Angie Bjorklund’s view certainly wasn’t panoramic.
Tennessee’s sophomore guard could’ve taken in the Grand Canyon on some of her previous 12 shot attempts Thursday night compared to her sightlines with the game clock winding down and the outcome against Ole Miss in her hands.
“It came down to keep going until you get an opening,’’ she said. “I was praying it’d go in and it did.”
After driving past Lady Rebels defender Kayla Melson, Bjorklund nailed a pull-up 3-pointer over Elizabeth Robertson. The dramatic basket with 6.8 seconds left enabled Tennessee to somehow see its way to 60-59 SEC women’s basketball victory before a stunned crowd of 13,283 at Thompson-Boling Arena.
“With the seconds going down, Ole Miss had great ‘D’ ’’ Bjorklund said. “I just tried to get my shoulders square and get an open look.”
After going scoreless in the first half, Bjorklund finished with a game-high 13 points for No. 13 Tennessee (16-4, 5-2 SEC). Teammate Alex Fuller had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Bianca Thomas scored a team-high 11 points for Ole Miss (13-8, 2-4). She missed a final heave in the final seconds.
Bjorklund’s shot erased the remnants of a deficit that still was five points with 1:16 left. Likewise, she helped cover for a season-high 24 turnovers as well as erratic shooting from all points on the court.
The most glaring misfires came at the free throw line, where the Lady Vols made just 16 of 31 attempts. After earning career coaching victory No. 999, UT’s Pat Summitt joked that her players we’re going to shoot “1,000 free throws” between now and Monday’s game against Oklahoma in Oklahoma City, which will be UT’s first crack at the victory milestone.
Before its closing rush, the Lady Vols’ field goal shooting percentage hovered below 30 percent. Bjorklund was 1-for-10 and missed several wide-open attempts before making her final three shots — two of them treys — in the final 2:46.
The game winner was a final testament to Bjorklund’s perseverance.
“She didn’t have a good look but she made a big shot,” Summitt said. “That says something about a shooter’s focus, when they really are focused.”
As for the turnovers, Ole Miss had an aggressive hand in Tennessee’s sloppy play. The Lady Rebels gathered 14 steals, a season-high for a UT opponent.
“I really believed coming into the game we were faster than Tennessee,’’ Ole Miss coach Renee Ladner said. “Naturally we’re smaller. I thought we could put a lot of pressure on them, in particular the point guard where they’re young.”
After scoring just two baskets in the game’s first nine minutes, the Lady Rebels stalked Tennessee into the second half, leading by as many as nine points (54-45) with 4:10 left.
“They came for war,’’ Fuller said.
Summitt repeated what she told the Ole Miss players and coaches afterward: “If they play that way against every SEC opponent, they’re going to win a lot of ballgames. Everybody right now thinks that they can beat Tennessee.”
Ladner’s bottom-line assessment, though, was the most telling.
“With 3:21 left on the clock we were up seven and we panicked,’’ she said.
Actually the Lady Rebels started to unravel with three consecutive turnovers after opening the nine-point lead.
There was just one turnover down the stretch, but it was pivotal when UT’s press forced Ole Miss guard Shantell Black into a traveling violation with 1:03 left. Bjorklund followed seconds later with a jumper, pulling UT to 59-57.
Black also missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw opportunity with 21 seconds remaining.
The Lady Vols missed a final free throw with 1:04 left and committed a turnover in the final seconds. Yet they still had a shot – Bjorklund’s shot.
“I think it shows the heart that this team has,’’ Fuller said. “During the game, I heard somebody in the stands behind our bench yell, ‘We can’t lose.’ And that’s the only thing I heard. I think that’s what motivated me and helped me motivate my teammates.”
Notebook: Summitt said freshman forward Amber Gray didn’t play because she was serving a one-game suspension for a violation of team policy.
Tennessee baseball media day with…
Oregon sends Lady Vols home from…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 64
volpreacher writes:
Lady Vols!!!! Way to go ladies
volpreacher writes:
I almost changed the channel, but then I thought, Pat always gets her girls going when it counts. Please ladies, grow up faster, you are giving me heart problems.
volpreacher writes:
Calmly hit the winning basket. She may have been calm but she had 2 defenders all over her. I wasn't calm.
allvol9 writes:
Wow....tough way to win #999 but the Lady Vols at least found a way to win the close one and I applaud them for that. Pat is almost there....to 1000. Go Vols!
volpreacher writes:
We are going to have to find some more shooters in the long run don't you think guys? Everyone is going to pack it in against us.
MillisaAnn writes:
Congratulations Pat on your 999th win and Congrats to Angie B Keep it up Lady Vols!!!
huntined#565710 writes:
These young ladies are driving me crazy..more turnovers in last few games than I have ever seen..I don't think I have yelled at a t.v. as much as I did tonight!!!but I will take the win..That last shot has to make ESPN!!!
dwa7#337691 writes:
real downer.......poor foul shooting......we are in deep trouble..............these girls are so young...............
Okie twins will eat us for lunch........oh well - be happy for 999!
volpreacher writes:
This is the first time that I've seen them play unfortunately this year. I now see why Pat is so upset at the way they play sometimes. They don't get after it enough unless it is crunch time, but that will bite them against a really good team like Oklahoma.
xvolx writes:
they played the first four minutes good. now, if they can put 36 more with that; they will have a good team.
YankeeVol writes:
You are so right about that...hope they'll prove me wrong
Emerson_Bigguns writes:
This game almost put me in the Nervous Hospital. Mmm, mmm...
mmynatt writes:
Even when they win they are pathetic. Not trying to be negative, but they did not respond well to Pat's "tough lady act". Not sure if I am going to be prophetic in my prediction that this Lady Vols team will exit the NCAA tournament earlier than any LV team in history. They either win small or lose big:).....
Seriously I hope I am dead wrong and Pat's tough love will light the right fire. But what would really help would be a miracle where Kelly Cain and Vicki Baugh recover completely from their knee injuries. Unfortunately what may happen is that the same fate befalls at least one of those two that did in Cait. I certainly wish the best to both more for their future well-being than for the Lady Vols sake. The basketball is just a game -- those two ladies have to live with those knees for the rest of their lives.
LdyVolFaninKS writes:
A team like OU is going to eat us for lunch if we play them like we played tonight. 24 turnovers will end up in 48 points for Courtney and Ashley. I'll be in OKC cheering, but I am afraid I will have to get out of town quick with all my orange on! Under 50% from the charity stripe...are you kidding me? My daughter's 7th grade team shoots at 80%. Time to grow up fast and start taking care of the little things! Angie...can you possible play for 40 minutes? Maybe Pat should chew her butt before the game even starts!
matts7052 writes:
Hey Mikey...how many championships do you have? Oh yeah...several less that the Lady Vols.
sayhitomaggie writes:
This was way too close for comfort. But still a 999th win is a 999th win! Only one more to go. It'd be awesome if it were against OU (#2 right now I think) on Big Monday but if not the 1000th win will be at home. :-)
Go Pat Summitt and the Lady Vols!
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
I have a prediciton: the girls will come out VERY focused and intense. the game is on ntaional tv, a lot of people will be watching for win 1,000, and the girls will want to get it.
Tehy may not win, but I will guaran-damn-tee you they will play their butts off.
We suck aa a team right now, but we have the athletes to play with anyone. If they come out in sync, they will play well.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
mike, you are almost certainly correct. One thing, guy, we expect more from a 'regular' poster than the baiting stuff. You may wish to review mad_poly in basketball or 99gator in football and men's basketball.
My advice is enjoy the year. Next year we may all me watching Baylor chop down the nets.
tennesseebee writes:
Coach Summitt- Classy all the way. Tennessee is proud of you
MrBamSeydu writes:
Did Scotty Hopson play any minutes tonight against Ole Miss? I figured she'd give Pat some solid minutes off the bench.
DroopyDrawers writes:
Me like Witch Doctor. Bones never lie.
PepperGrinder (Inactive) writes:
Excruciating game to watch. But what a finish.
IF they dont beat OK I've got tickets to the next home game.
CTOWNICON writes:
THE SERIES WOULD HAVE CONTINUED IF GENO DIDNT UNDERMINE THE RECRUIT OF MAYA MOORE. HE DID A LOW DOWN DIRTY THING IN THE WAY HE GOT HER TO COME TO UCONN AN NOT TENNESSEE BUT EVEN SO HE STILL DID NOT WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP THE QUEEN PAT DID. AND FURTHERMORE UCONN HAS ALL THEIR STARTERS FROM LAST YEAR LADY VOLS ARE NEW WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU EXPECT OTHER THAN A UCONN VICTORY. BUT COME TOURNAMENT TIME ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. MAYBE STANFORD WILL GET THEM AGAIN. THAT SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY TEAM THE REFS FAVOR OVER UCONN. SEE YOU NEXT TIME BECAUSE YOU ARE ALWAYS HERE.
CTOWNICON writes:
I AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT. THEY HAVE PROVEN THAT THEY CAN BEAT GOOD TEAMS. LOOK AT WHAT THEY DID TO STANFORD. I THINK THEY WILL BE MORE FOCUSED IN OKLAHOMA AN READY TO GO. I HOPE THEY WIN OR AT LEAST PLAY THEIR HEARTS OUT AN GIVE THEMSELVES THE OPPORTUNITY TO WIN.
CTOWNICON writes:
BE CAREFUL THE TOP TEAMS ARE FALLING. GEORGIA WHIPPED AUBURN TONIGHT. FLORIDA STATE WHIPPED DUKE TONIGHT. NEXT UP UCONN. RUTGERS MAY END YALL STREAK. C. VIVIAN ALWAYS SEEM TO HAVE GENOS NUMBER. AND THEY ARE GETTING BETTER AS THE SEASON GOES. LOOK OUT UCONN. IF NOT KNOW THEY WILL LOSE IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT.
ladivolfan writes:
I've already made my doctor's appointment. Going to ask the doctor to put me on medication to reduce my blood pressure, stop the heart palpatations and assist with my breathing while the Lady Vols are playing.
YankeeVol writes:
I hope she gets 1000 at home, too. There will be a much greater celebration-I'm thinking thousands of fans storming the court and carrying her out on their shoulders.... I don't think that will happen in OK
adimatteo#261830 writes:
stop trying to make avery young team with significant and unexpected injuries a number one.
This is UT, great coaches, great program, great group oftalent, but enjoythe ride we have had, and realize things are not going to be great this year. We have had more ups that most schools will ever have, but right now, have to accept some rebuilding in order.
Lets just hope the few mend from this point forward and no one else gets hurt, theystay focused,and finish with an above average season (for most programs) and lookk forward to great future for them and the fans
huntined#565710 writes:
I don't think we match up with Oklahoma now with our young team and also Ga will be tougher than you think..Got to put a good full 40 on the court to win 1000.
ect1983 writes:
Maybe, but you'll still live in Connecticut.
Mike, we have an expression in the South-----
Q. Why are Yankees like hemmorrhoids ?
A. They come down, never go back up., pain in the butt, and irritating to everyone around them.
One of the main reasons southerners dont move North is b/c cretins like you are considered normal up there.
rockytopron writes:
The truth is, that one day, Uconn & geno will be revealed as one of the biggest frauds in all of women's basketball. Pat works hard to keep her program clean, geno not so much. It wan't be long before ucan't goes on probation and geno will be out of smart a** comments.
Go Lady Vols!
Monday will be an opportunity to right the ship and show the world Pat is the greatest coach alive, any sport!
rockytopron writes:
Mike, always remember pride comes before the fall and you will fall hard WHEN Ucan't looses!
LadyVolFanForever writes:
adimatteo, you hit the nail on the head.
It was a gut-wrenching win but a win is a win. It was ugly. We were sloppy and we got rattled BUT we did NOT quit !
Lofty expectations are great but we, as fans, must get real. Support this team, they will gel and they will get much better. Just think of all the Division I teams that would love to have our record at this point in the season. We know we have the greatest coaching staff but they cannot make the plays, the players must do that. I can handle a few loses as long as we keep trying and don't give up.
GO LADY VOLS !
govolshw writes:
cant wait till Pat gets her 1000
reachkim00 writes:
Keep fighting ladies! We fans are with you all the way. GO LADY VOLS!!!
knoxtenor writes:
Greg Johnson (http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/jan...) should look to Pat's accomplishments, particularly her graduation rate and consistently high team GPAs, as a good example of a sports program that does it right. She may (will!) have a 1,000 wins on the court, but she's coached far more classy young college graduates who are making the world a better place. (What's Gino's record with those stats, Mike_from_Connecticut?)
Go Lady Vols! Let's show Oklahomans that they're better off just not messing with any SEC team in any sport!
ps11824 writes:
Must we continue to make reference to Beano? Who else is SICK of seeing comments about it EVERY time you log in?
Kudos to Andy Landers for a great game and a big win over Auburn. He's a women's basketball coach who has run a stellar program, so unlike the aforementioned one.
I feel so relieved to read of the close call with Ole Miss. When I heard that the Baby Vols had fallen behind in the waning moments last night, I have to admit I braced myself to imagine what severe discipline they might incur today for another poor showing.
I caught a glimpse of a post game interview when Pat said she was proud of the way they fought back, and she gave credit to BJ for having the courage to find and take the shot. Living on the edge is such an understatement.
I will not say win #1000 cannot come at OK; I will say, if it happens, the trip back to Knoxville will be a soiree to remember. I wonder if the media will treat it as the auspicious event it is.
ktownvol writes:
One word -- EIGHT!!!!!!
kbart4033#247331 writes:
Nice comeback. Great play in the 2nd half by Angie. Comment
by Ole Miss coach about her team being faster than Lady Vols
can be made by every other team in SEC. Not Pat's best
recruiting effort. I am sure she will get the very best out
of them, but their very best is way below normal Lady Vol
standard. If I knew how limited this bunch is I would have
dropped UConn from my schedule, too. Lady Huskies are 30-40
points better than this team's best. Pat does not have a single player who could get significant minutes with
UConn!
SignalMtnVol writes:
By damn, not only do the bones NOT lie, they are dead on!
ps11824 writes:
Andy Landers knew how to beat Auburn. Contain Boddie! UGA had 21 assists, 13 of them from PG, Ashley Houts who turned the ball over only once. Auburn had only 10 assists and they shot 22 under their season average ppg. Landers used a zone defense and held Bonner to 9 for 22. It was a huge win for UGA, the first over a top 5 ranked team since 2004 when they beat Texas.
Did someone send out invitations to UConn fans, or what? This is THE BEST PLACE TO BE, perhaps they are getting a clue.
To the previous poster: Pat did not DROP Conn from her schedule, she simply swept the debris from under her feet. We try to keep our state as clean as possible.
richvol writes:
Pat is the greatest ever but she really does need to focus more on recruiting. I know we were supposed to have the best class ever but some of these girls are not capable of helping this team. Auriemma has outrecruited Pat for years. Every player on his team is capable of beating you.
Pat can get whoever she wants if she focuses on it...we need more athletic and quicker players.
ncvol writes:
My sister-in-law will not watch the games. She tapes them and if we win- she watches them. She gets too excited, also. I got pretty excited last night, myself...Go Vols!
ncvol writes:
Mike_From_Connecticut
People on here are fans of the Tennessee Lady Vols....Please don't try to degrade our team. Although, it is true -UConn is playing very well, we don't appreciate your comments concerning our team...We are in survival mode this year and we will be back to the top of the totem pole...
I think Pat and Geno are both excellent coaches and I wish you the best ...Please refrain from all the negative comments....We don't want them and don't need them.....Go Lady Vols!
We are trying to encourage our players and lift them up...
I wrote this on another article and I just wanted to make sure you read it....Go Vols!:-)
queens2183#661836 writes:
Pat is not focused on recruiting and has slipped in recruiting?? Are you serious?? TN has brought in the #1 class the past 2 years in a row and #1 class 3 of the last 5 years. There's nothing wrong with the recruiting.
Look, the problem is, plain and simple, is youth. Youth takes time to develop and figure out their roles on a team as well as the amount of intensity and effort it takes to play at this level. Most of these kids were the #1 on their team and probably didn't have to expend as much energy as they do now and now they're in a situation where they are one of many AAs. TN is working with 11 underclassmen and 1 senior and have had injuries on top of that to key people who they thought would be contributing this season. Because of that, the freshmen have been thrust into different roles that they weren't originally going to be put in and they're growing into those roles still. They have shown flashes of greatness but also have shown a resilience to come back and win games when their backs are against the wall. They're inconsistent and are still learning the system and what it takes at this level but that's what freshmen do. They'll get better but fans have to show patience with this team and grow with them as they grow.
volboy81 writes:
GREAT WIN, LADIES!!! I thought we were cooked. I was just thinking "Ole Miss has never beaten us in TBA til tonight."
then Angie hit it!!!! Thanks, girl!!!! It was a surreal moment!!
ncvol writes:
tweetdriver63#346474 writes:
"Not Pat's best recruiting effort???
Is that a joke? Five freshmen in this class were McDonald's High School All-Americans! That's phenomenal! Manning, Stricklen, Johnson, Gray, and Brewer. Stricklen was player of the year in Arkansas two years in a row!
The Lady Vols have been really hurt by injuries to Bjorklund, Baugh, Cain, and specially McMahan. They are just young. There's no way they can be accused of not being incredibly talented. They are out there, often playing 4 freshmen and a sophomore against 4 or 5 seniors. They are almost always the most talented team on the court, but they are also always the least experienced team on the court."
Certainly do agree with this poster...Way to tell it tweetdriver63#346474 Go Vols!
ravensearay writes:
I mentioned at the begining of the season that this team was going to give a lot of "us" heart problems before this season is over... I don't care as long as you win.
YankeeVol writes:
C'monnnn. Not fair to cast the net so wide....
ps11824 writes:
Butch, there has to be a way to shut your ignominious mouth. From now on your remarks shall be invisible.
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