SAN ANTONIO — Tennessee concluded its scheduled trip to this city in impressive fashion Tuesday night.
A 91-53 women’s basketball victory over Texas Tech in the ESPNU Classic at the AT&T Center went well enough to at least entertain the thought of a return trip in April for the Women’s Final Four.
“We’re just excited we could be here,’’ UT coach Pat Summitt said. “It gave them a little taste of what it’s all about. Clearly our goal is to be back for the Final Four. It kind of whets your whistle a little bit.”
No. 6 Tennessee (2-0) had four players score in double figures and shot 52.5 percent from the floor. Freshman Taber Spani led with 18, scoring 14 of UT’s 61 second-half points.
Glory Johnson scored 17, shooting seven of eight from the field. The right-hander added a degree of difficulty to her performance, opening Tennessee’s scoring in both halves with left-handed layups.
Shekinna Stricklen scored 16 and Angie Bjorklund added 14, scoring nine in a 25-second span of the second half.
The Lady Vols put together extended scoring surges in both halves. They went on a 20-2 run before halftime and then sprang from the break on 32-4 scoring sprint across the first seven minutes, two seconds. Along the way, they hit 14 of their first 19 second-half shots.
Despite missing reserves Alyssia Brewer and Kamiko Williams — who were left back in Knoxville because of a violation of team policy — Tennessee spread the minutes evenly among its nine available players. Everyone played at least 17 minutes and nobody played more than Spani’s 28.
After playing the full 40 minutes in Sunday’s 74-65 win over Baylor and then playing the first eight-plus against Tech, Stricklen was relieved to log just 23.
“I was really happy about that,’’ said Stricklen, smiling.
On this night, against this overmatched opponent, San Antonio suited Tennessee.
“We really do want to come back,’’ Stricklen said. “We know what it takes to come back.”
Tennessee’s 49-28 rebounding advantage said as much. Alicia Manning played beyond her 6-foot-1 stature in grabbing a game-high nine. Six Lady Vols had at least six rebounds.
“I love rebounding,’’ said Johnson, who had six in 20 playing minutes. “Like Pat says, it’s passion and heart.”
The shooting featured 9-for-19 accuracy on 3-pointers. Spani, who was 1-for-7 against Baylor, improved to 5-for-9 and swished a pair of 3-pointers in the second half, the first of her career.
“I told her tonight, ‘You just need to relax. You’re trying to will it in. Just shoot it like you do in practice,’ ’’ Summitt said.
Texas Tech guard Monique Smalls, who was 0-for-4 from the floor and scored three points, spotted at least one flaw in Tennessee’s effort.
“Their defense is decent but we still could have beat it and driven through it every time,’’ she said.
Tech (1-1), which was led by Kierra Mallard’s 15 points, shot 30.2 percent from the floor (16-for-53).
After the rout, Summitt wasn’t budging yet on the Lady Vols’ return trip to their locker room. She saw a lot Tuesday night but apparently needs to see more.
“I told them they have to win something,’’ she said. “We’ve got a couple games coming up here.”
The next is Sunday at No. 14 Virginia.
“We win a couple things and she’s still saying the same thing,’’ Johnson said. “I think she’s waiting for a huge win, something amazing to happen.”
Notebook: Sunday’s game time has been moved to 4 p.m. to avoid a conflict with a Virginia soccer match. . . . Former Lady Vol Alexis Hornbuckle attended Tuesday’s game. . . . UT signee Meighan Simmons also was there with her Steele High teammates.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
National Signing Day 2010
Tennessee Lady Vols 82, Auburn Tigers 64
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 22
98reax writes:
Is this site acting really wierd, or is it just 98reax?
CTOWNICON writes:
A bit of a sloppy win but I'll take it. Congratulations lady vols on the win. Need to improve more on spacing in the offense and the sharpness of the passes. Defense was good but will need to be better against a better team. All in all a good win. Proud of Glory, way to hustle and rebound. P.S., lady vols please cut back on some of the fouls, play smarter.
SummittsCourt writes:
This Lady Vol team is the real deal. they will only get better and when Vickie Baugh gets back, watch out! If Vickie stays healthy there is no doubt this is a final four team. They will have some growing pains as they are still very young (no seniors), but they will be there in the end.
LdyVolFaninKS writes:
Pretty sloppy, slow start in the first half. Glad to see they have the internal fortitude to turn it around in the second half. Glory and Strick seem to be our constants so far. Not sure what Glory did over the summer, but damn, the girl has got it going on! Love the persistence to the boards. They tried to force it inside to Cain too much and need to let her work and get the open looks. Poor job by the refs once again...it could be a long season if the refs continue to hinder the women's game trying to control the aggressive play.
tnmantravel#531151 writes:
THESE lady vols look very good.....and just think "idio geno" sees the lady vols without vaugh, williams and brewer....MAYBE these vols can compete with ucan't, however ucan't is up on texas 25-9 midway in the first half.... 8-(
SummittsCourt writes:
Lighten up a little, it's a young team playing an away game against a Big 12 team without 3 players. Improvements will come with experience. If winning by 38 isn't good enough maybe you are expecting too much.
CTOWNICON writes:
That was constructive criticism! If you are to dumb to comprehend that then that is your problem. I know it is early in the season but as a fan I want them to get better and work on the things that I observe and know that they can improve on. I am not expecting anything but for them to go out and play to the best of their abilities each and every night. I would be expecting to much if I asked a fool like you to understand what you read.
98reax writes:
Good to see the non-starters get a good amount of real-game experience. Even though they allowed Tech to outscore them 2 to 1 in the final 10 minutes, they got a good feel for playing in Final 4 atmosphere.
Can't get that in the practice facility running plays against the guys. I sure hope Williams and Brewer are feeling remorse for breaking team policy. That 2nd strike could get 'em a personalized clipboard..
PureOrange writes:
Really like the hustle. This team is exciting to watch. Just keep it up.
tonyvick#213307 writes:
You are correct, sound like a sore loser to me. If driving on our defense was that easy "every time" then why didn't you. Besides in Pat's post game comments, she said the defense was solid. I think I will take Pat's accessment rather than an armchair blogger and a bitter player that lost by 40.
adimatteo#261830 writes:
These girls suffered enough just hanging in there last season with all the injuries, serious ones, and playing with a mixed line up. lest we forget our starting line certainly didnt match up to what it was planned to have been but for the injuries/surgeries.
Love our program, love coaches, and CPS,.. but give them back their locker room...
johnlg00#206211 writes:
The TT gal's comment sounded silly in context, but I noticed more than a few occasions where the help defense was slow to rotate. Help defense has to be PRO-active, not REactive. All defenders must anticipate where the ball MIGHT go next and show themselves in those gaps. It is usually only a matter of taking a half-step toward a driving lane and being READY to take the next half-step that would shut it off completely. What you CAN'T do is eye-ball a ball-handler on the wing, wait until she has actually beaten her own defender and started her drive, and THEN try to cut her off. It is really hard to get young players to recognize those situations and act instinctively toward them.
johnlg00#206211 writes:
I wanted to put in my game-related comment separately because I know some might by annoyed by what follows here.
This article contained yet another entry in the vast assembly of what I call "fractured idioms" that abound in articles and posts on GVX. I wish I had been writing these down because I think there could be a book in them, along the lines of the recent best-seller, "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves".
In the article, Fleser quotes CPS as saying the game in the AT&T Center "whets our whistle" for a return for the Final Four. The expression should be "WETS our whistle"; one licks one's lips before whistling or eating. Fleser may have been thinking of the similar expression "WHETS one's appetite"; sharpening the anticipation of enjoying a meal or other pleasurable experience.
I'm not sure why Fleser made this error, and it is quite possible Pat SAID it that way, but I am convinced that many people these days often mis-hear or half-hear an expression, but, because they don't read much or know the origin of many common expressions, they write or say them in what are, to me, unintentionally humorous ways.
Yeah, I know; I need to get a life(;-P)!
BigRMan writes:
Something about what is apparent in this year's team chemistry makes me feel they have the ability to erase the sting of last year's early exit from the NCAA Tourney. Just my Opinion!
dwa7#337691 writes:
prediction:
UT 77
VA 72
BigRMan writes:
If the Lady Vols bring the "A" game and are victorious over Virginia and Stanford that will show that they in deed ARE Final Four Material. If not, it doesn't mean by late March they won't be. Mike you have many lessions to learn in life. How to conduct yourself with class should be your first. You may have to repeat the course often, if you EVER get it right. Leave your trash talk at the dumpster where it belongs. Lady Huskies are defending champions with a super player in Moore. You are not giving the Lady Vols any credit for the vast improvement over the previous year.
ProwlinAndGrowlinSmokeyDog writes:
He wouldn't dream of giving us credit but some of our classy fans are giving UConn credit...I wouldn't expect anything less from him...AND I agree with you on all of your other points...
volboy81 writes:
EXACTLY what I was thinking..."we still could have beat it and driven through it every time." ??? Then Monique, why didnt you?
CTOWNICON writes:
Your team looked weaker last night! What happen to the wade trophy nominee Tiffany Hayes, she looks like she just started playing. That point spot for Uconn is weak. Stanford is the better team!
98reax writes:
What on earth would miky live for if its team should fall on hard times? For instance, what if geno had to follow the same recruiting rules that all other D1 coaches do? Whether you want to admit it or not, miky, life happens when your team loses too.
ladivolfan writes:
Taber rocks it like Shekinna. Consistency is the key.
BigRMan writes:
The Hard Times Mikey can fall on is the Hard Times Cafe. I think he busses tables there, and cleans the rest rooms. His life long ambition is to work his way up to prep cook!
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