The SEC’s leader in steals will take on one of the most prolific scorers in the ACC, as No. 2 seeded Tennessee tips off with No. 10 Pittsburgh in the second round on the NCAA Tournament at 6:30 pm E.T. Monday night at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Andraya Carter’s defensive efforts helped lead the Lady Vols to a first round win over Boise State as she came away with three pivotal steals and shut down Brooke Pahukoa, holding her to just four points in the second half after she scored 18 in the first.
“We came into halftime against Boise State and we told Andraya the rest of us can’t stop Brooke, so we put it on her and said you got her,” Tennessee senior guard Ariel Massengale said. “She held her to four points in the second half. Whoever the other teams best player is we know she can hold it down for us.”
Brianna Kiesel will look to play the spoiler role for the No. 10 Panthers (20-11) in Knoxville. In 16 contests this season the 5-foot-7 point guard has scored over 20 points and has averaged 15.4 points per game against ranked opponents.
“Brianna is just a difficult player to guard,” third-year Tennessee head coach Holly Warlick said. “She is extremely quick with the ball and can shoot the three. When you can shoot the three and penetrate, there are a lot of open shots and teammates. Andraya is going to have to have a great defensive game.”
Embracing her role as the team’s best defender, Carter will look to frustrate and contain Kiesel from the start in hopes to give No. 2 Tennessee (28-5) an early advantage.
“They all look to her,” Tennessee sophomore guard Andraya Carter said. “I’ve seen it watching film. All the plays go through Brianna and she’s got the ball in her hands 90 percent of the time, so it will be important to get my defense going early.”
Displaying similar types of frames, with Carter being just taller at 5-foot-9, the two energetic guards are expected to be the center of attention on the court for a large portion of the night.
“The key to my defense is really just staying in front of them and really watching their hips and to see where they are going,” Carter said. “With players that kind of match my athleticism, it’s a little harder for me to get up and dictate with them, but you have to do that. You have to make them do what you want them to do.”
While Carter retains the utmost respect from her teammates and coaches on the defensive side of the ball and will be trusted with her matchup against Kiesel, she does not play for any sort of personal recognition.
“It’s a big deal to prove myself on the national stage, but really I just want to help my team,” she said. “I know that playing defense is something I have to do to win. Being successful on defense and helping my team means the most to me more than anything else.”
For seniors Ariel Massengale and Cierra Burdick, Monday night’s confrontation with Pittsburgh will be their last appearance wearing the Lady Vol’s jersey at home.
“The biggest deal for us is to keep playing and get to the next round,” Massengale said. “It will be our last time playing on ‘The Summitt,’ so it’s going to be memorable. We want to go out with a bang leave no regrets.”
The 34th NCAA tournament appearance for the Lady Vols is the most in the country.
“It’s crazy,” Carter said. “Every year and sometimes a few times a week I’ll just look at the arena or go upstairs and look at the crystal balls. It’s something that you can’t take for granted. Other teams are just so thankful to come in here. We are a part of something that is way bigger than ourselves.”
A win Monday would give Tennessee a perfect 18-0 mark at home this season and lead it to the programs sixth straight Sweet 16.
