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NCAA Tournament: Three takeaways from Lady Vols’ 87-62 win vs. MTSU

By Caleb Calhoun

ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 14: A general view of megaphones for the Tennessee Volunteers cheerleaders against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the quarterfinals of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament at Georgia Dome on March 14, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 14: A general view of megaphones for the Tennessee Volunteers cheerleaders against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the quarterfinals of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament at Georgia Dome on March 14, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Heading into Sunday, the Tennessee Lady Vols had not won an NCAA Tournament game since they dismissed Anastasia Hayes in 2018. It was only fitting that they would get their first win since that time against Haye’s new team. Becoming just the second coach to lead four different teams to the Big Dance, Kellie Harper led a third team to a March Madness win in the process.

Hayes kept the game close early, as she led MTSU to a 21-18 first quarter lead with nine points. She finished the first half with 16 points, and her sister, Aislynn Hayes, added another seven to keep the game tied at 39 at halftime. However, a 19-5 run to open the third quarter put Rocky Top up for good. MTSU never got within single digits again. An 11-0 run in the fourth put UT up by 22.

With the win, the No. 3 seed Lady Vols, ranked No. 13 in the AP Poll and No. 15 in the Coaches Poll, improve to 17-7 on the year and advance to the second round to take on the No. 6 seed Michigan Wolverines, who beat the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles Sunday. No. 14 seeded MTSU finishes the year 17-8. Here are three takeaways from UT’s NCAA Tournament win.

1. Rae Burrell and Rennia Davis remain dynamic duo.

This has been a story all year. These two players feed off each other when it comes to scoring, and they did it again, as both went over 20 points. Rennia Davis was the star for the Tennessee Lady Vols, as she had 24 points and 14 rebounds. She went 9-of-14 from the field and hit all five free throw attempts while only hitting on three-pointer.

Rae Burrell, on the other hand, came away with 22 points and seven rebounds. She added two steals, two blocks and an assist and was 8-of-13 from the field despite not making a three-pointer. Both Davis and Burrell took over, keeping the game close early and making sure UT took control in the second half to advance in the NCAA Tournament.

2. The Lady Vols were way too much inside.

It’s been clear all year that an inside-out game is the way to go for the Tennessee Lady Vols, and that’s exactly what they perfected in this matchup. UT dominated the MTSU Blue Raiders down low, outrebounding them 56-21, an insane number, and coming away with 20 offensive rebounds alone. They also had seven blocks. We mentioned Davis’ rebounds and Burrell’s blocks.

Kasi Kushkituah added10 points and eight rebounds down low. Tamari Key had 13 points and three blocks. Jordan Walker had nine points and 14 rebounds. Off the bench, Jordan Horston had six rebounds and two blocks. The dominant interior defense allowed UT to be aggressive on the perimeter, which is why Horston had three steals, and the team as a whole had seven.

3. Turnovers need to improve.

Obviously, the MTSU Blue Raiders were going to try to turn up the tempo to neutralize the hgith advantage of the Lady Vols. Well, it worked on one front. They forced 21 turnovers and had seven steals on the day. That was a big problem, and if UT is going to go far in the Big Dance, that has to improve. Horston was the biggest culprit with five turnovers, neutralizing her six assists.

Burrell had the same issue with five, and Walker added another three. Kushkituah and Tess Darby each had two, and Key, Davis and Destiny Salary all had one. This combined with solid three-point shooting allowed MTSU to hang around. It’s not something Harper’s team can afford to continue going forward in the NCAA Tournament.