Lady Vols Basketball
What started out as a sprint for Tennessee turned into a marathon Sunday.
An early 20-point lead wasn’t a portent of the finish to come against Vanderbilt. The determined Commodores changed the storyline with gritty defense and rebounding along with a barrage of 3-pointers.
The Lady Vols were forced to regain their advantage the hard way. They made a stout defensive stand down the stretch for a 64-57 SEC women’s basketball victory before a crowd of 16,645 at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The victory extended UT’s home winning streak against its instate rival to 25. Vanderbilt has never won here.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m pleased we found a way to win,’’ UT coach Pat Summitt said, “but our coaching staff doesn’t want to be living on the edge the rest of the season. We want to separate ourselves from the rest of the pack.”
Glory Johnson led No. 4 Tennessee (16-1, 4-0 SEC) with 17 points. Kelley Cain scored 14. Both post players had nine rebounds. Shekinna Stricklen added 10 points.
Merideth Marsh scored a game-high 23 points for Vanderbilt (13-5, 2-3), connecting on five of the Commodores’ 10 3-pointers. They shot 52.6 percent (10-for-19) from behind the arc.
Although the circumstances were different, the Lady Vols won by dominating the final seven minutes, as they did in rallying past Florida 66-64 last Thursday. They limited Vanderbilt to five points down the stretch while scoring seven of their final 11 points at the free-throw line.
“Coach tells us that every minute counts and that really is true,’’ UT guard Angie Bjorklund said. “The minute you give in is the minute the other team is going to make a run.”
The final minutes didn’t look like they’d matter after Tennessee bolted to a 27-7 lead. At that point, Vanderbilt’s shooters found their mark. After scoring just two baskets in the first 12 minutes, Commodores swished three consecutive treys in a span of 1:14 to jumpstart their rally.
Tennessee regained its equilibrium before halftime and scored the first basket of the second half for 39-29 lead. Then came a second flurry of Vanderbilt treys over UT’s zone. Three more came in a matter of 1:25, pulling the Commodores to 41-38.
Johnson said that the long-range baskets were scoring a direct hit on UT’s confidence.
“We had to stop their 3s,’’ she said. “Otherwise we were going to get blown out.”
The Lady Vols got the job done. Lauren Lueders’ 20-footer with 15:47 left was Vanderbilt’s final trey.
Still, Tennessee’s work was not finished. The undersized Commodores fought a pitched battle on the boards and held their own, being outrebounded just 32-31.
“That was probably the best rebounding job we’ve done since I’ve been at Vanderbilt,’’ said Commodores coach Melanie Balcomb, who’s in her eighth season.
Vanderbilt’s defense also was thwarting Stricklen, limiting UT’s point guard to zero assists and two points after she scored eight in the first 6 ½ minutes.
“She was a no-show after a good start,’’ Summitt said of Stricklen, who had nine turnovers against Florida. “We’re not going to get to an SEC championship or a Final Four with the way she’s playing right now.”
The Commodores ultimately couldn’t survive without their point guard. Starter Jence Rhoads was out with a hand injury, which was a factor in 27 Vanderbilt turnovers. Marsh, who filled in as the starter, had nine. Furthermore, three freshmen played at least 22 minutes apiece.
“We didn’t execute they way we needed to down the stretch,’’ Balcomb said. “. . . We’re trying to put those freshmen where they don’t have to make decisions late. For us not to be able to execute down the stretch was kind of expected.”
Dan Proctor draws Tennessee Football…
Oregon sends Lady Vols home from…
Cordarrelle Patterson drafted by the…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 30
dwa7#337691 writes:
wellllllllll....a win is a win.
huntined#565710 writes:
Well it was not our best game but we won. seems like they get way ahead and then seem to go to sleep..VANDY started hitting the 3's and it took a long time befor we started playing the man to man and put a stop to that.. But look at wins in SEC so far we are doing GREAT..
xvolx writes:
worse coaching yet by Summitt. Why run a zone against a three pt. shooting team.
USNVOL writes:
Way to go Lady Vols,another w for Pat.
coach75 writes:
i cant believe you have the audacity to question pat summitt. did she win. enough said, no one more thing, your a moron.
eefor10c writes:
Any how many coaching victories do you have xvolx?
richvol writes:
A win is a win and Glory had a good stat line but we played poorly. Glory was a little out of control again and we could not pass the ball to one another. Stricklen looked like she had never played point. Why in the world did we not just pound it inside against such a small team? I'm glad we won but to go over seven minutes in the second half against such a short team is scary and definately won't work against tournament teams.
johnlg00 writes:
That's silly. Vandy was smaller than we were at every position. If we had tried to guard them all over the court the whole game, they would have driven around us, we would have gotten in foul trouble, gotten tired, and Vandy would have been running a lay-up line. As it was, Pat knew Vandy couldn't shoot like that the whole game, that we would be able to guard them better after THEY tired a little, and our players wouldn't have been in foul trouble. I was more concerned about OUR poor offense and especially our poor foul shooting. Anyway, I can't believe I responded to you as if you were a real fan with questions, since you have put Pat down nearly every time you have posted on here and weren't really looking for answers.
rlshepa#259432 writes:
Have you ever coached anyone to do anything - oh, I forgot you don't have a brain.
chaos001 writes:
ugh...i always hate watching the Vandy games either in person or on tv. they're always chippy and dirty games. how many elbows and flagrant fouls did Vandy get away with? definitely not as many as they did in Nashville last year! when Bri got elbowed in the chest then plowed into was about the time I thought things were going to get seriously ugly...and then Lueders acted like she was going to take on Cain. what a joke!
for a university with such high academic standards, they play dirty as hell. i'm glad we beat the dirty 'dores...too bad it wasn't by a lot more!
GLV!
r2d2 writes:
Coach Summitt needs to start Kamiko Williams at point guard. Shekinna Stricklen is a great wing guard (or forward) but not a good point guard. Williams should start at point guard with Brianna Bass as her backup. I believe Coach Summitt is making a huge mistake in attempting to force Shekinna to be a point guard. I wish Coach Summitt was not so stubborn about this. I believe the Lady Vols offense could increase by 25 to 50 percent without hurting the defense if this lineup change is made.
CTOWNICON writes:
Congratualations on the win! But something is going to have to be done about allowing a team to shoot and make so many three pointers. It looked a bit scary there for a minute. When you are beating a team you need to find a way to keep them down. Do not let them get a second wind, thats when trouble starts. Aint no way vandy should have made all of those threes. For UT on offense that ball should have went in to Kelly or whatever post was out there to begin every play. Take advantage where you have the advantage. I get so sick of seeing them trying to force angie to be the bread winner. Obviously Angie was struggling and being defended very well tonight. The other players are going to have to step up and take the shots and quit trying to ride angie and force her to take contested shots. I really wish they would fix that. They are getting away from the inside out game again and they need to go back to it, immediately!
tonyvick#213307 writes:
This team goes as Strickland and Bjorkland goes. We need you guys to show up. Whatever it takes you two have to be the best tandem on the floor. Glory was a bit off tonight as well however she plays 3x's harder than anyone else and can compensate for a bit of an off night. Again Strick and Angie you all must not disappear. C'mon Brewer we need you. LVs you can go undefeated the rest of the way and make it to the final four if you want to.
xvolx writes:
We played them in the first half the way I have posted before. Man to man switch in the first half. We came out in the second half in a zone that gave up four straight 3's. Then we went back to man to man switch. Vandy has a short bench and they are not in as good shape as LV. Thanks for being civil. Also thought officiating was terrible. Especially the hand ck. call on Williams.
jack_2222#231746 writes:
Hey Mike- get a life, man.
ps11824 writes:
rfultonj writes: I believe Coach Summitt is making a huge mistake in attempting to force Shekinna to be a point guard. I wish Coach Summitt was not so stubborn about this.]]
Consider using some different phraseology here. Coach may be stubborn but her conviction has gained her more wins in the history of college basketball than any other coach. I like your opinions, I have some too but I would not be so naive as to think mine were better than Coach Summitt's. You know, rfultonj, that Pat is doing what she thinks works best for the situation.
These hard times Stricklen is going thru just may make her the best PG in the country. You do realize she would be among the biggest to play the position, and that can be a tremendous advantage. The option is always there for Williams and Bass, but guess what. Pat knows that, don't you think?
Pat is building a team that will compete for the NC. Sure she wants to win every game. but she also has her eyes on the prize, and she's probably got the right idea about having the biggest team, especially on the perimeter against the top-tier opposition.
huntined#565710 writes:
Hey MIKE, Right now I say your team would beat the VOLS But not as bad as you think..FIRST We would slow it down and it would be a low score. Everybody has run with your team and that is why they lose real bad. I don't think you have a person in here that don't know that right now you have the best team. Our team has improved over last year and we still don't have a Senior on this team so they will get better. Just enjoy what you have and let us enjoy the improvement we have and telling us you would win by 40-50 is crazy and you know that.
ps11824 writes:
Mike_In_Connecticut writes:
I can only imagine How bad Uconn would beat Tennessee if Chicken Pat werent afraid to play us..We would win by 50-60 points, there isnt a doubt in my mind]]]]]
First of all, who, other than you lends credence to your mind? And speaking of imagination, I can imagine your huskies going down in defeat, and me being pleased as I always am. I can also imagine what an enjoyable, otherwise intellectual discussion this could be IF you were not in it.
UTVOLSRROCKN writes:
As previously stated by the real fans here, Pat knows what the problems are and will do the best she possibly can to fix them. Who on this board can tell "HER" how to coach? The answer..nobody. If anyone knows, she knows. On her post game show, her quote was " yes, we won, but I'm mad". She indicated that practice today was going to be "not pleasant". I do think that before very much longer, Kamiko will be running point. She is just taking much longer to develop her skills at that position because in high school, she was the star at every position and is not used to playing on a team where every person has one MAIN positon. Pat is teaching, probably harder this year than ever before. UCONN can celebrate all their victories this year, because the next 2 and maybe even 3 will be OURS! BOOK IT!
LV....TCB....KOKO.....GBO!!!!!!!!!!!!
johnlg00 writes:
Agree completely about the officiating, but women's basketball officiating is USUALLY terrible. To me, the worst call was the block called on Brewer late in the game. She was backing up all the way, the Vandy player just threw herself at her, and the ref called the block on Brewer! The charge-v.-block call is often the hardest in basketball to make, but that one was ridiculous!
It also amazes me how often they call traveling on pivot moves in the post. They seem never to have heard that a player may pivot on one foot and then step to the basket with the other foot as long as the pivot foot doesn't come down again before the shot is released.
Sorry if I came down too hard earlier, but you do seem to have a pretty quick trigger on criticizing Pat for an LV fan if you are one.
UTVOLSRROCKN writes:
"there isn't a doubt in my mind" and "I could only imagine"....first of all you HAVE to have a mind to imagine, so thats your first problem there! The second problem is that Pat is not chicken to play UNCONN. That reason is on GENO. Guess you just have to have something to brag about since your MEN have lost 3 in a row!!!!!!!
Get lost, you POS!
LV......TCB........KOKO........GBO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
utfan00 writes:
I hate I missed the game yesterday. Did Smallbone get any playing time? If not, does anyone know why she doesn't let her play?
ps11824 writes:
Mike, what a pitiful little pile of pejorative putridness you would be if one of your superstars were to come upon some bad luck which put them on the sidelines indefinitely. I would not wish misfortune on even you sad little carcass, but you should try just a bit of humility. It would not hurt, and you might be better received here on GVX.
We've see our share of injuries. We take it like appreciative supportive fans should do and wait until our full compliment of superstars come along. After all, you have a far piece to go before you catch up to the Lady Vols program and the winningest coach in the history of college basketball, so don't be so smug as to think you're standing on unshakable ground.
r2d2 writes:
Thank you for your comments on my comments. I think Pat Summitt is the greatest coach in the history of women's college basketball. However, a great coach can be stubborn! Remember Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher's refusal to play Vince Collins. Different sport but same principle. The Lady Vols defense is as good as Connecticut's defense. Stanford scored 68 points on Connecticut. Stanford scored 67 points on Tennessee. The difference between Connecticut and Tennessee is: Connecticut has a smooth operating offense with Tiffany Hayes at point guard. Tennessee needs a good point guard to compete with teams like Connecticut. I believe Kamiko Williams is that point guard.
johnlg00 writes:
No sweat, 98. Mike ISN'T in on any intellectual conversation, just his usual pointless smack talk. Just ignore him like I do.
johnlg00 writes:
I think you meant Vince Young as the Titans QB. Anyway, as to Kamiko being the PG of the future, I pretty much agree with you. However, a good PG needs to be the coach's extension on the floor. I have heard enough from and about Kamiko that I don't think she quite "gets" Pat's approach to the game yet, at least not instinctively.
With her talent, I can see why her HS coaches wanted the ball in her hands a lot, so that whenever she saw any kind of opportunity, she could just GO. This is probably the first time she has had team-mates as good as she is, so although I don't think she is selfish and she WILL pass the ball, it is not yet natural for her to look for other players FIRST and then take it herself if no one else has anything.
Sorta like Fisher's take on Young; Fisher thought Vince was too quick to try to make a play on his own rather than let the receivers finish their routes. When Vince showed that he was willing to let the offense work rather than try to do everything himself, Fisher trusted him more and the Titans got better. Kamiko can make the same kind of transition if she will just listen to Pat instead of her father.
johnlg00 writes:
I agree that the charge/block call is problematic, but I don't think the solution is to do away with it. I think the NCAA made a disastrous mistake to try to take away the cheap charge when a defender is under the basket but then refused to require a painted arc to designate that area, introducing yet ANOTHER element of judgment in making that call. The emphasis should be more on which player initiated the contact rather than simply requiring the defender to be completely rigid in order to get the charge call. The game is rapidly becoming a blood-bath as it is; eliminating the charge/block call would only accelerate the trend, IMHO.
CTOWNICON writes:
Your steroid queens would not beat the lady vols by that much if they beat them at all. It would kill Geno the Godfather if Pat and her girls beat those robot chickens!
r2d2 writes:
Thanks for the correction and comments. I was thinking of Kerry Collins, the QB that Vince Young replaced.
johnlg00 writes:
If it were me, I would have blamed it on old age(;-P)! No sweat; anybody can have a "slip of the keyboard". Valid point, in any case.
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.