KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee’s Angie Bjorklund and Shekinna Stricklen each scored 17 points and the fourth-ranked Lady Vols rode a sharp-shooting first half to defeat the LSU women’s basketball team, 80-60, in the regular season finale for both teams before a crowd of 17,473 in Thompson-Boling Arena on Sunday.
“I am very proud of our team today,” said LSU head coach Van Chancellor. “We did everything we humanly could do in a hostile environment. We just caught a Tennessee team that is playing well and shot as well as I’ve seen. I’ve been watching them since the 1970s and if they shoot like that they are a contender for the (NCAA) championship. They made contested shots.”
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LSU finished the regular season with an 18-12 record and an 8-8 mark in Southeastern Conference play. The Lady Tigers will play on Thursday in the first day of the SEC Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. The league office announced the bracket Sunday afternoon.
Courtney Jones came off the bench for her second career double-double and second of the season to lead LSU. Jones tied a career high with 21 points while grabbing a career-best 12 rebounds in 32 minutes. Adrienne Webb fired in 17 points and LaSondra Barrett added 15 points and four assists.
“Courtney Jones played a heck of a game and Adrienne Webb was outstanding,” said Chancellor. “When we got down we didn’t quit. We just ran out of gas at the end and didn’t have an answer for them. I was really proud of the way we played, but we didn’t come here to play it close. We came here to win.”
Stricklen and Glory Johnson each had double-doubles for Tennessee, who finished off a perfect SEC season with a 16-0 record. The Lady Vols (28-2) won their 34th consecutive home game and became the first team since LSU’s 2008 Final Four squad to go undefeated in conference play.
Tennessee shot a blistering 56.7 percent in the first half on 17-of-30 shooting, including 6-of-10 from three-point range. The Lady Vols built as much as a 24-point lead with 7:12 to go in the first stanza. LSU, meanwhile, managed only one field goal in the first seven minutes until Jones converted a three-point play.
Tennessee amassed a 14-0 run to take a 34-10 lead with 7:12 left in the first half. Bjorklund delivered the key shot when she converted a rare four-point on a made three and free throw. Taber Spani’s 10-foot jumper gave the Lady Vols their largest lead, but LSU did not go away.
The Lady Tigers mounted an 11-0 run highlighted by three straight three-pointers – two from Webb and one from Barrett. Barrett’s free throw pulled LSU to within 44-31 into halftime.
Late in the second half, the Lady Tigers nearly got the deficit under double-digits thanks to the inspired play of Jones. Jones scored seven straight points for LSU, including a three from the top of the key that made it 67-57 with 2:59 to go. Glory Johnson had a layup and Alicia Manning converted a turnover into points that put the game away.
Tennessee finished at 44.8 percent for the game while the Lady Tigers shot 31.3 percent. Both teams gathered an equal 43 rebounds.