Postgame Notes: Lady Vols 72, LSU 67 - University of Tennessee Athletics

Feb. 27, 2014

THE SERIES

Thursday's game marked the 58th all-time meeting between the two programs.

With the win, Tennessee moves to 45-13 all-time vs. LSU and 15-6 in Baton Rogue.

Tennessee owns an 9-2 record in away games this season.

WIN 50 FOR WARLICK

Holly Warlick won her 50th game as head coach of the Lady Vols in her 63rd game and is now 50-13 all-time at the helm, in her second season.

It took Pat Summitt 72 games to win her 50th game as a head coach, coming midway through her third season as a head coach at Tennessee in 1976-77. She went 16-8 in her first season, 16-11 in second two and started 18-3 to start 50-22.

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 ninth-straight game Tennessee has utilized the lineup, and the Lady Vols are now 8-1 with the quintet.

The opponent won the tip for just the third time this season.

Simmons scored the Lady Vols' first basket, a jumper. It's the sixth time this season that the senior has scored UT's first points.

Jasmine Jones was first off the bench for Tennessee, the 11th time this season the sophomore has been called upon first.

Junior point guard Ariel Massengale did not travel to LSU. 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), against Auburn (Feb. 20) and at Missouri (Feb. 23).

WIRE-TO-WIRE WIN

It is the 10th wire-to-wire win for the Lady Vols, and second away from Thompson-Boling Arena.

IT'S NOT PERSONAL; IT'S BUSINESS

Against former Lady Vols as head coaches, Holly Warlick is 3-1, including 2-1 vs. Nikki Caldwell (LSU).

Against teams with former Lady Vol players and/or staffers, Warlick is 9-3.

On LSU's staff, head coach Nikki Caldwell and assistant coach Tasha Butts played at Tennessee. Former UT graduate assistant/video coordinator Angel Elderkin (assistant), former UT office assistant, summer camp coach and practice player Tony Perotti (assistant) and former UT camp counselor and practice player Michael Scruggs (director of video operations) are also on the Tigers' staff under Caldwell.

SIMMONS SEEING 20-20

This season, senior Meighan Simmons has scored 20 or more points in five of the past six games and in eight of the last 11. She has hit 20 or more points in a total of nine games in 2013-14.

With her 31 points, Simmons surpassed Semeka Randall (1,915) on UT's all-time career scoring chart, moving into sixth place. She now has 1,942 career points while donning the Orange & White.

Simmons had her third-career 30-point game and second this season. She tallied 32 vs. Virginia on Nov. 28.

She is 58 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

The Lady Vols went on a 15-2 run over six minutes in the first half, and later followed with an 8-0 run.

UT led 44-40 at the half in Knoxville the last time these teams met. It's 42-21 tonight.

The Lady Vols outrebounded LSU, 43-31, with xxx leading Tennessee with xxx boards.

BURDICK BOOSTING TENNESSEE

Cierra Burdick notched a career-high 22 points against the Tigers, marking the second time in three games and the fifth in the last eight she has scored in double figures.

It was the second time in Burdick's career she had 20-plus points.

Her other 20-point game came at Alabama, on Feb. 2 with 21.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE HARRISON

With Isabelle Harrison's 11 points, she has now scored in double figures in 25 of UT's 28 games this season, and 21 of the last 22 contests.

Harrison also brought down 11 rebounds, recording her 14th double-double this season, and 20th of her career.

Harrison ties Candace Parker in second at UT for double-doubles by a junior (14).

HITTING DOUBLE FIGURES

The Lady Vols had three players in double figures: Meighan Simmons (31), Cierra Burdick (22), Isabelle Harrison (11) .

Tennessee has had three or more players score in double digits in 26 of 27 games.

AT THE HALF

Tennessee led 42-21 at the halfway mark.

The 21 points allowed is the fewest by an SEC opponent in the first half this season.

Simmons led the team with 19 points while Burdick followed with 15. The pair combined for 34 of UT's 42 points, outscoring LSU.

The Lady Vols were outrebounding the Tigers, 26-14, with Harrison leading the way with six boards.

Tennessee forced 11 Tiger turnovers, notching 12 points off LSU's miscues.

UP NEXT

Tennessee returns to action Sunday for its last home game of the regular-season. UT takes on South Carolina in a 2:30 p.m. ET contest in Thompson-Boling Arena.

The game vs. the Gamecocks airs on ESPNU and can be heard on the Lady Vol Network.

University of Tennessee Athletics

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