Postgame Notes: Tennessee 56, Missouri 50 - University of Tennessee Athletics

Feb. 23, 2014

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THE SERIES AND THE WIN

Sunday's game marked the sixth all-time meeting between the two programs.

With the win, Tennessee moves to 5-1 in the all-time series against Mizzou.

In Columbia, the Lady Vols are now 2-1 in the series.

Head Coach Holly Warlick is now 2-1 against the Tigers.  

Tennessee owns an 8-2 record in away games this season.

FOR STARTERS

Today's starters: junior Cierra Burdick, sophomore Bashaara Graves, junior Isabelle Harrison, redshirt freshman Andraya Carter and senior Meighan Simmons.

It was the eighth-straight game Tennessee has utilized the lineup, and the Lady Vols are now 7-1 with the quintet.

Tennessee won the tip for the 25th time this season.

Simmons scored the Lady Vols' first basket, a 3-pointer. It's the fifth time this season that the senior has scored UT's first points, and the first time Tennessee's first points have came from a 3-pointer to start the game.

Mercedes Russell was first off the bench for Tennessee, the seventh time this season the freshman has been called upon first.

Junior point guard Ariel Massengale on the bench. She suffered a facial injury during that game and missed Texas A&M (Jan. 26), Arkansas (Jan. 30), Alabama (Feb. 2), Ole Miss (Feb. 6) and Vanderbilt (Feb. 10). She was on the bench, but did not play against Kentucky (Feb. 16) and against Auburn (Feb. 20). 

Freshman Jordan Reynolds did not play against Mizzou, marking the first game she's sat out this season. Reynolds turned her left ankle late in practice on Saturday and is listed as day-to-day.

SIMMONS SEEING 20-20

This season, senior Meighan Simmons has scored 20 or more points in four of the past five games and in seven of the last 10. She has hit 20 or more points in a total of eight games in 2013-14.  

With her 20 points, Simmons crossed the 1,900 career point plateau, and now has 1,911 points. She is 89 shy of joining the 2,000-point club, which only four other Lady Vols have accomplished (Chamique Holdsclaw, 3,025; Bridgette Gordon, 2,462; Candace Parker, 2,137; Tamika Catchings, 2,113).

TENNESSEE DEFENSE

Entering the matchup, Missouri had hit 115 threes in SEC play to rank No. 1 at 8.8 per game. UT held the Tigers to seven treys.

The Lady Vols outrebounded Mizzou, 48-35, with Mercedes Russell leading all players in the game with 11 boards.

CARTER CARRYING THE TEAM

Entering the game, Carter was shooting 57.1 percent in FG and 61.5 percent beyond the arc. 

She finished the game shooting 44.4% from the field (4-9).

She also ended with one steal against the Tigers.

HARRISON'S DOUBLE DIGIT STREAK ENDS

JuniorIsabelle Harrison saw her 20-game streak of scoring in double digits come to an end against the Tigers as she finished the game with five points.

The Nashville native has notched double digits in 24 of UT's 27 games this season.

RUSSELL CRASHING THE BOARDS

Freshman Mercedes Russell was productive against MU, finishing with a team-best 11 boards.  

It marked the second time in her career she has grabbed 10 or more rebounds. She also brought down 11 boards at Texas A&M.  

Russell also notched two blocks and had six points.

HITTING DOUBLE FIGURES

The Lady Vols had two players in double figures: Meighan Simmons (20) and Bashaara Graves (11).

It was the first game this season that less than three players scored in double figures.

AT THE HALF

Tennessee led 25-22 at the halfway point.

Simmons had a team-best 10 points at halftime.

The Lady Vols were outrebounding the Tigers, 25-21, with Mercedes Russell leading the way with eight boards.

Mizzou was outscoring UT in points in the paint, 16-14, and had notched six points off of 10 Lady Vol turnovers.

Tennessee allowed only 22 first half points to Mizzou, marking the fewest since allowing 20 to Texas A&M and third fewest in the first half all season.

UP NEXT

Tennessee returns to action Sunday when the Lady Vols travel to Louisiana to take on the Tigers in a 9 p.m. ET contest. 

The game vs. LSU airs on CSS and can be heard on the Lady Vol Network.

University of Tennessee Athletics

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