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Lady Vols basketball has fully proven that it wasn’t the team that started the season.
Tennessee pulled off a 68-65 come-from-behind victory over Missouri on Sunday after falling five points behind with a minute to go. It started with a steal and score by Jordan Walker just under Tennessee’s basket. Fifteen seconds later, Sarah Puckett scored his three-pointer that tied the game.
Then Rikkea Jackson took over.
Missouri (14-6, 3-4 SEC) held Jackson scoreless with 9:59 in the fourth quarter. Because Tennessee (16-6, 8-0) gave Jackson his 1-1 chance on the final possession of the tie. She put the ball in the post, spun it, and hit a hook shot while drawing a foul. Jackson’s free throw gave Lady Volles a 1.1 second lead over him by 3 points for a total of 15 points.
“I was able to manipulate the ball just enough to give her one-on-one opportunities,” Tennessee coach Kelly Harper said. That’s it.”
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But Puckett led Tennessee to that point, scoring eight of a team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter. I said I didn’t flinch. They have all the confidence in her scoring ability. Puckett was a perfect 3-for-3 behind the arc on Sunday.
“We want her to keep shooting,” Harper said.
The Lady Vols narrowly escaped their first conference loss in Missouri, getting off to their best start in SEC play since the 2014-15 season.
And according to Harper, he did it without senior starter Jordan Horston, who did not travel with the team due to illness.
But Sunday, unlike any other game this season, Lady Volles had to play without Houston. Tennessee lost his 79–67 at home to No. 6 Indiana on his November 14, with Houston sidelined with a knee injury.
After the loss, Harper was invincible. Lady Vols had no toughness. They weren’t disciplined enough on the board and didn’t put up enough fights when they went down.
“I still think the best thing for this team is to play against the mouth-punching team,” Harper said on Nov. 11. I know exactly who we are, I know exactly where we need to go and we will get there.
Tennessee’s struggle didn’t end after Indiana, but it proved Harper’s beliefs right. became. Mentally tough, they kept their defense tight and ended the match with an 8-0 run.
Jackson stole the ball before Puckett hit the game-tying 3-pointer. I let In the final huddle, Harper said all players were locked out, with some even saying “about really high IQs.”
Puckett said both she and Jackson knew they weren’t going to lose.
“Neither of us intended to let it happen,” Puckett said. I didn’t mean to disappoint the team and I didn’t mean to lose.”
Sunday was the game that would decide who played one more. And Tennessee was never going to make Missouri that team.
“Today’s win is going to be a big confidence booster,” Harper said. “It’s a big deal for us to come in here and figure out how to do it, how to be pretty, how to be ugly, and so on.”
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