Tennessee Lady Vols / Oklahoma Lady Sooners Live Game Thread
by David Hooper on Feb 2, 2009 6:30 PM EST
in Lady Vols Basketball
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February 2, 2009 |
 |
|
16-4 (5-2)
12(AP) 15(USA Today) |
18-2 (7-0)
2(AP) 2(USA Today) |
| Tennessee |
Ht.
|
Wt.
|
Yr.
|
PPG
|
RPG
|
APG
|
|
| G | 5 Angie Bjorklund |
6-0
|
-
|
So.
|
11.9
|
2.6
|
2.6
|
| F | 25 Glory Johnson |
6-3
|
-
|
Fr.
|
11.9
|
7.5
|
0.9
|
| F |
40 Shekinna Stricklen |
6-2
|
-
|
Fr.
|
13.8
|
5.9
|
3.0
|
| F/C | 44 Alexis Fuller |
6-3
|
-
|
Sr.
|
7.1
|
5.8
|
0.9
|
| F |
15 Alicia Manning |
6-1
|
-
|
Fr.
|
3.9
|
3.2
|
1.2
|
| Oklahoma |
Ht.
|
Wt.
|
Yr.
|
PPG
|
RPG
|
APG
|
|
| F |
05 Ashley Paris |
6-3
|
-
|
Sr.
|
14.0
|
10.0
|
1.7
|
| C | 03 Courtney Paris |
6-4
|
-
|
Sr.
|
15.7
|
13.6
|
1.7
|
| G | 13 Danielle Robinson |
5-9
|
-
|
So.
|
12.5
|
2.5
|
6.1
|
| G | 25 Whitney Hand |
6-1
|
-
|
Fr.
|
9.5
|
2.4
|
1.8
|
| F |
21 Amanda Thompson |
6-0
|
-
|
Jr.
|
7.1
|
4.6
|
1.9
|
In a way, this game is a fitting spanphot of Pat Summitt's coaching career. With her 1,000th career win on the line, she faces the second-ranked team in the country on the road - a team that credits her assistance as largely influential in their program's survival. Never one to shy away from a challenge and always one to promote the sport she loves, there are plenty of storylines for those so inclined.
About the game itself - this is going to be an extremely difficult win for the Lady Vols to pull off. The youth of the team has been discussed at extreme length, but its effects have been seen all season. They show flashes of brilliance like the second half against Rutgers, but they also show their roughness around the edges - like the first half against Rutgers. Meanwhile, Oklahoma brings one of the most intimidating front courts in women's basketball, highlighted by the twins, Ashley and Courtney Paris. Their statlines alone tell you their effect; having two players averaging double-double figures on the season is a luxury very few coaches enjoy.
Last year, the counter to Oklahoma's inside game was to pull all defenders in tight and let them flail 3's all night long. This year, the addition of freshman Whitney Hand provides the longball threat they desperately needed. You now have a choice: close in the defense and let the freshman rain 3's all night long, or play her honest and let the twins play one-on-one down low.
The two losses on Oklahoma's record? A 1-point loss at home against North Carolina, and a 28-point beating in Connecticut against that Geno. Both occurred back in November, and they have barely been challenged since.
Can the Lady Vols overcome the Lady Sooners? Sure! Their margin of error, however, is ridiculously small. This Oklahoma team has a lot of experience, a lot of pride, and they really do not want to be #1000. The Lady Vols need to be effective at following the advice of their coach:
- Rebound! Some coaches may preach rebounding as much as Summitt, but none do so more than her. Shots will be made and shots will be missed, but the Lady Vols need to turn the misses into extra possessions. This will be extremely difficulty with the height and experience that Oklahoma possesses in the interior.
- Point Guard Play The Ladies have to play smart, well-executed on the offensive side - a plan that starts with the point guard. The PG position has been shuffled around this season, with Brianna Bass and Alicia Manning spending their time in Summitt's doghouse over their floor generalship. Time for growing up has run out; the points must prove their maturity tonight.
- Foul Trouble With the trees inside, Oklahoma will be tough to defend. If the Lady Vols play too passively, OU will chew up the interior. If they play too aggressively, the penalty calls will catch up quickly. Glory Johnson and Alexis Fuller - the two who will likely defend the twins - must stay out of foul trouble. Bench depth defense will not get it done tonight.
Oklahoma has the advantage, for certain. In a year where the entire starting lineup was drafted into the WNBA, going on the road to a well-seasoned and sharp-playing team like Oklahoma is not a traditional recipe for success. There'll be no coaching magic to work tonight - there never has been any coaching magic from Summitt. She demands the best performance in the basic tasks and an unselfish, team-oriented approach. Play that game to their best, and the Lady Vols may very well bring Summitt her 4th digit tonight.
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I am, but I might be a bit late.
I have to swing by the library tonight, so I’ll be catching it on ‘net radio. But it’s not like you get a chance to see 1,000 wins every day. Or year. Or decade.
Yeah
I’ll be here off an on as well.
Go Vols!
by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 2, 2009 7:39 PM EST reply actions
Hooray for UT!
They finally got ESPN360 through their internet access. I actually get to watch a game for a change…
Welcome to the 21st Century, hoop!
ESPN360 is handy. A little laggy sometimes, but better than having to deduce what happened from these comments.
Lieberman was waiting for that all day.
She blew it though. Should have waited for her to mess up a pass.
Playing tough early.
The problem with women’s basketball is that it’s tough to really know the level of opposition since you can’t see it as often as you can the men’s game. I have no idea if Oklahoma is struggling.
Welcome, and thanks for the support!
No matter what form it may come in.
But, and I doubt I’m the first to note, your handle did throw me for a sec. I saw the little notification in the lower left and was all set to ban a spammer before I had a chance to read the comment.
But welcome anyhow.
Welll, I can't ban
But the point is noted.
by Chris Pendley on Feb 2, 2009 7:54 PM EST up reply actions
Geno!
He tried to say something nice there, didn’t he?
They’re game in the first few minutes..we’ll see.
I wasn't the only one who thought that, huh?
I’d tell Bobby to watch his language, but that hasn’t worked ever.
by Chris Pendley on Feb 2, 2009 7:58 PM EST up reply actions
All right
That settles it.
I’m blowing the post I was writing off and joining for the second half. How much time left in the 1st?
Go Vols!
by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 2, 2009 8:00 PM EST up reply actions
Thanks
Would you mind pinging me when the 2nd half starts?
Go Vols!
by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 2, 2009 8:02 PM EST up reply actions
By the way,
no matter what happens this game, I’m skipping an exam on Thursday and going to the home game against Georgia.
By the way...
Any particular reason this is in Oklahoma City and not Norman, or was this scheduled as such?
Good question.
I don’t know. But this game was listed as a “Big Monday” game on the schedules printed at the beginning of the year, so it might have been planned for the sake of coverage. Oklahoma was known to be a strong team this year and Tennessee is [couch, Summitt, cough] Tennessee.
Uh-oh.
5-0 mini-run from Oklahoma and a couple fouls for Tennessee….
by Chris Pendley on Feb 2, 2009 8:05 PM EST up reply actions
ESPN had a stat.
Out of Summitt’s former players, assistants, etc., there are currently 70 head coaches in various levels of basketball.
Now that’s a coaching family tree.
Glory Johnson: The Dennis Rodman of the Lady Vols.
But only the good parts – the defense and the get-in-the-head-ability.
Been awhile since I watched a women's game...
On that last OU runout I was thinking “Watch the trailer for the alley-oop”…
What a year for Oklahoma.
2nd in men’s basketball, 2nd in women’s basketball, 2nd in football….
Too soon?
Good point by Knight on OU being more tight than the Ladies being more loose at the start
I guess we forget that if you’re not Tennessee, UConn or Duke, you don’t really play these nationally televised games enough to not have the moment affect you in one way or another.
Not at all.
Doubly surprising since the Paris kids aren’t in too bad of foul trouble … although if Courtney can pick up her 3rd I’ll feel a lot better.
by Chris Pendley on Feb 2, 2009 8:15 PM EST up reply actions
Courtney's really backed off her defense.
If they can get the passes inside, the shots will be there. She’ll probably stay passive until the second half.
Well, Ashley's still there.
It’s not quite as nice as it seems.
by Chris Pendley on Feb 2, 2009 8:17 PM EST up reply actions
I'll give 'em credit for scrapping for the ball, at least.
Shame that the Okies got to it first, but that was the most life on D I’ve seen so far.
Plus burning a timeout might be useful down the line.
My money on Bobby Knight to Georgia
When his name was attached to the Tennessee opening back between Buzz and Bruce, he said something about how he his name was being brought up at places he’d never even consider going. Now he’s making no attempt to deny the Georgia rumors whatsoever and talking about how much he misses teaching. Why Georgia instead of Alabama, or the Vols four years ago? Not that I’m complaining…it’ll make the SEC even more interesting…but I’d pencil him in Athens.
Georgia makes more sense than Alabama.
Overall, Georgia sits in a better recruiting locale and, while equally avid, is less psychotic about sports.
Plus Georgia doesn't have impending sanctions.
/rumormongering
by Chris Pendley on Feb 2, 2009 8:32 PM EST up reply actions
We needed that.
That was rough. The FG at the end of the half will help, but in the meantime take what you can get and get ’em in the 2nd half.
Being down 5 here isn’t the end of the world.
Right.
They’re not in bad shape. This team has chronically been a slow-starting team. Their second halves are far better than their firsts.
Here’s hoping that continues!
A few points of note:
15 points for Stricklen. Many of those came off of steals during Tennessee’s run.
3 fouls on Bjorklund. She’s too good of a shooter to have in foul trouble. This’ll take some work.
Zero fouls on Glory: Excellent. She can play hard against the center in the second half, which will help.
Whitney Hand has 8 points, but hasn’t missed a shot yet. They have to keep better track of her.
Those stats are insane
- Every Lady Vol since ’76 has played in the Final Four
- Every Lady Vol who finished her eligibility under Summitt has her degree
I mean, wow.
Seriously.
I heard it on the radio, but I wasn’t able to see it. I was on the road back to Knoxville at the time.
4th quarter was incredible
Mostly average with a 100 yard INT return thrown in before that…I think lots of people probably quit watching with the Steelers up 17-7 with first and goal at the 5 and missed all the fun at the end.
What he said.
Aside from the INT return at the end of the first half, there wasn’t much to worry about until the 4th quarter, which was excellent and a half.
Commercials were …lackluster.
by Chris Pendley on Feb 2, 2009 8:35 PM EST up reply actions
Our curling club had one of those pickem fundraiser where you sell 100 draws for the final digits of each quarter / end of game. I had the NFC 3, AFC 0 (last digits of score) pick and was about half a minute away from $200. Then the Steelers had to go and try to win the thing. What were they thinking? I mean, sheesh!
Yeah, I was saying that when the score hit 20-14.
Wonder how many people got screwed at the (correctly challenged) overturned TD in the first quarter.
Probably everyone who bet on the Steelers.
by Chris Pendley on Feb 2, 2009 8:39 PM EST up reply actions
So let me get this right:
Oklahoma has a Roethlisberger; Tennessee has a Manning.
Um, we’re watching women’s basketball, right?
They removed one from Baugh, but kept Bjorklund at 4.
That adds up to 11.
by Chris Pendley on Feb 2, 2009 8:50 PM EST up reply actions
But they list the last fouls as Baugh's.
Which would make it go the other way.
Who knows? It’s ESPN.
Quick scroll of the play-by-play:
Bjorklund with 4.
So if it’s an error, it’s a systematic one.
by Chris Pendley on Feb 2, 2009 8:52 PM EST up reply actions
I spent way too much time figuring this out.
by Chris Pendley on Feb 2, 2009 8:53 PM EST up reply actions
Perhaps?
Her fouls are like consonants in her name? Can’t have one all by itself?
Go Vols!
by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 2, 2009 8:53 PM EST up reply actions
Announcers
This has to be the most bizarre team of announcers I’ve ever heard. Musberger doing basketball. Knight doing women’s basketball. That other person I don’t know.
Go Vols!
by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 2, 2009 8:46 PM EST reply actions
Musberger does basketball a lot.
He does mostly Big 11 games with Lavin or Fran whatshisname. And Erin Andrews.
He's as lackluster in basketball as he is in football.
by Chris Pendley on Feb 2, 2009 8:56 PM EST up reply actions
Just goes to show
Doing an adequate job with an outstanding voice is the recipe for success, I guess.
Go Vols!
by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 2, 2009 9:00 PM EST up reply actions
Well there you go
I can’t remember the last Baker’s 10 basketball game I’ve seen.
Go Vols!
by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 2, 2009 8:59 PM EST up reply actions
Nationally?
Nah. Geno probably hasn’t won it in awhile, and they’ll probably be up there at #1 the rest of the way.
Yeah, it was Ashley.
But that would be me trusting ESPN, so who knows.
by Chris Pendley on Feb 2, 2009 9:02 PM EST up reply actions
Those shooting percentages
are excellent. Do the women generally shoot higher percentages than men?
Go Vols!
by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 2, 2009 9:02 PM EST reply actions
I don't know for sure, but I think they do.
They tend to rely on setting up clean shots more than the men do.
I think that's true
But I don’t know if the shooting touches are any better than they are in the men’s game.
by Chris Pendley on Feb 2, 2009 9:04 PM EST up reply actions
They didn't used to
The thing that used to drive me crazy about the women’s game is the way terrible shots were always tolerated. The quality of play has vastly improved all over the country.
The money that's been poured into the sport has as well.
The coaching circuit is far more competitive now, and I think that’s helping.
That, and I think more women want to compete at this level.
These girls are big now, too. Don't discount that.
UT only has 3 players less than 6’. 5’2", 5’4" and a 5’10".
Oh, yeah
Turnovers galore.
Go Vols!
by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 2, 2009 9:13 PM EST up reply actions
Oklahoma lost 2 in November, but only had one close game since.
They’re an absolutely terrifying team, and Tennessee just got demoralized.
Just try and win the last 5 minutes.
Game’s all but over – at least finish strong.
by Chris Pendley on Feb 2, 2009 9:15 PM EST up reply actions
Just got in
Are they this good or have we helped them?
Two big runs killed the Vols
But that 16-0 Tennessee run has to be viewed as a good sign.
This team is really, really good. And we’re really, really young. And it showed.
by Chris Pendley on Feb 2, 2009 9:18 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah, we gotta stick with them.
Next year or so, and they’ll be a terror.
They show flashes of a team that just might be better than the Parker-led teams.
Yeah, the pieces are there.
It’s like watching the men’s team, to some degree.
The gals will fit it together in a different way, and I have more confidence they’ll figure it out. 11 underclassmen is unreal for the women’s game.
by Chris Pendley on Feb 2, 2009 9:20 PM EST up reply actions
I know how a team generally gets young
But how did this one get that young?
Go Vols!
by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 2, 2009 9:21 PM EST up reply actions
I'm not sure.
It’s bound to happen eventually, though. I wonder what happened to the juniors / seniors, though … did a class get missed or something?
by Chris Pendley on Feb 2, 2009 9:22 PM EST up reply actions
Well, Summitt did grab a couple JUCO players 3 years ago.
They were part of the Fab 5 last year. That’d account for 2.
I had heard
the ladies started lights out. As far as age, I am far more impressed by their cohesiveness regardless of the scoreboard. The Lady Vols have a good thing coming to them and I agree with Hoop: this group can be something great
Get 1000 in Knoxville.
Look at the “Year” in this chart: http://www.utladyvols.com/sports/w-baskbl/mtt/tennw-w-baskbl-mtt.html
The mistakes they're making
…are kid mistakes, at least. If they watch their passing lanes they’ll save 5+ TOs a game, although I think OU watches the lanes way more than most teams.
They haven't shown any replays
So I’m reluctant to make any calls on it.
by Chris Pendley on Feb 2, 2009 9:25 PM EST up reply actions
Went back on the Tivo
Looked minor, like a hyperextension…but the way she yelled and the history there, you’ve gotta think it’s something more
Interesting:
OU has beaten the press handily every time the Baby Vols have tried it, mainly because there are obvious escape avenues.
The nice part about that? That’s coachable. 90% of the bad stuff that’s happened tonight is correctable.
Lady Vols crashing the boards hard late
I don’t know if this is good effort on the Vols’ part or OU getting lazy, but ….quality.
Woo-hoo!
We didn’t get 1000, they didn’t get the double-double. I’ll take that at this point.
Good defense, Glory!
Well, I'm okay with this.
Outplayed by – let’s be honest here – a large margin during the middle part of the game, but started strong and finished strong. All the pieces are there, and it may not be this year, but it’s coming.
And that was 14-6 in the last 5 minutes, and probably the most complete they’ve played aside from the big run early.
Those on the TV:
Do the Sooners fans applaud Summitt at the end? Just curious. I’m not implying a lack of class if they don’t.
They were clapping.
Probably for Oklahoma. They didn’t boo or anything like that. They ain’t done enough to have an attitude.
Do you know if there are any tickets left?
Go Vols!
by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 2, 2009 9:33 PM EST up reply actions
Hooper, thanks for the thread
I’m out for the evening. Take care, y’all.
Go Vols!
by Joel Hollingsworth on Feb 2, 2009 9:35 PM EST reply actions
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