hanging on for dear lives. Step. On. The. Throat.
bobothevol - February 5, 2012
A/TO of 2.2
They’re relaxed and fluid. They can now start to work on making gameday as good as practice.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Also, 3 Auburn starters with 2 fouls each.
Stricklen’s the only UT starter with any fouls (1).
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Very, very happy to see Kamiko playing well.
Missed her, too.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
It's not everyday somebody makes Massengale look big.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Knee issues?
Spani’s defending inside and Glory’s on the wing. Keeping Spani from running so much?
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
44 - 31 at the half.
Hard to find too much to not like. A 13 point lead could be 20 easily.
bobothevol - February 5, 2012
*Should* be 20.
;-)
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Stat-candy
The Auburn shooting percentage is the biggest downside. Second is the number of missed close-in shots. Third is rebounds, which is partly a consequence of taking 7 more shots than Auburn, allowing more defensive boards for them.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Six Lady Vols have steals in the first half.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
The announcers talking about not trying to get the ball inside vs. South Carolina...
they forget that Dee Kantner was reffing.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Another early timeout.
The coaches must be reading Auburn’s schemes and calling these early timeouts to adjust.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
6-0 rebounds favoring UT this half.
Ahhh….
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Auburn with a bit of momentum.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Refs are getting foul-happy now.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Heck of a pass by Stricklen with about 13:20 to go.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Stricklen: 7 points, 7 rebounds, and probably done there.
If UT holds their lead, there’s no reason to bring her back in with 4 fouls.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
That's 6 fouls in a row called on UT.
And most of them were ticky-tack at best.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
4 on Hilliard now.
Good.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
This isn't a 1-and-1 foul.
Only 5 on Auburn.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
9 UT fouls in 10 minutes this half.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
UT's letting Auburn hang around a bit too much.
Part is lack of defensive focus, and part is that this game is stuck in mud thanks to all the fouls calls.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Burdick and Spani give us too much defensive liability
too slow to react
aurabass - February 5, 2012
I agree with Burdick
who wouldn’t be in if Stricklen didn’t have 4 fouls. Spani moves fast enough, but Auburn is rotating until she’s guarding Stumpy, which is not a good matchup.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Harrison's going to be a good one in the post.
I feel better and better about her replacing Glory each time I see her play.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
She's looking good today
aurabass - February 5, 2012
5 on Tanner.
Sit down!
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Well, that was nice.
Transition offense everywhere.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Don't relax too much, now.
Keep on the gas. Get used to finishing.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Auburn is still scrapping
aurabass - February 5, 2012
Yup.
Good to see. It’s probably out of reach now, but they can certainly give it a go. If UT takes a nap, you never know.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Bass in.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Nice to see Vicki and Izzy together
for the free throw shooting at the end of the game
aurabass - February 5, 2012
If they could only make a shot from 2 feet away.
/sigh
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
no kidding -
aurabass - February 5, 2012
Is Auburn intentionally missing their second free throws?
That’s two in a row that bounced clear beyond the normal rebounders.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Timeout to get Stricklen out.
No sense risking a foulout for no reason.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Simmons has a knee brace.
Hadn’t noticed that. Was it there all game long?
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
I didn't notice either
aurabass - February 5, 2012
I think it's over now
aurabass - February 5, 2012
Yup.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
So who do u like? Pats or Giants?
aurabass - February 5, 2012
Honestly, I don't really care.
I have unusually little interest in this one. We’re headed to a get-together, but I’m more interested in the socializing right now.
Not sure why the apathy, really.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
Not a big fan of either so I go with Manning2
aurabass - February 5, 2012
Sounds good.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
And we'll end on an offensive foul.
And 25 total fouls in the second half. 1.25 fouls per minute.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
It was like different refs
aurabass - February 5, 2012
I'm beginning to believe that refs swallow whistles in the first half to avoid putting starters on the bench early on
but then get a little loose in the second half to compensate.
Except for Kantner, who hates post players (and not just UT’s).
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
82-61 Good Gals.
Time to Super Bowl.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
have a good party
aurabass - February 5, 2012
You too, whatever you're doing.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
LSU women beat Kentucky today, 61-51.
A chance for a tie atop the SEC is still on. That South Carolina loss really hurts now.
In the LSU game, LSU took half the shots that Kentuckty did (30 compared to 60). LSU also took 31 total free throws, hitting 25 of them. Kentucky may create a lot of turnovers, but they are a terrible shooting team.
Now Kentucky gets a full week off before coming to TBA next Monday. UT better be sharp if they want to win the conference.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
I saw that.
Mildly surprised, but hopefully the next week or so will allow for the current and future Lady Vol coaches to register victories over Kentucky.
Chris Pendley - February 5, 2012 via mobile
@ Vandy on Thursday and home vs. Kentucky on Monday the 13th.
Kentucky faces mighty Bye on Thursday. If the Lady Vols can improve on their better play today, they can really make a turnaround in the next eight days and put the South Carolina game in the past.
David Hooper - February 5, 2012
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