GREENVILLE, South Carolina — No. 8 seed Tennessee defeated No. 9 seed LSU their first game of the SEC tournament on Thursday.
The Lady Vols held on to win 69-66 in what was a very tight game.
Evina Westbrook and Rennia Davis led the way in scoring for the Lady Vols with 39 points combined.
The very first possession for the Lady Vols was a microcosm of what was to come: a turnover less than five seconds into the action. Tennessee turned the ball over 10 times in the first half, LSU scored 11 points off of those turnovers.
Tennessee trailed LSU 35-28 at the break.
Evina Westbrook was the difference maker in the second half. She scored nine points in the third quarter as the Lady Vols slowly chipped away at the LSU lead.
LSU and Tennessee went back and forth for much of the fourth quarter, but a combination of clutch scoring and good defense pushed the Lady Vols over the top.
ESPN Bracketologist Charlie Creme had the Lady Vols as the last team in the NCAA field prior to this win over LSU. While the team’s spot may not be cemented in the Big Dance, this win will go a very long way.
The Lady Vols will play at Noon on Friday against No. 1 seed Mississippi State. You can watch the game on SEC Network.
Tennessee and LSU met once this season, a 74-65 win for the Lady Vols in Thompson-Boling Arena.
Tennessee looks to keep its NCAA Tournament streak alive: the Lady Vols are the only team in the NCAA to never miss the Big Dance.
The winner of this game will face No. 1 seed Mississippi State at Noon on Friday.