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Tennessee Lady Vols: Three takeaways from 67-63 win over Vanderbilt

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - FEBRUARY 2: Cheerleaders of the Tennessee Volunteers pregame against the Kentucky Wildcats in a game at Thompson-Boling Arena on February 2, 2016 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - FEBRUARY 2: Cheerleaders of the Tennessee Volunteers pregame against the Kentucky Wildcats in a game at Thompson-Boling Arena on February 2, 2016 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Patrick Murphy-Racey/Getty Images) /
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A five-game skid ended as the Tennessee Lady Vols beat the Commodores. Here are three things we learned from the women’s basketball Volunteers’ victory.

Four key defensive stands in the final minute of the game helped the Tennessee Lady Vols end their five-game losing streak Sunday afternoon. In the process, Kellie Harper’s team beat the team it last beat as well before the skid.

Rocky Top never trailed but did nearly blow a 14-point lead that it had in the second quarter. They were in big trouble after Vanderbilt got the ball down 64-63 with a minute left, but Vandy never scored again, largely because they inexplicably relied on ill-advised three-point shots.

With the win, UT improves to 18-9 and 8-6 in the SEC. Up next for them is a home game against the Ole Miss Rebels before their final game at the Auburn Tigers. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt falls to 13-14 and 3-11 in the SEC. Here are three takeaways from the Tennessee Lady Vols’ win.

1. Aggressive defense was the story.

Hustle plays gave the Lady Vols a victory. They forced 20 turnovers, which is what they needed to do. It created a transition game that allowed Rennia Davis and Rae Burrell to be the dominant scorers again with 18 and 12 points respectively, and they also had 10 and nine rebounds while Lou Brown also had 10 rebounds.

2. Jordan Horston finally showed who she could be.

Part of the aggressive defense meant players like Jordan Horston could thrive with her athleticism in transition. Despite being a freshman phenom, Horston has been used as a player to provide a scoring punch off the bench this year. She finally showed that side of her in this game, getting 16 points and five assists along with two steals. If she does this going forward, she’ll be a major force.

3. Shooting efficiency was horrible.

The inside game of the Tennessee Lady Vols remains an issue. Tamari Key and Lou Brown combined to go one-for-nine. The team shot 35 percent from the field and 13 percent from three. They missed eight 19 free throws, and Key and Rae Burrell each missed two. No effective inside-out game is killing their shooting efficiency given their length. Kellie Harper needs to address that.