DAYTON, Ohio – Tennessee took a deep breath at halftime Saturday and blew past Ohio State.
The Lady Vols revved the game tempo and managed some defense in rallying for an 85-75 NCAA women’s basketball victory in a Dayton Regional semifinal game at University of Dayton Arena.
Shekinna Stricklen led top-seed Tennessee (34-2) with 20 points. The Lady Vols will play the winner of Saturday’s second game between Notre Dame and Oklahoma in the regional final at 7 p.m. Monday.
Ohio State shot 66.7 percent from the floor and scored 42 points in the first half, the best half of shooting by a UT opponent this season. But the Buckeyes couldn’t maintain the accuracy or scoring in the second half.
Ohio State put on an offensive clinic in the first half, shooting nearly 77 percent for the first 10 minutes, scoring everywhere from the rim to the 3-point line.
Still, the Buckeyes’ biggest lead was just six points. The Lady Vols shot well enough to stay close. A Shekinna Stricklen jumper at the buzzer pulled them within 42-40 at the break.
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Comments » 101
adimatteo#261830 writes:
congrats ladies, keep it up, great season...
jsmithnga#207674 writes:
Foster fled from Vandy to avoid playing Summitt, but he lost again--would say she has his #. All around good game.
wigmeister writes:
Go ladies!!!! Bring some needed good vibes back to the orange. That block Simmons made from behind was awesome. What hustle. We continue to hustle, and good things will continue to happen.
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Dalton writes:
Our ladies step up and Coach Summitt once again shows us how to be proud...no matter what UCONN does they have that tool and we have the best coach in men's or women's basketball....GOLADYVOLS!!!
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
btw:
angie and glory need to come off the bench. angie was awful, glory not much better. they maybe need to not have the pressure.
man oh man, how good were Avant and Kamiko for us?? And Taber??? Not perfect, but pretty dang good.
And, yeah, I'd take Prahalis: cute girl, tough, a little stinker, and I kind or like her.
cdtnladyvols931#663910 writes:
Foster whinned when he was at vandy because Lady Vols had more fans when they played vandy in Nashville. I wonder if he whinned today, from what I seen on the tv Lady vols had more fans in OH! Go Lady Vols! Keep playing good defense! the whole 40 minutes!!!
vol98champ writes:
How sweet it is!!! Dead vol you are an idiot.
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
No one should be critical of the ladies D in the first half...they did as they where told.
It takes a special skill to truly be able to double and rotate out effectively. you don't just mysteriously 'get' that skill in one game...and we haven't really had it since we had the Meeks.
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
I may be an 'idiot', but I'm right.
Why don't you argue me point by point.
Lemme guess: you can't.
jsmithnga#207674 writes:
Maybe he needs to start eating the orange M&Ms; actually they are very good.
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
oh, shoot, wait:
98vol, you are an idiot!!!
There, I feel all smug and superior-like now.
pomp_and_circumstance writes:
Does anyone have an explanation? If the LV's had made all their lay ups and under the rim shots they would have scored 100 points. They have been missing lay ups the past 10 games. Is adrenalin so high that hand-eye coordination is shattered? Is such a thing ever practiced? Otherwise, they showed their stuff today, and they have a good chance to cut the nets at Indy, if they stop spotting opponents 20 points with missed lay ups.
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
actually, pomp, it's tough at times. you go up and expecting contact that you don't get.
yeah, we had a lot roll out late today..but Lavendar is a good post, and the ladies knew she was around. I like her, she's a good post, but I like ours, too.
TommyJack writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
orangecountyvols writes:
Vols,
Admittedly neither I, nor the rest of us are coaches. However, even I might have been right when forecasting trouble if we concentrated on Lavender and let the outside shooters have all that space for wide open looks. Prahalas may have been very good on the floor but she definitely is a bit cocky with an attitude. Maybe you need a little of that though.
IMO, best game Cain ever played. On offense, she surprised the heck out of us. Angie had an off day, but all in all, the depth paid off and
the 2nd half looked like Tennessee basketball.
Ohio State has had their fill of SEC basketball
both men and women...........2 years in a row.
Loved the brief little congratulatory handshake by Foster.
The girls need to come out on fire in the next one and that depth will pay off !
vol98champ writes:
Only idiots argue with idiots.
VOLDoll writes:
Congrats to the lady Vols!
Isnt it nice to have a basketball coach that wins with integrity.
Is it possible for the mens program to win without cheating?
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
But, I can always be thankful I am not you.
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
gotcha.
well done.
I am duly impressed.
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
How odd;
k. Lawson agrees with me.
Never know what 'idiots' there are our there.
Razor784 writes:
Some things never change, Jim Foster is still Pat's whipping boy. GLV
RLL59 writes:
Surely, you expected that reaction. It deosn't matter that you very often support Coach Summitt. Trash the players, or if you want to be a real hero, attack the character of opposing players or coaches. Just don't even hint that the coaching staff may have made a mistake, or you'll be called names and asked how many games you've won. Not too innovative, but reliable and consistent.
I agree that Angie had a terrible game, though she played better defense on the OSU point guard than anyone today. But that doesn't mean she should be benched on what could be the last game of her career.
Otherwise I believe your comments were right on. Congratulations to the Lady Vols, particularly to Shekinna, who really stepped up at the end when the team needed confidence, poise, and encouragement.
Now, let's not let Mike from UConn's prediction about ND beating the Lady Vols come true.
johnlg00 writes:
Agree completely! I have been railing for the longest time about the sideways motion so many of the LVs put on the ball when they put it up from close in. You shoot a power layup the same way you shoot a 15-footer; you shoot the ball UP with your hand going toward the basket so it can drop DOWN into the basket. You put the ball UP on the backboard, you don't try to shoot a soft shot JUST hard enough to go in because it hardly ever DOES. And you NEVER try to just lay the ball over the rim from close in when you have to go through hands to do it. It either doesn't get there at all or it just "slides" across the rim.
On defense, I don't know how many times the LVs crossed under screens and allowed the open shot on the outside. When you are playing against good 3-point shooters, you run them off the arc. On help defense, I saw at least three occasions where a help defender actually moved OUT of the path of a driver--you NEVER run AWAY from the player with the ball, you make them do something ELSE. In all cases--twice it was Kelly Cain and once it was Lyssi--their eyes were firmly fixed on the player they were guarding and never even saw the OSU guard going right down the path they just left. It is bad enough that our perimeter players are so easy to get around but it is worse that the posts too often don't even offer to back them up.
All that said, Meighan, Kamiko, Kelly, Shekinna, and Glory made some really good plays and the gals generally did what they had to do to win over a gritty OSU bunch. Not sure that level of effort and execution from the team as a whole will get them a championship, however.
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
How so??
His team did everything they could possible do to win the game. Hats off to both OSU and to our players.
Best play of the game: Simmons block.
TommyJack writes:
Nor more so than me.
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
rll...
No, don't bench angie, just don't start her.
we need angie badly.
but thanks for the comment.
nadio1987 writes:
I said this once, and i'll say it again, some of you "Lady Vols fans" wont be please with a win, if it was handed to us.. geeeesssh, they won, move on and lets take care of what's up next, they know what they have to do and not do.. however, GO LADY VOLS !!!!!
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
ah, but you see,
the diff is I never, ever purposely call you out on even your most bogus BS posts. I just let them slide.
You?? Seems you live to call people
'a-hole' and whatever.
why do you bother?? maybe check with your bible on occasion and see where that fits in your life plan.
Maybe God left you a bit short.
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
yeah, well, we thought that coming into the OSU game and we came close to blowing it.
I'm hoping for ND to win, I think we match well with them.
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
john...
a lot of times, depends on whether it's a static or dynamic move. secondly, whether a player behind you is capable of the block.
I try to work with my kids on getting the ball in FRONT of their bodies so a defender has to come over the top to block.
Innumerable times, you'll see a player with the ball back over his/her head get the ball swiped on an inside shot.
TommyJack writes:
So now you're gonna go all biblical on me?
BTW, I call very few peeps the a word. Only where it fits.
GOJO writes:
****
If you are as good at game planning as you think you are, are you making as much money as Pat? Oh yeah, there is a vacancy on the men's side. Got your resume in? LOL
volfan73120#211815 writes:
Who in the HELL do you think you are, trying to tell Pat how to coach. You must have a hole in your brain. You sound more like a troll than a fan. Every since you came on here in November you've demonstrated nothing but arrogance. Tommy Jack was right about you being an A-- hole.
houvol#438636 writes:
Pat's 'speech fired me up. I knew the Big Orange would come out in the 2nd half and play inspired.
I do think this will be the last time we will get away with playing uninspired ball. Before we get too critical let give some credit to Ohio State. They played well. However, let's not forget we have depth and it showed. Go Big Orange. Great job ladies.
nadio1987 writes:
Who is WE???? I didn't say anyone's name in specific, but hey, the GUILTY does speaks.. But since you're so "NEGATIVE" today, and you want "ATTENTION" all over the blog, like Mike from Uconn, i'm going to let you have it.. HAVE FUN.. and that being said, GO LADY VOLS !!!!!
MajorMustard writes:
I thought Kamiko made some important contributions this game. Glory lost focus several times. Meighgan refuses to lose. I think they were saving Cain for this game and she was awesome. Angie was bad on offense - OK on defense, I guess she just knows if she is on or off and quits shooting. But that's 2 games in a row. I was suprised to see that Strickland was the high scorer, her maturity showed at the end with the clutch free throws and ball handling - kudos to her.
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
Atta, boy,
keep taking the bait.
Suck much??
springtx_vol writes:
I am not sure we were watching the same game. Most of OSU's first half points off of jumpers came as they went around picks. It was like they were expecting the pick and role, so the defender of the "picker" would not come out to put pressure on the dribbler. They would play soft while the dribler's defender tried to go under the pick to play defense.
Yes, OSU hit a couple of open jumpers off of penetration, but most of them were off the pick. Think about how the men played the on-ball screens; the second defender would come out hard and force the dribbler to go deeper to either shoot or make a pass. The LV did not do that.
However, it was a great effort. Our post players outscored Lavender. Symmons was fantastic. Two, count them 2, turnovers! Overall, 20 assists, 12 turnovers. I read somewhere that the nations leader in A:TO ratio was 1.19. We had a 1.67 for the game.
On the flip side, I can see why Lavender has not fouled out of a game all year. She never bodied up on our posts, never stepped in to stop the drives. She was a very passive defender.
Next up - Oklahoma/Notre Dame winner, don't care!
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
Agree on all.
Glad Kamiko has hung with it.
I thought she played decent D too.
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
dead_vol_foul (Inactive) writes:
yes,
but a good part of our hesitancy was we were trying to be in the area so we could double Lavendar.
I felt coming in our posts could match up with her and at least neutralize her on each end. Tat was my main frustration with the first half....why double?? Just make her work.
Munsterlander writes:
DVF, you must either be about 12 or just socially inept. Doesn't matter whether you're right or wrong, you're obnoxious. If I counted right, something like 16 of the first 36 posts are from you. You will survive the day just fine if don't let everybody know how smart you are (or at least think you are) 50 times.
Good game PS and LVs.
rogatl2002#222395 writes:
Seriously? Lavender is the 4 time player of the year in the Big 10. The post defense was excellent. Not sure if you noticed but OSU couldn't keep shooting like that all game. We actually won by the way.
volfan73120#211815 writes:
The fact of the matter is that Pat knows how to coach the Lady Vols better than you do. She made the proper adjustments at half time, and we came back in the second half and had a nice win. Get over it.
springtx_vol writes:
In rethinking my previous post, there were a few baskets that OSU scored on the interior when Lavender hit a cutter. Lavender had 5 assists, so it wasn't a game changer. There were very few inside out baskets.
I am still more concerned about the defenders on the jump shooters. Offense comes and goes; defense is heart and effort. Just look at VCU. Maya Moore must be drooling to shoot over our guards.
I agree with the current analysis of the LV by the ESPN crew. For some reason, they do not come out and play with fire until after halftime. They will not win the NC if they don't play from the opening tip; they may not win anyway against Baylor/Stanford/UConn. But I know they will not with out a complete effort.
Theo writes:
Okay, let's move on shall we?
So proud of Kelly, she dominated inside. I thought we did a great job of making sure Lavender didn't take over the game. Certainly she got her points on us but did not dictate anything.
Feeling good that we won fairly easily with Angie having a bad game.
Watching the OK - ND game. Hard to compare teams playing that you are not familiar with but ND doesn't look as athletic as I thought they might be. I know they are winning but I don't think OK is executing at all. I did notice in looking a previous box scores that when Conn. beat ND they were able to limit Devereax to like 4 points a game. I'm sure Pat and the gang will cook up something for her for Monday.
Great game, great minutes from Kamiko, Lauren, Taber and Manning. Proud of the girls!
johnlg00 writes:
Very often, when there is a shot-blocker behind the offensive post player, the player trying to shoot, consciously or unconsciously, crouches down and allows the defender to loom over him/her. I found that if instead you power straight up with a defender on your back, your head comes up under their chin. A bitten tongue or lip or a cracked tooth or two does wonders in clearing would-be shot-blockers off your back.
For another thing, when you want to go up in traffic with shot-blockers around, it never hurts to use a pump-fake and a pivot or two to get the defender off-balance before POWERING the ball to the basket. So many players seem to be SO afraid of looking bad by getting their shot blocked. The attitude I prefer is, "Yeah, you got that one, but you'd BETTER block 'em all, 'cause otherwise it's going in!" I would sometimes deliberately let a shot-blocker get my first one, knowing that he would be going after ALL of them after that, which just sets them up for pump-fakes and usually gets them in foul trouble. It's the ATTITUDE of "Oh please don't make me look bad by blocking my shot!" behind those soft shots underneath that gets me.
orangecountyvols writes:
Vols,
Everyone cool it a bit. Don't play games with the Deadvol. He's a bit on the childish side and wants 75% of the posts here to show everyone he's the missing coach we need on the bench.
Anyway, speaking of missing layups guys, had to turn off the Okla - N D game after what seemed like 10 trips down the floor Okla either missed their layups or turned it over. All empy possessions.
In a way, maybe good. Perhaps N D will think their game with us will be a walk in the park.
Still think we have the deep bench to carry us and always it seems, someone will step up.
johnlg00 writes:
Agree completely about Kelly. That was easily the most self-assured and positive-looking that I have seen her in quite some time. Hope she's got two or three more like that in her yet this post-season!
I also take it as a good sign that the team generally played well with Angie struggling. She will come up big at some point when we really need her. Despite my comments above, I think the LVs are in good shape to win it all this year as long as they bring the effort and focus every game.
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