Lady Vols Basketball
Tennessee has seen better shooting days. The Lady Vols have amassed more assists, too.
For that matter, no player rewrote her personal record for scoring Monday night, either.
Yet Tennessee’s offensive achievements rate as superlatives when judged by LSU’s defense.
The Lady Tigers came to Thompson-Boling Arena having allowed 40 points per game and 30.7 percent shooting the past three games. UT bucked that trend in a big way, scoring a 70-61 SEC women’s basketball victory before a “Live pink, bleed orange” turnout of 13,851.
No. 4 Tennessee (25-2, 13-1 SEC) clinched a share of the conference regular-season championship by shooting 46 percent from the floor and recording 20 assists. The only statistic to rate as a season best was a low for turnovers with seven.
“Offensively, we did so many good things in this game,’’ UT coach Pat Summitt said. “To have a game like this against a team like LSU is very encouraging.”
Alyssia Brewer led five double-figure scorers with 18 points. Kelley Cain added 16 and recorded an impressive double-double with a school-record 12 blocks. Glory Johnson scored 12 points while Angie Bjorklund and Shekinna Stricklen each had 10.
Allison Hightower scored 18 for No. 20 LSU (18-8, 7-7). Katherine Graham and LaSondra Barrett each scored 13.
UT’s victory was a nice comeback from last Thursday’s lackluster 74-67 victory at Alabama, a performance that angered Summitt so much that she broke her dry-erase board during a timeout.
“I think it was very important,’’ Brewer said of bouncing back. “It helped us make a statement that we’re not going to let one game get to us. We knew what we did wrong and we corrected it this game.”
LSU coach Van Chancellor is tired of meeting Tennessee under these circumstances. Before the first meeting, Jan. 24 in Baton Rouge, UT had lost at Georgia.
“I think (Pat) needs to go in before she plays other teams and say, ‘Guys we’re playing LSU,’” he said. “They think they’re playing Alabama but they’re not. I’ve played her twice. I’ve got her on a rebound twice.”
No rebound was apparent early. UT’s field goal accuracy hovered below 30 percent midway through the first half and Cain and Stricklen were on the bench in foul trouble.
The Lady Vols began warming up with a 7-for-10 shooting spree that opened a 28-21 lead. By halftime, Brewer already was in double figures with 10 points and UT led 32-24.
“She’s a lot more confident this year,’’ Cain said of Brewer. “You can definitely tell by the way she plays. She’s not afraid to take a shot. Nobody can stop that little hook (shot).”
Cain and Stricklen returned for the second half. Stricklen hit a pair of 3-pointers, UT’s only treys of the game, which extended the team’s streak of at least one 3-pointer to 400 games.
UT led by as many as 19 points, 64-45 with 6:37 left, which was more than enough to withstand the Lady Tigers’ finish.
Bjorklund seemingly couldn’t decide which was bigger: all those assists or so few turnovers. Whether the Lady Vols were sharing the basketball or taking care of it, she detected a common thread.
“We just played to our strength,’’ she said, “which is going inside.”
With the victory, Tennessee will try to clinch an outright regular-season championship against second-place Kentucky on Thursday at the arena.
“This was a good way for us to get to feeling good about ourselves with Kentucky coming up,’’ Summitt said. “We were focused on what we needed to do.”
Dan Proctor draws Tennessee Football…
Cordarrelle Patterson drafted by the…
Georgia 8, Tennessee 6 baseball
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 47
USNVOL writes:
Great win Lady Vols!
tnaseevol writes:
Good game...were they really ready to play, or was it CPS pink outfit and the pink uniforms brought them luck tonight
PINK_CHAMPAGNE writes:
They were ready to play tonight! That defense was great for the most part! Kelly had her own block party! Brewer has improved so much! Go Brewer! Glory had a better game. All of them came to play tonight, even the second string. Good job tonight! Keep up the good work!
ps11824 writes:
vol4tnfan writes:
Good game...were they really ready to play, or was it CPS pink outfit and the pink uniforms brought them luck tonight]]]
They really did not need luck tonight, just KC and Brewer kicking cajun butt. Imagine what kind game the Lady Vols could have played had the stripes not been so eager to take over the game. I was wishing Pat Summitt would have gone off on the officials from the get-go when they kept interrupting the flow of the game. It's no wonder folks don't like watching women's basketball, the refs WILL NOT let them play. Maybe we should put pink shirts on the officiating team so they would tone it down. Who came up with these crazy ticky-tack cross-eyed fouls anyway?
Let me just go off on the refs and give Pat a rest.
rlshepa#259432 writes:
I am sure the posts will come from all the negative "experts" letting us all know exactly what is wrong with the team and Pat. Regardless of how things go the rest of the season, I believe Pat has done a great job taking this team from where they were one year ago to where they are today. It is too bad that some people just cannot enjoy "life"
LdyVolFaninKS writes:
Cain looked like a new player in this game. She really ran the floor well...very refreshed. Brian should be banned from calling any UT games as he always picks on our big girls...this year it's Cain and in the past it was Anosike. Way to step up your game Brewer and play to your potential! Great game, great win.
rclarkfork#639958 writes:
The ladies played very well again. Should be in line for a number one seed. Would be nice to see Stanford or Nebraska lose so we could have the opposite side of the bracket from UConn. Hoping Griner can put the old dunkarooney on Nebraska in the Big 8 Tournament.
ladyvolsfan789 writes:
One interesting thing I noticed is that when Manning and Stricklen are both in they seem to take turns on playing the point and tonight it worked really well. I hope to see more of it as it looks like it takes a lot of pressure off of Stricklen and I think it really helps their overall offensive flow.
RLL59 writes:
Everyone should be happy tonight. The team played well against an opponent that had the potential to beat them. And Coach Summitt didn't go off on her players, and seemed more relaxed than I've seen her during a game for quite some time. Congratulations to all.
ps11824 writes:
As I've said before, there's more than 60 D1 teams including Mich, BC, Middle TN St who would die to have a 25-2, #4 standing. Pat's done a masterful job this season with a young, wounded-knee program. The nay sayers questioning Pat's ability to mold this team are the epitome of nebbish laggards.
YankeeVol writes:
Kelly Cain has the sweetest smile in all of women's basketball.
Down_The_Field writes:
agreed!
boogimn3 writes:
Nebbish Laggards??
Is that some group of nefarish ne'er-do-wells from a Shrek movie?
God help me if I am one of those!
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Keep the fire burnin', Corch. Great job.
Smite the Wildcats!
xvolx writes:
good effort. good win.
mnvol writes:
While the outcome was good I would not say that the Lady Vols showed up ready to play. They scored a whopping four points in the first five or six minutes. It's taking them way too long to get their heads in the game. Yes, they did finally get things rollings, and did some nice things, but unless they get the mindset that they have to be ready to go from the opening tip-off they will not go very deep into the NCAA tournament. Unless they have their intensity up where it needs to be from the get-go they're going to catch a team playing out of their heads, and will find themselves in a hole too deep to get out of. I certainly hope that's not the case, but ....
BigRMan writes:
Nebbish Laggards? I think the pilgrims brought some of those over on the Mayflower! The leftovers went on the Mayflower Vans when Robert Irsay took the Colts from Baltimore to Indiannapolis!
kazoo writes:
20 assists? It usually take a Summitt team about four games to get 20 assists. 20 assists means the team moved/passed the ball well--and shot the ball well--which, again, doesn't usually happen with the Summitt team. I think it means the centers got the ball a lot and made shots. If this team had a legit point guard, we might be truly dangerous.
volboy81 writes:
Great game, ladies! EVERYONE show up at TBA on Thursday night, wearing orange and yelling loud. Lets show those kitty kats who reigns in WOMENS BB!!!
volboy81 writes:
Ive said it before and I'll say it again. Brian Innerline (sp?) is the WORST official in the history of organized sports!!!! He doesnt have a clue out there....and UT always seems to end up with him!!
ps11824 writes:
mnvol writes:
While the outcome was good I would not say that the Lady Vols showed up ready to play. They scored a whopping four points in the first five or six minutes. It's taking them way too long to get their heads in the game. Yes, they did finally get things rollings, and did some nice things, but unless they get the mindset that they have to be ready to go from the opening tip-off they will not go very deep into the NCAA tournament. Unless they have their intensity up where it needs to be from the get-go they're going to catch a team playing out of their heads, and will find themselves in a hole too deep to get out of. I certainly hope that's not the case, but ....]]]
No, mnvol, if you hope that's not the case...would it not be less disparaging to simply think the best? Is it just me? Am I an eternal optimist? Does one need to be pessimistic? This is basketball, It isn't your 401K, nor your healthcare bill, it is college basketball, Dr. Phil, where are you? ... not for you, nmvol, but for me.
I actually watched the Geno special last evening, and I am going soft. He's just a regular guy who loves his mother and hates to lose. He even called his son a loser because he beat him once. He's just a guy, not a beast. His family seems really nice, just like ours. I'm cutting him some slack.
mad_poly_uct writes:
Lol!!!....wow 98 you are going soft! Don't cut him too much slack now, or I'll begin to worry about you. What 'special' is it you watched? I also recently saw a different format of his weekly(more like bi-weekly) show that was taped with a live audience & included the coaching staff. Could that be the same one?
theoldbear writes:
Funny how two people can look at the same thing and see it entirely differently. What I saw was a Lady Vol team that came out against a tough LSU defense, took a few trips up and down the court to figure it out, and then proceeded to do what it took to beat them.
I watched Van Chancellor coach at Ole Miss back in the late seventies, and I can tell you, the man can coach! And if it took Pat's team a while to figure out what defense he was using, and how to beat it, well, they did, and that just goes to prove who the better coach, nay, the best coach is: Pat Summitt
ps11824 writes:
20 assists, season-low 7 turnovers, 100% at the FT line=huge step in the right direction. 46% FG and 28.6% from 3-Pt=Pratt, here we come.
If we can get all these stats working FOR us, we can be a dynamic machine.
Kelley Cain & LyssieB were stat machines last evening.
bobbizee#247300 writes:
great game LadyVols it appeared that everyone came to play, Kamiko had a few freshmen moments but she will be fine, hey why do we always have to bring up UConn and whatisname on this site?!?
Jephry writes:
Way to go Lady Vols! I thought the girls looked pretty darn good last night. The only weak point was defending the drive, but Pat says that's the toughest thing in the game to defend, so I'll take it at face value. I thought they all played pretty well. Fun game to watch, except I was a bit worried for Manning's eye when Barrett (you know, the playground bully for LSU?) scratched her face. I also thought the T on Chancellor was pretty good. Enterline loves calling those technicals!
ladyvolfaithful62 writes:
What a game! Kelly was a blocking machine and Manning's defense was terrific. The girl had the wounds on her face to prove it! Brewer's hook shot was spot on. In all, everybody played well.
UTVOLSRROCKN writes:
Thanks 98reax for the posting the stats! I was going to do the same, so now I don't have to do that!
After a few minutes in the first half, this team came to play. Is is just my vision, or did anyone else notice that our "Bigs", Cain and Brewer don't look that big anymore? In fact, they looked to me almost thin for their height or was it the pink uniforms? Either way, they both have lost some major lbs and are playing and moving alot quicker. Awesome game for the both of them. Cain is a blocking machine and Brewer and her sweet hook had it going on! If they could stay out of foul trouble and we could have them both on the floor all of the time, we could be unstoppable!
Everyone else stepped it up also. Great play by Angie, Strick, and looks like Glory is back. The bench played well also. Manning had a off night with her shots, but continued to hustle and contribute. Looks like Pat has her team ready to play in March as usual. We are peaking at the right time! Defense has usually been great all year, but last night, the offense played much better. Five players in double figures and only 7 TO's. We are going to be a force to be reckoned with. Great team win! Very proud of the Lady Vols and CPS!
johnlg00 writes:
The numbers on assists, turnovers, and final margin would have been even better if Angie hadn't had a couple of really bad turnovers in the last couple of minutes. I'm really not crying; for the most part, all the girls played really well, especially Lyssie and Kelly. This was a nice win against a competent opponent and should give them confidence going into the post-season.
Still a little concerned about Kamiko. On one first-half play, she tried to pass directly through two LSU players which of course led to a steal and a layup. That was bad enough, but on the play she let the LSU player get ahead of her on the dribble going down court and caught up just in time to commit an "excuse-me" foul that led to a three-point play. One play doesn't make a game, as in the case of Angie mentioned above, but it is in a nutshell the reason why Kamiko isn't ready for the team to really depend on her yet. I surely hope and expect that she will make some good plays down the line, but it is clear that she isn't quite up to the standard Pat expects to this point.
richvol writes:
I was only able to see the last six minutes of the game. I'm sorry I missed a good performance but I did get to see the two turnovers in a row by Borklund that led to two three pointers in a row by LSU.
Cain and Brewer have both lost weight and have improved their games as a result. If they continue to lose weight and get in top condition we could really be contenders for the big crown next year...especially with a point guard and our other center back.
kazoo writes:
If you go to another UT women's board--I would call it the PS Shrine Board--there is an article about Rutger's coach Vivian Stringer. The writer calls out Stringer for being too old-school and for being unable to coach offense--her teams are all defense and usually pretty shaky on offense. He says the game has passed her by. Hmm, who does that remind me of??? The name is on the tip of my tongue...I think it's the coach of a team that beat Stringer's team for the national title three or so years ago in what was one of the worst national title games ever, because both offenses were so bad.
My point is this: Unless PS wants to see hated Geno take over the national title record in the next few years, she needs to do a better job of putting a good offense on the court. Good passing and scoring and efficiency needs to be the rule not the exception.
The_Truth_and_nothing_but_the_Truth writes:
Hi 98:
Thanks for the kind words regarding Geno. He is a regular guy with a keen competitive spirit. He does have a penchant being a little too colorful sometimes, but that's Geno. He was even busting his mom on TV. Thanks again.
RoadTrip writes:
The LV's had much to be happy about in this game as there are positive signs for the future. Just a word of caution with all of the posting celebration - they played a lesser talent LSU team at home that has lost 8 games this season, 7 of which are in the SEC. Something good to build on, but not something that leads one to believe they will dominate the NCAA tourney.
Instead of PG by committee, using point forwards, etc.; I would rather see Bass get the start with Williams backing up depending on match-ups. They can then have several good scorers in the game on the wings and and post with PGs that can drive and feed to the open players. Will always defer to CPS's judgment however.
VolunteerLifer writes:
Bass has shown that she cannot do the job. Her role is as a substitute and occasional energizer bunny. Williams has shown she isn't ready for the job yet. Hopefuly, she'll be ready to assume the reigns next season. In the meantime, its Stricklen. Has to be.
hcjournals#206623 writes:
Great effort. good to see the confident smile on Ms. Cain's face. They are starting to believe........Now, some consistency will be very welcomed..........
SummittsCourt writes:
So most everybody is happy again? Told you so!
Lets let Pat coach and let us support from now on. Lets not be so critical, lets be fans and have fun. I believe she has this coaching thing down "Pat".
rlshepa#259432 writes:
Good post.
r2d2 writes:
I agree 100 percent on your comments about Kamiko Williams. She has a lot of talent. However, I believe she has lost interest in earning the point guard postion or playing for the LV. I do not blame Coach Summitt. Kamiko could not fit into her program. Kamiko will transfer to another program very soon.
xvolx writes:
I watched it also 98. One had to be impressed with his struggle to become successful. Let's face it. He is just a good recruiter, teacher and coach. Looked like to me that he has earned everything he has attempted.
johnlg00 writes:
Before leaving this rather old thread, I thought I would point out a few things about Kelly's shot-blocking style that all would-be shot-blockers would do well to learn. The main thing that impresses me about her form is that she mostly REACHES for the ball and doesn't SWING at it like most do. When a player comes over the shoulder and down in that familiar long, sweeping motion, the blocking hand is only in the actual arc of the ball for a split second. This not only makes it harder to get a clean block in the first place, it also often results in a foul as the arm comes down toward the shooter. By reaching UP and then jumping straight up rather than toward the shooter, it is easier to get a clean block and to avoid the foul.
Another thing is that Kelly doesn't try to blast every ball out of bounds; she tries to STOP the shot in a way that she or a team-mate can secure possession rather just make "statements" by swatting it into the third row. The latter just results in another possession by the opponent and another chance to score, whereas the object of defense is to stop the opponent by taking the ball away from them. Even when she does knock the ball some distance, she usually does it just by flicking her wrist at the end of her extended arm rather than with that windmill swipe, and it is easier to direct the blocked shot toward a team-mate rather than having no control over where the ball goes. I don't know if this technique was taught to Kelly or she arrived at it on her own, but it precisely reflects the philosophy and technique originally perfected by the great Bill Russell, the greatest shot-blocker the game has ever seen.
RLL59 writes:
Interesting....and informative. Perhaps because of her knee problems, she almost never leaves her feet when she blocks a shot either. Do you think that actually helps her maintain the position of her arms in relation to her legs, and decreases the likelihood of hitting the shooter rather than the ball? Normally, one thinks of the defender elevating to improve the chance of blocking the shot, but with her height and long arms, it might not help that much to jump. She is able to cleanly block an extraordinary number of shots.
Kelly aside, why do you think so few women's post players actually leave their feet for rebounds? Is it a physiological thing? Do high school coaches not attempt to get the kids to jump? It seems strange to see a bunch of arms reaching for the ball, all with two feet firmly planted on the floor.
johnlg00 writes:
Since most of my comments of this nature seem not to penetrate anyone's consciousness, I am happy to address some of your points. First, it was ONLY with the rise(;-P) of Bill Russell that shot-blocking was recognized as a valid defensive technique. In fact, he used to say that his college coach at the University of San Francisco didn't think Russell was a very good defensive player BECAUSE he left his feet on defense. Kelly can and has jumped to block shots, but she does so from a fully-upright stance with arms extended, jumping from the toes, as it were. This enables her to stay down until the defender is fully committed to the shot and not get fooled on ball fakes that make her vulnerable to fouls and to drives.
As for your other point, I think it is something of an exaggeration. Women often DO jump for rebounds, but, since they generally don't jump as high as men, it often LOOKS like they don't jump. Also, I think probably BECAUSE women don't jump as high, coaches emphasize positioning and moving to areas where the ball is coming down rather than just trying to leap there. Besides, surely you have noticed that Glory Johnson, to name one, surely DOES have some hops and she uses them!
ps11824 writes:
The name of the game is 'take control of the ball.' It is YOUR basketball and you should never, ever put it in a position to be taken away by anyone who is not wearing a uniform exactly like yours. You should always know your shot is going thru the net, and if it doesn't, know where it IS going and get yourself in a position to rebound it. Come on, girls, it's your favorite purse, it's 50% OFF. Go get it! Don't let those other girls touch it.
RLL59 writes:
John, maybe you don't get responses to your 'lessons' because you take even a complimentary reply as a challenge. I think Glory is an exception, not the rule, for female players her size and taller. We can disagree on that but I think we both agree with Bill Russell that for optimal rebounding, positioning is a complement to jumping, not a substitute for it....and that applies to women as well as men.
gladiator06 writes:
I totally disagree with your comments about Kamiko. The mistakes I saw Kamiko make, were the same mistakes I see others make all the time, especially last year when the team was comprised mostly of freshmen. If Kamiko transfers, which at times I wish she would, it's Pat's loss. In the very first game where Pat allowed Kamiko to start at the PG position, she yanked her after the first mistake. It quite obvious that Kamiko is forbidden from making any mistakes in the game and if she does, she's heading to the bench. At the end of the 1st half, Kamiko passed the ball to Bjorklund who shot the ball too soon, leaving time for LSU to get the last shot. On the way to the locker room Pat was all in Kamiko's face. Shouldn't she have been asking her upperclassman (Bjorklund) why she took the shot with so much time left on the clock vs. milking the clock? We saw Kamiko play a fabu game against SC because Pat had no answer. She allowed Kamiko to play freely. We'll see it again soon, where Pat has no answer and Kamiko will be allowed to play freely and save the day. If Kamiko isn't allowed to play freely at some time during the SEC tournament, the Lady Vols don't win the tournament (you can quote me on this when it happens). I will say the same about the NCAA tournament. If Kamiko isn't allowed to play freely, the Lady Vols make another early exit from the tournament. I'm sure other schools are hoping Kamiko transfers. They would love to have her. Everyone appreciates her talent except for Pat. I have said it once and I'll say it again. Pat felt the same way about Alberta Auguste until it came time for her to win another national championship and all of a sudden, she needed her. Bjorklund had the start all season in Auguste's place until tournament time. We'll see it play out similarly, very soon.
johnlg00 writes:
Well, I certainly didn't mean to offend. You said you didn't think women players jumped to rebound; I said they did, though because they don't jump as high, coaches emphasize positioning more for women than they do for men. It doesn't matter to me if I changed your mind or not. I stated my opinion; you stated yours; I supported my opinion; you supported yours. We agreed in part and we disagreed in part. That is not in my mind a confrontation, it is a conversation. I do like your posts for the most part. Still friends?
RLL59 writes:
I never took it as a confrontation, just a civil exchange and clarification of reasonable ideas and opinions. Certainly, still friends.
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.