After snapping an 11 game winning streak Monday night at No. 6 Notre Dame, the No. 5 Lady Vols (15-3, 5-0) look to get back on track Thursday as they host LSU (10-8, 4-2).
This game will be about more than basketball, though. It is part of the SEC’s “We Back Pat” week, in support of former Tennessee coach Pat Summitt who was diagnosed with early on-set dementia in 2011.
This is the fourth annual “We Back Pat” week, but this year is a little more special to the coaches and players. Former Lady Vol Nikki Caldwell is the head coach of this Tiger team meaning that both head coaches have played for and coached under Summitt.
Caldwell played for the Lady Vols from 1990-94, and played a key role in the 1991 National Championship team. She then served as an assistant coach under Summitt from 1998-99 and then from 2002-08.
“I’m excited Nikki is here,” third year coach and former Lady Vol player Holly Warlick said. “She’s been through years of this program, and has been a big part of our success here. It’s great for me to know that she will get a chance to play here and that Pat will be watching.”
LSU has had an up and down season to this point, but appears to be finding its stride after consecutive wins over No. 15 Mississippi State and No. 10 Kentucky.
A key part of the Tigers recent success has been the return of junior guard Danielle Ballard, who sat out the first 14 games of the season due to an undisclosed violation of team rules. Since her return, LSU is 3-1, thanks to Ballard’s 14.3 points per game, including outputs of 24 and 25 over her last two contests.
“They missed her a lot,” junior forward Bashaara Graves said. “Danielle is a great player, so I’m definitely looking forward to her being in the game, and seeing how we can stop her.”
DaShawn Harden and Raigyne Moncrief had stepped up in Ballard’s absence, averaging 11.5 and 11 points respectively, and both players can be dangerous offensively.
With both coaches spending much of their careers around Summitt, they tend to put a large emphasis on defensive and rebounding. Meaning this is one of the more physical games of the year for these two squads.
“I just think it’s athletes and competitiveness,” Warlick said. “I think it’s part of the game. Hopefully, if it gets too rough the officials will step in, but it’s just basketball. It’s a contact sport, so we’re gonna do as much as we can until the officials call it.”
Though it came in a loss, junior forward Bashaara Graves broke out of her slump and played like her teammates and coaches expect her to play. The Clarksville, Tenn. native registered 22 points and 8 rebounds in 34 minutes of play.
Graves had been averaging just more than nine points per game and hadn’t scored in double figures since recording 10 points on Dec. 20 against Stanford. She has the potential to be a difference maker for this Tennessee team if her she can maintain her level of play.
“Bashaara Graves showed the beast that she is on Monday night,” senior forward Cierra Burdick said. “And we’ve been waiting for that. I think she got away from being aggressive, but she’s getting it back.”
No. 5 Tennessee will host LSU on Thursday night at 7 p.m., and fans are encouraged to be in their seats 25 minutes early for the “We Back Pat” ceremonies.
