ATHENS, Ga. — After leading by as many as 17 points, the No. 13 Lady Vols lose its third straight game to Georgia in Athens, 66-62.
Evina Westbrook led all scorers with 23 points, finishing with four rebounds and six assists as well.
The Lady Vols pushed the pace early, scoring often in the fastbreak, leading 34-17 with 2:20 left in the second quarter, but Georgia's defense came to play in the second half. Caliya Robinson scored 16 points for Georgia, but put the clamps on the Lady Vols with six of Georgia's eight blocks. With less than one minute left in the game and only trailing by a single point, Robinson blocked both Evina Westbrook and Rennia Davis in the same possession. The Lady Vols shot just 24 percent in the second half.
This is the first time the Lady Vols have lost three straight games since 1986. During that time, Tennessee lost at No. 18 Ole Miss, then home against No. 13 Auburn and home against No. 5 Louisiana Tech. That year, the Lady Vols finished 24-10 overall, making it to the Final Four.
The Lady Vols will hit the road again for its next game, a matchup against Alabama. Tennessee has lost four straight games to the Crimson Tide. Its last win in Tuscaloosa came in 2014.