Angela Williams
Staff Writer
After finishing out the non-conference season with a 68-67 win at Connecticut on Saturday, the Lady Vols look to carry their momentum into conference play against Arkansas tonight at 7.
Tennessee (10-3) moved up two spots to No. 8 in this week’s AP poll after its win over the Huskies.
UT’s talented freshman class carried the Lady Vols to victory with 34 points Saturday. But despite the success of freshman guards Alexis Hornbuckle and Sa’de Wiley-Gatewood, no changes will be made in the starting lineup before tonight’s game at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Lady Vols will work on the first-half struggles they have suffered in several games this season. UT trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half at UConn.
UT coach Pat Summitt said most of the problems have simply come from poor shooting. The Lady Vols are hitting only 38.3 percent from the field for the season.
“We need to make shots and finish shots,” Summitt said.
Much of the Lady Vols’ success against Connecticut came when the team went to a pressure defense. With quicker personnel this season, UT was able to take UConn’s young guards out of rhythm.
Tennessee’s defensive success hardly came as a surprise to UConn coach Geno Auriemma.
“I’m surprised that they didn’t go to (the full-court press) earlier,” Auriemma said. “I don’t know what took them so long.”
The Razorbacks (10-3, 0-3) head into Knoxville on a losing streak, having lost to Ole Miss Sunday. Arkansas has struggled to open up league play, in part because of a lack of size, compounded by the loss of starting center Kristin Moore to a torn ACL.
“In reality, we’re 5-11 and 5-11 (inside),” Arkansas coach Susie Gardner said. “But it’s something I think we’re going to have to deal with for the rest of the year.”
Gardner thinks she may have found a fix to the problem with a smaller but effective lineup of sophomore forwards Danielle Allen and Sarah Pfiefer.
The duo combined for 37 points in the Razorbacks’ 85-73 loss to Ole Miss Sunday.
“I think they proved that we need to play them more together,” Gardner said. “When we get back on the practice court, that’s something we’re going to focus on.”
The Lady Vols will begin the quest for their eighth consecutive SEC regular-season title. But ultimately, Summitt said, it is all about preparing for the NCAA Tournament.
“I’m not as concerned with how we do in November, December and January,” Summitt said. “I’m more concerned with what we do in March.”
