Real quick, just got home ...
First off, great comeback by the Lady Vols. They obviously came up short, but they didn't quit and there were many moments to be proud of for them. The crowd, which to me seemed stronger and louder (in big moments) than the reported 12 and change, was appreciative of the effort.
Of course, the crowd was also frustrated by some of the chucking going on and especially the lack of focus AND confidence under the basket which seems to me to be the cause of so many missed bunnies. Man! It's heartbreaking to think that if we'd only made a handful more of the two/three-footers we'd all be celebrating tonight. Dang.
But again, I'm proud they fought to the end. South Carolina is a really good, experienced team that goes super deep without any drop-off in talent or skill. It stinks we're spotting good offensive teams so many unanswered points because we are missing those super-easy shots those good teams tend not to miss.
Sweet story: I took the shuttle from the Ag campus tonight, and walking over to it met a super nice couple, sharply dressed in brand new Tennessee orange gear. They were extremely proud to share that they'd come all the way from Las Vegas to see their niece, Kaniya Boyd, play in this huge game.
They were surprised and delighted when I told them she has been such a joy for this longtime LV supporter to watch, and all us Tennessee followers are just thrilled she's a Lady Vol. Gosh, there were just so darn proud of her that it made my day.
So when Kaniya came through in the fourth, all I could think about was her aunt and uncle and how I was
sure that no matter the final score, seeing their niece come up big on that stage was as good as a win to them.
Loved that.
