Alex Fuller didn’t mind that the jersey was a bit small. It fit her intentions perfectly.
Tennessee’s senior forward made a touching fashion statement for an SEC women’s basketball game against South Carolina on Sunday afternoon. She shed her usual No. 44 and pulled on Lady Vols guard Cait McMahan’s No. 2 jersey, honoring a teammate who opted last week to forgo playing the rest of the season because of a balky right knee. Fuller will wear No. 2 for the season’s duration.
“I decided to do it because Cait means a lot to me in my life,’’ Fuller said. “There is a lot of heart in the No. 2 jersey.”
On this day, there was a lot of production from the new player wearing it. Fuller led Tennessee with 14 points and had eight rebounds as the Lady Vols scored a 68-56 victory over the Gamecocks.
Freshman guard Shekinna Stricklen added a double-double with 13 points and a team-high 10 rebounds for No. 13 Tennessee (14-3, 3-1 SEC).
There was a Lady Vols precedent for Fuller’s act. She remembered former Lady Vol Shanna Zolman donning teammate Sidney Spencer’s No. 1 jersey on Feb. 24, 2005, after Spencer went down with a season-ending knee injury.
“I just wanted to show her my appreciation as well as the team’s and kind of let her know that we do care about her a lot,” Fuller said of McMahan, “that she is still part of this team and that she will be on the court with us at all times.”
When asked about McMahan’s response, Fuller said, “She said ‘I’m going to cry.’ ”
Fuller’s gesture set a feel-good tone. It was amplified by former Lady Vol Nicky Anosike, the reigning NCAA woman of the year, being recognized beforehand and a turnout of 16,413 at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Feeling good about the game took more time and Tennessee effort. South Carolina (8-9, 0-4) shot out to an early advantage and led 24-17 after Brionna Dickerson’s 3-pointer with 9:36 left in the first half.
At that point, Dickerson had four treys, and the Gamecocks were converting at a 60 percent-plus clip.
“It took a while for us to show how important our commitment to defense would be,’’ UT coach Pat Summitt said.
Going with a bigger lineup turned out to be a limited option. Forward Vicki Baugh saw her first action since suffering a sprained left knee Jan. 1. But she looked uncomfortable and played just three first-half minutes. Center Kelley Cain, who suffered irritation in her right knee during Thursday’s game at Mississippi State, didn’t play at all.
The best big option was putting the 6-foot-2 Stricklen on Dickerson. Although she finished with a game-high 17 points, Dickerson scored just five points after her scorching start and ended with 6-for-19 accuracy from the floor.
“At the beginning of the game, I wasn’t composed on my defense and I wasn’t working hard enough,’’ Stricklen said. “In the second half, my teammates carried me and we just came out and stopped her.”
Stricklen could’ve been speaking on behalf of the team. The Lady Vols regrouped before halftime, holding South Carolina to four points during the final eight-plus minutes and 26 for the second half.
“I think it was just that everybody sold out to play defense and everyone sold out to each other,” Fuller said. “We didn’t want to let each other down. We got rid of the drive and had the rotation down. I think it was just that everyone had a different mindset in the second half.”
While the Lady Vols didn’t muster overwhelming firepower, they were too much for the Gamecocks, who fell behind 50-34 at the start of the second half and couldn’t recover.
Besides Dickerson, no South Carolina player scored in double figures. The Gamecocks collectively shot 5-for-13 from the free-throw line.
“We do have some talented players at South Carolina,’’ Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said, “we just don’t have enough.”
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Comments » 34
98reax writes:
I wish we may. I wish we might have a team of Stricklen clones every night.
Before the next game rolls around. Please help Glory settle down.
She has the skills we're going to need. Her length, her drive, her speed.
If I could ask just one more wish to be. Let Bj catch fire and stroke that three.
tenn32rebel writes:
98reax,
Amen & AMEN!!!!!!
GO BABY LADY VOLS---OUR FUTURE CHAMPIONS!!!
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Nice statement game for Alex Fuller! Maybe that will get her confidence going so she can lend her experience to the maturation of this team. Also, maybe it will shut up some of those who have doubted her talent and competitiveness this season. Not exactly a domination of a somewhat undermanned SC team, but another SEC win nevertheless, and a bit more impressive in the absence of Vicky Baugh and Kelli Cain. Also solid contributions from Manning, Smallbone, and Gray, among those heretofore least counted on to come through for this team.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Congrats, LVs.
36 in a row.
Wow, that is only surpassed by the consecutive days TJ will forget to update the countdown to the Hilltoppers.
LadyVolFanForever writes:
98reax, Stricklen is a keeper and will have a great career as a Lady Vol ! She has taken a beating physically lately but she just pushes thru the pain and keeps coming. Angie can still light it up but she has been keyed on so much lately she is working on her defense and made a couple of really nifty passes for assists this afternoon. I hope CPS can find a way to get her more touches.......don't want her to lose that golden touch !
Fullers' jersey move showed great class and she also played a very good game, we need her to continue. She has a settling effect on the freshmen.
3 more wins gives Coach Summitt 1000.....unbelievable !
ncvol writes:
Way to Lady Vols! We have got to continue this type of play...Good job ladies! Go L.Vols!
dwa7#337691 writes:
8th..............Baugh and Cain will be needed down the stretch............GO VOLS
ggriggs939#223122 writes:
When are we going to get somebody to replace gameclock kesling??? When he isn't calling the time left on the clock, he is pulling for the opposing team. With the money being tossed around now, we should be able to get somebody who favors the VOLS teams.
bmaples writes:
Creeping up on that 1,000th win ... with the youngest team in school history! Quite a recruiting / coaching job this year. Losing Cait hurt a lot -- but they're coming around. Here's hoping for a deep run come March ... which means learning their lessons NOW! Go Lady Vols!
Orangeblood13 writes:
all class
Well done ladies
xvolx writes:
johnson has a lot of energy, but no basketball skills. bass hurts this team on defense. baugh can't play on one leg. she needs to rest and rehab. fuller is finally stepping up. strickland gives 110% every game. bjorkland can't get open without screen. so, they need to screen for her better. their still not giving Pat 40 minutes. brewer gets lazy on defense and rebounding. more work to do.
ladivolfan writes:
xvolx, I'm going to have to go with the opposite of your first statement. Johnson has basketball skills, but no energy/drive. Where has she been lately? Not in the games. Bass's defense is good, but she hurts the team on offense - she's got to realize that if she's going to drive into all those big girls, she has to realize the high risk of a blocked shot and she has to find a way to finish or be fouled. But I have faith in both of them. Sounding like a broken record - they're freshmen and they'll learn from Pat.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Well, as a Libra(;-P), I'm going to try to have it both ways! Some games Glory has both skills and energy, some games she seems to have one without the other, and some games she has neither. This is a quandry; without consistency, it is hard to assign her roles and minutes properly. But after all, this is what you usually get with freshmen, however talented they may be. As for Brianna, she has the speed and quickness to blow by defenders on the perimeter, but, as has been said, she has trouble finishing because of her height. I would like to see her drive and dish more. If she can get all the way to the hoop with a clean look, she can put it in. If the defense collapses, she needs to look to pass. We all knew that this team would be a work in progress; so far, so good, I say.
xvolx writes:
ok, at least you understand the game and aren't just a cheerleader. How bout dem steelers.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
The whole "comments" operation is still not working right, at least on my computer. In particular, when I read the comments and decide to add one of my own, either new one or a "Reply to this post", after hitting "post comment", NEITHER "Go back" NOR "View your comment" returns to the right place. Usually it goes back to the top of the article and the whole comments thread is not displayed. Then I have to hit the "Turn on/off" icon a couple of times to get the comments back up. THEN I have to scroll down through all the comments to get back where I had been before commenting. For the really "Hot" topics, with dozens and scores and hundreds of comments, when I click on a page number to go right back where I was before, IT doesn't work right half the time. This is a GREAT site, and I really liked the new "comments" format almost from the beginning, but it is not working as well now as it has been.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
It did it again just now! Please FIX THIS!!!
lastlap writes:
Classy move!!!!
shipperman#280095 writes:
http:firepatsummit.com
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Like the jersey idea.
Kinda like the time TDTN tried to get the HC middle school let Dupree wear his favorite #.
They refused over a simple -8.
Close-minded people.
ladivolfan writes:
johnlgOO - good post about both my comment and xvolx comment. And, on your other comment about comments not working right, i noticed the same thing yesterday. I have to exit commens and come back in to see them.
xvolx - i take that as a high compliment - i'm simply not the cheerleader type. when my girls were small and wanted to be cheerleaders I would tell them I don't raise cheerleaders - I raise basketball players. :o) sorry up front to all those cheerleaders who now feel complelled to comment me back.
volboy81 writes:
Good Game. Alex is all-class...so is Cait!
ALL the Lady Vols are...as usual!!
sayhitomaggie writes:
Haha. You forgot the //. ;-)
Someone somewhere is going to see this, take it seriously, and flip out on you.
shipperman#280095 writes:
Yeah, I know. Gotta have some fun when it is available don't ya know? I also have done the http://www.firebrucepearl.com.
It's all good. I love the Vols and think we have great coaches in all sports now
98reax writes:
johnlg, I'm going to fess up to being one of those who is almost always on Alex Fuller's case. First off, I was really appreciative of the gesture she made yesterday toward her teammate, Cait. Secondly, her will to contribute offensively was refreshing. I want to see that consistently, and I'm sure she and her coaches do too. Nevertheless, her team would have been in dire straits yesterday had Lex not stepped up with big shots.
I'll jump on xvolx again. Sorry x, you always open that door for me. Glory has great skills and moves IMO. She's been totally off her feed as of late. She started the season with a bang scoring in double digits. She's still walking off court with a slight limp. I wonder if she's 100%. Yesterday her stat line was week but she came through with some valuable rebounds, 5, an assist, a steal and 7 points for her effort in 25 minutes playing time. We need her to settle down and stay out of foul trouble. The speed with which she can sprint back down court needs to be utilized much more than it is. Of course these missed layups are going to have to cease. That's a focus issue. IMHO, if she would kick it out to someone who is obviously open when she is in trouble with double and triple coverage, she would surely improve that assist to turnover ratio, thus finding herself open to score.
It was interesting to hear the comment on Gray by Pat on the post game show. It seems that coach feels she is not giving 100% sprinting back, therefore Pat is not rewarding Amber with minutes. She stated Gray has probably more offensive skills than anyone on the team, she's just not giving all-out effort. Pat will fix this or Amber will develope a 'pine behind.'
johnlg, the comments function is driving me crazy. What's up with that? It's been days now of acting really wierd.
UConn's pg, Doty, went down with the dreaded ACL tear this weekend. The big game with #1 vs #2 tonight has a tint of a different shade of blue. If NC is going to take the #1 spot, tonight will present the best opportunity for them. It should be a pretty good game. I predict Miya Moore will save the day. WOW, 98, that's a flimsy limb. : ) I wish I could watch.
nanatravels writes:
This is of course a joke--but at least spell her name correctly.
fortandrews writes:
It is a shame they can't remember January 3, 2009.
pammyvol1000 writes:
I keep telling you.. that Shekinna rocks!
I think Alex is a sweetie. They have all had their share of knee problems. Good luck to Cait.. she has always been so full of fire for the team on the sidelines. She is from my home town of Maryville and I adore her.
hawkvol07 writes:
Alex Fuller is a class act. Just keep playing hard and being a leader. It is her time!!
xvolx writes:
walk right in, sit right down. johnson scored in double figures against weak teams early in season. she has athleticism but no basketball skills against skilled players. strickland, manning and borjkland have skills. brewer is futher along than johnson. door is still open.
CTOWNICON writes:
MANNING NEEDS TO WORK ON HER TURNOVERS. JOHNSON JUST NEEDS TO SETTLE DOWN. I LIKE THE WAY BREWER HAS STARTED TO STEP UP SHE COULD BE THAT POST PLAYER IM LOOKING FOR TO HELP DOWN LOW. THE THING THAT BOTHERS ME IS IT SEEMS LIKE THIS TEAM IS LIVING OFF ANGIE AN SHEKINA. NOT GOING TO WORK. THEY CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH BY THEMSELVES. THE REST OF THE TEAM IS GOING TO HAVE TO CONTRIBUTE ON THAT OFFENSE. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ANGIE AN SHEKINAS SHOTS ARE NOT FALLING THE TEAM LOOKS LOST. ITS AS IF THEY HAVE NO ONE ELSE TO LOOK TO FOR SCORING. THE OFFENSE NEEDS MORE SCORING OPTIONS. NO ONE ELSE REALLY LOOKS FOR SHOTS AN THAT IS SO EASY FOR OTHERE DEFENSES TO DEAL WITH. THAT POST IS GOING TO HAVE TO DEVELOP AND THOSE GUARDS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS WITH THAT BALL. ONE OF THE POST PLAYERS WE HAVE NEEDS TO TURN TO INTO MICHELLE SNOW AN MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN DOWN IN THAT POST. IT WOULD REALLY INCREASE THEIR CHANCES OF WINNING AN GOING FAR IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT. JUST MY THOUGHTS AN IF YOU DONT MIND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS BECAUSE I REALLY LIKE READING YOUR POSTS-VERY INFORMATIVE.
xvolx writes:
I would agree with your post except for johnson. she seems to have a complex and attitude about other frosh. developing and performing better than she. appears to be a loner, not a team player. besides that; she just doesnt have good basketball skills. noone wants to see her develope more than me. maybe Pat. none of them play hard for 40 minutes except strickland.
MIC writes:
Glory has skills and energy. I am not sure she is a team player but is looking a little better in that area. She needs to clean up her play, talk radio says the refs already know she is a mean player so they will never give her a break. I would like to see her clean it up and focus on team play.
I have wondered why she is getting decreased playing time......does anyone know?
Brianna can not run the offense! Why can't she just shoot a regular layup instead of trying those hotdog shots?
Love to watch them play and especially like Srickland,Manning, and Bjorkland.
queens2183#661836 writes:
Some of the posters on this site make me laugh with the comments they make that seem to be off base or just uninformed. To say that Glory Johnson is not a team player and lacks effort is absolutely absurd. While I agree that Glory has raw talent that is still being molded more into basketball skills, she is one player that goes out there every game and gives 110%. You see her on the boards and on the floor more than you see any other player. When the LVs were in trouble against KY, it was Glory who laid all out and got the points and stops to start the victory train. Coach Summitt has time and time again praised Glory for goin' all out everytime she's on the floor. She can and will get better with time in terms of her overall basketball knowledge and skill but you can't question her effort. As far as being a team player, just b/c a player doesn't show their emotions on their sleeve doesn't mean they're not into it. Glory is an aggressive player (not mean) but is one that won't leave a teammate behind. There have been numerous times that she's been there for her teammates that it seems some have missed. At the end of the RU game when everyone else was running to celebrate, Glory stayed to get Angie up off the ground and in the SC game when Amber went down after a basket, it was Glory who pulled her up and got her sprintin' to the other end of the court.
On another note, Briana Bass is quite capable of running the offense and has done well in that position. She is the best option at PG b/c she knows when to push and when to pull and allows Kinna to play in her most natural position. She like all the freshmen are still learning what works and doesn't work at this level and she will continue to get better.
Some of ya'll need to realize what you have with this team. This is NOT last year's team with vets galore who knew what it took to win at this level (and they were nowhere near what they became when they were frosh/sophs). These are freshmen and sophomores who are still learning the process and each other, are being placed in roles they have never had to be in before, and are being hit with the expectations of a back-back champ and asked to uphold the tradition and dynasty that is TN LV ball. That's difficult for some vets let alone a freshman that hasn't been in that position before. Give them a break and be patient with them and support them as they learn and grow.
CTOWNICON writes:
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CLEARING IT UP. I ALSO AGREE THAT BRIANNA IS THE BEST OPTION FOR POINT GUARD AN SHEKINA IS BETTER IN HER NATURAL POSITION. YES SHEKINA CAN BRING THE BALL UP THE COURT BUT BASS TO ME IS BETTER AT MAKING THE DECISIONS ON THE FLOOR. IT SEEMS TO ME EVERYBODY DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MAIN GUARD HAS TO DO AND AS A FRESHMAN GUARD SHE IS DOING GREAT, OF COURSE SHE COULD GET BETTER BUT OVERALL I AM PLEASED WITH HER EFFORT.
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