Tennessee Lady Vols shouldn’t apologize for ugly win at Mizzou

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Yes, the same problems plaguing the Tennessee Lady Vols were once again on display in their 76-71 win at the Missouri Tigers Sunday. They had a bad start, their half-court defense was a problem, and they couldn’t score in the paint unless in transition. That was all enough to struggle against the worst team in the SEC.

Nonetheless, Kim Caldwell’s team walked away with a victory on the road in league play and snapped a three-game losing streak in the process. UT was mentally beaten down by facing three ranked teams, losing all of them close and having their coach give birth in the middle of that.

Simply put, facing another SEC team on the road was a lot to deal with. Also, Mizzou just beat the Mississippi State Bulldogs at home about a week ago, so while they aren’t a good team, they can be dangerous at times, as they showed in this matchup.

Caldwell’s team, ranked No. 18 in the AP Poll and No. 19 in the Coaches Poll, relied on the heroic efforts of Talaysia Cooper to pull this one out. Cooper had 27 points, seven rebounds, six steals and four assists while shooting 5-of-10 from the three-point line.

Robin Pingeton’s Tigers had a chance to tie it up late, as they had the ball down three with 30 seconds left. However, they missed a layup, and Jewel Spear then managed to close the deal with two free throws to make sure UT held on.

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It’s clear at this point, as they continue to learn Caldwell’s system and adjust to the tough schedule, that the Tennessee Lady Vols are going to have growing pains and be in a lot of close games. However, at least they showed they can win some of these games, which was beginning to be in question.

With the win, UT improves to 16-5 and 4-5 in SEC play. They will next host the No. 6 ranked UConn Huskies on Thursday. Mizzou falls to 12-12 and 1-8 in league play with a visit from the LSU Tigers, ranked No. 7 in the AP Poll and No. 5 in the Coaches Poll, Thursday.

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