Tennessee opened 2023 NCAA Tournament play with a Round 1 matchup against St. Louis Saturday afternoon. The No. 4 Lady Vols won 95-50 against the No. 13 Billikens, securing their position in the second round of March Madness action.
Lady Vols beat St. Louis 95-50
As March Madness matchups traditionally go, upsets are a common factor in first-round action. This was hardly one of those occasions.
Tennessee began creating space between itself and St. Louis after less than five minutes of play. By the end of the first quarter, the Lady Vols had a five-point lead, sitting 20-15 against the Billikens.
St. Louis entered this first round as Atlantic 10 Tournament champions, but celebrations were short-lived once the team stepped onto the court against Tennessee.
With as many second-chance attempts as St. Louis had to find the basket, the ball struggled to fall time and time again.
St. Louis made multiple unsuccessful efforts to even up the score, coming the closest in quarter two, when the Billikens shortened the gap to 24-22.
That’s when the game really started heating up.
Tennessee runs away with the lead
Following this short St. Louis comeback, Tennessee junior Tess Darby took a nasty fall to the head, resulting in an extra point on the board and a renewed fight.
A runaway steal and layup from Jordan Horston widened Tennessee’s gap. And the steals only continued from there.
By halftime, Tennessee led by 48-24 — double the Billikens’ score.
Two and a half minutes into the third quarter, and the Lady Vols had extended that gap to a 30-point lead.
Despite this healthy lead, Tennessee didn’t let up on its aggressive playing style. By the fourth quarter, fan-favorite Edie Darby found her way onto the court, adding another four points to the scoreboard.
Round two takes place this Monday
