Baugh out for rest of the season after another torn ACL

Video

Sophomore guard, Sydney Smallbone, talks about hanging out with her fellow Lady Vols. Watch »

Tennessee lost more than a women’s basketball game against Oklahoma.

An MRI exam Tuesday confirmed that Lady Vols forward Vicki Baugh has suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee and is out for the season. Baugh suffered the injury in the latter stages of Monday night’s 80-70 loss to the Sooners in Oklahoma City.

“It’s so costly; I hate it for her,’’ UT coach Pat Summitt said. “The team’s devastated, heartbroken.’’

It’s the second time Baugh has suffered a torn ACL in her left knee. She went down in the second half of the national championship game against Stanford last April. Baugh suffered a sprained left knee during a practice session on Jan. 1. She had been wearing a protective brace and had made just three brief appearances before logging 26 minutes against the Sooners.

Summitt wasn’t second-guessing the minutes Baugh played Monday night because of Baugh’s leg strength.

“Strength-wise, she has the biggest, best quad (muscle) on our team,’’ Summitt said.

Beginning with Thursday’s game against Georgia (15-7, 5-2 SEC) at Thompson-Boling Arena (TV: FSS, 7 p.m.), No. 12 Tennessee (16-5, 5-2) will be missing Baugh’s production.

In 14 games this season, she had three double-doubles for points and rebounds. Against Oklahoma, she scored 11 points, grabbed five rebounds and had two steals.

Before suffering the knee sprain, the 6-foot-4 sophomore was averaging nearly 10 rebounds a game.

With Baugh out, 6-6 redshirt freshman Kelley Cain and 6-3 freshman Alyssia Brewer will play bigger roles.

“We have to do this by committee,’’ Summitt said. “If our post game doesn’t respond, if they don’t do it, we’re going to be hard pressed to be successful.”

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
Want to use this article? Click here for options!