GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Lady Vols fell to the SEC's top team in SEC women's basketball tournament on Friday.
Mississippi State defeated Tennessee 83-68.
The Lady Vols had a season-high 24 turnovers, which the Bulldogs converted into 22 points.
The Lady Vols season may not be over. They could still get a bid to the NCAA tournament.
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No rest for the weary. If Tennessee wants to stay in Greenville, the team will have to beat No. 1 seed Mississippi State, the No. 5 team in the country.
The two teams will play each other at Noon on Friday. You can watch the game on SEC Network.
The Lady Vols and Lady Bulldogs met once this season in Starkville, a 91-63 loss to Mississippi State, the worst margin of defeat for Tennessee in SEC play this season.
"We didn't play well down the stretch," said head coach Holly Warlick, "so we have an opportunity for a rematch which our kids are excited about."
"You're playing the No. 1 seed in the conference," said Warlick. "It is what it is and our kids just have to step up to the challenge."
While the score of the first matchup might be a bit lopsided, the Lady Vols were in the game at halftime, trailing by just six. Perhaps what has Tennessee the most excited is who will be playing for them in this rematch. Sophomore point guard Evina Westbrook was suspended for the Mississippi State game after a violation of team rules.
"It's just good having my starting point guard back in the lineup," said senior Meme Jackson. "Just running the team, getting everyone where they need to be, it's just good having her out there."
"You've got to have someone out there that has poise, that sees the floor, knows how to run the team, knows who to get the ball to," said Warlick. "It was a big loss for her not to play down there, it was a huge loss."
No one on the team seems as excited for Evina Westbrook to be on the court against Mississippi State as Evina Westbrook.
"It was really difficult just knowing that I couldn't be out there, helping my team as much as I wanted to," said Westbrook.
The sophomore led the team with 20 points against No. 8 seed LSU in the second round of the SEC Tournament.
As for the NCAA Tournament outlook, things are much better for Tennessee after a win against the Tigers, but a spot in the big dance is far from guaranteed.
ESPN Women's college basketball bracketologist Charlie Creme still has the Lady Vols in his "Last Four In" designation, but said on Twitter, a loss to the Lady Bulldogs wouldn't end Tennessee's season.
"The Lady Vols would still be (in) at that point," said Creme. "Then they would have to wait out some other conferences."
If, for example, a team not previously in the NCAA Tournament won its conference tournament and received an automatic bid, the Lady Vols could be looking in from the outside, missing the big dance for the first time since the first NCAA Tournament for women's basketball in the 1981-1982 season.
If the Lady Vols want to avoid the complexity and uncertainty of sitting on the bubble, the team has only one option.
Survive and advance. No rest for the weary.