Tennessee finished what it started Sunday night but not without needing more time and more effort.
After shooting their way to a 14-point first-half lead, the Lady Vols fired a lot of blanks in the second half, falling behind six points.
The ominous turn of events didn’t shake UT coach Pat Summitt’s resolve.
“I couldn’t even think about anything other than ‘we have to find a way to win,’ ’’ she said.
More importantly, it didn’t diminish the Lady Vols’ determination. They put Summitt’s thought into action during the final six minutes of regulation.
Meighan Simmons’ 3-pointer with 48 seconds left recouped the remnants of the deficit and served as a dramatic prelude to a dominant overtime and an 82-72 women’s basketball victory before a crowd of 14,197 at Thompson-Boling Arena.
“I think everybody thought about what they needed to do to help the team win and we just brought that all together,’’ Simmons said.
Simmons led No. 6 Tennessee (10-2) with 23 points, scoring in double figures for the 12 consecutive game to start her collegiate Angie Bjorklund scored 16 points, recorded a team-high four assists and had a defensive hand in Stanford’s Kayla Pedersen shooting 3-for-16 from the floor.
Shekinna Stricklen had 15 points and Taber Spani scored 10.
Jeanette Pohlen scored a game-high 24 points for No. 3 Stanford (6-2). She hit six 3-pointers before fouling out 49 seconds into overtime.
“It really hurt our team when Jeanette fouled out,’’ said Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer, who remained stuck on 799 career victories. “That was something that really hurt us in terms of our execution.”
Nnemkadi Ogwumike scored 20 points and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds in a game that featured seven ties and seven lead changes.
Tennessee struck the first scoring blow and it was from long range. The Lady Vols swished four of their first five 3-point attempts and bolted to a 16-6 lead within the first five minutes.
The Lady Vols had 11 assists by the break, more than twice as many as the five they had against Baylor last Tuesday.
The Lady Vols twice built leads of 14 points —26-12 and 30-16 —before settling for a 39-31 halftime lead.
Stanford flipped the scoring script in the second half, shooting a gaudy 62.5 percent from the floor (15 for 24) while UT was misfiring at a 35.5 percent clip (11 for 31). The Cardinal regained the lead for the first time since the opening minutes when Pohlen buried a trey with 9:07 left for a 56-53 edge.
“I thought they were shot out of a cannon,’’ Summitt said. “I don’t think it was as much us as it was Stanford.”
The Cardinal led by six points twice, the last time when Toni Kokenis converted from close range with 6:17 left.
Tennessee scored the next eight points – four from the foul line — for a 65-63 lead, which was its final lead in regulation.
Twice, Stanford pushed ahead. The final time was a Pohlen trey with 1:05 left. Twice, Tennessee responded, first with a jumper from Bjorklund and then Simmons’ trey.
“All I have to say to that is to God be the glory for that shot because I really didn’t believe that shot was going in,’’ Simmons said. “… I just think that three just sparked something in the team.”
Tennessee scored eight of its 12 overtime points from the free throw line. Even two misses from the line by Cain worked out. The 6-foot-6 center hustled to the rim for the rebound and scored a putback basket for a 75-70 advantage with 2:35 left.
Summitt and the players gave credit to the fans for their support. Bjorklund referred to them as “like a sixth man out there.”
The Lady Vols also could take a bow for their comeback.
“Any time you come from behind that’s huge,’’ Bjorklund said. “That could and probably will happen in the future. Just knowing that we have a team that’s going to buckle down on defense and really fight to come back is huge.”
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Comments » 83
orangecountyvols writes:
Vols,
Whew! What a battle. We cannot say the girls were not motivated tonight. They battled..............and this Simmons kid is a diamond in the rough.......freshman etc !
It's hard to be finding fault with the effort, but we still did some things to allow Stanford to get back in it and have a chance to win. Some sloppy passes by Angie, unable to hit free throws ( except for Simmons ) and Stanford's ability to take what we gave them, unguarded 3's, really hurt.
Glory Johnson is a terror on defense, but bless her heart, can't make a layup..........in fact we missed a lot of them.
Pat? She's the best, but just before the end in regulation, we had a chance to end it right there. I was a little surprised she didn't take the time out with 15 seconds left. We rushed things and turned it over then.
Stanford is a tough bunch and I look forward to their knocking the arrogant Northern team off in a few weeks.
alvol writes:
Showed a lot of heart, falling behind and pulling it out in ot. Congratulations!
HanQ7 writes:
I CAN'T HEEAAAR YOOOOU!!!! What did I tell ya'll.... When the girls come together and play to their strengths they can beat anybody! If even if they had lost, I would have still be good with the loss (Thank God they didn't) b/c they played with heart and they werent scared. Thats what we want to see EVERY game! Where is that Mike character..... EAT BRICKS!!!! Just wait til Kelly, Vicki and Lyssi get healthy.... NOBODY and I mean NOBODY (@Baylor) wants to see them.... Great game ladys!!!! Great defense Glory down the stretch..... I will leave with this......
WHO'S READY TO GET ON SIMMONS LEVEL, THE GIRL IS A BALLER...... LEGOOO LADY VOLS!!!!
huntined#565710 writes:
Great win!!! A lot of the players did not play tonight Pearl can learn from that..Simmons should be P.O.W. in the SEC..When you win it is best not to hit too hard what you did wrong.. But keep hitting on what you did right..
FatElvis writes:
Can someone please help ALL our Vols with thier free throws. How bout it Santa!
TennVol01 writes:
Congratulations ladies....but you almost gave me a heart attack. You found grit and spirit. Hold your heads high tonight. The two losses you have were to ranked teams. Cannot say that about the men. Maybe you can give them a few hints.
kazoo writes:
Funny, I love Stanford and their coach--classy woman and classy program.
Ron1967 writes:
Winning at home is expected. This is the same team as last year's with the addition of Simmons.
Not a single player has upped her game from last year. The free throw shooting is even worse. Elite eight would be a reach for this team.
UTVOLSRROCKN writes:
LOL@ Jan-Michael Vincent pl3. It was outstanding to deny "Jan" her 800th win!
UTVOLSRROCKN writes:
Another great post HanQ7, you ALWAYS beat me to it.
As for Mikey, he probably won't show up, but if he does, he will say the refs gave us the game or some other sorry excuse. No wait, now that I think of it, he WILL be here to brag on UCONN tying Wooden's record.
The team sure did play better didn't they? Pat was REALLY into it too! Thought I was gonna have to FED-EX-Express some of my blood pressure pills to her! As you so fondly say..LEGGOOO Lady Vols!
The_Truth_and_nothing_but_the_Truth writes:
Very good game, exciting, clutch shooting. Look for movement in the AP Poll.
huntined#565710 writes:
Hey guys Mike in UCONN has more to brag about tonight then we do.. Got to give them credit for that record even if it is UCONN.
PINK_CHAMPAGNE writes:
I would have been pleased with a win or loss tonight. Glad they won! My reason being pleased with either or, is they played hard tonight. They fought, they did not panic too much, and they got the win. That three pointer by Simmons saved the day. Thank God!
It was good to see kelly and Vicki get some playing time. Kelly did a good job for a wounded warrior. She looks so much better. The offense runs better to me when she is on the floor. I want to see more of those high low passes to Kelly, or whatever post sets the screens out top, and then roll towards the basket. Very effective play, and it should be used more often. Good game ladies! If they do not have anymore games until after the break, I know it feels good to head into the Christmas break on positive note, with a win.
PINK_CHAMPAGNE writes:
I am sure Connecticut has a board where he can brag about it.
kazoo writes:
A fairly good one against a good but not great Stanford team. Am I wrong or is Cain feeling a bit better--her minutes are up. This wasn't a bad offensive performance, but the Vols still have a tendency to stand around and become plodding on offense (and defense) at times. I found one revealing stat among the season stats--and it is that Bjorklund, one of the team's go-to players, almost never goes to the free-throw line! Before tonight she had 14 free throws in 12 games--terrible for a player who handles and shoots the ball as much as Angie does. She is not quick, but she does have size and some length, and she ought to be able to draw fouls, which is something she doesn't do at all now. Also, interesting, is that the player on the team that shoots better than anybody (but Cain--who doesn't shoot anything but 2 footers) is Miko Williams.
RoadTrip writes:
Wish the whole team could play at the same speed with Simmons and Johnson. Johnson was incredible on the defensive end of the court in the second half and Simmons is not afraid to take it on her shoulders on the offensive end. At this point Elite Eight looks about right. Improved pivot play could move them into the Final Four.
UTVOLSRROCKN writes:
It was really nice to see someone besides Simmons to play with intensity and desire! The entire team and coaching staff were all fired up.I love it! Even the bench was going crazy! Thats what we need every game girls!
Glory just scored 1 point, but her rebounds and defense was great! What else can we say about Simmons? The girl GOT GAME! This was a great victory for the Lady Vols. I hope CBP and his team were watching to see that they can turn things around too!
Nekka did a really good job of laying on the floor and faking an injury! Then she had the balls to hop right up and argue with the refs! I did not see Glory touch her, even on the replays. Their legs got tangled up, thats all. She was just tired and wanted a blow! Jeez!
The only negative thing I will say is the free throw shooting(except Simmons) and especially Cain. Way to go Lady Vols!!
LADY VOLS....TCB....KOKO.....GBO!!!
wigmeister writes:
Almost blew it in the second half, but we found some intensity, and looked good.
BleedsOrangeinMO writes:
Yes the Ladies played GREAT!!!
But I feel they must get better to make it to the FINAL FOUR. Afterall, it's only DEC. Most teams will get better by March /April barring injuries.
Why did Pat pull Spani out when she had the "hot hand" for half; makes no since to me. Replace a player when they cool off or are winded from playing hard.
PINK_CHAMPAGNE writes:
Angie is never in a position to draw a foul unless they foul her while shooting. I agree that she does have the size to get to the basket, but that does not seem to be her game. However, if she can improve her handle on the ball, that would be good for her to consider.
PINK_CHAMPAGNE writes:
I think she was matching up with the players that Stanford was putting on the court. Certain players defended Stanford players a certain way. Notice when Booth entered, so did Cain. Just a thought!
SoddyVol writes:
The atmosphere around the team/bench was much better tonight. That translated into very good play on the court for the most part. Two great Christmas/New Year gifts would be higher FT percentage and healthy post players. Play like they did tonight along with those gifts could take the team to the final four.
PINK_CHAMPAGNE writes:
Let me give props to Pat tonight in light of everyone asking for her resignation. I think she did a good job tonight with the team. I was pleased to see the timeouts being used. I was pleased to see her reel Simmons in and calm her down. I was pleased with some of the substitution patterns. My one gripe is the use of that zone defense against Stanford. Not with the three point bombers they have! A no no!
Really proud of the whole team, but especailly Simmons. She did not go rogue tonight, thanks to Pat, and Simmons listening to Pat. Simmons did a pretty good job at the point tonight. Once again, thanks Simmons for that game saving three!
HanQ7 writes:
LOL, We love our UT!!!! I see that Mike clown commented, I laugh at clowns like him while he continues to talk about how bad the LV's are, we continue to make strides at the goal set forth! a 9th National Title!!!!
Yes, they did play a lot better; and most importantly they competed and WON! By the was kudos to UConn, thats good exposure for the women's game (I still dont care for the program though).
LEGOOOOOO LADY VOLS!!!!
freestyle writes:
Boy, have you ever thought about watching "Lifetime" on the television instead of the lady vols? Just a suggestion to help you stay focus on something else other than Tenn.
tnluv2play writes:
All the ladies stepped up and played a great game. Glory Johnson was a beast on defense! Great job!
bigdisbig writes:
I couldn't agree more Mike. Stanford at home or at a neutral site beats Lady Vols. Uconn is supposed to be in a rebuilding year yet stomps everyone else. There is not a team in the land that can come close to Uconn aside from maybe Baylor. Gino the jerk is the best coach in the land right now. Pat has dropped a few notches with the inability to recruit the best players. She is taking the scraps it seems but doing ok with em. UT will make the tournament as usual and will bow out again after a couple of games as usual these days. The Vol dynasty ended several years ago but it was good while it lasted.
I saw waaaay too many flaws in the Lady Vols game tonight.....terrible defense and bad passing.
Stanford was overrated big time but its a win none the less.
25vol writes:
Angie , you are taking 1 too many dribbles coming off some of your screens and it is allowing the guard to close in on you so you cannot get off your shot. Watch the film of tonight. Meighan , you are having too many passes deflected. The biggest problem is going over the top to the post. Even if it gets there the defense recovers and closes down on the post restricting her opportunities . Gloria did a great job of finally realizing she hadto front the low posts.Spani, you have to strenthen your hands and upper body AND GO to the HOLE with more force and and be physical ! ! ! Meighan , backto you , Keep moving using your quickness and speed and let the game come to you --IT WILL. There is no need to take a bad shot ,trust your teammates and keep them in the game. They will give the ball back .
r2d2 writes:
Remember, UCONN beat Baylor by 1 point AT HOME. Do you think UCONN would have won playing on Baylor's home court?
25vol writes:
Cain and Baugh have to get well SOON or learn to play through a lot of pain! ! I look forward to moving 5 in and 5 out Ever 4 minutes and all playing full court pressure defense all the game.
wazzya69vol writes:
Lady Vols and Peyton won,,, a great day in Tennessee. Until the trolls come out as small Mike---Oops, wrong one, I think. GBO
HanQ7 writes:
SOO MANY HATERS..... UT MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT, EVERYTIME I LOOK UP THERE ARE OUTSIDERS TAKING THE TIME OUT OF THEIR DAY/NIGHT TO MAKE A NEGATIVE COMMENT ABOUT WHAT WE DO AT UT...... THANKS HATERS, WE LOVE ALL OF OUR FANS(HATERS)
LEGOOOO LADY VOLS!!!!
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
My view:
Simmons: the real deal, seems to have the green light for any shot, and she should. She just needs to pace her game, and save her best moves for when everyone else is struggling.
Glory: zero, I mean NO offensive instinct or skills. Great defender and rebounder, just stick with that.
Kamiko: needs to shoot. A lot. We need her on the floor.
Taber: only good for a few minutes. Can't finish inside at all.
Vicki: needs more minutes, and NEEDS THE BALL. She is ready to go.
Kelley: c'mon, what is this cr#p?? Get her the ball on the block and quit all the pick and roll stuff. She's moving fairly good.
Strick: better and better away from the point.
The zone: Seriously?? Against Stanford?? Totally dumb move.
Stanford: great girls, hard to root against them. Really is. They got jobbed by the refs more than once.
Angie: okay, I held this for last, and I've held back for a couple of years. YOU GUYS NEED TO GET OFF HER BACK. She is a pure shooter, one of the best in the game. She plays in a system that SUCKS for shooters, and she has busted her a** to adapt. Not only that, she has to play tougher D than most shooters. Put Angie in a Stanford or UConn uniform, and she'd have been first team all-american most years.
So, IMNSHO, it's time for some of you to back off. That girl works her butt off, playing in a system designed for rebounders and runners.
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
...and btw, I don't look at this like 'a great win', 'cause it really wasn't. Stanford is really struggling right now to get their game together.
It was fun to watch, and the talent was amazing at times.
tonyvick#213307 writes:
Never thought I would say it this year but Angie really played with heart and determination. I concede we're not going to get much offensively from Glory but Defensively we win because of her. Great game ladies.
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
thing that makes me laugh is the look on Simmon's face.....hilarious.
hcjournals#206623 writes:
I like this team. We will beat Geno and the Huskerites....
orangecountyvols writes:
Question for the dead Vol................
What would actually please you? You seem to have all the answers. With all on the line for Stanford, going for 800 on the Vols' court, anyone who wants to say this is a 'bad' Stanford team better look again.
Also, what this troll Mike.......says is totally irrelevant here. Notice, anything a Tennessee team does in any sport, brings out more trolls on this site, which simply indicates how much envy such trolls have for Tennessee and how much they are controlled by the Vols.
All Stanford needs to do to beat the brash, obnoxious
Yankee team in a few weeks, is to bring the same intensity to that game..........at their place mind you, and troll Mike will be hiding under a bridge somewhere.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Man, we needed that win.
Now, Pearl get 'em back on track.
xvolx writes:
Lady Vols would have won this game by 10 in reg. if they would have stayed in the man def. They would have won by 20 if they would have been in man switch. Simmons is a gunner and I like it. Williams still loafing on defense. Baugh wants to play well, but that bad wheel limits her ability. She will never be the player she could have been with a good knee. You don't ever forget the pain that goes with a blown out knee, so I feel for her. The only time they should be in a zone is when Cain, Baugh and Brewer are in the game. Spani played hard. That was good to see. On to the SEC.
dbgray writes:
Wow. Why can't we have a Tenn vs UCONN game again? Maybe next year?
ladivolfan writes:
Yikes! Great game, but girls, please take care of business in 40 minutes from now own. I can't take this overtime. Meighan, you rock. I can't wait to see what you're going to do in the years to come. You will make Lady Vol history. Kelly, when are you going to show up at the games?
kazoo writes:
RE Bjorklund: Why does she continue to make a fundamental mistake when she is preparing to shoot? Why have the coaches not corrected this mistake after three years? Bjorklund, like any shooter, must come around a screen, catch the ball and shoot. No dribbling! She always wants to take a dribble or two and then go up for the shot! That is fundamentally wrong! As someone said, this sometimes/often gives a defender time to catch up with you if they have been screened. Catching and shooting is basic basketball. Bizarre that the coaches have not changed this bad habit of hers. All this said, she had a good game. The Vols need to faster ball movement on offense--but that has been a problem with Summitt's teams forever. Their half-court game is too plodding at times, which is why they have scoring droughts. In any case, a pretty good win--and have to be encouraged that Baugh and Cain are starting to play a little more.
Fall_Creek_Vols writes:
Now THAT'S funny...I don't care who you are.
Much better effort. Congratulations on a good win.
Keep getting better.
ps11824 writes:
I have such a distaste for some of these posters. dead_vol, I like your post. I agree with almost all of it. Great critique. PINK, pretty much in agreement with all.
Can't believe this mikey doesn't wallow in his on pool with like-minded wallowers. Makes one wonder if mikey's legit? It seems strange the obsession with gvx. Probably is a copywriter for KNS pretending to be illiterate, doing a darn good job : )
I sure would like to see last evening's game. Anybody know where I can watch a replay?
No need for the snide remarks about Coach Tara. We can't all be 'perfect specimens' like those who made the look-alike reference. With the exception of mikey, no one is perfect.
Merry Christmas, mikey. I hope Santa brings you a big sack of kindness, compassion and a heapin' pile of consideration for those who aren't in love with everything ucon. Be sweet, mikey
25vol writes:
For years now a lot of offenses look and seem designed for their players better than ours .Most of our problems seem obvious. Either scouting reports are lacking or someone is so entrenched in their way they won't listen ! ! ! Our entry passing to our Posts are poor at best and it includes timing and just not hittig them when they are open . Poor Poor Coaching and not enough practice under heavy pressure.We are too athletic not to solve that problem NOW!!!!!
SummittsCourt writes:
Pay attention! the Lady Vols have the #1 recruiting class coming in next year. When Vicki Baugh is ready to go all out and Kelley Cain is injury free this team will be unbeatable. Meighan Simmons is the real deal and a difference maker. Shekinna is still Shekinna. This is a final four team and a team capable of beating the convicts up north.
The UConvicticut program will crumble if the NCAA ever gets enough balls to actually do an investigation into their recruiting practices. Can you say "Vacate".
volboy81 writes:
Great game, Lady Vols!!! Should be a turning point in the season. You showed us you can do it...keep it up!! A lesser motivated team would have lost that game, especially after letting a 14 point lead turned into a 6 point deficit.
Great crowd too! Lady Vol fans are the best!
johnlg00 writes:
Excellent summary. For a variety of reasons, this was the first LV game I have been able to watch all the way through all season. That is why I haven't had as many comments as I have in the past.
Your point about Simmons is well-taken. She is as quick, fluid, and fearless on the court as any LV player I have seen in some time. However, she still has a LOT to learn about how to play the larger game, the game that considers opponents, time and score, capabilities and preferences of teammates, and such. The object is not to get up shots just because you can, it is to get the shots the TEAM needs in the proper situations. This is just part of the learning curve that all freshmen go through, and if she takes instruction to heart, she could be one of the all-time greats.
I also agree completely about the generally poor passing to the posts. The timing between the perimeter players and the posts is just awful much of the time. A good deal of this could be attributed to the loss of practice time and playing time of the posts due to their injury problems. Even so, sometimes you just have to wonder what the passers think they are seeing when they eject some of those ill-advised heaves in the general direction of the post players.
As for your all-too-apt comments about Glory Johnson, several posters including myself have remarked that sometimes she just plays TOO fast and hard. She clearly has some of the best fast-twitch muscles in the game today, but she still needs to learn how to get a rebound or catch a pass, get her feet under her, and THEN power the ball up in balance so she can put some touch on her shot. That is, IMHO, THE single improvement she could make on offense that would elevate her game to true top-flight status. The defense, the intensity, the aggressiveness--well, just about everybody else on the team could surely use more of THOSE.
I'll stop now. Thanks for indulging me.
maxvolfan#217855 writes:
Really?? You must be kidding about Kelly. Mind you she is playing hurt and could avg double figures in scoring when she gets health and giving the ball. She has heart so find another argument. Oh she had 9pts last night against the O sisters and 6'5 Booth.
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