Too many scorers was the obvious advantage for Tennessee against Rutgers on Thursday.
Angie Bjorklund and Taber Spani rewrote their resumes and five Lady Vols hit for doubles figures in an 87-51 women’s basketball victory before a matinee crowd of 13,971 at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Leading scorer Meighan Simmons’ streak of double-figure scoring games ended at 13 and it didn’t faze No. 5 Tennessee (12-2) in its final tune-up before Sunday’s SEC opener at LSU.
“Our bench outscored Rutgers’ bench 24-1,’’ UT coach Pat Summitt said. “That was a key — our depth.”
The Scarlet Knights (7-6), meanwhile, were without their two top scorers by game’s end. Guard Khadijah Rushdan never played because of a bruised knee suffered in a Dec. 19 game against Texas A&M. Fellow guard April Sykes scored a team-high 15 points but was sidelined in the second half by persistent leg cramps.
Despite these differences, Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer’s biggest lament afterward was too little time to prepare because of travel issues. She said the game should’ve been rescheduled.
“The game should not have been played, period,’’ Stringer said. “We were not worthy of this competition today, not that we would have done a whole heck of a lot better, but I could have felt better coming into this game.”
Sunday’s East Coast blizzard precluded the Scarlet Knights from reconvening and practicing before arriving Wednesday night via charter flight for a workout at Pratt Pavilion. Stringer said that Sykes didn’t arrive until late Wednesday.
“I called Tennessee and you see we’re playing don’t you? They couldn’t do it,’’ Stringer said of rescheduling. “I would have done it anyway. I would have done it if we played every day back to back.
“ . . . Unfortunately it was a scheduling issue for Tennessee, not a scheduling issue with me. We proposed three or four dates that we could have played this game but we don’t have access to the men’s schedule so there are a lot of things that administratively have to happen.”
Lady Vols athletic director Joan Cronan said that she talked with Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti on Tuesday.
“We talked about the possibilities, you know, what was happening weather-wise, what the planes looked like, what we could schedule,’’ Cronan said, “and we felt at that time that we needed to play the game on Thursday.
“(A change) was a scheduling impossibility. Plus, I mean, the weather is good; the planes are flying now.”
The Lady Vols added to Stringer’s woes by shooting better than 70 percent from the floor for nearly half of the first half and bolting to a 30-12 lead. By that point, Bjorklund had swished two 3-pointers to break a tie with former Lady Vol Shanna Zolman and become UT’s career leader with 268.
“I definitely look up to Shanna and all the players on that list so it’s just an honor to be part of it,’’ said Bjorklund, who scored 11 points.
Spani, meanwhile, was taking aim from the perimeter and working on a career-high 22 points.
“That’s more of my natural position,’’ she said. “Wherever I am, I just try to take the same mentality. I just try to be the same player and have that aggressive mindset. I think I’m learning to do that better at (power forward) when I get there, but naturally I am a guard so I am more aggressive at that position.”
With Sykes scoring 13 points and punctuating the first half with a 3-pointer over three onrushing defenders, Rutgers was lurking within 40-29. But she went down in pain early in the second half. She tried to come back twice but played just three minutes after the break.
“Never seen it before,’’ Stringer said of Sykes’ plight, “but it is what it is.”
With Sykes out, Tennessee pressed its advantage. Glory Johnson and Shekinna Stricklen each finished with 12 points while Kelley Cain scored 11.
Noticeably absent from UT’s scoring roll call was Simmons. Foul trouble limited her to three first-half minutes and impulsive second-half shooting drew the hook from Summitt, ending Simmons’ day at seven points.
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 66
UTVOLSRROCKN writes:
WTG Lady Vols! You didn't play down to the competition. Great game by Spani! Congrats to Angie on breaking the record. Loved the defense and intensity. Offense was MUCH better!
Spani, Strick, Angie, Cain, and Johnson all in double figures. We also had 10 steals! Way to start out a great day for the Vol Nation! Bowl game next!
LADY VOLS.....TCB.....KOKO.....GBO!!!
orangecountyvols writes:
Lady Vols,
Way to go ! You can tell the huge difference when they aren't under the scrutiny of a microscope and the NCAA as opposed to our guys who are struggling.
Hope this will wind up being a great day for sports on the Hill today, after the bowl game !
ProwlinAndGrowlinSmokeyDog writes:
Fabulous game, Lady Vols!!! I watched it on the computer and I will say it was a very complete game..As another poster said, they didn't play down to the competition.
utvolz#637682 writes:
Great start for a great day in UT sports history! Taber lit em' up!
ps11824 writes:
Frankly Scarlet, can you say SPANI? Way to step up. The kid has a great attitude. GJ, please work on your free throws.
TennVol01 writes:
Keep your chin up Ladies. You could win it all this year. (smile)
MillisaAnn writes:
Yay!!! Congrats to Angie for breaking the record. Go Lady Vols!!! :) :) :)
HanQ7 writes:
Good Job LV's!!!! Rugters is my other favoriate team, but I love my VOLS.... Very good showing againt a fairly decent Rutgers team. Keep up the good work LV's LSU won't be easy, they just beat an undefeated UCLA team!!!! Oh yeah all you haters...... Kelly Cain is baaaaaacckkkk, you better LookOUT! LEGOOOOO
SummittsCourt writes:
This team is going to be dangerous come tourney time. This is with limited minutes from Baugh and Brewer. Wait until they are healthy!
Go Lady Vols! Time to feast on SEC opponents.
martinvol34 writes:
The key for Glory is to play with purpose and not the highlight reel. I do love for her to rebound and run the break. They are at their best when they rebound and run. Will Ms. Simmons please commit to defense. I love her offense but she has to play defense. Best team on the floor is any combination with Manning. The girl is just committed.
PINK_CHAMPAGNE writes:
Pretty good game. Kelly looks good. Really proud of the way she played. The team looks totally different with Kelly in the lineup. Nice passing, really enjoyed that. Spani, when looking for her shot, can really score. I hope she continues. She adds another scorer to defend. With all of those shooters around Cain, this team can go a long way. With Cain on the floor, it really opens up the perimeter. I sure hope she stays healthy!
martinvol34 writes:
Brewer being back is really going to make a big difference as well. Kamiko Williams can flat out play. I'm so confused as to why she is not on the floor but trust CPS.
richvol writes:
Outstanding play today...best overall game offensively.
HanQ7 writes:
What's up YA'LL...... DID YA'LL SEE THE WHOOP'N STANFORD PUT ON UCONN..... WHERE'S THAT D@$N MIKE.... HAHAHAHAHA LOOKS LIKE KARA LAWSON WAS RIGHT!!!! ON THAT NOTE..... LEGOOOOOOO LADY VOLS
SummittsCourt writes:
Lets see, Lady Vols beat Stanford, Stanford beats Uconvicticut, seems reasonable that the Lady Vols can beat Uconvicticut when we play them at the final four. Expect it!
CoverOrange writes:
Works the other way too: UConn beat Baylor, Baylor beat Lady Vols. It's a toss up.
Wonder why they didn't try to do a double header with the men on Friday?
BBhoops writes:
UCONN HUSKIES streak is finally over. Maya Moore is the NO. 1 player in the country. She will get a WNBA sneaker contract just like Candace Parker.
Don't forget to search the malls for M&M reeboks next year.
mad_poly_uct writes:
Both gotta get there first. Congrats to Stanford. They really played an awesome game.
maxvolfan#217855 writes:
Well I watched the Lady vols play and i agree wtih Cain being a big threat in the post that will allow more open shots around the perimeter. I also cant wait to see Brewer get her shooting touch back. With our speed in transition and ability to cut to the basket with Simmons, Williams, and Strick this team could be scary. My main concern is team chemistry. We have to play to each players strengths. Be more fluid, and not play sloppy and foul. Free throws Free throws Free Throws. Heck if the ladies would make more of those we would blow teams out.
Ok one small thing about Uconn which i know every coach made a note of. Rattle MM and the rest of the team crumbles plain and simple. This team pounces on teams early and fast then make them look bad by keeping there starters in the whole game . This time they got pounced on first .Nuff said about them .
xvolx writes:
Doing an awful lot of moaning there Vivian.
xvolx writes:
Oh Mikey. Where are you? Time to take your tongue lashing.
TG24 writes:
Hey Mike, when you learn how to spell Tennessee, we can have a knowledgable discussion. Until then, enjoy your one game losing streak
HanQ7 writes:
I tell you Mikey Boy, you are indeed a character! Big up's to UCONN streak.... its un-heard of, especially in the women's game. You talk about UCONN has had pressure on them the last couple of years.... Try having pressure on you everytime you put on a UT Lady Vol jersey and hit the court. You can say what you want, but UT is the program that the rest of the collegiate basketball world measured thier program to including ya boy Geno. So don't get it twisted friend, TENNESSEE was and still is the team EVERYBODY wants to beat. And you know it! So with that being said, Congrats to UCONN for that awesome 90 game win streak and Congrats to Stanford for whoop'n that_____! You fill in the blank!!!! LEGOOOOO LADY VOLS
SoddyVol writes:
I watched the Thursday Uconn game over the internet. Geno saying his team played badly is funny. He can't admit he just got out coached in this particular game. When Maya got shut down by a very sticky defense, it showed Geno had done a poor job preparing the team for that. His Ego got into the way. I'm sure he will put in extra time now trying to fix his failure but the current streak in gone.
LiveFaith writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
Congrats on the streak, Mike.
Geno looked relieved to see it over.
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
I have a huge crush on Kayla Pedersen (sp); pretty much equates to the ideal woman:
-smart
-great athlete
-damn fine looking
Sadly, out of my
-league
-paygrade
-class
-age bracket
mikey_editor#398245 writes:
Whatever happened to C. Vivian as a coach? Good thing Pat put her in the WBBall HOF before her career tanked.
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
My guess on Geno's spin:
more than likely, Uconn will meet Baylor or Stanford again. There is a shot that they will meet UT.
In other words, seeding would place UT in UConn's bracket, and Stanford and Baylor in the Other. If not, Stanford and UT would swap.
Stanford played a motivated game, making up for the terrible game they played in the NC. Now, though, their 'edge' is off when they next play UConn. UT?? Well, if UT plays Uconn, it will be emotional for both. UConn matches up very well with us, they have some big thuggies underneath.
Gotta go, it's late.
cheetara writes:
That 90 game win streak is yesterdays news! The game that counted was this one. Your team failed. Uconn is overrated anyway. Geno got outcoached by Tara this go around. They shut Moore down. I have stated time and time again how overrated Maya is. Defended and she turns to the average player. She looked more lost than those freshmen she was playing with. Fall back on your 90 game win streak, full of cupcakes. Uconn just proved that they cannot beat tough teams away from home. Please exclude the win over Ohio St who is just as worst as the sorriest team in every conference. With losses to Duquesne, and then your team played Fl State who lost to Yale. Yeah,Geno has a 90 game streak, but I am not impressed. I knew Stanford was going to crush Uconn tonight. You are eating crow, because you swore that those sorry huskies would win. You poor thing! Stanford spanked them out of Maples. You got the audacity to ever talk about Tennessee and their players, well they played Stanford a whole lot better than Uconn did, and won. Tennessee shot better than Uconn did, and won. Tennessee played better defense than Uconn, and won. Pat outcoached Tara and won. Tara outcoached Geno, and won! LMAO!
cheetara writes:
They did play bad, but he really got out coached by Tara this time around. His main horse collapsed, and so did the offense for Uconn. Moore is overrated, but the core of that team. The rest of that team is chop liver against a good team. In my opinion, the streak ended with Baylor anyway,if not for Dee kantner, cheating for Connecticut in the final minutes of the game. Geno looked clueless, so did his coaching staff, and his team, and his superstar, the great Maya Moore. LOL! Not so great tonight!
cheetara writes:
Good job tonight Tennessee.
The_Truth_and_nothing_but_the_Truth writes:
I try to temper my comments here because I am a UCONN fan. Your comments though show your a complete idiot.
I agree with you Geno was outcoached, Stanford played a fantastic game. To say UCONN is chopped liver is pathetic. Hasn't lost a game in 998 days. Haven't lost back to back games since the 92/93 season.
Stanford is a great team, you have a great win over them this year. Somebody should teach you that you don't put points on the board by denigrating the other team.
ps11824 writes:
Is this the UConn site or the Stanford site? I thought it was GoVOLS, my bad.
KCHS63 writes:
I agree with you that this should be about the LVs, but.....we are the peers of those two teams this season. So discussing them is okay.
My point in that regard: Maya Moore is OVERRATED?!?!?!?!?!?!? Now come on folks. Chamique Holdsclaw was overrrated because a great defensive player clamped down on her once at Arkansas and she couldn't beat Duke all by herself in her senior year? Candance Parker was overrated because Slyvia Fowles ate her lunch once at Baton Rouge?
Maya Moore is currently the best player in collegiate WBB (Yes, that includes Ms. Griner at this point). Baylor is a better TEAM at this juncture, but MM's head to head performance with Griner (at different positions)was the difference in leading her team to a win over a superior Baylor team.
And, don't forget this: Stanford was on fire!
Props to UConn's streak. Props to the astounding college career of the amazing Maya Moore. Thumbs down and take a hike to "Connecticut Mike." You prove that old adage about rude Yankees and hospitable Southerners (Lady Vol fans would never be allowed to show your kind of lack of class on the Boneyard or in the Hartford Courant). As for Maya's shoe contract: Will she get hers after Diana's comes through? If Nike doesn't pony up, maybe Maya's mother could create some to be sold through a dummy corporation in Storrs.
ladyvolsfan789 writes:
I think we'd match up very well with UConn. Stanford and Tennessee have very similar teams, Stanford has the better starting five, but we have more depth and I think Johnson and Stricklen have the ability and athleticism to shut down Moore. Kara Lawson said at halftime that the way to beat UConn is to play great defense and to have a great post game. Once we get completely healthy, Tennessee will have both.
volfan#207874 writes:
Did this old heart good to see Gell-O OrneryEnema's pained look while getting rocked by Stanford! My two favorite teams are the Vols and anyone who plays Ucant. "Ask Gell-O, he knows."
ps11824 writes:
What mikey hasn't the good sense to know is that Pat Summitt and the Lady Vols were at the pinnacle of women's college basketball before Geno was even in consideration - and furthermore, have maintained, and are still at the top of NCAA basketball 37 consecutive years. (not games, mikey, YEARS) Our program has never been out of the limelight in that particular genre, and for more than just winning streaks.
We're talking apples and oranges here, and both are good, but to brag as if UConn has done something far more spectacular that Pat Summitt and the Lady Vol Basketball Program is simply speaking out of your posterior, which very well could be your most intelligent part. Therefore, thirty seven years with 1049 career wins, playing in the top conference and having a top-rated out-of-conference schedule year after year, mikey, is not something you can comprehend from that area of assimilation.
By the way, don't you feel you are missing interesting conversations on the Boneyard?
mad_poly_uct writes:
Lol...couldn't have said it better myself! Happy New Year dead_vol!
volboy81 writes:
Hey Vivian...news flash!!! you wouldnt have been ready regardless of the day, date or time. You whine about as much as the UNC FB coach and quarterback!
HanQ7 writes:
Hey lay OFF Coach Stringer! She is a great coach and she didn't win 800+ games by chance. Furthermore, she has won Big East regular season championships since you say she has not won anything (you don't think)! Get a life, who really gives a d@mn who you and anybody else for that matter cares for..... I'm certain Coach Stringer doesn't! She is the top African American female coach in the game and a Hall of Famer might I add..... Get real, she deserves to be on the highest of pedastals just like all these other coaches. Now, on another note..... LEGOOOOO LADY VOLS, VOL NATION STAND UP!!!!
natlguydan writes:
Mike -
Look at the entire record when you decide that Geno is the best coach. Who has ONE THOUSAND FIFTY-NINE wins? NOT GENO!!! Who finally decided to naturalize when his UConn team was slated to tour Italy that summer and he was concerned about potential problems because he had never done any required national service? Sounds like he tried to get out of doing responsibility. If players and coaches get records and games revoked for immorality, then Geno's 90 straight wins don't count!
LiveFaith writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
I think that way too, but I worry about our perimeter offense, and our ability to take it the rim from the perimeter. Stanford excelled with that, and were then able to to drive and dish.
Good post, though.
cheetara writes:
You don't have to control your temper. Let it out! So I can do the same! It is funny how you skip over your own troll Mike, and comment on me defending my team from all of you trolls. Do you think I will sit and watch you come here and trash my team, well you will get it back. Expect a fight everytime you come here. Uconn was awful, Hayes was horrilbe, what was she if she wasn't chopped liver. That whole team was chopped liver against Stanford. Even Geno was chopped liver against Tara, head to head. No one cares how long they haven't lost, but they lost last night. Those other games are in the past, don't count anymore. The game last night is what mattered, they lost,and you are angry, get over it. Teach your compadre Mike, what you think someone should teach me. While you are at it, teach yourself! You are one stupid fool if you think that Uconn bench or that failing team is anything other than chopped liver. Stanford cooked that chopped liver last night!
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
mike, poly, truth...all you guys have a nice new year's. same to the vols.
Some general items:
-If Tara had adapted and pushed the ball in the NC game, Stanford wins going away. Tara blew it, not the players. Secondly, she wasn't patient establishing obwumike in that game, and she would probably have gotten Tina fouled out.
-Whoever is calling Maya overrated...c'mon, I have to see more proof. She DOES look bigger though; is that just the tv??
-Geno and prep and playing bad...I think the game hung in the balance for a while, but UConn's pretty young at important positions. Being on the road, they did not adjust well. Geno's problem is one I've mentioned for us, too: finding quality opponents to really stress the team.
-Finally, you have to say Baylor is no. 1....a stupid loss to Uconn, a blowout of us. Right now, they are odds-on to win the whole deal. That being said: as UConn matures this season, they will flat kick butt. Samarie Walker is super, and the guards just need to pick up the aggression. Their posts suck, but it's mostly because Geno just wants them thugging. If he gets them to actually try to score, they can. Wonder if he figures that out???
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
BTW, after the football loss and the men tonight vs charleston...
sheesh.
cheetara writes:
Bipolar much! On the article where Pat Summitt comments on Uconn's win streak, you swore that nobody could stop Maya Moore. Well she was stopped in her tracks last night. Stanford took her spirit,and crushed it. She was ineffective, and as a senior on her team, did not lead her team. She was awful! She looked more lost than those so called heralded freshmen. Moore is overrated. I don't care what anybody says. She cannot play when she is defended. If she is this so called great big hype the media makes her out to be, why couldn't she get to the basket last night. All she wanted to do was shoot three pointers, jumpers. I tell you why, she does not know how to get to the basket against quality opponents. People brag about her accomplishments, but look at the teams she gets those against. In that Baylor game Kim had the wrong defender on Moore in the first half, which was Pope, when she changed defenders in the second half,and put Hayden or Madden on her, can't remember exactly which one,but they slowed Moore in the seond half. She did not go off like she did in the first half. Anbody can shoot left open. If that is all it takes to be player of the year, and bragged upon, then Angie should receive some of this hype. I don't buy it! Moore is a good player, but she is not all that. She is not what she has been made out to be. Doris Burke touched on it last night. She does not get to the line enough. She does not have a complete game! Geno begged her to get to the line last night, and she couldn't, because she did not know how to beat the defense.
cheetara writes:
You said that Uconn had 6 or 7 other players that could score. What happened to them last night against Stanford. They went M.I.A., even your so called player of the year went on a hiatus! You have been humbled because your team got their butts kicked, and now you try to come here in peace, and talk like a rational person. Can it! When Uconn was at the top, you trashed Tennessee every chance you got. Even in victory, you trashed Tennessee. These others here may buy your phony 360 about face change of heart, but I don't. You have came here and said some harsh things over the years, and it seems like some her condone it, but I don't. Dont' come here seeking pity and sympathy for Uconn's loss. They were awful, horrible! What was it you said? You said that Pat Summitt would have to get Michael Jordan out of retirement to stand a chance at beating Uconn. Did Stanford have him? It does not take all that for overrated Maya Moore, epecially when her supporting cast is chopped liver.
lail#204076 (staff) writes:
I wasn't working comments when that was removed, but this one also has been flagged by other users. You're out of line.
-- jack lail
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