Feb. 8, 2010
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Kelley Cain scored a career-high 19 points, and fifth-ranked Tennessee rallied and beat Vanderbilt 69-60 Monday night for the Lady Vols’ fifth straight victory.
The Lady Vols (21-2, 9-1 Southeastern Conference) looked like they might lose on consecutive visits to Memorial Gym for the first time since the 1985 and 1987 seasons, trailing by as much as eight in the first half and seven with 8:41 left. But Tennessee used its superior size to pound the Commodores inside and beat their instate rival.
Vanderbilt (17-7, 6-5) snapped a three-game winning streak.
Angie Bjorklund, Alyssia Brewer and Glory Johnson all finished with 10 points for Tennessee.
Merideth Marsh led Vanderbilt with 19 points. Jence Rhoads added 15, and Lauren Lueders 12.
Tennessee beat Vanderbilt 64-57 in Knoxville on Jan. 17, a game in which the Lady Vols managed only a one-rebound difference on the boards. On a snowy night in Nashville, the Lady Vols took much better advantage of having 10 players 6-foot or taller compared to Vandy’s five such 6-footers and dominated 41-30.
In a meeting of the SEC’s top shooting teams, Tennessee also finished with a big edge there as well (44.6 percent to 37 percent) to overcome Vanderbilt’s 7-of-16 shooting from 3-point range.
The score was tied six times in the first half, including at 28 at halftime.
Lueders hit a 3 from the right corner to open the second half and keep Vanderbilt ahead. The teams put on a sluggish and physical display, especially when Shekinna Stricklen got a technical foul for giving a hip check to Jessica Mooney as the Vanderbilt guard came up to her as the Lady Vols tried to inbound the ball with 14:20 left.
The Commodores led 47-40 when Rhoads scored on a layup, then Tiffany Clarke hit two free throws with 8:41 remaining.
Then Bjorklund, the SEC’s top 3-point shooter, finally got going.
She hit her first 3 with 8:27 left. Cain hit two free throws, then Alicia Manning scored on a layup, Bjorklund hit another long jumper. Cain blocked a shot, Manning got the rebound and then finished off the fast-break with a layup to give Tennessee the lead for good at 52-51 with 5:36 left — the Lady Vols’ first since 14-12.
Cain next stole the ball from Hannah Tuomi, and Manning had another layup. Vanderbilt stayed close, but Glory Johnson, who played only five minutes of the first half with two personal fouls, scored on a layup for her first field goal of the game. She also hit a jumper on the Lady Vols’ next trip down the court.
From there, the Lady Vols just put away the victory.
