It was never expected Tennessee would win in the match against the USA Women's National Team.
In a game where the Lady Vols were outmatched in every area, they couldn't keep up with the soon-to-be Olympic roster while falling 95-59 in Knoxville.
Despite the lopsided score, the exhibition worked as a great way to prepare for the season. The adage goes iron sharpens iron and playing the best players in the world is exactly that.
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What hurt Tennessee in the match was the inability to consistently knock down shots. Long scoring droughts let the differential build as Team USA didn't have many issues scoring.
By night's end, the Lady Vols had made just 32.8% of shots from the field while the national squad shot 54.7%.
Where Tennessee succeeded was on the glass. Despite being outsized and the area being a concern heading into the year, the Lady Vols held their own. At halftime, the category sat in a tie with the final differential being 38-37 in the favor of Tennessee.
The Lady Vols were able to compete in this category due to crashing on offense. The team consistently rebounding its own shots finishing with 12 on that end of the floor alone.
Leading the Lady Vols in scoring was Rickea Jackson. The star forward scored 15 points on 50% shooting. For Team USA, it was Betnijah Laney who finished with 14.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Despite the final score, Tennessee jumped out to an early advantage over Team USA. After getting a stop on the first possession, Sara Puckett responded with a quick 3-pointer. By the 6:51 mark of the first quarter, the score was notched at seven. However, from there, the national team never trailed.
By the end of the first quarter, the lead for Team USA ballooned to eight. This was partially due to a scoring drought that lasted 4 minutes and 23 seconds extending into the second quarter.
The second quarter continued to be dominated by the national team. Following the drought, Team USA outscored the Lady Vols by nine in the final eight minutes.
At halftime, the score sat at 52-31. Jackson led all scorers with 13 points. The national team was headlined by Diana Taurasi who earned 12 points.
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Rebounding, the mark was tied at 16. This featured seven offensive boards for Tennessee. The difference came down to shooting efficiency. Team USA shot 66% from the field while the Lady Vols shot 38%.
To begin the third quarter, things got out of hand. The national team opened on an 8-0 run while shutting down Tennessee's offense. The Lady Vols didn't score their first points of the half until the 5:10 mark on a Tess Darby 3-pointer.
At the end of the quarter, Team USA outscored Tennessee 20-8. In the fourth quarter, both teams stepped off the gas. The Lady Vols only lost the frame 23-20.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Of all the players on Tennessee's roster, one stands out among the rest as a polished WNBA prospect who could one day be on the other sideline representing their country. Jackson is considered among the best in this class and will almost certainly be a first-round pick.
Against the best the WNBA has to offer, Jackson did more than hold her own. She finished with 15 points on 7-for-14 shooting in 24 minutes of play. She also grabbed five rebounds, came up with a pair of steals and had one assist.
Outside of Jackson, Jasmine Powell and Tamari Key played their roles effectively. Powell crashed the glass for seven rebounds and knocked down a 3-pointer. Key scored two points and stuffed Laney at the rim while controlling the paint. She finished with a +/- of -12.
UP NEXT
Next, Tennessee will begin its regular season slate on Tuesday against Florida A&M. The game will tip-off at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Then, the Lady Vols will face No. 18 Florida State in Tallahassee for their first true test of the year.
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