Lady Vols basketball faces the No. 1 team in the country for the second time in three weeks.
Tennessee (17-10, 10-5 SEC) is on the road for a second matchup against undefeated South Carolina (28-0, 15-0) at Colonial Life Arena on Sunday (noon ET, ESPN). The Lady Vols beat Texas A&M 75-66 at home on Thursday while the Gamecocks crushed Arkansas 98-61 on the road.
South Carolina beat Tennessee 66-55 on Feb. 15 in Knoxville.
Here’s what you need to know about the rematch.
Tennessee has to ‘be elite for 40 minutes’ playing South Carolina
No one has figured out how to beat South Carolina. The Lady Vols almost did, going into the fourth quarter tied before the Gamecocks’ depth wore them down.
Tennessee had seven turnovers in the fourth quarter, more than the first three quarters combined. Lady Vols coach Kellie Harper said fatigue was a factor late in the game. Four Tennessee starters played 35-plus minutes.
“When you’re playing South Carolina, your focus has to be elite for 40 minutes, and that’s hard. It’s really hard,” Harper said Thursday. “The really good teams can do it, and so that’s what we’re going to be asking our team to do.”
With a double-bye in the SEC Tournament on the line, starters might have to carry the same load. But they may be better prepared to handle it the second time around.
Battle in the post is crucial against Gamecocks
A big difference in South Carolina winning the first matchup was a big performance from 6-foot-7 center Kamilla Cardoso, who had an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Tennessee was able to slow down the Gamecocks’ guards, but couldn’t contain their post players. Sophomore forward Ashlyn Watkins also logged a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds).
The Lady Vols need a big performance defensively from 6-6 center Tamari Key to neutralize Cardoso’s production. She struggled to score against Cardoso last time, but if Key can put up a few more points and keep Cardoso contained, it’ll change the game.
No margin for error in second matchup with South Carolina
South Carolina will make adjustments to keep Tennessee from doing the same things well Sunday.
The Lady Vols won the loose balls last time and the rebounding battle in the first half to carry a lead at halftime, and they’ll have to work even harder in those areas now. Tennessee made it hard for the Gamecocks to go deeper into its offense last time, and it rattled them. That won’t be as easy on the road, but the Lady Vols also won’t be scared walking into Colonial Life Arena.
“I love having a chip on the shoulder mindset, I think we have a little bit better edge when we have that mindset,” Harper said. “I don’t think we’re going to be intimidated, but I think we understand, we’ve got to be really good.”
SENIOR NIGHT: Rickea Jackson, Lady Vols basketball seniors get picture-perfect final home game
Score prediction
South Carolina 70, Tennessee 63: I think the Lady Vols will make this one interesting again, but beating South Carolina at home on senior day is a tall order. Rickea Jackson is playing at her best, and she’ll probably put up 20-plus points, but the Gamecocks will take round two.
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Lady Vols basketball vs. South Carolina: Score prediction, scouting report
