The No. 4 Tennessee Lady Vols took on the Indiana Hoosiers Monday, Nov. 14 for the second home game of the season inside Thompson-Boling Arena.
Tennessee’s valiant effort was ultimately no match against No. 11 Indiana, though – a team that sits 3-0 following the win.
The Lady Vols claimed a two-point lead early in the first quarter. But that success would be short-lived, as the team was never able to regain composure after falling behind.
Indiana maintained control of the lead for a substantial 34 minutes of play, ultimately handing Tennessee a 79-67 loss.
Only three games into the season and Tennessee has already notched two defeats into its belt. Head coach Kellie Harper says that ultimately, an uphill battle is exactly what the team needs:
“I still think that the best thing for this team is to play teams that are going to punch them in the mouth. I really think that’s the best thing for us. I would rather win, but I don’t want any false idea of who we are. I know exactly who we are, and I know exactly where we need to go. It’s on us; we will get them there.”
The Lady Vols came back from a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter to trail by only 4 points before Indiana widened the gap one final time.
Rebounds became a sore subject for the team for the second consecutive game. Going into halftime, Indiana’s on-court hustle had already resulted in eight more successful rebounds than Tennessee’s. The Lady Vols managed to shift the tides during the second half, though Indiana still bested them 35-33 in total rebounds.
The Lady Vols took to the court Monday without Jordan Horston, who was unavailable after falling injured last Thursday against UMass.
Forward Rickea Jackson once again became an asset in Horston’s absence, logging a game-high 17 points.
Meanwhile, Jasmine Powell contributed Tennessee’s sole double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
And Tess Darby came in clutch with a trio of shots behind the arch – two of which came back-to-back in the third quarter.
These successful moments, however, weren’t able to outweigh the efforts of Indiana stars Mackenzie Holmes and Grace Berger, who both posted impressive double-doubles. Moreover, five total Lady Hoosiers logged points in the double-digits. The Lady Vols, on the other hand, only had three players to do so.
Tennessee heads to the Bahamas this weekend where it enters the Battle 4 Atlantis 2022 Women’s Tournament against Rutgers University on Saturday.
The Lady Vols then return home next Friday, Nov. 25 for a post-Thanksgiving matchup against the unranked, undefeated Colorado Buffaloes.
