KNOXVILLE – The adage “If you can’t handle me at my worst, you don’t deserve me at my best” could apply to the Tennessee women’s basketball team this season.
Last week the Lady Volunteers ran the gauntlet emotionally, going on the road to defeat then 16th-ranked Notre Dame before coming home and claiming what could best be described as a lackluster win over Tennessee State. Tennessee won that game by 30, but coming off the win over the Lady Irish, the lopsided victory came after a slow start.
Yet the end result was a 4-0 record for the Lady Vols and a return to the Top 25, with a No. 23 set to appear next to the team’s name when it faces Stetson (2-2) at 7 Tuesday night at Thompson-Boling Arena.
New coach Kellie Harper wasn’t sure exactly what to expect going into that Notre Dame game from a team that, while featuring five upperclassmen and six returning players, had just lost sophomore guard Zaay Green to a torn ACL suffered in a practice two days prior.
What she got were dominant performances from junior Rennia Davis, who totaled 33 points and 10 rebounds, and sophomore guard Jazmine Massengill, who had 13 rebounds and nine assists in the road win.