A game after getting off to a slow start against Kentucky, the Lady Vols made the same mistake against Georgia.
This time, Tennessee was able to retake a fourth quarter lead, but still fell to the Bulldogs 72-69 in Knoxville.
This came despite the Lady Vols (21-8, 8-8 SEC) trailing by as much as 23 points to Georgia (12-18, 4-12).
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
Tennessee was on the wrong side of 11-0 and 15-0 runs to begin the first and second quarters, respectively. This resulted in the hole it had to climb out of. A 13-0 run in the favor of the Lady Vols to being the third quarter brought the game back to a tie.
Tennessee took the lead for the first time in the game in the fourth quarter but forfeited it late. The Bulldogs held the narrow lead and didn't let go for the win.
The Lady Vols were led by Jewel Spear and Zee Spearman. Spear produced 20 points while going 10-for-10 at the free throw line. She also grabbed five rebounds, passed for four assists and came up with a steal.
Spearman scored 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting with four rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
What certainly didn't help Tennessee was missing Talaysia Cooper for the majority of the game. She went down with an injury in the second quarter and did not return to the game.
As a team, the Lady Vols shot 33.9% from the field and 21.4% on 3-pointers.
Tennessee also used the game to celebrate its seniors. Following the matchup, the Lady Vols honored seven graduates. Spear, Samara Spencer, Tess Darby, Sara Puckett, Jillian Hollingshead, Destinee Wells and Favor Ayodele were all participants.
WHAT HAPPENED
The Lady Vols once again couldn't get out to a good start. This one may be as bad of a start as they've had all season, though.
It took Tennessee six minutes and 36 seconds to score a point. In that time, Georgia had built an 11-0 advantage. After Spearman's shot fell, the Bulldogs went on a 7-0 run to take a 16-point lead.
The Lady Vols finished the quarter strong with an 8-0 run to make it an eight-point deficit.
That didn't carry over at all to the second quarter. Tennessee allowed Georgia to go on a 15-0 run out the gates. The Lady Vols didn't score until the 5:39 mark in the quarter to finally stop the bleeding.
Trailing by as much as 23 in the first half, Tennessee did a decent job of cutting into the Bulldogs' lead before halftime. It was a 39-26 game at the break after the finish.
Leading the way was Spear with 10 points. Spearman scored nine.
The Lady Vols' leading scorer, Cooper, was limited to two points on 1-for-7 shooting in the first half. Late in the second, she suffered a right leg injury which resulted in her being carried off the court.
The third quarter was a change of pace. Tennessee fired off to a 13-0 run to begin the frame with Georgia held scoreless for the opening five and a half minutes. This tied the game up despite the significant deficit the Lady Vols previously faced.
The Bulldogs wouldn't allow Tennessee to take the lead, though. The defense tightened up with no field goal allowed from the 7:46 mark to the 0:05 mark. Georgia held a two-point lead with a quarter to go.
Off a Spencer 3-pointer, Tennessee took the lead for the first time with just over five minutes to play. The Lady Vols held this lead until Georgia took a two-point lead with 1:52 to play.
The Bulldogs held on to this margin while Tennessee attempted to scratch back into the game. Georgia's efficiency at the line down the stretch was enough to seal the game.
UP NEXT
That's it for the regular season.
Next time the Lady Vols will be in action is for the SEC Tournament. Seeding is still being decided but Tennessee is in line for no bye. If Vanderbilt loses to Missouri, the Lady Vols would jump to a single-bye as the 8-seed.
The bracket will be revealed following today's slate of games. For the full release, stay tuned to VolReport.com.
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