Lady Vols basketball blows 16-point lead to Notre Dame, drops to 4-3 on season
Sara Puckett launched a deep 3-pointer with the game on the line Wednesday.
The junior forward's shot didn't fall, and Lady Vols basketball had to foul Notre Dame again. The Irish made their free throws this time to take a four-point lead, and that was the game.
No. 22 Tennessee led by 16 points early in the third quarter, but when things got tight against Notre Dame, the Lady Vols folded. Tennessee's offense failed to produce and it got outrebounded 21-10 in the second half. The Irish's confidence grew with every mistake Tennessee made, and they took over the game in the final minutes.
No. 22 Tennessee (4-3) lost 74-69 to No. 14 Notre Dame (6-1) at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center, dropping its third ranked matchup of the season.
Both teams are prone to turnovers, but the Lady Vols had 17 and Notre Dame only committed seven and scored 17 points off UT's turnovers.
Senior point guard Jasmine Powell led the Lady Vols in scoring again with 14 points and added seven rebounds and three assists.
Neither team was at full strength. Tennessee was without star forward Rickea Jackson, who missed her fifth game with a lower leg injury, and sophomore guard Avery Strickland. Notre Dame was without Olivia Miles, Sonia Citron and Cassandre Prosper – all three play significant roles for the Irish.
Tennessee builds 12-point lead in first half
Tennessee gradually built a lead throughout the first half and benefitted from both senior point guards Powell and Destinee Wells starting.
The Lady Vols also got lucky with how poorly Notre Dame shot in the first half. The Irish shot 27.8% and went 0-for-4 from 3-point range, while Tennessee went 4-for-16. Notre Dame also couldn't capitalize on its nine offensive rebounds.
Tennessee's offense started flowing in the second quarter when it shot 57.1%. The Lady Vols got the ball inside to junior forward Karoline Striplin, who scored six points on 3-for-3 shooting the second. The Lady Vols went into halftime with a 37-25 lead.
Tennessee offense can't keep pace with Irish in third
Notre Dame's offensive woes weren't going to last all game and it started closing the gap in the third quarter.
Tennessee led by as much as 16 points early in the third, but then Notre Dame's defense started causing problems. The Lady Vols got stagnant and they weren't taking good shots. The Irish shot 73.3% in the third and cut the lead to five points going into the fourth.
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Tennessee's turnovers became a problem in the third quarter, too. UT had five turnovers and Notre Dame capitalized on most of them for easy layups.
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Lady Vols basketball blows 16-point lead, loses to Notre Dame at home
