Mike Siroky’s SEC Report: Recharging During Holiday Break

By Mike Siroky

It’s holiday time for the historically best conference of women’s basketball, the Southeastern. 

Some teams are taking a relative break with few games between now and the start of the annual rumble that is the conference season.

The traditional powers of recent seasons remain the same.

The SEC has six nationally ranked teams in the Associated Press poll. 

Because of the obvious strength of schedule in playing each other, these teams should remain ranked and are all – especially the top four -- likely suspects for hosting Sweet 16 qualifying rounds. 

It has been ever thus since the remarkable Pat Head set it up with the NCAA.

The secret to winning the regular season title, the one the coaches and players know really counts as opposed to the winner of the post-season conference tournament which earns the automatic NCAA bid, is to win every home game from here on out.

Another part of the equation is to win 20 before the NCAA draw.

 No SEC team has ever jinxed that, though gift selections have been awarded to 19-game winners, like the farewell prize which went to last season’s departing Tennessee coach.

Whoever defends the home court wins the conference.

 

That makes Jan. 5 Tennessee at Kentucky, Jan. 20 Mississippi State at South Carolina, Feb. 6 Mississippi State at Tennessee, Feb. 9 Texas A&M at Mississippi State, Fen. 16 Mississippi State at Kentucky, Feb. 16 Texas A&M at Tennessee and Feb. 23 South Carolina at Kentucky all interesting. 

The final game of the regular season, Texas A&M at South Carolina, should just be for fun.

In recent seasons, Tennessee has not really been in contention, so their home survival is the most questionable. A&M’s biggest games are on the road, but they are a program which always seems to slip in one unexpected loss. 

Mississippi State usually doesn’t lose at home in conference lately; they are also set up for their best league games on the road.

 

No one really holds a coaching edge among the top three teams – talent combined with coaching -- and no one has a talent edge, either.

 Each campus has a capable player leading the attack.

Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard was the national freshman of the year, though it is hard to put her as the league’s best player when matched with Chennedy Carter of Texas A&M. 

South Carolina has the undisputed best rookie in Aliyah Boston.

There’s an example of no coach having enough guts to put her forward as an All-SEC player even before she played her first game, though they all recruited her and all knew how much quality she would bring. 

It happened to Howard last season, which is why we don’t put much faith in preseason all-conference votes.

 

SC also has the best point guard in Tyasha Harris, the career leader in assists and steals. With two premier players, SC is clearly the top team now. 

A plus: Kiki Herbert Harrigan considered following other teammates into the transfer portal then decided to stay and is the better for it.

Everyone else has one designated star.

 State has a phenom in Jordan Danberry, as does Arkansas with Chelsea Dungee. 

Tennessee’s Rennia Davis is finally as impactful as she was recruited to be, even if that coach is no longer in the league. 

The above-mentioned players are your All-SEC team.

Some coach will lose her position after this league season. 

No matter how badly Missouri continues to flop, it won’t be that coach as she has earned a mulligan in the past two seasons. 

Vanderbilt (9-3) has resuscitated their coach. Florida (8-4) is showing signs of life.

The top three remain South Carolina, Mississippi State and Texas A&M. 

SC, A&M and Arkansas are all on six-game winning streaks. South Carolina (9), Mississippi State (12) and Texas A&M (14) have the best RPIs in the league.

In the next group are Kentucky and the revived Tennessee program. That’s six for the NCAA eliminations.  

The league has had eight entrants recently, with the last one usually a gift. 

Alabama (9-3) has a chance to rise that high.  LSU (9-2) will have problems in conference. Auburn has risen to that level in the past few seasons.

 After the top three, everyone else needs to pull at least one upset, even if at home.

No. 4 SOUTH CAROLINA (12-1)

Duke visited. 

The reconfigured Gamecocks put their ball movement game on display coupled with unrelenting defense. 

They led 16-12 at the quarter break. Each side shot 35 percent from the field. SC was 1-of-7 to close the quarter, Duke 1-of-5.

Four SC starters had three points, two of them – Brianna Beal and Tyasha Harris on 3s. Beal also had two assists.

SC scored the first two baskets of the second quarter, reserves Laeticia Amiher and Lele Grisett. Then Aliyah Boston. Duke seemed perplexed.

Grissett went on a drive and was fouled. It was 27-18.

Dawn Staley made a four-player swap, keeping fresh legs in the game. 

The attacks pushed the lead to 11 with five minutes to go in the half. Duke only had two shots with five turnovers in the quarter. South Carolina had nine scorers.

It was 37-19 at the half.

Duke is still a marquee name if not a marquee team. 

They had scored five in the quarter. With nine players scoring, SC had no one in double figures.

At the half, SC had time to participate in a teddy bear toss. For reduced admission, fans brought a stuffed teddy bear. 

The players tossed them onto the court to show how many they had drawn from the crowd of better than 11,000. 

The bears were all donated to children hospital patients and other worthy recipients.

The runaway continued in the third. 

The lead was 30 with three minutes to go. Free throws were 12-of-21 for SC, 5-of-8 for Duke. The lead grew to 40 in the final quarter.

It ended 89-46. All five starters and one reserve hit double figures. 

“This is nice,” said Harris. “The atmosphere of the freshmen coming and the impact they have. We are all getting along.

“It is super nice. You cannot lock in on the people you want to guard. I used to be a facilitator. Now I can show all my skills. I want to make it to the league (WNBA). This is my last season.

“These freshmen will ask the right questions. They want to learn. As a senior, I can answer them.”

 SC had one game left to close the offseason. South Dakota brought in an identical record as the top mid-major, with a No. 25 ranking, the fourth ranked challenger this season It is a program first meeting.

The Coyotes have used the same starting five every game. Senior guard Ciera Duffy, 6-0, leads in scoring, 16.5. Two others average more than 10. 

Slim 6-3 junior Hannah Sjerven is the best rebounder, 6.2. The team allows 82.8 points per game while scoring 84. That is tight.

At first look, the physicality and speed game was in South Carolina’s favor. Plus the nation’s best 10,505 in attendance, the largest South Dakota crowd in years.

Then again, isn’t this a delightful reason to challenge yourself? 

Not to be a pushover, but to see where you stand against a superlative team at home.

 Coach Dawn Plitzuweit had earned her Summit League’s first at-large NCAA bid the previous season.

The morning start went as planned for the home team.

 

A 25-10 first quarter showed what was to come all game. 

Early in the second, Chloe Lamb had 10. 

SD had neither the musculature or speed to compete. Rebounds were already 26-8.

 Kiki Herbert Harrigan had eight. Brianna Beal led SC with eight points. Dawn Staley was four deep off the bench. SD had no bench points.

The second quarter showed the Coyote adjustments, playing even, with an 8-0 run.

 They had defended Aliyah Boston well, harassed into three turnovers. 

It was 42-29 at half when Zia Cooke hit a shot at the buzzer. 

The first-quarter edge had held. 

SC had 16 second-chance points thanks to board work. The Gamecocks had hit 9-of-12 at the line; SD was awarded three tries and hit two.

The rest of the game more of the same until the Coyotes wore out of available bodies. 

A few times in the third, they had possession and a chance to cut the lead to nine, but it never happened. 

Still, SC had to use its starters longer than expected. SD was hitting 50 percent since midway in the first, 20 points in the paint but just 2-of-10 on 3s.

Tyasha Harris was in control of the game as SC’s point, shrugging off the contact. SD was obviously not used to physicality. 

Four Coyotes had three fouls, including the rebounding leader. Inevitability loomed.

The reserves were not up to the challenge. 

More and more unforced errors, such as rebounds off missed free throws doomed them. 

SEC style of physical play also unhinged them.

 It was a 20-point deficit at the end of three.

As if they needed it, another buzzer-beater closed the segment. If they only played three, SD would probably have accepted its fate.

Duffy had 15 and Lamb 11. Cooke had 13 for SC. But SD was 3-of-15 3s. 

 The Coyotes were also 4-of-10 free throws vs.16-of-23 for SC, which won rebounds by 17.

The fourth was a result of the Coyotes not giving up. 

SD cut it to 12 -- one more better than that terrible start – with possession and 4:25 left.

 SC was likely embarrassed. 

It was LeLe Grisett ‘s 17 off the bench making a difference. 

SD got zero bench points. No one doubled. 

It was 73-60 at the end, SD the fourth team this season to score that well vs. SC. 

They shot the same amount and made the same percentage. 

Duffy fouled out while leading SD in scoring with 20, four better than average Two others had hit double figures. 

Plitzuweit celebrated her starters by sending in the bench in the final seconds.

“I am really proud with how we competed in this environment of women’s basketball,” she said. “I thought we handled it after the first quarter. 

“They changed how they guarded us as opposed to how they guarded everyone else. Carolina has 7-8-9 players that are superior. 

“We won’t see that again. Duke got blown out by 40. Purdue got blown out by 30-plus. 

“And, they usually beat mid-majors by more than this. I hope Coyote Nation knows how much we appreciate them.

“(On offense) It was completely unlike us. We missed at the rim. We missed free throws. We showed tapes of other teams in this environment. I give a lot of credit to their fans.

“They exploded when they had breakaways. What you do against other teams does not work against this team.”

“Playing this team, the caliber that they are, they’re going to sped you up,” Lamb said. 

“We have not seen that. They make you feel a ton of pressure, particularly in the first half.

“Obviously very bummed we lost. They’re big. Feeling sped up, you then have trouble at the free throw line because you have to slow down there. 

“We’re not going to control their size, their strength. We have resiliency. In the league, we’re going to see teams like us.”

They had holiday fun with it as the South Carolina bench wore their Ugly Holiday Sweaters in conjunction with an invitation to fans. 

The first 500 attendees received cookie cutters in the shape of the state of South Carolina, an ornament decoration station on the concourse and free photos with Santa in the McGuire Club.

 They do not play again until the SEC starts in January. They have a league-best 12 wins before the conference games start. 

They finally moved up in this important week of the national ranking. 

Stanford, ahead of them, lost. That hash between Oregon and Oregon State will be settled once the three ranked Pac 12 teams start playing each other.

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

 

Amazing that two southern teams had to come to San Juan to get a game in the Puerto Rico Coqui Classic. 

 

But here were the Aggies and Georgia Tech.

 

The Yellow Jackets had a 30-point win over Georgia in its 9-1 start.

 

Former SEC cheerleader and Blair assistant Nell Fortner is now the Tech coach after that program launched her predecessor due to player complaints.

 

A 17-3 second quarter led to a 30-20 half. All the Aggies had to do was maintain for the 60-49 afternoon win and the 10^th of the season.

 

A&M was behind by four after one. 

 

They hadn’t scored for the final 4:45 on the quarter.

 

N’dea Jones grabbed a defensive rebound which led to an Aliyah Wilson jumper. 

 

Kayla Wells fed Ciera Johnson underneath and it was tied. 

 

Two minutes later, a Carter basket from outside put A&M ahead for the rest of the way, with 7:21 left before half.

 

Carter scored again from the perimeter. Wilson took a defensive rebound, 

 

Johnson fouled on the feed downcourt. She made both free throws. 

 

Wilson blocked the next Tech attempt. Jones got the next two rebounds, one on each end. Another offensive rebound was laid back in. Then Shambria Washington fed her for another layup.

 

Carter took a Wilson defensive rebound and fed Jones for another layup. 

 

Jones grabbed a defensive rebound and fed Johnson. She was fouled and hit two.

 

Wilson blocked one and got the rebound. Jackson hit one of two free throws. She captured an offensive rebound.

 

Gary Blair was happy with the boards and the defense.

 

Jackson had another rebound on defense. That ended the half with the win established. 

 

Three points is the best defensive quarter of the season.

 

Jones had six of seven points. Tech did not score for the final 6:46. 

 

For the game, they shot 35.7 percent, the ninth foe held below 40 percent.

 

At the conclusion, Jones had 12 rebounds but interrupted her double/double string.  She was the only player to not come out all game. 

 

They won rebounds by five. Carter led scorers with 21, Johnson with 15, and Wilson off the bench with 10 points and eight rebounds. 

 

Kayla Wells and Washington had three assists each. They caused 14 turnovers, resulting in 18 points.

 

The smallest crowd they have seen, 100, wandered off the beach for this one.

 

Montana State was the next opponent on this vacation cruise.

 

It was in fun contention until the Aggies simply said enough.

 

It was 7-0 before A&M even scored a 3 by Chennedy Carter. 

 

Blair was anguished. 

 

Then another three minutes before Shambria Washington drove for a layup. 

 

Of course, the Bobcats were only at 11. 

 

But A&M doesn’t worry about what the opponent is doing. 

 

It was 14-5 when Kayla Wells launched a 3. The quarter slid to a 19-12 slosh. That’s the worst start of the season.

 

The second was OK, 23-14 A&M. There were plenty of missed chances. It was 35-33 at the break, A&M. That’s lousy against a 4-4 less-than team.

 

So there was some anticipation for the third.

 

It was tied again in the opening minutes, but A&M never fell behind. 

 

Washington scored six in the 22-15 quarter as the better team slowly enlarged the gap.

 

In the fourth, Carter ran off nine straight points. The Aggies went on a 10-2 run and were ahead by 11, then played out the clock.

 

It was 78-67 at the end.

 

Carter had 27 points with two 3s, and six assists. Johnson scored 17. Wells scored 13 

 

Nobody doubled, but A&M had 11 more rebounds. Jones failed the challenge Blair had given her to double every game, failed by a lot.

 

Wells said the coaches were not in a holiday spirit at the break. 

 

“They didn’t really have to say much. He said, “I have nothing to say to our guys.”

 

“We took this team lightly and they were able to come out and kick our butts,” she said.  

“In the second half, it was exciting. We ran he plays he called and it was fun. We wanted to win this game really, really bad.

 

As for Johnson, “They cannot guard her. She is a force. And she played all 40 minutes.”

 

Assistant coach Kelli Bond-White said of the halftime perspective: “It was not what we had to say. It was just for them to play.

“They were picked No. 1 in their conference for a reason. We worked to get their bigs in foul trouble.

 

 Other teams do the same to Cierra. She had no foul trouble and so she played 40 minutes. 

 

Chennedy got a little nicked up in the previous game and she played through. We’ll work on her during this break.

 

“A tuneup is always good. We jump right into the fire on the road (in the SEC, at No. 23 Arkansas). Any game we can get that prepares us for that . . .

 

“We enjoyed watching them not on the court, enjoying Puerto Rico and each other. This bonding is important.”

 

They once again drew a throwaway 100.

 

A&M starts SEC week with one last game, after seven days off. More importantly, they will need only eight wins to get to the coveted 20-win season. 

 

No SEC team with 20 wins has ever been denied an NCAA invitation.

 

No.  13 KENTUCKY (10-1)

 

The last game of the year was at California, the team that handed Arkansas its only loss. 

 

And yet they remained unranked.

 

 The 7-2 Golden Bears have three Pac 12 opponents in the top seven nationally, so they have an arduous task in conference. 

 

Berkley is lovely this time of year, as Arkansas found out when the Razorbacks visited. 

 

Cal won rebounds by 17. Guard Jaelyn Brown scored a career-high 30, twice her average. 

 

The 27-14 second quarter decided it.

 

So, there was a potential duel with Rhyne Howard and her 20.2 scoring average. 

 

Senior UK guard Sabrina Haines averaged 11.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.

 

 Junior guard Chasity Patterson was available after sitting out the required two semesters under NCAA transfer rules. 

 

Patterson transferred to UK in January 2019 and she practiced with the team for the past two semesters. 

 

She did get in and scored nine, She led the team with four steals.

 

 California had been 6-0 at home as part as seven straight wins. The previous game was paced by senior guard Jaelyn Brown, 26 points with 11 rebounds. 

 

Freshman forward Evelien Lutje Schiphoff scored 19 with nine rebounds. 

 

Senior center Chen Yue scored 10 with 10 rebounds and a block. The Golden Bears hit 15-of-20 from the free-throw line and only had four turnovers. They were not afraid.

 

California averaged 72.9 points per game, allowing 62 with a 9.4 rebounding margin, while forcing opponents into 14.8 turnovers.

 

It was a miserable offensive start for both, 22-all at half.  

 

California girl Brown had eight. Howard was 2-of-11.

 

The five-point third-quarter advantage allowed UK to hold on for a one-point win. They scored one point below the average allowed, but held the home team to 12 points below their average.

 

It was all Howard, with 25 second-half points, 19 in the fourth. She had four 3s, 5-of-5 at the line.

 

 Big Blue Nation is glad she shook off the funk. Her jumper with three seconds left were the deciding points. 

 

Rhyne Howard scored 19 of her 29 points in the fourth quarter, including the winnlng jumper with three seconds left. 

 

It was tied at 26 before Kentucky got six a row, including a 3 from Howard, to lead 32-26. 

 

Cal scored the final five points of the third period to cut a deficit in half.

 

The fourth quarter belonged to Howard, who scored Kentucky's first 17 points of the period. 

 

Despite that, Cal stayed in the game. 

 

The Bears used a 9-2 run to cut the UK lead to 57-53 with 1:48 to play. 

 

Cal would get to 61-58, on a 3 with 1:01 to play.

 

After Howard missed a jumper with 37 seconds left, Cal rebounded and called a timeout to set up a play to potentially tie the game. 

 

UK's Jaida Roper was called for a foul and the Bears made the first free throw but missed the second.

 

 After a scramble, a held ball was called, and Cal took possession with 22.7 seconds left.

 

After another Cal timeout, the Bears went to CJ West, who converted a layup and was fouled with 9.7 seconds to play. 

 

But West missed the potential go-ahead free throw and Kentucky called a timeout to advance the ball to midcourt. 

 

After the timeout, Howard took the inbounds, dribbled to the right side of the lane and nailed a 15-foot jumper with three seconds left for the 63-61 final.

 

 Cal had a 3 heave at the buzzer that missed.

 

Kentucky went 5-of-5 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter to help seal the win.

 

They drew 1,426

 

“I can confirm we are fighters,” said Cal coach Charmin Smith. “We could have easily folded and the margin would have been larger than two points. I learned we are a pretty good defensive team. 

 

“Howard had a day, but we pretty much contained everyone else. We still had a chance to win the game.

 

“We are a really smart team. Down the stretch, we were able to execute as well.

 

“They are thinking the game and that’s gonna help us.

 

“We did handle special situations pretty well. Even with chaos and commotion, we handled it well.”

 

UK now awaits the visit from South Carolina in the first big conference matchup.

 

 No. 15 MISSISSIPPI STATE (11-2)

Maybe it was a week off without games. Or maybe there was some anxiety after the first two losses of the season.

The Bulldog offense was not in synch for the first half at the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns. 

The first quarter was only 30-25 for a noon start against an unranked rival. 

Rickea Jackson scored six to lead the team. They only shot 28 percent. Despite winning rebounds, 38-19, State was being outplayed.

Defense tried to tighten up in the third quarter, but State only affected a 34-29 lead. 

State needed an inspiration to start some mind of run. Louisiana had gotten their attention.

Jordan Danberry took a defensive stop and drove all the way back for a layup. She had nine rebounds in her 12 minutes. 

Jackson showed some more confidence and banked one in to make it a seven-point lead. 

Danberry took another one coast-to-coast.

 But State had 19 turnovers and the Bulldogs could not make a substantial spread. They were ahead by eight after Audra Espinoza-Hunter took a charge. 

She was rewarded by being set up for her second 3. She led everyone with 12 but did not score again.

The quarter ended with a 10-point quarter lead. The 10-of-12 from the line helped. But it was still a painful quarter.

 

Coach Vic Schaefer was hollering himself hoarse after three more turnovers. Five State players had three fouls each. It was 45-40, a season record low on offense. State ran off seven straight.

With five minutes left, they seemed determined to win a sloppy game against a less-than opponent.

Schaefer called a frustration time out. with 3:30 left. 

They responded with two quick baskets Louisiana began to press. Chloe Bibby hit a 3. 

Danberry scored and was fouled on the drive. It gave her a late double/double, the first of her career. She missed the free throw. State recovered and hit a layup.

 

State won 64-48, a score which was enhanced only in the endgame and 20 points below the season average. 

 

Still, they still lengthened the nation’s best road record at 12 straight.

Danberry (11) and Bibby (10) led rebounds. They had 25 turnovers.

Assistant coach Elana Lovato said, “We had a little more focus on the free throw line. While we were working on rebounds, we worked on action by the bigs after a free throw.

“We talked having more patience. We were more aggressive in the second half.

“Putting kids in new positions you have a lot more to learn. The kids in new positions don’t know the plays.”

They drew 3,187 on the elementary school promotion.

The Bulldogs closed the week at the Las Vegas Duel in the Desert, which they won two seasons ago.

South Florida was the opening challenge. 

The unlikely team nickname is the Bulls. They came in 0-3 already on neutral courts.

 The leading scorer is freshman Elena Tsineke, from Greece, at 12.5. She is one of eight non-American players.

They will also play Baylor and Notre Dame before the American Athletic Conference.

 Not familiar? 

Just say UConn’s conference. They have earned several NCAA invitations despite that other conference team.

South Florida fell behind, 29-17 in the first quarter.

Bibby started 5-of-7 and had 17 points midway through the second quarter.

State had rotated in three freshmen with a 10-point lead and five minutes left in the second quarter. 

They were protecting an eight-point lead. 

Jamaya Mingo-Young, one of the rookies, picked up three fouls working on her defense. 

The Bulls were winning rebounds by six.

The lead held to 10 at the half. Bibby had 19 points and seven rebounds. She had hit 5-of-7 3s. 

The Bulls were still winning the boards, by nine. Leading scorer Tsineke had scored 6.

State kept experimenting with lineups and South Florida kept chugging along.

SF cut the lead to five and had possession at a time out with six minutes left.

 Schaefer let his lineup play. Schaefer was working the referees after a Bull 3. He thought the referees were missing some physical play.

The 14-point lead was down to one. 

Hitting 12-of-13 at the line was keeping State alive when South Florida cut the lead to one. 

State responded with a 10-0 run, six by Xaria Wiggins.

 

The opposing bench got a frustration double technical foul with 90 seconds left in the quarter. The coach was tossed. Two free throws clunked away, two were made. 

It was safely 65-53 at the end of the third.

The Bulldogs hungrily pursued a 10^th win as they extended the lead to 15. 

Danberry twisted a previously injured left knee and sat down for the final five minutes.

Rickea Jackson had scored one basket in the first half. She finished with 17 points, one of four in double figures. The 10 rebounds made her first career double/double.

 

From the one-point lead with five minutes left in the third, State won, 86-61.

“We started the second half doing things we did not do in the first half,” said assistant coach Johnnie Harris. 

“He put Xaria Wiggins in and the defense got after it. She scored six straight points. We need somebody like that who can give us a spark off the bench.

“For Rickea, it comes down to playing harder and letting us coach her.”Schaefer said.

“I’m proud of our kids. 

“I thought we were really lethargic in the third quarter. We just didn't come out with the same zeal as we had played with in the first half. 

“Chloe Bibby carried us early offensively then she cooled off. Xaria Wiggins came off the bench and did a nice job. 

“We found a rhythm defensively then got in transition and played very well up and down.

 The press I think kicked in late in the third. In the fourth, I thought they got tired, and that is where I thought we were really good.”

The game drew less than 700

The second game of the Duel in the Desert was 4-4 Virginia of the ACC. 

SEC teams love to erase teams from the less-than conference. State won the tournament title for the second time in three seasons.

It remained back and forth from the start. 

State won the first quarter, but the Cavaliers doubled them up 14-7, to start the second.

 The Bulldogs led by one.  

Reserves Jamya Mingo-Young (nine) and Xaviera Wiggins (six) led scorers, Mingo-Young was 2-of-2 on 3s; Wiggins was 2-of-4 on 3s. 

State scored four unanswered to eke out a five-point advantage. They doubled that at half. Rickea Jackson had scored 10.

 

The Bulldogs started the third quarter 19-8 and all was well. Jackson had scored 15. Jessika Carter had 13 rebounds.

 

State simply could not bleed the clock. Virginia pulled closer and closer with an 11-1 run. 

 

The Cavaliers missed on three possessions underneath. Myah Taylor ended that. 

 

State reinserted all starters for defense. Carter immediately converted on a breakaway. 

 

Jordan Danberry blocked a shot. She assisted Taylor on a shot. 

 

Carter blocked a shot. Bibby took a defensive rebound and hit a 3 off of that.

 

It ended 72-56. 

 

Jackson scored 17. No one doubled. Jackson was tournament MVP. Carter was also all-tournament.

Assistant coach said Dionnah Jackson-Durrett said, “How we play our defense, the players off the bench help us a lot. 

“Xaria gives us a lift, did exactly what we needed, energy. They put us in a different type of tempo. We cleaned it up.

“Our players have such a “play hard” attitude. It’s consistency. Once the new players learn that, we’ll be alright,” Schaefer said. "I think they are getting better. I think we showed some toughness today and got some tough rebounds. 

“We took a bunch of charges. I love how hard we are playing defensively. I think that is slowly becoming the make up of this team.

 “We may not be like the team the last two or three years that averages 85 points a game, but I think this team will compete and defend. Their chemistry defensively is coming. 

“That is what is exciting for me.

 

"I thought Rickea had a tremendous tournament. Her and Jessika were both really special. 

 

Rickea is getting more comfortable in every game we play. Jordan Danberry was solid offensively and really played hard defensively in the second half after getting in foul trouble early.

"Probably the player of the tournament is Xaria Wiggins," said Schaefer. "She has come from nowhere to play 18-20 minutes both games. She is just the X-factor right now because she can play the 3 and the 4. 

“She is a big wing and a big guard. She can defend both, and she just provides a real boost to our bench. 

“We will see if she can develop some consistency. She hasn't been consistent, but it sure would be nice to have that in your hip pocket knowing that you have somebody like her who can come in and be so multiple for us. 

“She played really well this tournament. She would be my MVP.”

 

State had a week off before the last game of the year, against Little Rock, the team Arkansas dominated this week. 

Eleven – soon to be 12 – wins before league play is a nice start to any season.

No. 20 ARKANSAS (11-1)

 Arkansas Little Rock was the opponent this week, coming in at 2-6, having lost big to LSU and at Texas A&M. 

Senior hometown guard Kyra Collier averaged 16.8 points per game.

 A 23-11 first set the expected rhythm. Arkansas won every quarter of the 86-53 win, the 11^th of the season, a secure national ranking.

Amber Ramirez opened it with a 3, fed Alexis Tolefree for a layup then fed her for another 3 in the 8-0 start. Chelsea Dungee hit two 3s and a layup.

Washington hit a 3 to start the second segment, off a Tolefree feed. 

Tolefree blocked a shot then worked for a layup. She was fouled and hit the free throw. 

At 31-14, the outcome was evident.

The 86-53 end was understandable.  Tolefree and Dungee each scored 21. Tolefree was 5-of-5 from the line. 

Junior guard A’Tyanna Gaulden is soon to be scouted as she delivered a third straight strong bench game with 15, 4-of-6 from the field, 6-of-6 from the line. 

Nobody doubled.

Coach Mike Neighbors said, “Really glad that one’s over with. We played really well. This is a team that will do exactly what they do, win more than 20 and get to the NCAA. 

“Glad they haven’t figured it by now.

“They picked us apart. Being a part of it is really cool.

“To have a crowd like they gave us (5,540), how the Razorbacks are perceived.

“If you woulda told me were going to be 11-1, I would take it and not worry about what the loss was. We’re getting experience back off injuries.

“The SEC start is absolutely brutal to us. I want them to enjoy the holidays. We can still clean things up.”

Arkansas also has 12 wins, eight at home. It also has a less-than game a week later. 

Then it welcomes in defending SEC champ Texas A&M and goes to last season NCAA qualifiers Auburn and South Carolina, without being favored in any of those. But they start in the Top 20 for the first time in a long while.

No. 22 TENNESSEE (9-2)

 

The SEC challenge of the week was the visit to No. 1 Stanford. 

 

Tennessee beat Notre Dame at their place when the Irish were ranked and Tennessee was not. 

 

It got UT into the national picture.

 

This 78-51 road loss to the second of many ranked teams they will play (UConn is back on the schedule) knocked them out. By the end of the season, they will be in.

 

With the tallest Lady Vol lineup ever, they have won rebounds by an average of 17 – best in the NCAA – coming in. 

 

That was shattered here when Stanford wins rebounds by six, a swing of 23.

 

Stanford freshman standout Haley Jones came to Stanford as the nation's top prospect.

 

Rennia Davis opened it with a jumper. Stanford answered. 

 

Davis hit again. Stanford hit again.

 

There were plenty of misses, the next minute before Davis stroked a 3. They began to deny her the ball.

 

 The Cardinal edged ahead, 10-7, and had two different scorers. 

 

Davis misfired but Lou Brown got the rebound. It went to Jordan Horston and she scored.

 

Davis, clearly feeling it, made another 3. She had eight of UT’s 12 but also had two fouls with five minutes left in the quarter, dancing in the edge of an icy path. 

 

She sat down. Stanford had used five scorers.

 

UT did not score for the final five minutes of the quarter. 

 

Stanford had an 20-12 lead. It was already slipping away. 

 

The Lady Vols needed to find someone calm enough to score. 

 

The best rebounding team in America was losing there as well. 

 

Stanford was hitting half its shots; UT was at 23 percent.

 

Davis was in the lineup to start the second. UT just could not convert. It was 25-15 when Harper called a time out. 

 

Rae Burrell and Kasiyahna Kushkituah had begun to solve the rebounding challenge with three each.

Jazmine Massengill hit and jumper and Tamari Key fed Australian freshman Jessie Rennie for an unexpected 3, her second of the season. 

 

But Stanford scored five straight too and the deficit was 10 again.

 

Tennessee went almost three minutes without a score until a Jordan Horston steal and lay-in.

 

Jones grabbed an offensive rebound and laid it back in for a 10-point halftime edge.

 

Twenty-four points is an awful first half effort.

 

 Davis did not score since five minutes were left in the first quarter and nobody picked up the slack. 

 

Stanford was willing to let anyone else threaten them. 

 

The 4,636 in attendance approved.

 

All five Stanford starters scored, plus three reserves. The Cardinal were nine ahead in rebounds.

 

 Tennessee was stuck at 25 percent from the field. Stanford was hitting 41 percent.

 

The game trend was set and the rhythm was all Stanford. 

 

The third quarter was 24-18, Stanford. 

 

Davis was 4-of-8 on 3s but also had fourth foul. She remained about all of the offense. 

 

Stanford had three in double figures. And won rebounds, but only by six.

 

The season-low offense showed the main flaw.

 

 If the No. 23 team loses to the No. 1 team by 23, is that acceptable or just following the national form? 

 

The deficit was at least that in the closing minutes. 

 

It was the largest margin in the history of the series

 

“We were able to play what I call tag team,” said VanDerveer. “We were able to play a lotta people and maintain the pace. We had a lot of contributions.

 

“All of our freshmen are beyond their years. The Have very high basketball IQs.

“They are fearless, I like that, it’s a great thing.

 

“They’re a very talented team. So I am very proud of our defense. It’s getting deflections and altering shots. They took care of the ball . . . a lot of things you just don’t see on tape.”

 

“They’re just so efficient,”said Harper. “It I easy to pick up the state sheet to see how efficient they are on offensive. 

 

“But they are also efficient on defense. Their spacing, how they get to the ball.

 

“There are some great opportunities right here. To mature. Offensively, we’ve got a big deficiency there.

 

 This is not shocking. We know we have to make some strides. That player who made those early shots for us came out of it with two fouls and it changed the game.

 

“Playing this game is good for us. It simulates the size and strength of the SEC. We don’t see that a lot. 

 

It is a reality check for us.”

 

It was UT’s first road loss in three tries this season, its second loss in three games.

 

Tennessee remained on the left coast for a recovery game, at Portland State before Christmas break. 

 

They have one home game before the SEC starts.

 

The Vols needed the Vikings game. 

 

Tamari Key hit her first two attempts. As in the past, Tennessee showed the ability to win every game and lose every game. 

 

It is what destroyed them and cost the previous coach her job last season.  Harper still needs to find the balance. She has to change this bad habit.

 

UT trailed, 19-18 at the end of the first quarter. The shooting percentage, 41 percent is acceptable.

 

 Winning rebounds is acceptable. 

 

Allowing five made 3s was the difference. Scoring 18 is just not impressive.

 

Tennessee edged ahead to start the second. 

 

Harper is not afraid to play the reserves. 

 

As usual that meant shooter and rebounder Kasiyahna Kushkituah and shooter Rae Burrell, three of her first five. 

 

Rebounds were 23-9 and it seemed like the differential needed to be larger than 29-24. 

 

Where was the conversion game, which included seven steals and six assists.

 

UT began to stop messing around threw a 22-7 second quarter at them, 

 

Rennia Davis had her double/double early in the third. She had two 3s. The difference was 17. 

 

Jordan Horston had scored 11 but had three fouls and three turnovers. 

 

Burrell was up to 11 points. The 11-4 quarter start had the lead seemingly safe at 21. 

 

They ended the quarter 25-9 and the results seemed little in doubt. The game ended 88-61.

 

Davis doubled, 18 points and 13 rebounds, with four assists. 

 

Jordan Horston scored 20. Burrell had 21 bench points with nine rebounds. 

 

Those were both career bests in scoring. 

 

Jazzmine Massengill had 10 assists. Rebounds ended 56-26, UT. They drew 1,748.

 

State hit 12 3s.

 

“They have some serious skills players,” said UT coach Kellie Harper. “They pass well. When you have shooters and you pass the basketball well, that is a threat to anyone.

 

“We changed how we were defending ball screens.”

 

The single-digit defensive holds in the second and third quarters was also by design.

“I don’t think had s many good shots in the second and third quarters,” Harper said. “If they had them, they weren’t making them. We kept them off the boards which limited them. We kept them off the free throw line.

 

“We were playing downhill in the fourth quarter where we were aggressive and kept coming after them. 

 

Getting the ball to the paint and making good decisions.

 

UT finishes at home against Howard on Sunday, with the chance to get to 10 pre-SEC wins.

 

The loss to unranked Texas looks a little more legit after the Longhorns sandbagged then No. 1 Stanford.

 

 So the Lady Vols closes its most-troubled decade back in the Top 22.

 

XXXX

 

An off-court incident involving freshman Jordan Horston has been resolved.

 

She was arrested in Sevierville, Tenn., which is adjacent to Knoxville.

 

 "When the incident occurred, she came to me and told me about it," Harper said. "We wanted to act immediately. We didn't want to postpone any kind of punishment, so we acted immediately.

 

"I think right now she's learned from it. I think she's grown from that incident."

 

She was suspended for one of the three games that the Lady Vols played in Europe two days after the incident. The university plans no further suspensions

She was charged with stealing $124.97 worth of merchandise from a Tommy Hilfiger outlet store. 

She was fined $398.50 in court costs, ordered to perform 20 hours of community service and stay away from the mall.