Game Thread: (7/8) Lady Vols 70 - Ole Miss 58

[xtpsrh08123]

I think the Ole Miss players reflect their HC and they are going to play as aggressive and in your face as the officials will let them. They were 13-1 coming into the game so its working. You have to get aggressive back and keep your poise, which LV's did. Just a physical tough team to play.

Yeah a strong 13-1 with that one lost coming to “Samford” call the UNC jr

 

[xtpsrh08123]

Really starting to think Dye could be an X factor in how far we go in March. If she can produce I like our chances

 

[LUVMESUMVOL]

Let's take a look at Tess' stats for the first four SEC games. She is averaging 7 ppg and 2.5 rpg. Not bad, in my opinion. Granted this is a small sample size but this production is way more than some posters would have believed possible for Tess over the first quarter of SEC play. Continue your good play, Tess, despite the naysayers.

We support Tess and whole heartedly agree with your statement about continuing her good play but I think a lot of posters were giving their opinion from game 1 to now and there are 6 games which she started and had 0 pts you can't defend that but let's hope she gets it going consistently from here on out

 

[LadyVols_WBK]

Really starting to think Dye could be an X factor in how far we go in March. If she can produce I like our chances

Approaching 1000 career points in only her 3rd year of D1 college ball

 

[Hooper22]

Another nice SEC road win. Ole Miss hacked and clawed all game and Coach Yo complained as usual. We maintained composure and came away with a W. Great game from Jordy and Snoop and lastly, Tess was automatic from triple land. We put our hard hats on and brought the rebounding and defense when it mattered most . Let’s head to Nashville and let Shea Ralph remember what Lady Vol basketball is all about.

 

[37620VOL]

The entire Ole Miss team saw theirs when our team refused to crack when the heat was dialed up.

How did Salary do, btw? Haven't looked at tge stats.

Nothing except get burned by Horston

 

[stllvf]

another highlights from the ole miss perspective

 

[JFP]

"Key losing the ball more often" is resulting from constant lob passes in her direction and apparently no practice in bounce passes being
sent her when she is open for them. A bounce pass route is often open by moving from the defender hugging her back and not being able to interfere with her reaching the ball. With practice, a left or right spin on the ball is very helpful with the result being the ball in her hands and ready to take up to the basket. A hook shot goes well with this approach.

 

[LadyOrange]

We support Tess and whole heartedly agree with your statement about continuing her good play but I think a lot of posters were giving their opinion from game 1 to now and there are 6 games which she started and had 0 pts you can't defend that but let's hope she gets it going consistently from here on out

Tess is getting on her feet. She was injured most of her freshman season. She’s a fine player.

 

[LadyOrange]

"Key losing the ball more often" is resulting from constant lob passes in her direction and apparently no practice in bounce passes being
sent her when she is open for them. A bounce pass route is often open by moving from the defender hugging her back and not being able to interfere with her reaching the ball. With practice, a left or right spin on the ball is very helpful with the result being the ball in her hands and ready to take up to the basket. A hook shot goes well with this approach.

Key was shut down by double team, which is when our guards lit it up. Balance.

 

[Lucy]

Game Stats

Kellie played 9 today.

Wish Karo and Wynn had gotten a few minutes. Also Emily!

 

[LUVMESUMVOL]

Tess is getting on her feet. She was injured most of her freshman season. She’s a fine player.

Don't doubt it at all and when I'm reading these posts no one has said she is terrible.they have said she needs to improve and adjust her game

 

[mudcat1973]

Really starting to think Dye could be an X factor in how far we go in March. If she can produce I like our chances

4 to 8 ago kelly to shot jumper around free throw line. dye not shot happy. kelly or other coaches might need to tell her she has green light shot. and when she hot others players need feed her the ball.

 

[FormerLadyVolFan]

From the 'Oxford Eagle'...

OXFORD, Miss — Unable to get into a rhythm offensively all afternoon, Ole Miss (13-2, 1-1 SEC) fell to No. 7 Tennessee (15-1, 4-0 SEC) Sunday despite an impressive outing from star center Shakira Austin.

The loss snapped a 13-game winning streak for the Rebels and marked them their first defeat in conference play this season.

“Tennessee is a top-10 team in the country for a reason… when you win a lot of games you don’t get punched a lot, and we got punched,” said head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin.

Austin was the only bright spot for Ole Miss, pouring in a season-high 26 points on 8-10 shooting and pulling down nine rebounds. She was aggressive driving to the rim and drawing fouls throughout the afternoon, going 10-12 from the free throw line in the losing effort.
Coach Yo’s squad was content to let Tennessee fire away from deep, packing the paint and helping on every drive while forcing the Volunteers to shoot over their zone.

The strategy paid off initially, as the Rebels took the lead early in the first quarter thanks in part to a 1-9 start from the field for the Vols. Everything changed in the second quarter when Tennessee caught fire from deep, nailing four of their five attempts from beyond the arc in the quarter and extending their lead to 18.

The Volunteers locked in defensively as well, switching to a 2-3 zone that perplexed the Rebels and slowed their offense to a halt. Ole Miss struggled to space the floor effectively against the zone, forcing the ball into narrow passing windows and crowding drivers nearly every time down the floor.

Ole Miss entered the half down 39-21 after being outscored 23-10 in the second quarter.
“We gave Tennessee, the No. 7-ranked team in the country, 23 points and only scored 10… that’s why I kept calling timeouts just trying to get us to fight,” McPhee-McCuin said.

“I think we were really undisciplined… we just had a few possessions where people came in and didn’t do their job and didn’t compete hard enough… that second quarter really messed us up,” Austin said.

The Rebels continued to struggle in the second half, unable to find a rhythm offensively.
McPhee-McCuin was assessed a technical foul halfway through the third period for arguing a controversial blocking foul, which prompted an offensive burst from her squad.
“You know what I told the ref? I said ‘why’d you take so long to call it? Hurry up I’m trying to get my team fired up,'” McPhee-McCuin said. “He didn’t want to give me a tech I wanted to get a tech… that’s just an old-school coaching move.”

The Rebels knocked down five of their next seven shots following the technical, trimming the deficit to 11 late in the quarter. Austin scored seven points during that stretch, including an impressive finish through contact that netted her the bucket plus a foul.
The Volunteers proved too much however, starting the final period with a 9-2 run that pushed the lead back out to 18.

Ole Miss was unable to come up with an answer for Tennessee’s zone all afternoon, turning the ball over 13 times in a game that got out of hand quickly. They turned the ball over six times in the second quarter alone, failing to execute and playing sloppy with the ball.
“I thought that second quarter we lost our identity,” McPhee-McCuin said. “We had to dig deep in the third and fourth to even make the game somewhat competitive.”

Ole Miss players others than Austin shot a combined 12-49 from the field, including just 2-18 from three point range.

“My wings didn’t show up this game. They didn’t.” McPhee-McCuin said. “There’s seven of them and they did not show up… we needed them.”

McPhee-McCuin said the loss was painful, but was also an important step towards becoming a legitimate NCAA Tournament contender.

“This program hasn’t been in the NCAA Tournament since 2007. We’re trying to get into the tournament so for me, this was great for us,” she said. “We needed to see where we were, we [as coaches] knew where we were but our players needed to see where we were because rebounding has been an issue for us and they just annihilated us on the glass.”

“I think it was a great learning experience… hopefully we know how important it is to lock in on scouting now, so hopefully we’ll transition that into the next couple games,” Austin said.

 

[mudcat1973]

Nothing except get burned by Horston

love horston game when lets game come her. and does not force guarded shots.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

Don't doubt it at all and when I'm reading these posts no one has said she is terrible.

Sorry, but that's just not ture. Darth_Vol said she deserved to be put at the end of the bench with those who hardly ever play. He has effectively said she was terrible numerous times this season. And a couple of others have been just as nasty as that.

 

[mudcat1973]

Commodores are in for trouble .

 

[Rickster]

Our posts accounted for 28 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists.

Our guards/wings had 42 points, 23 rebounds and 10 assists.

This team is playing deep. Decide to double down inside, get burned from the outside. Guard the outside and Key/Dye have their way. Pick your poison.

Just got to learn how to keep the foot on the gas.

 

[mudcat1973]

rae was one our best defener last year.

 

[Rickster]

Commodores are in for trouble .

From the Vandy highlight I've seen.....Ralph is running the old UConn weave in front of the basket. That always gave us problems because UConn passed the ball so well from 3 feet. Vandy lost today against a short-handed MSU team so I expect them to come ready to play the Lady Vols.

 

[Voltopia]

“I think we were really undisciplined… we just had a few possessions where people came in and didn’t do their job and didn’t compete hard enough… that second quarter really messed us up,” Austin said.

This. This is absolutely the truth. That little stretch in the second quarter, the one where Darby dropped two threes on them, Dye added a huge shot, and the defense really locked the rim up - that was when the game was won. The score ballooned from a 10 point lead to almost 20. That was the key. That's called putting your foot on someone's throat. Ole Miss short circuited the rest of the half, probably pressing too hard, and then it was much easier second half to finish things off. It's very, very hard for a team to mount a 20 point comeback and have enough left in the tank to finish the job.

 

[Aladywhovolunteer]

One last thought on the game and then I will go quietly into the night. Spacing on the floor in the second half was incredible. Darby, Pucket and Horston's three point shooting opened up driving lanes and Dye and Horston put on a clinic...slicing and dicing to the goal. Ole Miss had no answers. Pretty basketball but it does not happen without the three ball and Dye and Horston knocking down ten foot jumpers when the defense cut off a driving lane.

 

[stllvf]

Personally I was concerned about Old Miss because they play like Miss State in its superior days, no backing down. I will not be surprised if they finish in the top four of the SEC. the quotes of the coach are straight up. I remember her presser after the LVs beat them by 50 and the close game the following year. I remember her stating we have been so close to winning so many games .

 

[mudcat1973]

they do have agood freshmen guard.

From the Vandy highlight I've seen.....Ralph is running the old UConn weave in front of the basket. That always gave us problems because UConn passed the ball so well from 3 feet. Vandy lost today against a short-handed MSU team so I expect them to come ready to play the Lady Vols.

 

[glv98]

She’s gonna be fine. I’d be fine with her not doing well until tournament time. Reduce her draft stock and have her come back next year. Greedy of me? Yes! But good for LVN? Yassss!

Glad I'm not the only greedy one who thought exactly that. We've about worn out the cliche bank on "would you ever have thought . . ." but who could have imagined Rae would need to find her place in an already well-oiled machine? She seems a bit cautious on the leg to me right now, understandably. But boy when she does find her place . . .

We support Tess and whole heartedly agree with your statement about continuing her good play but I think a lot of posters were giving their opinion from game 1 to now and there are 6 games which she started and had 0 pts you can't defend that but let's hope she gets it going consistently from here on out

Thank you! For the millionth time, its never personal. Tess had a very good game today and actually did look better on D and on the floor. Her improved 3 shooting lately has been awesome and important. I believe there will be games where Puckett is the better matchup. Best case scenario is both are able to contribute effectively when needed. Who doesn't want that?

I'm coming to believe, cautiously, that Jordan H is locking into a very good mental focus place and comfort level that we haven't seen before. I believe consistency, a better shooting % and fewer t.o.s are right around the corner. Then she's unstopable.

So many options, so many players stepping up for little spurts exactly when we need them, A few have off days, others are there to take up the slack. Dye was outstanding, at one point it looked like she might actually launch a 3. I believe she has still never attempted one?

Cannot credit KJH enough and she has to be in serious early consideration for COY. She has been a puppet master, pulling the strings and orchestrating the plot. Back in the summer someone said she would have to do a Vic Shaeffer at MS type job and get the very most out of every available asset to make more out of less. That's exactly what she's done.