Cain climbs boards: Lady Vols win, 79-46

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Lady Vols center Kelley Cain is pressured by Delta State's Ashley Martin, but it didn't keep Cain from having a good game 20 points, 20 rebounds, and 7 blocks.

The numbers were big and bold, like Kelley Cain herself: 20 points and 20 rebounds.

Tennessee's Angie Bjorklund checked the stat line on her 6-foot-6 Lady Vols teammate and shook her head. She could've done a double take in perusing a double-double of those proportions.

"I knew she had a ton of rebounds,'' Bjorklund said. "When she's playing that way, you can't stop it."

Cain rose to the occasion for UT's 79-46 women's basketball exhibition victory over Delta State Monday night before an announced crowd of 10,619 at Thompson-Boling Arena.

The same couldn't be said for the majority of Tennessee's effort against a Division II opponent. Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt said so in blunt terms.

"Not really impressed with a big part of what I saw in the first half,'' she said. "Even playing in spurts in the second half."

The review generally was not encouraging, considering a date with No. 7 Baylor in the State Farm Tipoff Classic at the arena is looming Sunday.

Other than Cain, three other Lady Vols scored in double figures. Freshman Taber Spani had 14, Bjorklund scored 12 and Shekinna Stricken had 10.

Despite their production, Summitt singled out Bjorklund and Stricklen for criticism. They shot a combined 8-for-26 from the floor and were responsible for six of Tennessee's 18 turnovers.

In last Thursday's 124-34 rout of Carson-Newman, those two collectively shot 14-for-23 from the floor and combined for just three turnovers, compared to 10 assists.

"Really disappointed that Shekinna Stricklen wasn't prepared to be a leader,'' Summitt said. "She and Angie - those two we look to as go-to players offensively. Those two have to be more consistent. From the first game to this game, night and day."

Delta State had a hand in UT's performance. The Lady Statesmen, ranked No. 3 in the preseason NCAA Division II poll, had enough speed and scrappiness to impact UT's transition game. All-American guard Sarita Cooper scored a team-high 15 points.

"That was a great experience,'' Cooper said. "That was a dream come true, playing Tennessee."

Delta State had no answer for Cain, however. Lady Statesmen center Veronica Walker was five inches shorter and coach Sandra Rushing chose not to deploy extra defenders down low.

On offense, Walker tried to use her quickness as an advantage but Cain hardly left her feet in recording seven blocks.

"It's all because of my teammates,'' said Cain, who shot 8-for-10 from the floor and played just 19 minutes. "Everything I do is for them and because of them. I just like playing with them. It's very comforting.''

It wasn't comforting that no other low-post player scored in double figures. Glory Johnson's follow-up to 22 points against Carson-Newman was a mere seven.

"Glory Johnson's got to do a better job of finishing around the basket,'' Summitt said. "We're a little smaller there but Glory is so athletic, if she'll just really focus on her presence in the paint, as opposed to facing up and trying to do a lot of things off the dribble."

Fellow sophomore post player Alyssia Brewer (two points, three rebounds) got more playing minutes than last Thursday, but she also took more heat from Summitt.

"Lyssi Brewer has got to play a different role,'' Summitt said. "She goes in and doesn't even follow up a rebound. She's backpedaling. I told her: We handpicked you to come to the University of Tennessee because we thought you could help us win a championship. Right now I'm not impressed."

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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