The Lady Vols had an opportunity to all but secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament and earn a signature win on Sunday.
However, Tennessee was left in the dust by LSU leading to a 75-60 loss in Knoxville.
The No. 13 Tigers (24-4, 11-3 SEC) took an early lead of as much as 12 in the first half. However, the Lady Vols (16-10, 9-5) got within one-point in the fourth quarter.
This wasn't enough, though, as LSU went on separate 7-0 and 9-0 runs late in the game to but the come-from-behind effort to rest.
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The Tigers used a season-high from Hailey Van Lith to achieve their early lead and late push. She finished with 26 points on 9-for-18 shooting including four made 3-pointers.
For Tennessee, it was Rickea Jackson leading the charge. She posted 16 points on 6-for-18 shooting to go along with nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Tamari Key also reached double-digits with 10 points on 5-for-8 shooting.
As a team, the Lady Vols shot just 31.1% from the field and 16.7% on 3-pointers. LSU connected on 33% of shots and 40% of 3-pointers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Tennessee and LSU wasted no time kicking things into full gear. The high-energy start played into the favor of the Tigers initially. They took a 14-9 lead at the media timeout.
However, the Lady Vols' bench played an instant factor. Tess Darby entered and knocked down a 3-pointer followed by a Jillian Hollingshead midrange to tie at at 14.
LSU would head into the second quarter with a three-point lead after Van Lith knocked down a 3-pointer seconds before the buzzer. This came moments after Kellie Harper's attempt to substitute in Hollingshead was denied despite a dead ball.
The second quarter, swung things harder in the hands of the Tigers. While surging to an 8-0 run late in the period, LSU built its lead up to 12. The teams traded baskets to finish the quarter giving the Tigers a 38-26 lead at the break.
Leading the way for Tennessee was Jackson who produced eight points on 4-for-12 shooting. She also grabbed five rebounds and blocked a shot. LSU was led by Van Lith who put up 12 points on a pair of made 3-pointers.
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The Lady Vols made things interesting in the third quarter, though. Tennessee's defense tightened up allowing just one made field goal in the final seven minutes of the frame.
This resulted in the Lady Vols storming back to cut the lead to just three with 10 minutes to play. A pivotal stretch featured Darby cutting to the rim and finishing with her left hand and knocking down a 3-pointer to bring it within two.
The fourth quarter saw Tennessee continue to knock on the door of taking the lead. The Lady Vols brought the game within one point with 7:30 remaining off a Jackson free throw.
However, LSU began to create separation from there. The Tigers went on a 16-2 run spanning from the six-minute mark to 1:20. This was enough to leave Tennessee behind and secured the 15-point win.
STAT OF THE GAME
LSU took advantage of fast-break chances against Tennessee. The Tigers put up 21 of their 75 points in this regard compared to the Lady Vols' eight.
Some of these came off turnovers, as well. Tennessee turned it over 10 times in the game leading to 12 points for LSU. On the other side, the Tigers turned it over seven times but allowed just three points in this area.
WHAT WAS SAID
UP NEXT
Tennessee has just two games left on its schedule before the SEC Tournament begins. First, it will host Texas A&M on Thursday. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET and airs on SEC Network.
Then, the Lady Vols will make the trip to face top-ranked South Carolina on the road to wrap up the regular season. Tip-off is set for noon ET and airs on ESPN.
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