The effort was there for the Lady Vols basketball, but the result was not.
Despite holding No. 9 Virginia Tech to eight points in the fourth quarter, Tennessee was unable to pull off the win. The Lady Vols lost 59-56 to the Hokies on Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Tennessee (4-5) got under two with 7.7 seconds left, but Jordan Horston’s base jumper to tie the game bounced off the edge.
Tennessee had several chances to tie the game down only 55-51 in the fourth, but the shorthanded Lady Vols struggled offensively except for Horston and Tamari Key. Horston had 26 points, 11 rebounds and two assists.
Tennessee held Elizabeth Kitley to six points, but Kayana Traylor was the difference for the Hokies (8-0) with 18 points.
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Lady Vols is missing three key pieces
Top scorer Rickea Jackson did not play Sunday due to the coach’s decision and post players Jillian Hollingshead and Jasmine Franklin were out due to concussion protocol.
Jackson is averaging 17.6 points and 6.6 rebounds. She and Horston have been the driving force behind Tennessee’s offense this season, and her absence was noticeable.
Hollingshead has been a spark off the bench in the Lady Vols’ last two wins, averaging 10 points per game on 75% shooting and six rebounds in 13 minutes. Franklin, a Missouri State graduate forward, averaged 4.5 points and 3.1 rebounds in 13.3 minutes off the bench.
Tennessee defense inconsistent quarter over quarter
The Lady Vols trailed 23-13 after the first quarter. Their defensive urgency was present, but there were too many breakdowns that allowed the Hokies to hit open shots.
In the second quarter, Tennessee held Virginia Tech to 11 points. The Lady Vols improved defensively and were able to prevent Kitley from scoring at all in the second. Virginia Tech committed seven turnovers in the second and Tennessee scored nine runs on them.
But then the Hokies went on a 12-4 run to open the third. Tennessee limited them to five points and forced them into several shot clock violations after that, but could only score 13 points.
Virginia Tech shot 35 percent from the field and hit 9 of 32 3-pointers.
Tamari Key and Karoline Striplin Show Up Without Post Depth
Key looked like a new player in the first half.
The senior center has shown no signs of the struggles she has had to start the season. Key was instrumental in shutting down Kitley by being in position to defend and box for rebounds. Sophomore Karoline Striplin got her fair share of minutes without Hollingshead and Franklin and she played well in defense and on the boards.
But Key disappeared in the second half until the final minutes. In her 14 minutes after halftime, she was 2 of 3 from the field, 1 of 4 from the line and had four rebounds.
Key had 11 points on 5-7 shooting, seven rebounds and three blocks. Striplin didn’t score, but his efforts on the glass were rewarded with six rebounds, five of which were offensive.
Tennessee stays in the game with a rebound
The Lady Vols dominated the boards in the first half, outscoring the Hokies 21-13. This trend continued in the second half and kept them in the game.
Tennessee managed to beat Virginia Tech on the glass in every quarter and outscored it by a total of 46-31.
Tennessee had 18 offensive rebounds. Striplin, Key and Marta Suárez led the charge, but the Lady Vols had just 11 second-chance points.
Next
Tennessee returns to Thompson-Boling Arena to face Chattanooga on Tuesday (6:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network+).
