By Dan Fleser
fleserd@knoxnews.com
KNOXVILLE – They came from different angles and all points on the court.
Tennessee showcased an impressive assortment of shot attempts Monday in its second-round NCAA women’s basketball tournament game against Dayton – from standard-issue layups to step-back 3-pointers – and made most of them. The Lady Vols (32-2) shot 53.9 percent from the field and 54.5 percent (6-for-11) on 3s.
Their five double-figure scorers – Alicia Manning, Taber Spani, Alyssia Brewer, Kelley Cain and Angie Bjorklund – all shot at least 50 percent from the floor. Spani hit the step-back trey and contributed the most variety. And the 6-foot-1 freshman hit her first seven attempts before finishing 7-for-8.
“They should be feeling really good about the way they played,” coach Pat Summitt said Tuesday. “Everyone contributed. We got the ball moving. It didn’t get stuck in people’s hands. That game should give them a lot of confidence.”
The next game for the Memphis regional’s top seed is a semifinal Saturday against No. 4 seed Baylor (25-9) at the FedExForum. Baylor beat No. 5 Georgetown 49-33 on Monday night in Berkeley, Calif.
Tennessee’s shooting exhibition against No. 8 seed Dayton was its third-most accurate of the season and its best since a gaudy 67.2 percent performance against Old Dominion on Dec. 30. Under the circumstances, the Flyers had no shot.
“To be honest, they shot the ball very, very well,” Dayton coach Jim Jabir said. “It was one of those days, but they’re so good.”
The game’s fast pace opened the floor and enhanced UT’s performance. The tempo was specifically designed to exploit the Lady Vols’ advantage in athleticism and overwhelm the Flyers, who had expended considerable energy in erasing an 18-point first-round deficit against TCU on Saturday.
“We knew it drained their tanks a little,” UT assistant coach Dean Lockwood said. “So we wanted to come in and rev up the engines.”
In the process, the Lady Vols surged to 50 points by halftime, shooting 56.4 percent (22-for-39) and recording 11 assists with only one turnover.
“That was may be one of the best first halves we’ve had,” Cain said. “We just seemed so in sync and like not worried about anything, just going out there and playing the game the way we know how to play.”
Tennessee’s coaching staff was pouring over game video Tuesday before determining a game plan for Baylor. The Lady Bears will be bringing another style to Memphis.
Brittney Griner, Baylor’s 6-8 freshman center, had an NCAA tournament-record 14 blocks (13 in the second half) against Georgetown. She had more blocks than the Hoyas had field goals as they shot an unsightly 17 percent (12-for-70).
Those numbers suggest the likelihood of a gritty struggle Saturday, not another track meet.
“They want everything to be them getting up on us,” Summitt said of the Lady Bears.
The Lady Vols will be more mindful of their traditional postseason staples of defense and rebounding. Plus, Summitt won’t be substituting as freely. Still, she doesn’t dismiss the ball movement, shot selection and efficiency that characterized Monday night’s victory as merely a one-shot deal.
“Moving forward, everything matters. I think this team understands what they have to do,” she said.