Lady Vols basketball ends regular season on 6-game losing streak, falls to No. 5 Vanderbilt – The Daily Beacon

The four words to describe Tennessee’s conference play this season: different game, same ending.
The Lady Vols fell 87-77 to Vanderbilt on Sunday afternoon at the Food City Center, losing their sixth straight game. Despite a six-point halftime deficit, the No. 5 Commodores (27-3, 13-3 SEC) outscored Tennessee (16-12, 8-8) 50-34 in the second half for their best record since 2006-2007.
Mikayla Blakes and Aubrey Galvan combined for 58 points in the win for the Commodores. The duo also went for 10 rebounds, nine assists and four steals. Talaysia Cooper led Tennessee with 23 points and three steals.
Tennessee jumped out to the early lead, but it wasn’t in a pretty manner. Through the first six minutes, the Lady Vols led 9-6 despite being 3-for-11 and missing their last five shots. The Commodores looked even more rattled, shooting 3-for-12 to start the game and 1-for-7 in their last seven shots.
After the tough shooting start for both teams, a media timeout helped. Vanderbilt shot 6-for-9 for 14 points, taking the lead with less than two minutes left in the quarter. Tennessee shot 3-for-9 to close the quarter, managing seven more points as it fell behind 20-16 at the end of the first quarter.
The Lady Vols kept Vanderbilt at arm’s reach in the second quarter, facing a small deficit most of the quarter. The turning point came halfway through the second frame when Cooper ripped the ball away from Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes at the top of the key and converted a layup at the other end.
Her finish ignited an 8-0 run after Tennessee trailed 29-28. Senior Janiah Barker contributed a jump shot and tip-in, but senior Nya Robertson forced a Commodore timeout with a high-arching floater that capped off the run.
Despite a strong effort from Vanderbilt, Tennessee managed to take a 43-37 lead into halftime. Barker knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key to end the half on a high note as Tennessee had a six-point lead.
Entering the second half down six points, the Commodores’ offensive halftime adjustments worked. They chipped away at Tennessee’s lead, tying the game at 50 with six minutes left in the third quarter. The two teams fought back and forth through the next two minutes, but it would be the Commodores the rest of the way.
After two free throws by the Lady Vols after a flagrant one foul on Vanderbilt, the Commodores ripped off an 8-0 run to end the quarter. Blakes capped the quarter off with a layup, giving Vanderbilt a 67-58 lead heading into the final quarter.
Despite having 11 points in the first half, Blakes scored 15 of Vanderbilt’s 30 in the third quarter. She shot 5-for-7 with four made free throws to pull away.
“Mikayla Blakes is a relentless competitor,” Vanderbilt head coach Shea Ralph said. “Most of the things that she has within her, I don’t coach that. She had 34, but her biggest buckets were when they had to happen. Her biggest moments in this game were when we had to have them.” 
Facing a nine-point deficit, Tennessee needed something to snap back to life. 
The two teams traded throughout the next 10 minutes, keeping Tennessee’s comeback hopes just out of reach. The Lady Vols were unable to string together more than four consecutive points as defense continued to keep them out of the game. The closest the score would get was 72-65 with eight minutes left, but eight straight points stifled their comeback.
After a last-second layup by Cooper, Tennessee fell 87-77 for its sixth straight loss and ninth in its last 11 games. The Lady Vols will take the court in Greenville, South Carolina, next in the SEC Tournament. They’ve secured a first-round bye, so Tennessee’s first game will be on Thursday, March 5.
“I think we need a win,” head coach Kim Caldwell said. “We need a win in the SEC tournament, get some momentum and take a game-by-game there.”
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