John Adams: Carryover effect could be in play vs. UCLA

Holly Warlick breaks down UCLA

LOS ANGELES — Tennessee can only hope that a cross-country flight from Knoxville to Los Angeles with a Detroit detour in between doesn't diminish the carryover effect of what just happened on the East Coast.

In a best-case scenario for the sixth-ranked Lady Vols, they will pick up where they left off Tuesday night at Rutgers when they take on UCLA this afternoon before moving up the coast for an even bigger game, against No. 4 Stanford three days later.

The 67-61 victory over Rutgers was more about resourcefulness and effort than polished play. The Lady Vols lost a 13-point lead and found themselves down by five before regrouping for a game-turning surge.

"It's huge for us," associate head coach Holly Warlick said after Friday's practice at the John Wooden Recreation Center on the UCLA campus. "As we know, we can't fade in and out. We need to maintain a lead.

"But I think they understand if they get down, how they can fight back."

The road victory over Rutgers might not have meant as much a few seasons back when the Lady Vols seemingly had Final Four reservations on an annual basis. But the nature of the comeback carries more weight for a team that includes only one player, fifth-year senior Vicki Baugh, with Final Four experience.

Baugh was a backup on a national championship team. The other seniors, who form the core of the team, are better known for March mishaps — the

most recent being an Elite Eight loss to Notre Dame last season.

"This is the one team that has not been to a Final Four," Warlick said. "Like it or not, it is what it is.

"So having big wins on the road for us is huge. And this game (against UCLA) is big for us. Coming in here, traveling, and then heading up to Stanford."

The significance of the Rutgers victory is further magnified by last month's overtime loss at Virginia. That defeat, against an unranked team, brought back the worst memories from the last few seasons that ended before the Final Four.

The Rutgers victory reminded you of better days for a program that has won eight national championships by repeatedly rising to the occasion.

"With us being able to bounce back, we came together as a team," sophomore guard Meighan Simmons said. "We told each other as a team, 'We're not going lose this game,'

"We had to show what we've practiced for, why we've run so much. We had to get a second wind to show everybody we don't give up."

Simmons' role in the victory is especially noteworthy. A streaky shooter, she sometimes has been oblivious to the state of the game or her shot in choosing when to launch the next attempt. The quick trigger and misfires have been exacerbated by Simmons' temporary move to point guard, a switch necessitated by an injury to freshman Ariel Massengale.

After making only two of nine first-half field-goal attempts against Rutgers, Simmons missed a 3-point try early in the second half. She played the next 11 minutes as though shooting was no longer an option.

Simmons faded as a shooter. She didn't disappear.

Her 3-pointer with 4:20 to play gave UT a four-point lead. Her next 3-pointer upped the lead to seven.

She demonstrated selectivity as well as accuracy in hitting those game-altering shots.

As much as the baskets mattered, they will resonate even more if there's a carryover effect.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj//twitter.com/johnadamskns