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).

EuroLeague Women is back and this week was special for two reasons, one bad and one good.

Polkowice’s premature exit from the competition raises questions about the costs and sustainability of success, sparking fears that the economic uncertainty may discourage top-level American players from coming to Europe. On a more positive note, the (as of yet) indirect rivalry between the Turkish teams just got more serious with the addition of new players. There’s also a new face in Valencia.

Implications of Polkowice’s withdrawal

Polkowice’s story proves just how expensive on-court success is.

They were the reigning Polish Cup winners for three-straight years and winners of five championships in the last 11 years, but the costs necessary to sustain that level of success proved too much. The team’s whole season is now in question, as it has only six players left on the roster and is asking fans for financial support. According to the Official Basketball Rules and Regulations for European Club Competitions, all games featuring KGHM BC Polkowice from both rounds of the regular season are voided and cancelled, while Group F will now consist of five teams.

Team captain Weronika Gajda (known for a tattoo featuring Lola Bunny from Space Jam) left Polkowice after eight years. The team’s best player, Emma Cannon, currently is a free agent and looking for a new place to play.

Familiar faces in new places

Speaking of players joining new teams, Bridget Carleton, Leonie Fiebich and Nyara Sabally took the court for the first time for ÇBK Mersin, Valencia Basket and Fenerbahçe, respectively.

Fiebich will be officially introduced on Friday, but she already got her first taste of action against the best team in the competition, Fenerbahçe, who became even better with the addition of Sabally. Both Germans came off the bench for their teams. Sabally had 11 points and four boards, while Fiebich had six points and five turnovers. Fenerbahçe won by 36 points, 92-56, handing Valencia it’s second loss of the competition.

Out of the three new additions, Carleton was the only starter and while she scored just two points, she found other ways to help Mersin get another win, grabbing eight boards and dishing out three dimes. The one-two punch of Yvonne Anderson and Natasha Howard didn’t disappoint, with the point guard getting 12 points, seven boards and nine assists and Howard delivering another MVP-worthy performance with 24 points and 14 boards. Mersin won 73-53 against Basket Landes and remains unbeaten.

Week 9 scores

Group E

Perfumerias Avenida (4-4) 64, Žabiny Brno (3-6) 58

ÇBK Mersin (9-0) 73, Basket Landes (5-4) 53

Beretta Famila Schio (6-3) 67, Tango Bourges Basket (4-4) 62

Group F

Fenerbahçe Opet (9-0) 92, Valencia Basket Club (7-2) 56

Casademont Zaragoza (5-3) 73, ZVVZ USK Praha (5-4) 68

Although sporting a record that sparkles as much as head coach Kim Mulkey’s outfit du jour, the No. 6 LSU Tigers haven’t really been tested, facing only one ranked team on their way to their shiny 17-0 mark.

That changes on Thursday night, when Mulkey’s Krewe travels to Knoxville to take on the erstwhile unbeaten and No. 16-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols, who dropped their first game of the season on Sunday after a late comeback came up short.

Expect the game to be a high-scoring contrast of styles that will inform the true quality of the Tigers and Lady Vols. Has a soft schedule masked weakness for LSU? Or, does their average margin of victory of almost 32 points per game show that, regardless of schedule, the Tigers are a team to be feared? Was Tennessee’s hot start a product of their high-variance style? Or, has new head coach Kim Caldwell implemented a sustainable system that can survive the rigors of the SEC?

We’ll find out when the Tigers and Vols tip off at 6:30 p.m. ET (SECN+). Here’s a look at what could be the most determinative areas of the game:

Which offense will have the edge?

The chief axiom of modern basketball is that three is more than two, and, as such, teams that adopt offensive systems organized around 3-point shooting are more likely to be successful than those that favor 2-point shots. However, if any coach has stressed this principle of so-called smart basketball, it’s been Kim Mulkey, whose teams have feasted on 2s, eschewed 3s and, more often than not, found themselves victorious.

While ranking 336th in the nation in 3-point attempts per game, the Tigers still own the third-highest scoring offense in the nation, clocking in at 91.8 points per game. They do most all this damage inside the arc, ranking second in the country in made 2-pointers, led by the triumvirate of junior guard Flau’jae Johnson (19.7 points per game), senior forward Aneesah Morrow (18.1 points per game) and sophomore guard Mikaylah Williams (15.9 points per game). LSU’s scoring attack also earns them trips to the line, where the team’s 23.4 free throw attempts per game, with an average of 4.9 per game from Morrow and 4.3 from Johnson, rank seventh nationally.

LSU, however, has never met at team that fires away as aggressively as Tennessee. Driven by an average of 36.5 3-point attempts per game, the Lady Vols ring up a nation-leading 97.3 points per game. However, Tennessee does not solely sling 3s; rather, their 3-point shooting also creates space for easier 2-point scores, as the Vols are 10th nationally in made 2-pointers per game. Their modern offensive system has led to distributed scoring. While sophomore guard Talaysia Cooper leads the team with 17.8 points per game, four Lady Vols —grad guard Jewel Spear, junior guard Ruby Whitehorn, senior guard Samara Spencer and junior forward Zee Spearman—post between 11 and 13 points per game.

In contrast to LSU, Tennessee is less successful at getting to the line, attempting 18 free throws per game and making only 65 percent of them. It’s a weak point that could prove pivotal in a close game, especially if LSU opts to compete with Tennessee by taking more 3s. Johnson and Williams are the Tigers’ most willing deep shooters, with both possessing percentages (38.7 percent and 36.4 percent, respectively) that indicate that, by taking a few more triples, they could push the Tigers over the top for a win.

Which team will win the glass, possession game?

Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images

With shots flying from both teams, the glass could be the territory on which this game is decided. Both teams are aggressive on the offensive glass, with the Lady Vols grabbing the most o-boards in the nation at 20.9 per contest; the Tigers aren’t too far behind with 17.4 per game, which ranks sixth nationally. LSU is just as rapacious on the defensive glass, corralling 31.6 per game. The Lady Vols are less successful at ending possessions, raking in an average of 22.6 defensive boards per game.

These numbers suggest that LSU will have the advantage, as they not only can limit Tennessee’s offensive rebounding effectiveness, but also create extra opportunities with their own offensive boards. Morrow, in particular, could be in for a big game, as she averages five offensive rebounds per game.

To regain an edge on LSU, Tennessee has to hope that their high-pressure defense, defined by 14.9 steals per game, troubles the Tigers, inducing them into more turnovers than normal. If not, the Lady Vols, who rely on a preponderance of extra possessions, could find themselves behind the Tigers in the possession game, and, more importantly, on the scoreboard.

Game information

No. 6 LSU Tigers (17-0, 2-0) vs. No. 16 Tennessee Lady Vols (13-1, 1-1)

When: Thursday, Jan. 9 at 6:30 p.m. ET

Where: Food City Center in Knoxville, TN

How to watch: SECN+

Entering their matchup versus No. 4 USC undefeated, No. 8 Maryland walked away with their first loss of the season, dropping the game 79-74.

The Terps were in the driver’s seat with under three minutes left, leading 72-70. However, the Trojans demonstrated the hearts of champions and outexecuted Maryland during the closing minutes. JuJu Watkins converted on a pair of free throws, and after Kiki Iriafen scored on an and-one play, USC was up 75-72.

Watkins fouled out with 31 seconds left to play, but her teammates closed Maryland out with Avery Howell hitting two free throws, followed by Iriafen making another pair immediately after her.

Maryland missed five-straight field goal attempts during this stretch, sealing their fate.

USC’s key players put in some big performances. Watkins scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Iriafen matched that point total and grabbed seven boards. Rayah Marshall led the team in rebounding with 15. Freshmen Kayleigh Heckel and Avery Howell also stepped up big for USC, scoring 10 points each.

Maryland played a great game on paper, despite losing. Shyanne Sellers scored 26 points, Kaylene Smikle added 16 points and Christina Dalce had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

A break down of the battle between the Trojans, Terps

The Terps started this game in control and jumped out to an early 11-5 lead midway through the opening quarter. With under four minutes left in the first, USC went on a mini run, scoring four-straight points and closing the deficit down to five points. Iriafen hit a jumper with 1:09 left in the first, and after a made 3-pointer by Heckel, part of a seven-point burst from her in the opening quarter, USC trailed by just two points entering the second period.

During the opening minutes of the second quarter, both teams exchanged baskets. A Watkins 3-pointer and a pair of Iriafen free throws put the Trojans up 29-26 with 4:06 left in the half. USC never trailed again in the half, but Maryland kept themselves in the game with 4-0 run to end the quarter thanks to a Sarah Te-Biasu 3-pointer and a Mir McLean free-throw conversion. The Trojans were up by the slimmest of margins entering the second half, 35-34.

Iriafen had a tremendous game and gave USC some breathing room, scoring three-straight points to give the Trojans a 38-34 edge to begin the second half. Maryland cooled things down with Smikle scoring back-to-back field goals to put the Terps within one point. Smikle and Sellers continued to be the one-two combo Maryland needed to stay in the game. After a Sellers layup, Maryland was up by four with 3:41 left in the third.

USC immediately responded with a 3-pointer and retook the lead thanks to a made basket by Watkins with under two minutes left in the frame. Both teams exchanged baskets, and after three quarters of play, the game was even at 58.

Maryland scored four-straight to start the fourth quarter. USC struggled to get production from anyone not named Iriafen or Watkins to begin the final period. Then, with the game hanging in the balance, Kennedy Smith responded with seven-straight points for the Trojans to even the contest at 68.

A Sellers made layup gave Maryland a 72-70 lead, which was the last time the Terps were in control. A gutsy USC team closed things out with Iriafen leading the way and Maryland unable to make any baskets down the stretch. Sellers made one final layup in the closing seconds, but it wasn’t enough to change the results.

Key takeaways

Maryland went cold late, but USC made an impact near the end of the game, forcing those misses. Iriafen stepped up big, and the Terps had no answer for her. She has too much size, strength and skill, and was comfortable taking big shots down the stretch. Watkins also was good, doing well from the charity stripe by going 6-for-8. However, she must be careful not to get in foul trouble in these big games. Missing time late in March could ruin a title run.

Maryland’s guards were stellar, but fell short during clutch time. If Maryland could have won the rebounding battle, perhaps they would have won this game. However, they lost the battle of the boards, 47-40.

Both teams have bright futures moving forward and proved why they are considered top-10 teams in the nation. Right now, USC is just a bit sharper.