Dan Fleser
Kim Caldwell was more than her usual blunt self in differentiating between Tennessee’s play against LSU on Sunday and their performance three days earlier versus Connecticut. The Lady Vols coach added a dash of harshness to her critique:
“We went back to kind of making boneheaded plays. Didn’t know our scout. We weren’t in help side (defense); we weren’t playing in gaps. We weren’t sharing the ball as well.
“For me, I was hoping we turned a corner and I don’t think we did.”
Caldwell was speaking during a postgame radio interview on the Lady Vol Network. You could imagine hearing those words reverberating off the walls of a locker room. Perhaps, the difference in tone was understandable, considering the differing results. Given the big picture, expressing her frustration in that manner arguably was commendable, too.
In her eyes, the team had raised the season’s standard with last Thursday’s 80-76 victory over then-No. 5 Connecticut at home but then fell short of the new mark with Sunday’s 82-77 loss at then-No. 6 LSU.
Against UConn, No. 15 Tennessee (17-6, 4-6 SEC) never trailed by more than seven points and took the fight to the Huskies in the second half after getting them in foul trouble. Their pace and depth took a toll, affording them an opportunity to win in the end, a chance they didn’t squander.
“I think they’re in great physical condition,” Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma said. “I think they play hard. . . .
“So, as they mix and match and put people out there, that’s different. . . . They create a lot more problems for other teams now than they did a few years ago.”
What was true against the Huskies wasn’t entirely false versus the Tigers. The Lady Vols gave up a whopping 60 points from close range in the teams’ first meeting in Knoxville last month. They halved that number in Sunday’s rematch in Baton Rouge, La., and had a 42-30 edge in paint points. They trailed by as many as 18 points in game one and led for just 3 minutes, 24 seconds in losing 89-87. The Lady Vols never trailed by more than nine in the rematch and held the lead for 6:18, building their advantage to as many as four points midway through the third quarter.
While Tennessee, by some measures, was a more game opponent in the rematch, LSU was deeper than before and just as strong. Furthermore, the Tigers are a more athletic adversary than UConn.
LSU’s added depth came from Mjracle Sheppard and Jada Richard, who combined for 13 points. Richard didn’t play in the first meeting and Sheppard had four. The strength was exemplified by a 41-37 rebounding edge (Tennessee was plus-12 against Connecticut). The Tigers’ athleticism helped create a bigger gap in points off turnovers. LSU was plus-11 (24-13). UConn’s edge was plus-five.
The two games served to remind that all great foes are not created equal. The Lady Vols can’t do anything about that. They can marshal their own strengths, however, and the sum is greater than it was a month ago.
By now, each Lady Vol has established her own player profile. The intent is for the players to continue building on the foundation they’ve established. Zee Spearman raised her profile with a team-high 16 points against UConn. Inside the final two minutes, the transfer forward scored a clutch basket and snagged an important rebound. She followed up with 15 points and six rebounds against LSU.
Conversely, point guard Samara Spencer, who led the third-quarter charge against UConn in Teddy Roosevelt fashion, had zero points against the Tigers. The team’s second-leading 3-point scorer, who tops the team in accuracy from behind the arc (40.2 percent), attempted just one trey.
Likewise, the reserves who produced 20 points against the Huskies had six versus the Tigers.
Caldwell essentially was taking roll with her postgame assessment. Regarding their respective capabilities, too many Lady Vols didn’t answer the call in full voice.
“When we have everybody give us a little bit of something, I think we’re dangerous. We didn’t have that.”
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Dan Fleser is a 1980 graduate of the University of Missouri, who has covered University of Tennessee athletics since 1988. He is a member of the Tennessee Sportswriters, U.S Basketball Writers and Greater Knoxville Sports Halls of Fame. He can be reached at danfleser3@gmail.com.