The 12th-ranked Lady Vols’ SEC Tournament run is over. South Carolina defeated Tennessee by a score of 73-62 in Friday night’s quarterfinal round at Bridgestone Arena.
Anastasia Hayes led Tennessee with 17 points. Jaime Nared, who was a game time decision, according to Holly Warlick, scored 15 points and Mercedes Russell added 12. The three combined to shoot 15-for-49, however, for only 31%.
The poor shooting wasn’t limited to those three. As a team the Lady Vols had a dismal shooting night, managing only 27% from the field on 23-of-86 from the floor. That includes 25 missed layups, according to Joe Rexrode.
Tennessee trailed by as many as 16 points in the second quarter, but clawed back to cut it to ten at half.
The lead was cut to just three on a layup by Hayes with 1:12 to go in the third, but that’s as close as the Lady Vols would get.
A’ja Wilson led South Carolina with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
Tennessee now waits to learn its NCAA Tournament seed on Sunday’s section show.