Tennessee Lady Vols vs. Auburn Lady Tigers, 3 PM ET
by David Hooper on Jan 23, 2011 1:00 PM EST
in Lady Vols Basketball
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January 23, 2011
Auburn Arena, Auburn, AL 3:00 PM EST TV: CSS / ESPN3 Internet Audio: Lady Vols Radio Live Stats: GameTracker |
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18-2 (6-0 SEC) |
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12-7 (5-1 SEC) |
With all due respect to the last decade of LSU women's basketball, there are three teams that historically top the SEC: Tennessee, Georgia, and Auburn. It should be no surprise that those three teams are now atop the SEC with just over a third of the games finished. Tennessee plays each of those teams once this year; today is the first of such matchups that will ultimately decide the regular season crown.
| Position | Name | Experience | Height | PPG | RPG | APG | |
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G | Angie Bjorklund | Sr | 6-0 | 11.5 | 3.2 | 2.4 |
| C | Kelley Cain | Jr | 6-6 | 8.3 | 6.5 | 0.6 | |
| G | Meighan Simmons | Fr | 5-9 | 16.2 | 2.9 | 2.7 | |
| G-F | Shekinna Stricklen | Jr | 6-2 | 10.7 | 7.6 | 2.0 | |
| F | Taber Spani | So | 6-1 | 8.5 | 4.5 | 1.5 | |
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G | Alli Smalley | Sr | 5-8 | 11.7 | 3.0 | 2.1 |
| G | Morgan Toles | So | 5-9 | 8.2 | 3.4 | 5.5 | |
| G-F | Blanche Alverson | So | 6-3 | 11.8 | 4.2 | 1.0 | |
| F | Jordan Greenleaf | Sr | 6-1 | 9.7 | 7.7 | 1.6 | |
| G | Parrisha Simmons | Jr | 6-0 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 1.0 |
Auburn has as many consistency issues as Tennessee. With a slew of early losses and a 1-4 start, they dug an early hole and have struggled to come up for air since. In conference play, their Jekyll-and-Hyde tendencies led them to solid wins against Florida and LSU, but a solid loss to Vanderbilt and a head-scratching 45-41 win over a not-good Mississippi State team last Thursday. Much of their issues are due to youth; only two seniors and three juniors grace their roster. They appear to be a team designed to peak in a year or two, but they could certainly beat a Tennessee team that plays the way the Lady Vols played against South Carolina.
Unlike South Carolina, Auburn has some height. Most of it is young, like 6'-8" sophomore center Pascale West and 6'-5" freshmen Peyton Davis, but even their guards are closer in size to Tennessee's. Tennessee has the experience and talent edge, but they'll have to earn the rebounds a little more honestly than they did against South Carolina's undersized players. In conference play, Auburn is averaging about 37 rebounds a game to their opponents' 33.
Both squads are a bit turnover prone, with Tennessee having nearly 16 turnovers a game and Auburn giving it up about 15 times per contest. With such inconsistency and talent on both sides of the ball, this is one of the harder games to predict. Tennessee is by any measure a better team, but it's a road game for them - a place where their best and worst have come in big ways.
Prediction: UT 65 - Auburn 56
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I think South Carolina made the Ladies a bit skittish.
I like the victory (of course), but in the 73-55 range. Hopefully they got the runs out after their last game.
My ray of hope is the article I 'Shotted earlier.
Warlick has noticed a difference, too. During the video session following an uneven 68-56 victory over Vanderbilt last Saturday, the players were the ones bemoaning their performance.
“We should’ve been better,‘’ Warlick said. "They said it. We didn’t.’’
Summitt’s said for a while that the Parker-led championship teams only started clicking once they started taking the reigns on this kind of stuff. It’ll take a while, but that’s what I’m hoping happens between now and the SEC tourney.
by David Hooper on Jan 23, 2011 1:57 PM EST up reply actions
So I'm watching the Alabama - South Carolina tilt on the '3.
I forgot how much bigger Tennessee is than other teams. These gals look little.
That, and what quality looks like.
At exactly 10 minutes in, Alabama has 7 team fouls, 5 turnovers, and 9 points on 23% shooting. South Carolina is only marginally better (more turnovers, but more points).
by David Hooper on Jan 23, 2011 2:29 PM EST up reply actions
10-6 at the first media timeout.
Hot shooting by both team (56% UT, 50% Auburn). UT’s getting some good transition work on turnovers, and Cain is dominant early on offense.
They need to work on defensive rebounds, though.
Good GRIEF. Strickland = invincible right now.
of UT’s 22 points, she has 12. 5-6 FG, 2-2 from three. 2 rebounds and a steal to boot. She’s killing Auburn.
From 10:34 to 3:57 in the first, Tennessee scored all of 3 free throws. No field goals at all.
And they never led by less than 5, and currently lead by 13.
Then Tennessee starts with 12 points in 3 minutes to expand to a 20 point lead.
46-26. Cain is one point off a double-double and now has 12 rebounds. They list her with 2 blocks, but I thought she had more.
Kamiko - Baugh make a great tandem.
Baugh sets the screen, Kamiko drives, all of Auburn scrambles to cover Williams, she dumps to Baugh for the easy deuce. It’s happened a couple times already.
Globetrotter drill.
Stricklen on the runout misses the layup.
Bjorklund runs in, catches the rebound in the air, and misses the putback in the same motion.
Baugh runs in, catches the ball in the air and makes the bucket in the same motion.
Simmons scores a free throw with 4:38 to go in the game. Gets 'em both.
Her first points in the game. Freshman slump.
3:30ish to go, and it's 66-44.
Tennessee will be 7-0 in conference, and only Georgia stands in their way.
Georgia is currently crushing Missy State by 30ish with about three to go in that game as well. Not a surprise; MSU isn’t good this year.
by David Hooper on Jan 23, 2011 4:49 PM EST up reply actions
Ok gals, that's not funny.
Two VERY quick turnovers in Auburn’s end leads to 4 points and a plus-one situation.
73-53 final score. Brought to within 20 by a buzzer trey.
If Tennessee keeps playing defense like that, they’re going to be an absolute nightmare the rest of the way.
Wasn't she POG last game, too?
______________________________________________
That's (333333jorkland)^2 and $$$$$$$$immons to you, chump.
I believe so.
She’s playing like she means it.
by David Hooper on Jan 23, 2011 6:02 PM EST up reply actions
I'm thinking she's the best player on this team.
It’s a testament to how loaded the Ladies are that I can’t make that call easily, but she makes this team go.
And there are three people pushing her for that.
by Chris Pendley on Jan 23, 2011 6:54 PM EST up reply actions
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