GREENVILLE, S.C. – Rae Burrell scored 16 points and Rennia Davis added 15 with nine rebounds as Tennessee beat Missouri 64-51 in the second round of the Southeastern Conference women’s basketball tournament Thursday night.
Burrell and Davis combined to score 24 points in the second half. Kasiyahna Kushkituah added 13 for sixth-seeded Tennessee (21-9), which has won 25 of its past 33 conference tournament games since 2008.
The Lady Volunteers advanced to Friday’s quarterfinals and a rematch with third-seeded Kentucky (21-7) and former Bradley Central High School standout Rhyne Howard. The sophomore guard scored 37 points, including seven 3-pointers, when the Wildcats beat Tennessee 80-76 in early January in Lexington.
Missouri (9-22), the No. 11 seed that had to beat Ole Miss in one of Wednesday’s two first-round games to book the meeting with the Lady Vols, established a 34-26 halftime lead on the strength of 12-of-25 shooting from the field that included five 3-pointers.
Tennessee regrouped, though, and Missouri fell apart as the Lady Vols outscored the Tigers 23-6 in the third quarter. Tennessee shot 8-for-13 in the period, when Missouri was just 1-for-14, and the Lady Vols also took control of the glass with a 13-3 advantage in rebounds in the third.
Aijha Blackwell led Missouri with 13 points but missed 14 of 17 shots from the field. Hannah Schucts added 11 points.