Lady Vols hold on for close SEC win at home

AP file photo by Butch Dill / Tennessee senior Rennia Davis helped lead the way to a 66-58 win at No. 15 Indiana on Thursday.
AP file photo by Butch Dill / Tennessee senior Rennia Davis helped lead the way to a 66-58 win at No. 15 Indiana on Thursday.

KNOXVILLE - Rennia Davis scored 21 points, and No. 20 Tennessee went 11-of-11 from the foul line in the fourth quarter to hold off Ole Miss 68-67 on Thursday night in Southeastern Conference women's basketball.

The Lady Volunteers (11-3, 5-1) trailed by 13 points during the second quarter and were down by one with less than two minutes to play.

Donnetta Johnson's jumper at the 2:03 mark had Ole Miss (7-6, 1-6), which has lost five straight, on top 61-60 before the Rebels had two misses on their next possession and a turnover after that. Meanwhile, Jordan Walker and Jordan Horston each hit a pair of free throws for the Lady Vols, and Davis made a layup for a 66-61 lead with 16 seconds left.

Mimi Reid converted a three-point play with 6.8 seconds left for Ole Miss, but Rae Burrell iced it for the home team with a pair of free throws before Johnson's 3 at the buzzer.

Burrell scored 17 points and Horston 13 for Tennessee, which overcame 2-of-10 shooting from 3-point range by going 16-of-19 at the foul line.

Johnson led Ole Miss with 19 points, Shakira Austin added 16 and Snudda Collins had 13. The Rebels were 6-of-11 from outside the arc but got to the foul line only 10 times, though they made seven free throws.

Collins hit a 3-pointer to close the first quarter for an 18-8 lead. She hit another early in the second quarter to make it 23-10 but the Lady Vols used a 9-0 run, with six points in that stretch from Burrell, to help get within 33-30 at halftime.

The Lady Vols host Florida on Sunday to complete a four-game homestand.

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