Another attempt to erase a massive deficit came up short for the Lady Vols.
No. 16 Tennessee fell 89-87 to No. 6 LSU in a game it trailed by as much as 18 in but led in the fourth quarter.
This marks the second-straight narrow loss to a top-10 opponent after the Lady Vols (13-2, 1-2 SEC) dropped a match to No. 9 Oklahoma by one point on Sunday. This time, it was a two-point loss to the Tigers (18-0, 3-0).
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
To fall to LSU, Kailyn Gilbert made a layup for the Tigers with less than a second remaining to seal the game. Tennessee got a final look at the rim but couldn't get it to fall.
Leading the Lady Vols in scoring was Jewel Spear. She scored 25 points in the game including a pair of crucial 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. Talaysia Cooper was right behind her with 24 points and eight in the fourth.
As a team, Tennessee shot 42.1% from the field and 35.5% on 3-pointers.
Defensively, the Lady Vols didn't protect the rim well but defended the arch. LSU shot 49.4% from the field but just 1-of-8 on shots from range.
WHAT HAPPENED
Things got hairy quick for Tennessee. After allowing an 8-0 run in the midst of the first quarter, the Lady Vols were quickly staring down a double-digit deficit.
In the first, Tennessee trailed by as much as 13 points but went into the quarter break down only nine points after Spear managed a four-point play. She was only behind Cooper's six points to lead the team after 10 minutes.
The second quarter got ugly again. An 11-2 run out the gates brought LSU's lead up to 18 points with things looking like they'd get out of hand.
However, Tennessee responded with a 12-0 run of its own to get directly back into the game. The Lady Vols got as close as five points but trailed by seven at the halftime break.
Leading the team in scoring after the pair of quarters was Spear with 13 points. She was trailed by Cooper who was up to 10.
Tennessee got out to a good start in the third quarter. After scoring four quick points and bringing the lead down to three, LSU called timeout to regroup.
The Lady Vols managed to get as close as one point but never could tie or retake the lead during the frame. However, this set them up to trail by just five points heading into the final frame.
After a Kaniya Boyd 3-pointer with just over seven minutes to play, the lead was brought back to just one point. Kim Mulkey was forced to call a timeout with a 10-second violation looming on the ensuing inbound.
After the break, the Tigers scored on a second-chance look but a corner three from Spear tied up the game. Down two moments later, Cooper finished at the rim through a foul and converted a free throw to take a one-point lead. This was the first lead since the opening minute of the game.
The teams continued to go back and forth as time ticked away. With one minute left on the clock, the pendulum had swung in LSU's favor as it led by a single point. However, a late Spear 3-pointer retied the game.
In the final moments, Gilbert made a shot with less than a second left to win the game. Tennessee had one final look but Zee Spearman couldn't get it to fall.
UP NEXT
After playing top-10 teams in back-to-back games, the Lady Vols have a much easier stretch.
Tennessee's next matchup is on the road against Arkansas. The Lady Vols will play the Razorbacks on Jan. 12 at 1 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
Then, Tennessee returns to Knoxville. The Lady Vols will face Mississippi State on Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
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