Tennessee guard Diamond DeShields (11) goes to shoot as she is defended by Texas center Imani Boyette (34) in the second first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 29, 2015, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)KNOXVILLE - Tennessee's women's basketball team flirted with danger long enough to eventually pay the price.
Lashann Higgs scored 18 points and led an efficient 3-point attack Sunday as No. 8 Texas defeated No. 4 Tennessee 64-53 to end the Lady Vols' home winning streak at 27 games.
Although Tennessee (5-1) hadn't lost at Thompson-Boling Arena since a 75-71 defeat by Kentucky in February 2014, the Lady Vols - who haven't played a road game this season and have two more contests in Knoxville before heading to Wichita State on Dec. 11 - had only won their past four games by a combined margin of 20 points.
"We were setting ourselves up for this," Tennessee guard Andraya Carter said. "Our games leading up to this, we should have won by way more. We were winning by close margins the whole time, but we were just more talented than those teams. We came up against a team that was equally as talented as us, and they played together and they beat us.
"I think this just shows that while you can beat some teams not playing the way you're supposed to, you can't beat the top teams."
Higgs helped make sure Texas (5-0) came out on top. The freshman guard entered the game having missed all seven of her 3-point attempts this season. She regained her shooting touch by going 3-of-5 from 3-point range, helping Texas shoot 6-of-13 from beyond the arc overall.
Diamond DeShields had 24 points and 11 rebounds to lead Tennessee, but no other Lady Vol had more than six points.
"Diamond's going to get her points, and she did that," Texas center Imani Boyette said. "We tried to make sure if Diamond's going to score, no one else could."
Brooke McCarty had 12 points, and Boyette had 11 points and nine rebounds for Texas.
Tennessee cut an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to four when Carter sank two free throws with 1:18 left. Carter then made a midcourt steal to start a fastbreak, but Te'a Cooper missed a contested layup with a minute remaining.
The Lady Vols didn't get any closer, missing their final nine field-goal attempts. Texas focused its defense on slowing down posts Bashaara Graves and Mercedes Russell, and Tennessee couldn't hit its outside shots, either.
The Lady Vols' five starters combined to score just 21 points and shoot 9-of-39 from the floor. The starting backcourt of Jordan Reynolds and Cooper went a combined 4-of-22.
"We've got a talented team, but we're not getting it done," Tennessee coach Holly Warlick said. " Talent doesn't always win games."
Although Texas and Tennessee play each other every year, it was the first time the Longhorns have won back-to-back games against the Lady Vols since winning four straight from February 2002 to November 2004. Texas beat Tennessee 72-59 in Austin last season.