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Tennessee Lady Vols fall Georgia: 3 takeaways from third straight loss

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 14: Tennessee Volunteers fans cheer during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 14, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Kentucky defeated Tennessee 65-62. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 14: Tennessee Volunteers fans cheer during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 14, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Kentucky defeated Tennessee 65-62. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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The Tennessee Lady Vols fell to the Georgia Bulldogs on the road 66-62. Here are three takeaways from the women’s basketball Volunteers’ loss.

The Tennessee Lady Vols committed a shot-clock violation and air-balled a three on their final two possessions to lose their third straight game of the season and first road game, this time to the Georgia Bulldogs. UGA overcame a 12-point halftime deficit to win thanks to a dominant third quarter in which they outscored Holly Warlick’s team 25-11.

With the loss, Tennessee falls to 12-4 on the year and 1-3 in the conference, while Georgia improves to 12-5 on the year and 3-1 in the conference. It was rock bottom for Rocky Top in women’s basketball, as they hadn’t lost three straight games since 1986.

Up next for UT is a trip to the Alabama Crimson Tide. But right now, they are in as bad of shape as they’ve been in a while as a program. There are no injuries and a ton of talent, and Georgia is not a good team. And Tennessee doesn’t have any freshmen starting. So these guys have a ton of issues to work out. Here are three takeaways from the Tennessee Lady Vols’ loss.

1. This was the anti-Pat Summitt game.

Pat Summitt is rolling over in her grave after the issues that plagued the Tennessee Lady Vols in this game. Not only did they miss seven of eight free throws at one point and under 60 percent overall, but they also allowed Georgia to snag 20 offensive rebounds. The Dawgs were actually horrible from the field, shooting 34 percent and 20 percent from three while only hitting 63 percent from the free throw line. It was those offensive rebounds, though, that cost UT. They also made a mental error down one with a second left on the shot clock on their final possession, and Rennia Davis accidentally took a dribble to let it expire. Mental errors, missed free throws and getting outworked on the glass cost them this game. All three things would infuriate the late Summitt, and Warlick needs to answer for them.

2. Another game of runs cost them.

How many times is Holly Warlick going to allow her team to take a quarter off? This time, it was the third quarter. The Lady Vols actually built a 17-point lead in the first half but let Georgia come back and take the lead in the third quarter, forcing them to play catch-up. They are halfway through this season now, and this is still an issue. At some point, you have to put it on the coach when her team is getting outworked and they continue to let these runs happen. If they keep getting complacent, she’s not doing her job. Sure, her team is run by sophomores, but they are all basically veterans who saw significant action last year. So this is becoming a problem.

3. Evina Westbrook is the only player with the killer instinct.  

Despite all the issues plaguing this team, Evina Westbrook is the one player with the killer instinct. The Tennessee Lady Vols have versatility with Rennia Davis and outside shooting with Meme Jackson. But Westbrook is the assassin on the team, and quite frankly, she’s the only player with ice in her veins. Unfortunately for Tennessee, Warlick called the three-point play for Jackson with the team down by three on their final possession, and she air-balled it. That was a huge mistake, as Westbrook got them back in the game when they fell behind by seven late. She finished with 23 points and five assists. At some point, Warlick needs to find more ways to involve Westbrook, and she needs to start pushing her other players.