Rickea Jackson scores 29 points, but Lady Vols can't pull off upset against South Carolina
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Every time Lady Vols basketball got back in the game, South Carolina dealt another blow.
Tennessee went toe-to-toe with the undefeated Gamecocks at Colonial Life Arena, but it couldn't sustain any momentum long enough to upset the No. 1 team in the country.
Lady Vols star Rickea Jackson did everything she could to keep Tennessee in the game, scoring 29 points on 47.8% shooting, and even made it a three-point contest with five minutes left. South Carolina prevailed, though, beating Tennessee 76-68 on Sunday. Jackson added eight rebounds, three blocks, two assists and a steal.
The Gamecocks (29-0, 17-0 SEC) crushed the Lady Vols (17-11, 10-6) on the boards, outrebounding them 57-41. Tennessee couldn't stop senior center Kamilla Cardoso, who had 18 points and 14 rebounds before she fouled out with two minutes left.
With Tennessee's loss and Alabama's win Sunday, the Lady Vols are now the No. 5 seed in the SEC Tournament and will play the winner between Kentucky and Georgia on Thursday at approximately 2:30 p.m. in Greenville, South Carolina.
Jewel Spear, Jasmine Powell give Lady Vols what they need
Tennessee only trailed by eight points at halftime, and Jewel Spear and Jasmine Powell were a big reason why.
They were being aggressive offensively and hitting shots to balance Jackson's scoring, and they both rebounded well. Spear led Tennessee with five rebounds at halftime, and Powell added three of her own and two assists.
Spear got on the board early after going scoreless last time against South Carolina. Tennessee's guard play has been a problem at times this season, but both Powell and Spear stepped up against South Carolina. They combined for 24 points, 13 rebounds and four assists.
Tennessee stays in game early with free throw shooting
Tamari Key went to the free throw line and made both to tie up the game 29-29 late in the second quarter. The game was physical, and the officials were calling it. Both teams shot 11 free throws in the first half, and 19 fouls were called before halftime.
Tennessee went 10-for-11 from the line before the break. Fouls continued to impact the game in the second half, and the Lady Vols ended up going 16-for-22 on free throws while South Carolina went 18-for-26.
Tennessee can't capitalize on Gamecocks' slow start in third quarter
The third quarter was a slow start for both teams, and South Carolina committed three turnovers in the first few minutes. But Tennessee wasn't able to score either and then it committed three turnovers and went scoreless for four minutes.
Jackson scored Tennessee's only six points in the first seven minutes of the third quarter and the Lady Vols couldn't chip away at South Carolina's lead.
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The Gamecocks got into an offensive rhythm and Tennessee's defense wasn't good enough to stop them. They shot 41.2% to outscore Tennessee 19-16 and build an 11-point lead going into the fourth quarter.
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 falls to undefeated South Carolina on the road
