The 2023-24 regular season is in the books for Lady Vols basketball.
Tennessee wrapped up its slate with a trip to South Carolina where it fell 76-68.
The Lady Vols (17-11, 10-6 SEC) now will have to wait until Alabama's matchup with Texas A&M is finalized to see where they will be seeded in the SEC Tournament.
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In the loss to the Gamecocks (29-0, 16-0), Rickea Jackson put together another impressive performance. She finished with 29 points on 11-for-23 shooting. She also added eight rebounds, two assists, three blocks and a steal.
Helping out were Jewel Spear and Jasmine Powell who both managed 12 points.
As a team, Tennessee shot 36.4% from the field and 21.1% on 3-pointers. It also committed 14 turnovers leading to 13 points for South Carolina.
On defense, the Lady Vols held the Gamecocks to 33.3% shooting from the field and 25% on 3-pointers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Tennessee fell into an early hole. The Lady Vols pulled out to a 4-2 advantage but it was quickly dealt with. South Carolina responded with a 7-0 run to pull ahead by five.
The teams would trade baskets until a drought hit. Tennessee didn't score for nearly four minutes of action in the middle portion of the quarter. However, the Lady Vols' defense stepped up at the same time to limit the Gamecocks to just four points.
Ultimately, the first 10 minutes went in the favor of South Carolina 20-14. Tennessee shot right back, though. Five straight points out of the break brought the game within one. Then, another 5-0 stretch capped off by a Powell 3-pointer pushed the Lady Vols ahead 24-23.
Tennessee would build the lead to as much as two but an offensive drought spelled doom. The Lady Vols went without a field goal for nearly four minutes and allowed the Gamecocks to go on a 7-0 run.
At halftime, South Carolina led 40-32. Tennessee was led by Jackson who notched 13 points on 5-for-12 shooting. The Gamecocks had Kamilla Cardoso score 14 at the midway point.
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The third quarter swung heavily in the favor of South Carolina. The Gamecocks took a lead of as much as 15 with under a minute remaining in the frame but two late baskets for the Lady Vols cut the deficit to 11 entering the fourth.
Tennessee came out with a vengeance in the fourth quarter, though. It parlayed the strong finish to the third quarter into a 10-0 run spanning the two periods. This cut the lead to five with seven minutes to play.
The Lady Vols would get the mark within three with five minutes remaining. However, South Carolina responded to stretch it back to seven. Kellie Harper would call timeout with four minutes left in an attempt to make a final push.
This wasn't enough, though, as Tennessee fell by eight.
STAT OF THE GAME
Heading into the matchup, top-ranked South Carolina had won 28 straight games at home by double digits. This streak ended on Sunday.
While there aren't moral victories, the Lady Vols did give the Gamecocks one of their biggest tests at home in recent memory.
There's a chance the squads will meet up again in the SEC Tournament semifinals with Tennessee having a chance to steal a game.
WHAT WAS SAID
UP NEXT
The regular season is now in the books. Tennessee finishes with a 10-6 record in the SEC and 17-11 overall.
The Lady Vols now turn their attention to Texas A&M vs. Alabama. If the Aggies win, Tennessee will be the 4-seed in the SEC Tournament and begin on Friday. If the Tide win, it will bump the Lady Vols down to the 5-seed and force them to play on Thursday.
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