Lady Vols vs. Lady Commodores at 9 PM: Live Game Thread
(Feel free to keep the game on in the background while you listen to our podcast at 9 PM!)
TV: ESPN2
RADIO: Lady Vols Network
INTERNET TV: ESPN 360
| Position | Name | Experience | Height | PPG | RPG | APG | |
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G | Angie Bjorklund | Jr | 6-0 | 14.8 | 2.9 | 2.5 |
| G | Kamiko Williams | Fr | 5-11 | 4.6 | 2.0 | 2.0 | |
| F | Glory Johnson | So | 6-3 | 12.0 | 8.5 | 1.1 | |
| G-F | Shekinna Stricklen | So | 6-2 | 12.7 | 6.2 | 3.8 | |
| C | Kelley Cain | So | 6-6 | 9.5 | 7.4 | 1.4 | |
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G | Meredith Marsh | Sr | 5-6 | 14.6 | 3.6 | 3.3 |
| G | Jence Rhoads | Jr | 5-11 | 13.0 | 3.1 | 5.5 | |
| F | Hannah Tuomi | Jr | 6-1 | 9.5 | 5.6 | 1.3 | |
| F | Tiffany Clarke | Fr | 6-0 | 9.2 | 5.9 | 0.5 | |
| G | Lauren Leuders | Sr | 5-8 | 8.4 | 3.9 | 1.8 |
Earlier in the season, UT beat Vanderbilt 64-57 on the home court despite a flurry of three-point shots by the Lady 'Dores that kept the game in serious doubt until the final minute. Now, Vandy looks to convert home court advantage into the extra few points needed to win. With a senior and junior heavy roster, this may be the best chance that Vandy has to beat UT in a while.
Since that meeting, though, Tennessee has begun to find some much-needed defensive consistency and, perhaps most importantly, a potential answer to the point guard question in Kamiko Williams. Despite a shaky start at the point against Arkansas last week, Kamiko has shown enough maturity to finally gain the on-court experience she needs. The rest of the team has shown improvement as well; with Taber Spani limited by turf toe, the depth of the team has been well tested and, so far, has succeeded. In particular, the trio of Glory Johnson, Alyssia Brewer, and Kelley Cain in the interior is proving to be an absolute nightmare for opponents.
Looking forward, this game begins a three-game stretch where the Lady Vols can make the SEC a two-team race. They play Vanderbilt and Mississippi on the road, then host Florida at home - all three of the four-loss teams in the league. Winning these three games leaves the SEC up to UT and Kentucky (currently at 8-2 in conference) to settle things on February 25th in Knoxville. Georgia and LSU, both ranked top-12 at one point, have fallen off the cliff and must wait for conference tournament play to improve their NCAA seeding - if they don't lose it outright.
But for tonight, all that matters is Vanderbilt. Winning here will shut out yet one more conference foe from the regular season crown. That should be motivation enough.
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107 comments
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Comments
Hoop, are you pulling double duty on this?
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Yeah.
I’ll put the game up on ‘360, but I’ll be in the podcast pretty exclusively until that’s over. I don’t multitask very well.
All right; I'll be in and out on the podcast but more on the game.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Cain looks strong early. Up 8-4 at the 3-minute mark.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
More aggressive earlier than I expected, but 10-7 at the first commercial break.
Faster pace, too; Vanderbilt looks pretty decent.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Shot redirection; it matters.
Lady Vol interior defenders just completely redirected two shots without getting a block on either; one was a pretty rough airball and the second was this weird shotput looking thing that didn’t go anywhere.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Slow it down.
Tennessee is playing at Vandy’s pace (and not getting any luck on shots right now), and Vandy’s been able to take advantage to tie it at 12. They’re on an 0-6 run where they easily could’ve / should’ve made three of them.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
After opening 6-7, Tennessee's been 1-9 from the field.
And those are shots they should make.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Missing bunny alert!
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Vanderbilt knows their rims.
They’ve picked up all the luck and rolls Tennessee hasn’t gotten.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
And we've entered the "bad passing" portion of the game.
Vandy’s gotten out to a bit of a lead; we’re fortunate that the Lady Vols are only down 7 at the under-4.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Briana Bass has been playing a lot of minutes; I'm not sure why.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
And here come the breaks.
Stormed back to tie at 28 at the half. I’ll take it.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
So, your halftime notes:
Tennessee went stone-cold after the first few minutes – 5-23 after a 6-7 opening flurry. Don’t chalk it all up to good defense, though, as for a while there Tennessee was just missing easy shots over and over again – rim outs and getting no love from the back of the rim while Vanderbilt got some strange bounces.
Play of the half went to one of the Vandy guards who got fouled on a breakaway but somehow managed to turn around, chuck it against the boards, and have it go in. Vanderbilt’s also shooting 50% from behind the arc (but 1-4 since hitting their first two).
Tennessee’s frontcourt is in a bit of foul trouble, which I don’t entirely understand (I think it’s just a series of bad fouls); Cain has done well against anyone defending her so I’m not too concerned about that but nobody else has done anything on the inside.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Right, forgot about the danger of the three-guard lineup.
Vanderbilt is doing a very good job of forcing typical interior defenders out to the perimeter, which may have been causing a few fouls.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
How much did the zebras affect things?
Looks like fouls came in bunches. And what happened for the matching technicals?
Didn't have sound on so I missed the matching techs.
Vanderbilt had a crash-and-slash thing going for a few minutes (partially caused by bad passing) that seemed to rack up a few fouls.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
That shot? Been that kind of shooting night.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Kelley Cain likes it when we have sound on.
Two blocks on the same possession.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
We're losing?
What madness is this?
by Incipient_Senescence on Feb 8, 2010 10:22 PM EST reply actions
The type of madness we've seen from Memorial Gym.
They installed a button that closes the Tennessee rim – it was working pretty well in the first half.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Thankfully, they have no answer for Cain.
Only reason the Lady Vols are in this.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
That was prescient
Or I guess you’re just 30 seconds ahead of me.
by Incipient_Senescence on Feb 8, 2010 10:25 PM EST up reply actions
I think it's that and a combination of frustration over how the game's been played.
Tennessee is over-pursuing on defense quite a bit compared to what I’d expect. Vanderbilt’s slash-and-pass attack is causing defensive issues.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
There will be some foul trouble here in a few minutes.
Too many players with three fouls, especially our interior players (Glory, Brewer, Manning all with three).
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
At this point, screw it: Cain for 30+.
They can’t stop her.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Okay, so THAT sequence right there? That was the first half.
You’ll know it when you see it.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Oh my
This is not going well. Hopefully the men do better.
by Incipient_Senescence on Feb 8, 2010 10:38 PM EST reply actions
If nothing else, the men will collectively shoot better than 20% (non-Cain).
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
How about play tough defense?
The women haven’t been terribly intense on that end.
by Incipient_Senescence on Feb 8, 2010 10:39 PM EST up reply actions
Vanderbilt's not even shooting 40% from the field. It's not like they've been bad.
Plus, the Ladies did show they can take over for a stretch of 3-4 minutes and consistently shut down / score at will.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Ah
Well I guess it’s just been since I started watching. Maybe I should go away.
by Incipient_Senescence on Feb 8, 2010 10:43 PM EST up reply actions
I should've said this like 10 minutes ago.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Oh, thank you Bjorklund. We needed that.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Summit went zone?
Hmm. . . we’ll see how this works out.
by Incipient_Senescence on Feb 8, 2010 10:40 PM EST reply actions
OT, but Henderson-Niles is off Memphis' team.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Putback! WOO!
I think that might’ve been the first one all game.
Also, props for finally saying man-to-man, color commentator.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Was there a TO before the shot? Apparently not.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
That was pretty.
Y’all will know it when you see it.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
The hesitation, air-step pass leading to the layup, yes
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Remember all those layups that weren't falling?
Here they come, and they’re coming n a hurry.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
That's the inverse of the move Chism's been unleashing anytime anyone defends him over the top.
It’s impossible to defend if you don’t see it coming.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Cain needs 4 boards and 5 blocks the rest of the game.
Just sayin’.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
BJORKLUND!
(deserving of the all-caps there)
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
That Vanderbilt miss? Karma for the first half.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
But they let Vandy keep the ball.
by Incipient_Senescence on Feb 8, 2010 10:56 PM EST up reply actions
Those 25 seconds they lost on the possession mattered way more than keeping possession.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Yeah
But I hadn’t seen that part yet
by Incipient_Senescence on Feb 8, 2010 10:58 PM EST up reply actions
Now I'm really hoping the men do better
7-2 sounds good.
by Incipient_Senescence on Feb 8, 2010 10:56 PM EST reply actions
That was pretty cool last year, despite the loss.
Having both teams in color jerseys. DID YOU HEAR THAT, ALABAMA???
They're having some kind of problem with the sound equipment there
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Only if you followed the whole game
could you understand why Pat looks so dang mad being up 10 with 44 left.
This win was gutsy. Last year's team doesn't get this.
Of note: they owned:
- the last three minutes of the first half
- the last six minutes of the second half
That’s not bad, right?
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.
Best part of this game: all UT needed was for the door to be open just a crack.
And they slid right on in for the (assumed) win.
Wrap this one in orange and white!
Let’s hope the men get another one here tomorrow!
by Incipient_Senescence on Feb 8, 2010 11:00 PM EST reply actions
Yeah
Not necessary, although I can understand why she did it, as they were still pretending to defend.
by Incipient_Senescence on Feb 8, 2010 11:01 PM EST up reply actions
Also, Kansas is kicking the absolute crap out of Texas in Austin
That win just keeps getting better and better.
by Incipient_Senescence on Feb 8, 2010 11:03 PM EST reply actions
I think they took us for granted.
Can’t blame them, really, given the circumstances. But glad we made them pay.
I dunno
After that Cornell game, I don’t think they were really in a position to take anyone for granted. I just think they were going through a run of slightly below excellent form.
by Incipient_Senescence on Feb 8, 2010 11:08 PM EST up reply actions
Which means that this year's men's team may have a shot
This is Pearl’s best defensive team of. . . ever.
by Incipient_Senescence on Feb 8, 2010 11:06 PM EST up reply actions
'Snail: still there?
If so (or anybody who saw the first), give me an ultra-quick recap of it. A couple sentences.
Sorry, had passed out.
Will add in the comment section on the post.
Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.

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