KNOXVILLE — Even a 22-point victory and an 11th straight win in the Southeastern Conference isn’t enough to make Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt ignore a sloppy performance by some of her players.
The Lady Vols struggled in the paint, shot poorly and turned the ball over often in the first half against a Florida team they had beat by 43 points earlier in the season.
They still managed a 61-39 victory against the Gators on Thursday night.
“We didn’t come out and respect them early, and that disappointed me,” Summitt said. “We have to commit all the time. The first game you have to let go.”
Despite frustrating Summitt with inconsistent play, Tennessee (23-2, 11-0) is cruising through SEC play after being picked to win the conference. The Lady Vols have beaten their league opponents by an average 25 points per game.