University of Tennessee Athletics
"The Beast" Is Back For Lady Vols
November 19, 2015 | Women's Basketball
By Brian Rice
UTSports.com
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Bashaara Graves has become affectionately known as "the Beast" for her scoring and rebounding in the low post for Tennessee. The senior's game on Wednesday night against Penn State was vintage "Beast."
Graves tied a career high with 24 points on a perfect 8-for-8 from both the field and the free throw line and pulled down 13 rebounds in the Lady Volunteers' 74-66 victory over Penn State.
"We talked about her goal to get double-doubles, and I thought she got in position to take great looks, and we needed her," head coach Holly Warlick said. "She had a great game, and we probably wouldn't have had the result we had if not for her playing the game she did."
Graves' double-double was the 22nd of her career, second among active players in the Southeastern Conference. She crossed the 20-point plateau for the third time in her last four games, a run that began with her then-career-high 24 against Boise State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
"I just came in knowing I wanted to play hard," Graves said. "That's all I did. It came easy when you're out there playing hard and having fun. I think I just got comfortable. I knew I could take them off the dribble, and I did that. Just trying to get rebounds, that's just what I do. Rebounding is first in my game plan coming into the game."
10 of her 13 rebounds came on the defensive end, a key in limiting Penn State to just seven second-chance points on a night where points were at a premium.
"She was definitely key for us tonight," said Mercedes Russell, the proud owner of a double-double herself. "She was in the paint making shots, rebounding, doing anything that she could, all the dirty work. I think she was big for us tonight. I don't know if we get this win without her."
Russell scored 14 points with 13 boards, combining with Graves for a frontcourt that was dominant at times. It was evident in the second quarter when Tennessee found itself down, 19-18, with just over six minutes until halftime.
New frontcourt mate Kortney Dunbar hit a 3-pointer to give UT the lead back, then Russell and Graves combined to hit all six of the Lady Vols field goals down the stretch to close the half.
A game that saw 42 fouls called between the two teams made Graves' 8-of-8 from the free throw line equally as important as her 8-of-8 from the field. The combined 16 shots without a miss set a new Tennessee record, passing Shelia Frost's 11, 9-of-9 from the field and 2-of-2 from the line against Oregon State in 1987.
Graves came off the bench Wednesday night, a position that Warlick said after the game may be a temporary condition.
"Well yeah, I'll probably evaluate it," she said with a smile. "I don't know who is going to start, but she's got a great opportunity to do that. With this team everybody is going to play, which I love. I think they understand that right now. I don't think starting and not starting has been an issue, and I hope it won't be."
