404 Not Found


nginx
NCAAW: LSU wanted sport winner to defeat Tennessee, keep unbeaten – Women Are Sports
Home Basketball NCAAW: LSU wanted sport winner to defeat Tennessee, keep unbeaten

NCAAW: LSU wanted sport winner to defeat Tennessee, keep unbeaten

0
NCAAW: LSU wanted sport winner to defeat Tennessee, keep unbeaten

[ad_1]

A crafty game-winning drive and score from Kailyn Gilbert allowed No. 6 LSU to escape No. 16 Tennessee with a win, 89-87—and remain undefeated. It was an exciting end to an electrifying and unpredictable game in Knoxville.

LSU dominated the first half of the matchup. With both teams struggling to rebound throughout the first two quarters, LSU relied on the relentless Aneesah Morrow, who leads the nation in double-doubles. She clocked 19 points and 10 rebounds by halftime. Behind Morrow’s production and forced turnovers, LSU managed a 46-39 lead at the break.

Both teams returned for a third quarter that was fraught with tension. The Lady Vols prevented the Tigers from extending their advantage for much of period, which ultimately ended 67-62 in the Tigers’ favor. By the fourth, Tennessee continued the team’s pattern of wearing out their opponents. Samara Spencer hit a massive 3 almost immediately and Jillian Hollingshead converted a set of free throws that brought the score 67-64. But, the Tennessee flurry was met with an almost immediate response from LSU, with Mikaylah Williams hitting a shot and two free throws on consecutive possessions.

Tennessee’s Kaniya Boyd then set the crowd on fire with a 3-pointer at the seven-minute mark, bringing the home team within one point, 72-71. A scoring spurt from Talaysia Cooper then put Tennessee on the brink of the victory. She tied the game 76-76 at five and a half minutes before hitting a free throw to pull the Vols ahead, 77-76. Cooper followed up with another two points that were quickly matched. She then drained a 3 to give Tennessee the 82-80 lead.

LSU momentarily showed signs of weariness with three minutes to go, but quickly rallied. The teams traded shots up and down the court, hitting the two-minute mark tied 84-84. Flau’jae Johnson hit a free throw to give the Tigers a one-point edge. The game remained 85-84 with one minute to go, until Williams snagged two points with 49 seconds left in the fourth, bringing the Tigers up by three. Spear hit a 3-pointer off a steal by Cooper, tying the game 87-87 with just over 30 seconds to go.

Then, Gilbert delivered her dagger drive that ultimately sealed the 89-87 win for the Tigers. With only 0.9 seconds remaining on the clock, Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell called a timeout, but a Zee Spearman shot that would have forced overtime fell short.

The game was a shooting spectacle for fans. Tennessee’s Spear and Cooper each earned over 20 points, netting 25 and 24, respectively. LSU had three players do the same, with Johnson scoring 20, Gilbert finishing with 22 and Morrow, who reached the 2,5000-career point milestone during the game, leading her team with 23.

Despite the Tennessee’s loss, former Lady Vols guard Alexis Hornbuckle, who was in attendance at tonight’s game, saw a lot in the team’s performance to be happy about, telling Swish Appeal:

The girls played tough tonight. There’s a lot of grit, a lot of grit and toughness, and they played hard. We’ve got to buckle down—it’s good to see them score and get up and down the court. But when it comes to this type of moment, we need a commander on the court, a lockdown defender in the clutch when it comes to last-minute buckets.


LSU will look to remain undefeated when they host Vanderbilt on Monday, Jan. 13 (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network), while Tennessee heads to Arkansas on Sunday, Jan. 12 (1 p.m. ET, SEC Network).

[ad_2]

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here