Mike Siroky’s SEC Report: Conference Season Closing In

By Mike Siroky

 

The historically best conference of women’s basketball, the Southeastern, is in tuneup mode in the weeks before conference collisions.

 

Gary Blair hit the 800-win mark at Texas A&M and in a Guru blog below this he notes that Blair just broke a tie with retired Jim Foster for eighth all-time and is fourth on the active list with 382 appearances, achieved with three different teams.

 

The six nationally ranked teams in the Associated Press poll have slowed the pace. 

 

No once shifted in the Associated Press poll. They all began the league format of a midweek game followed by a Sunday finish.

 

Tennessee needed a buffer win before heading to No. 1 Stanford this midweek. 

 

There is a real chance they will lose two of three games after starting 7-0, but the second would be against the current top team in America.

 

 No. 5 SOUTH CAROLINA (10-1)

 

Purdue was the only challenge and obstacle to a 10th win and a hold in the national poll.

 

The Boilermakers, still with the same coach, actually missed three recent NCAA eliminations and fell well out of the standings. What’s worse, in-state rival Indiana is on the up elevator and is ranked.

 

Purdue was 19-15 last season. They lost in the league tournament. 

 

But they had taken South Carolina to double-overtime before losing. 

 

This year, the Boilermakers needed an impact win before its conference season. They came in 7-2 but hadn’t played anyone yet. The trio of top scorers barely averaged 11 points.

 

Team defense allowed 56 a game, against a 64 average. So it was more of a scrimmage than a game challenge.

 

In typical SC fashion against Big Ten teams, they broke out slowly against the Boilermakers, 20-13, at the first quarter stop.

 

But then.

 

A 13-3 sprint put it away by halftime. Purdue was helpless.

 

LeLe Grisset hit a jumper, Destinni Henderson made another – Staley was already exploring her bench depth – and Boston blocked a shot. Grissett hit again. Boston fed Henderson. Zia Cooke hit a jumper.

 

Whichever way the Boilermakers turned, here came another successful attacker. 

 

Boston scored, then got a defensive rebound. Cooke drove for a layup, grabbed the next rebound then hit a 3. Brenna Beal made two free throws and Victoria Saxton had a steal. Beal had a steal.

 

It was 43-28 at the break.

 

Point guard Tyasha Harris had an understated game, 14 points, 6-of-8 from the field and five assists. Kiki Herbert Harrigan was similarly alright, with 12 points, 6-of-9 from the field, a block and five rebounds.

 

 They had caused seven turnovers. The had five steals. Rebounds were 28-12, SC.

 

They drew the usual SEC superlative, 11,306.

 

They scored 50 underneath, complemented by 24 on the break and 25 off turnovers. They never lost the lead. 

 

With time relegated so everyone could play, no one doubled, but six hit 10 or more. Henderson scored 15 off the bench to lead everyone.

 

 “We need to jump start how we play and what we want to do,” said Staley. “We worked on applying full-court pressure. We wanted to speed them up and turn them over.

 

“If you look at Kiki underneath, she is superlative. We have to use that. It is really imperative we use our speed, just fly around out there.

 

“We have a team in which a lot of people can score if we put them in the right position.

 

“We have to push our game, 30 percent in transition and 30 percent at the free-throw line. We executed our game plan. We were locked in defensively.

 

The Gamecocks have two more home games against unranked teams before opening the SEC at home vs. Kentucky and Alabama, neither of which will threaten the home record.

 

No. 11 TEXAS A&M (9-1)

 

Coach Gary Blair challenged junior forward N’dea Jones to start averaging double figures. She was on track for that at the 34-34 half. He also challenged the team to do a better job on guarding the 3 defensively. That did not happen.

 

Of course, TCU was 7-0 and unranked. This was suddenly looking like one of those Aggies home games when they lose for no apparent reason.

 

A big difference for the home team at halftime was Cierra Johnson had no points.

 

Chennedy Carter averages 22.4 points per game, fifth in the nation and tops in the league. She has hit double figures in 54 games. She was on track.

 

Junior guard Kayla Wells has double figures in six games.

 

TCU took a four-point edge in the third quarter and maintained. One home plus was Johnson started scoring.

 

The Aggies trailed by three. 

 

Jones had made her goal of doubling. But a basket after the last of three straight chances gave TCU a three-point lead at the two-minute mark.

 

TCU rescued a possession by quickly calling a time out with a minute left but without possession because the ball was unpossessed during a scrum. 

 

TCU got very cautious. Shambria Washington forced a turnover.

 

Carter tied it up with her only 3. It was still anyone’s game.  Carter stole the ball and Blair called a time out. Carter won a one-on-one matchup on a finger roll basket and the home team held the lead with 32 seconds left.

 

A&M knew they had to appreciate the challenge to guard the 3. The ball was knocked loose, but TCU recovered to tie it with 12 seconds left.

 

A very patient Carter drove close, she left three seconds when her floater was good. 

 

It was the 15th lead change.

 

 The crowd of 3,015 did their best to enact an advantage. Jones threatened enough inside that no shot got off.

 

A&M had won, 70-68, the eighth straight in the series.

 

Jones doubled with 11 and 11, her first double/double of the season. 

 

Carter scored the final seven points to meet her average and that was enough.  

 

Wells’ 10 gave her double figures in seven games.  Johnson shaking loose for all 10 in the second half was a substantial difference. 

 

This third season of starting the same lineup all the time proved out with the confidence and no-questions play at the end. 

 

All starters were in double figures for the only time this season.

 

Johnson said, “We dug deep. If this wasn’t home, we probably don’t win.

 

“I’m used to SEC play. When it is not SEC, you have to adjust and keep playing. You have to adjust to the referees and how they call it.

“On Chennedy’s 3 we were supposed to run a back screen. For some reason they left her wide open. You can’t draw that up. She is the best scorer in the SEC, so take it.”

 

The win also gave the SEC a midweek sweep, though the other three were blowouts.

 

Assistant coach Kelli Bond-White said, “They were undefeated and played with a lot of confidence.

Changing defense was a challenge but we turned it loose in the final minutes and just went for it,

 

“They had a good game plan and we were fortunate to find a way. N’dea Jones, even at 75 percent is a monster for us.

 

“The 12th man really brought us through.”

 

Blair needed one win to hit 800 wins, the fifth active coach to have that.

 

Bond-White said that is the unspoken goal for Houston in the next game. 

 

“It has been a privilege to be along for that ride,” she said. As the players celebrated with the fans in the stands, the next goal was already in play.

 

 Carter emphasized the team support.

 

“I think that’s it’s just me knowing (Shambria) a little bit, just from playing with her for so long, I can read her eyes, I can tell when she wants to come back to me and really before the play we had a timeout and it was just like look ‘I need you to score and take over’ and it took me to a different place and it made me want to help my team out and do it for all of us, because we’re all in it together.

 

“I just set my legs up and was confident. I know I haven’t been shooting the 3 as well as I normally will, I think it’s just taking me some time to get back into the flow, but if I keep being confidence and my teammates keep finding me, they’ll fall.

 

“It was a two-three zone. We practice that a lot, so it was just a simple ball screen. I mean it’s do-or-die time, take the best shot, get into the paint, if I missed it, I knew that I had two of best rebounders in the country, in my opinion, under the rim. 

 

Regardless of me missing or making it, I knew someone was going to get it and put it back in, so I was just fortunate enough to make the shot.”

 

 Washington said: “We needed it, extra possessions, more rebounds, N’dea and Cheah (Rael-Whitsitt) do a great job of that, Ciera as well. 

 

“That’s what we need. We know that we can depend on them to get the rebounds because they battle day in and day out. 

 

“The SEC is physical in the post, so I think that they are used to rebounding against some of the best in the country and that’s what we need, extra possessions to put points on the board. 

 

“We don’t give up; we fight with each other and for each other and that’s what matters. When the odds are stacked against us, we just keep pushing and keep fighting, we have grit, we compete, and we’re not going to let anyone outplay us. 

 

“I know we are going to give each other all that we have for as long as we need to. All 12 of us, were going to fight until the end.”

 

Blair said, “First, I’d like to thank all the fans that are living with us through this.

 

‘We play tough. We aren’t always the prettiest basketball team to watch, but we play very hard. You have to give the opponent credit, but we also have to get better. 

 

“This is why we played this type of schedule to get ready for conference play

.

“At the end of the game, my biggest takeaway was that I have Chennedy Carter. There aren’t a lot of players that can pull off what she did at the end of that game.

 

“We said that rebounding would be the key and we only won the rebounding battle by one. I thought we started well, up 19-12, then, again, we quit running the basketball and being effective. 

 

“That’s where we’ve got to attack because when the jump shot isn’t going you have to do something else.

 

“The defense in the second half did a fantastic job. (Lauren) Heard and (Kianna) Ray did a good job.

 

“What hurt us, again, was rebounding with our guards not getting on the defensive boards. It’s been our Achilles Heel all year and we haven’t corrected it.

 

“Yes, Carter hit the last three baskets and had three big-time shots; that’s what the best player is supposed to do. We had five kids in double figures, and I’m proud of that.

 

“When we needed it inside in the second half, we finally got some easy baskets with Ciera and N’dea in there and I thought they played very well.

 

“If we’re on the road we probably would have lost this game, but we were at home and the crowd helped us through, and when we got down by five, we’d been there before. 

 

“We’ve played the teams to get us ready to make stops and plays down the stretch. I thought Shambria saved us in the first half. We had balance, and I’ll take that. 

 

“Neither team was going to beat itself.

 

“Five out of their top six are seniors. I’ve got Shambtria in there and four juniors that are pretty doggone good. Sometimes you have to give credit for teams making plays down the stretch. 

 

“That was a good basketball team from TCU.”

 

So here came the last Texas team, Houston.

Try as he might, Blair could not deaden the arena heartbeat for No. 800.

 

It was easier than anticipated, 72-43, which started the celebration for the 3,508 attendees early. He has earned all 800 after the age of 40. He is 71 now.

 

He has a national championship at A&M in that run. This team is worthy of such a goal. It will get its 10th win before SEC play.

 

He had challenged Jones to start doubling every game. Even in the runaway, she did, 10 points, 11 rebounds and a career best four steals in 23 minutes. 

 

Carter hit her 23 average and Johnson 16. 

 

It is Johnson’s 49th straight in double figures, 74th of 75 career games, a program record. Shambria Washington tied her career high in assists with nine.

 

Blair said: “I would like to thank everybody that made this possible. There were a lot of things going on behind the scenes that I didn't even know about. 

 

“I didn't know about my daughter getting here due to a tournament they had this weekend. I was out raking the leaves quickly this morning and all of a sudden, she walks in with her husband and everybody else was coming in, so it was special being able to enjoy with family.

 

“But also, the family of the extended people here. Coach Kelly Bond-White does so many things behind the scenes. She's just like a little Oprah.

 

“ I mean she gets things done. She gets on the phone and makes things happen. She's such an unsung hero for Texas A&M.

 

“All the support people that made this possible; yes, this was pressure. Not the pressure to win as much as the pressure to play well and to improve as a basketball team. 

 

“And yes, I've been nervous for about a week and a half. I knew it was just a number that was coming up. 

 

“It's tough. My good friend is going to hit 700 in a couple weeks. There's a good high school friend that just hit 800 two days ago that lives pretty close around here. It's a number, but it's the feeling of accomplishment for all of the years.

 

“It's not one play, and it's not one player. It's all of y'all, everything that comes together. You have shared probably the 320 something losses I've had too, but that comes with sport, sport gives you a chance to have an outcome. 

 

“Sport is your chance to have hope. It gives you a chance to have hope, at Texas A&M, this is a destination school. No one should ever leave this school for another job.

 

“You've got a great university; we're given all the toys and the tools to be able to entertain people. It's been special.”

 Johnson said, “He's really an outstanding coach. I know sometimes we don't appreciate him as much as we should, but he is really one of the best of the best and I'm glad I've been able to play for him.” 

 

On playing more quality minutes tonight compared to other nights…

 

“Our practices have been better. So, practices are better that translates for us on the court. If we're practicing bad, it's going to carry over onto the court, so we've locked in this past week to prepare for us and we really liked the outcome.”

 

Washington said, playing for Gary Blair, “That's a blessing. I don't think we really realize how special it is right now. But, later on in life we will probably look back on it, especially me being a point guard for him. 

 

“I just thank God for opportunity; I thank God for allowing me to play in a program like this. I think we're blessed and I'm glad we could get it for him the way we did today.

 

“He's good at identifying his player’s talents and runs the offense through that. You take away the first option, he has a second option, a third option, and then he'll even redo the whole play, but it's still the same play.

 

“I just think his basketball IQ is incredible. The things that he sees, what he expects me to see, he sees probably six plays ahead of what we're getting ready to run. 

 

“He'll run a play to set up three other plays later in the game. I just think his basketball IQ is incredible, he's a great teacher, and it's a blessing to learn from him.”

 

A very cool part of the game came late when the reserves ruled.

 

Anna Dreimane is a junior from Latvia. She is a transfer from Colorado State. Imagine the culture adjustments she has mastered. 

 

She helped lead a junior European team to their national title. She is a very slender 6-5.

 

 If she ever finds the weight room or happens upon the Gary Blair Nutrition Center in the home locker room, she could be a force.

 

She scored the 72nd point and the bench – led by the starters – erupted with towel pumps and jumps and all-out cheers to the rafters. That she had four rebounds just ices it. Her teammates appreciate her.

 

It is what college athletics is all about.

 

The Aggies travel to Puerto Rico to take on Georgia Tech and Montana State this weekend in the Coqui Classic.

 

No.  14 KENTUCKY (10-1)

 

Gee somebody got to 10-0 before being edged in the state rivalry game by a high-ranked team. Eight of the 10 were at home.

They even rented Rupp Arena for the 91-36 Winthrop game. That’s the highest point total this season. 

Maybe it was to give the Kats a game on the arena floor before No. 7 Louisville followed. 

 

UK had been 5-0 in the homestand and the final undefeated team in the league.

 

Southeastern Conference Player of the Week Rhyne Howard averaged 24.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game during a 6-0 home stretch. 

 

Senior guard Sabrina Haines matched the rebounds and averaged a dozen points.

 

UK raised its team average to 81 points while leveraging the opponent scoring to 46.

 

Which was just dandy when facing 1-5 Winthrop, whose team average was 56.7, allowing 13 more and averaging 19.7 turnovers per game.

 

Jaida Roper scored a career high 30, double her average. She was 12-of-13 from the field, 3-of-4 on 3s.

 

In such a runaway, playing time was deleted to allow the subs more court play. 

 

Rhyne Howard, for instance, didn’t even play the second half. 

 

Why risk it? 

 

She scored a dozen anyway. Blair Green scored a career-best 12. The Kats forced a season-high 35 turnovers. No one had scored more than 54 against them.

 

Coach Matthew Mitchell is nine wins away from 300 in his 13th season in the program.

 

“It is obvious that the team shot the ball really well. We just need to keep working and trying to improve.

 

 “Jaida was so much fun. You know, she just really got into a good rhythm. She made some really good plays there in the first half cutting to the basket. 

 

“She shot the 3 well and she was doing really good from the field. 

 

But she really made some smart plays and she was able to earn some buckets and then as it started getting closer in the second half, I tried to call some things that would give her an opportunity.

 

“We didn’t want to force anything and make it about one player. But she just played really smart and she took good shots and did not force anything tonight. 

 

“She just played a really smart forward game. I am happy for her and it has to be a great feeling to have that kind of game.”

 

“I was just real focused,” Roper said, “I came here earlier and got some shots up. I was feeling pretty good and I was just locked in. 

 

“When I got going, my teammates were going in and encouraging me, shout out to them.”

 

Junior forward KeKe McKinney, said of Louisville:

 

“It is just another game. We are going to treat it like it is another game. We are going to go out there and play Kentucky ball.”

 

 The coach had this assessment: "We have just got to, with every game we have and every opportunity, we have got to do our best. 

 

“So, that is what we are trying to prepare for. But obviously, that will be a very tough game and we will try to make sure that we are taking the good stuff from tonight like we have with all of our other games and build on that and then try to improve on whatever we can clean up.”

 

Who woulda guessed UK would not score in the final three minutes – though Howard had a 3 attempt as the clock expired – or that Louisville senior Kylee Shook would hit a jumper at 2:45 and the final (therefore winning) 3 from the top of the key at 1:55 in a 67-66 game that knocked the last SEC unbeaten back to normalcy.

 

No more baskets after that.

 

Shook was 3-of-5 on 3s and scored 11, one of four starters in double figures. 

 

Those final points pushed her one definitive point past her average. 

 

Shook said it was a senior goal to down UK. She said she was more focused on bringing her assists up.

 

 They won rebounds by 21, with 11 second-chance points. 

 

Howard scored 26, but only six after halftime. 

 

UK kept it close with 10 3s and 12-of-15 free throws, even though Louisville had a gripe if they wanted one by being only awarded four free throws. 

 

They hit them, all.

 

UK had a six-point halftime edge, and a 10-point lead in the third, but the Cardinals scored 13 straight to close the period. 

 

The 27 points in the third is the most UK has allowed in any quarter this season. The 12 straight is the most UK has allowed. The 67 overall is the most they have allowed.

 

“Well, we’re disappointed to lose today,” said Mitchell. “You hate that outcome, but I remain real proud of our players. They prepared really well for the game.

 

“We rallied from some tough situations all throughout the game, so we showed some toughness. We were asking for that and to just come up one point short certainly stings, but proud of our players and you just have to give UofL a lot of credit. 

 

“They played really hard as well, and they always do, so they made one more play than we did and they will get the benefit of the victory. 

 

“But I think we learned a lot from this game, and it’ll help us improve, so we just have to stick with it and keep at it, and just like I told them, I wouldn’t trade locker rooms for anything. I really love our team.”

 

As for the unexpected 3 that won it:

 

“Well, you know, she shoots some, we were more concerned with Dana Evans. She was shooting 50 percent from the 3 and didn’t want her to get into rhythm. 

 

“We just got a little too deep off of Shook, and now once Evans turned the corner, we were just kind of in no man’s land there.

 

“Was it a switch or was it not, and we don’t ever want to leave anybody wide open, and that’s what happened a couple of times there at the end of the game. 

 

“You know we were able to tighten it up and we were able to slow Evans down and then get back to Shook, and then we also rotated up one time, but we gave them a couple there, and to her credit, she knocked them down. 

 

“She came into the game at 21 percent, and she didn’t shoot 21 percent today from the 3. She had a great day, 3-of-5, so you have to give her credit. She made big shots.”

 

 His Haines had converted a four-point play, a 3 and a free throw, near the start.

 

 “Sabrina’s was a big shot,” he said, “and I mean, we got off to a rocky start offensively in the beginning and you give UofL credit for that. 

 

“They are a tough defensive team; always are. I was really proud with of how we hung in there and had a really good first half offensively, and it’s always exciting to have a four-point play.

 

“Glad to see that go in and great crowd (11,256) today. Really outstanding energy from the crowd, so we were appreciative of that.

 

“And then I thought we made a good play there at the end defensively and basically had them in transition defense, and you know, we’ll learn from that situation. I wish we would have driven it to the basket. 

 

“Really would’ve loved to have seen us try to go, we were in the bonus and we needed to drive that one to the basket on them.

 

“They weren’t quite organized, then Rhyne Howard’s was pretty deep, but it was a good look and she makes them a lot. 

 

“So, was more than happy to have the ball in her hands in the end and to have her take the shot, and it didn’t go, but she’ll learn from it and you have to give Yacine Diop a ton of credit in the second half, she was extremely physical and hustled and was a tough defender on Rhyne.

 

“ And so, Rhyne will learn from that as well. I think our team will grow from what was a tough game.”

 

 “ Dana Evans is a great player. She’s one of the top guards in the country. She is a very impressive player. She has great ball handling abilities with her head up, which makes her a great play maker. 

 

“She can handle it with both. She can score at the rim, she can shoot the pull up, she can really shoot the ball great from the 3. I don’t know that we’ll see a lot of guards better than her. She’s really, really good. Hats off to her.

 

UK’s rebounding still needs work.

 

“That’s been an Achilleas’ Heel for us,” Mitchell said. “We have to do better, we’re not a flawless basketball team and in many games, this season we’ll be undersized and that was the case today. 

 

“I thought we did a more than adequate job on first shot defense today, it was the second shot that really got us.

 

“We’re just not quite physical enough and not in the habit of really finding and boxing and making the play and that falls on my shoulders. I have to do a better job in practice of making sure that we’re ready to rebound at a higher level than we did today. 

 

“I’m not sure if we’ll ever out rebound a team as big as UofL. When you get out rebounded by 20, you can tell they played pretty tough. 

 

“That was a big factor, UofL did a really good job on the boards.

 

 “I think our free throw shooting is going to be fine. We’re good shooters, so we just have to leave it all in the past. 

 

“You just have to have some toughness and get up there and knock them down. You can’t shoot the ball the way we do from the 3 and not be a good free throw shooting team, so I’m not concerned.

 

Howard said, of the final shot, ““I think it was a pretty good look. It looked good coming off my hand and I thought it was going in. I’d probably take that shot every other time.

 

“They did a good job of blocking my shot when I drove it. That’s pretty much it.”

 

 Haines said, “I would fight with this team any day. We learned a lot about ourselves and just what we can also work on and what we’re good at.”

 

 The loss to a superior team did not cost them in the poll. The last game of the year was a week away at California.

 

 No. 15 MISSISSIPPI STATE (8-2)

 

The Bulldogs had the week off.

 

No. 21 ARKANSAS (10-1)

 

Defense could be said to be the important factor in a blowout.

 

The Razorbacks started and finished in a rush, 91-41. It is the biggest margin of victory since 2016

 

Coach Mike Neighbors’ plan is to shoot and shoot quickly. Within the first nine seconds. 

 

Of 630 possessions for Arkansas, only 30 shots came in the last nine seconds. He may be the only league coach who does not worry over game rebounds.

 

It started 22-2. 

 

By the end, Neighbors had pulled his starters for the majority of the fourth quarter.

 

It got so frustrating for Tulsa that its best player gave a little half-hearted shove in the back of the rebounder after blowing another layup and received a flagrant foul call.

 

Alexis Tolefree had five 3s by the end of the third. She finished with a season-high 29. As a team, by the time they allowed 20 they had 56.

 

Chelsea Dungee was not much needed. 

 

Limited playing time made fewer opportunities for the team’s leading scorer. 

 

Hitting 3-of-11 from the field showed a definite off game. It ended a string of double-digit games and of being the leader scorer.

 

This was an awakening game for junior guard Amber Ramirez. She had started at Tulsa then sat out last season as a transfer. 

 

Ramirez is the second-highest Razorback scorer, at 14.1

 

She had played some international ball against Dungee and had dreamed of playing on the same team. 

 

The McDonald’s All-American had twice medaled for the U.S, on age-group teams.

 

Junior A’Tyanna Gaulden scored her season-best 14 off the bench. She had those by the end of the third.

 Maybe she was just trying to out wiggle her cousin, Alexis, a senior starter on Tulsa, who scored one basket. 

 

The bench outscored Tulsa, 46-41. They only drew 1,357.

 

“It was a testament to the rest of the team,” said Neighbors. “We really got it going in the second half. Defense carried us through the first quarter, then the offense took over.

 

“We had valuable, valuable game experience by playing a lot of kids. Very good game for December.

 

“Our starters were so important and aware. On the bench, they were cheering and telling those on the court what to do. 

 

“On the court, they were still making 3-4 passes and that comes from them coaching themselves. No one wants to be the one that doesn’t make the pass.

 

“They are starting to trust each other and respect each other. Two games in a row we have stopped the star of the other team. We don’t want them being interviewed on the radio. We want to define who is going to be their star.”

 

“Northwestern State, we played them last year.  We are going into finals, so it’s always a stressful time. They will have plan we haven’t seen.”

 

Not so much. 

 

The Razorbacks had no troubles in the 99-39 win. 

 

A 28-13 opening quarter was relatively soft after they allowed only single digits in the final three. They reached the statistical goal of 10 pre-conference wins already, well ahead of Neighbors’ previous seasons.

 

Everybody played. All but one scored. No one was allowed enough time to double. Ramirez scored 21 in 22 minutes and Dungee a dozen in 23 minutes. 

 

Gauden had her second good game with 11 to lead the bench.

 

“For what we needed, this was OK,” Neighbors said. “Only playing one game a week, you have to mange minutes. We cannot keep playing those guys only 12 minutes a game and expect them to have quality minutes.

 

“But we still kept scoring, still kept playing defense with the players we needed to play. We took some practice habits and turned them into game habits. 

 

“We played a little more zone, to get more and more useable film and show the kids.

 

“We’ve had four different kids make five 3s and I am not sure anyone else in the nation has had that.

 

“I am still apprehensive.”

 

That left two more unremarkable home games to close the year before the SEC starts at home against Texas A&M.

 

What Arkansas needs to do is amp up attendance. 

 

The 2,387 average is thousands below any ranked conference member.

 

No. 23 TENNESSEE (8-1)

 

The Lady Vols needed this buffer game against Colorado State as they closed a homestand and have one home game left before the league season starts.

 

The Rams were on a two-game losing streak.

 

Jordan Horston took a defensive rebound got it to leading scorer Rennia Davis and she hit a jumper to open the game. 

 

A Davis 3 later made it 7-2. They had a five-point lead. State cut it to one, but UT made it five again at the first break.

 

State was a lesser team than the previous visitors, but Tennessee looked like a team with a lesson learned. 

 

The Vols maintained their advantage. Eventually, the lead hit double-digits.

 

It was the beginning of cruise control.

 

 The 7,024 in attendance appreciated it. But the loss to Texas reduced the crowd by 2,300 and has not been that low for several seasons.

 

Davis was in double figures with four minutes to go before the half. Horston had 10 defensive rebounds.

 

 UT led in rebounds overall by 17. Coach Kellie Harper had the better game plan and the better athletes. 

 

A single-digit defensive stand in the second had decided it.

 

At the 36-18 break, Davis had 13 points and five rebounds. Harper had used nine players, the four subs basically as rest relief.

 

No drama was allowed in the second half. 

 

Tennessee had its tuneup for visiting No. 1 Stanford after seven days off. 

 

Davis zoomed past 1,000 career points in basically two and a half seasons by scoring 23 points in 27 minutes. She doubled with 11 rebounds, nine defensive. Horston also doubled, 10 points and 14 defensive rebounds.

 

Three others scored in double figures, despite the restricted time due to the blowout. 

 

The defense stood for two single-digit quarters. 

 

Rebounds were 57-24, 46 on defense. 

 

State was held to 21 percent from the floor.

 

The players saw a difference in their new coach after the previous game loss.

 

“She’s different. I’m going to just leave it at that,” said Davis.

 

“Strictly business. Different attitude, different mindset, different practice, just a different attitude in general,” said Massengill.

 

Harper saw some make-good after owning the Texas embarrassment.

 

“I’m really excited that we played well and came out with a win,” she said. “I had some concerns going into the game. This was the first game after a loss, and I wanted to see how we would bounce back. 

 

“Also, Colorado State can make 3s; they spread you out. I didn’t know defensively how we would react to that. I’m proud of our team. 

 

“They shot a lot of threes, obviously, but I think they had to rush a lot of those. I thought our defense was solid enough to get us a good win

 

“I don’t take losses really well. I don’t deal with it well. It was the first time we had to deal with that, and I made sure they knew that.

 

“I felt like I needed to be upfront with them and tell them that I don’t handle it well. I wanted to make sure that we never make an excuse no matter what happens. 

 

“If we lose a game, that’s not a good thing. I think they obviously responded well to that.

 

“I’m really excited for Rennia. She’s a talented basketball player. She can put the ball in the hole a lot of different ways. 

 

“She’s been fun to coach. 

 

“I thought she had a really good game tonight. I thought she did some other things well, too. I’m really happy for her. It’s fun to hit that milestone. It’s an elite group.

 

“I thought we could’ve easily come in this game and played it very similar offensively to Texas. 

 

“For Texas, I thought we quick-shot the basketball. We had a lot of people open early in the shot clock tonight. We passed some shots up. I thought in that second quarter we kind of hit our groove.

 

“I thought we shared the basketball and moved it around. We took really good shots from there on out. 

 

“I’m really proud of our team. I think they were working hard to execute our offense the way we practiced it after our Texas game. 

 

“We talked about it and watched it on film. They really took that to heart. They wanted to be better, and they really tried to do that tonight. I’m proud of them.”

 

“I thought (Horston) she felt good going into the game. I thought she had a lot of energy. Sometimes with freshmen you’ll have some inconsistency, so we just have to be patient with her and continue to allow her to grow and help her.

“We want to help her through any of those freshman hurdles that you might have. She’s a talented player. She won’t stay in the slump very long.

 

“(Jazmine) played terrific. I thought her game was so solid tonight. They were not guarding her. They were’ backing off of her. She stayed patient. 

 

“I thought the first quarter she shot a couple of shots too quickly.

 

“The rest of the game, she played the way she wanted to play, not the way they wanted her to play. She moved the ball, she screened, she was aggressive, and she found nice easy shots and took them in rhythm.

 

 “She was under control and had great game management. I’m really proud of her effort tonight.”

 

 ”Like I said earlier, it’s a big deal to reach a big milestone at a program with this kind of tradition (about Davis’ 1000th point). That’s an elite list that she’s a part of now. 

 

“I just told her, ‘Congratulations.’ It’s pretty cool to get to do it and to be able to be in the moment. A lot of people do it and then find out a week later. It was cool for her to do it right now, and hopefully she’ll put a few more points on the board for us this year.

 

“I think it’s really hard for me to make any assessments of her from when I wasn’t here. When I would watch her, I knew she was talented. 

 

“In terms of her leadership, I think her teammates respect her. She wants to be real good and she wants this team to be really good, and she works very hard at it. 

 

“She gets in extra; she watches film with the coaches. She puts a lot of effort into being good, and I think her teammates see that and understand that. I think Jordan (Horston) has a really good person to look up to. 

 

“Rennia is pretty honest with her teammates. When she’s patting you on the back, it’s sincere, and I think she was really good for Jordan there.”

 

Finally, we have made a lot of references as to how Harper seems to relate to this team better than the group that recruited them. It has to be reminded she did not get to choose these players. 

 

That is three years from now. She is in the unique position of having inherited a lot of talent.

 

“I’m not sure how much I relate to these folks,” she said. “I hope I do. I try. Sometimes, their music taste is a bit different from mine.

 

“But, they need to know that I love them as people first and foremost, and that I care about them. I want them to be happy. I want them to be successful. 

 

“In terms of being out there (when Jaiden McCoy was injured), I did want to get out there. I didn’t know exactly what happened, but I knew she took a pretty good hit. I don’t know that I would say I pride myself on that, I just love our kids. We’re a family.

“I think more important than the win or the loss was the Texas game. The Texas game was important. We needed that. We needed to know where we were and where we stood. I don’t think it took a loss for us to see that, but we just needed that game under our belt.

 

“When I was a student/athlete, I loved this time of year. As a student/athlete, this time of year was the best. This was the closest you could get to being a pro. 

 

“Your brain is a little bit less taxed when you’re not in classes and studying like you have to. So, I hope they enjoy it like I did, and I hope they take advantage of this opportunity. 

 

“It’s an opportunity for great growth.”

 

Davis said, “I’m just grateful to have the opportunity to be here at this university and be able to score 1,000 points with all the other great players that came here. Just to be mentioned in that category, that’s big for me. 

 

“I think I can score the ball, but each game requires something different out of me. I don’t think I really need to take 20 shots a game every single game. 

 

“I think there are some games where I can get my teammates involved a little bit more. It just depends on the competition, but I just try to take what the game gives to me. 

 

“I don’t really focus in on the number of shots I’ve shot throughout the game.

 

“Just staying locked in (on defense). I think tonight we knew they were going to come in and shoot some 3s, but the quality of their 3s was what we were trying to alter and not give them so many open shots. 

 

“If teams want to shoot 3s, all we can do is contest and make them put the ball on the floor. Once they put the ball on the floor, we just need to be able to guard them.”

 

“I really wasn’t trying to force the issue, said sophomore guard Massengill about the assist on Davis'  1000th point.

 

“I realized it. I mean it’s pretty cool to give a person their 1,000th point. I was happy for her, but we couldn’t really express it at that time, because we’re in the game. I feel like our teammates were supportive of her, and we’re happy that she had her 1,000th point.

 

“We just took what the defense gave us. Basically, if the shot wasn’t as open as we wanted to be the first time around, we just did the same thing, and the second time around it was more open. 

 

“We shared the ball, and we played more as a team tonight. That’s what was the biggest difference between this game and the Texas game.” 

 

“I figured my offensive game was kind of off, and I just want to provide something else, said freshman guard Jordan Horston. “Crashing hard is something that I do well, so I want to focus on that. 

 

“Honestly, I’d have to say the conversation me and Rennia had kind of inspired me to want to do better. She just motivated me. Even when I do things wrong, I can find something else that I can provide to the team.”

 

The thing about Tennessee and Stanford is it is another long rivalry begun out of a confidence zone by Tara VanDerveer and Pat Head. 

 

VanDerveer has coached long enough that this is the only time in the series that a former player has come back as UT’s coach. 

 

Harper was the only Vol familiar with the Stanford method.

 

In a circle of life, Stanford won its first national championship in the Knoxville Final Four. 

 

Tennessee had lost its Regional final to Virginia and Head made her players serve as locker room attendants for the finals in their home arena.

 

Now, Stanford is in a recent cycle which has them way ahead of Tennessee. Interestingly, neither is dominant in the conferences they established. 

 

And neither is expected to win their conference irregardless of the current national standings.

 

Of the challenge, Harper said, “We’re still trying to be the best team we can be, but obviously, it’s an opportunity. 

 

“I’m excited to go out there and play that team. They’re good; I know they’re good.

 

 “Our NCAA game in the Sweet 16 last year when I was at Missouri State was against Stanford, so I’m very familiar with them. They have a few freshmen who are excellent basketball players. It’s a great opportunity, and it’s the game you want to be playing.”