Tennessee vs. Baylor, Box Score

As I walked into the arena all I saw was a sea of orange. I thought for a minute I was in Knoxville, not Memphis. As the teams were announced all you could hear were roars from the Lady Vols faithful. There was a long embrace between Coach Summit and Coach Mulkey (who sported her gold jacket).

As expected, this game was going to be an intense battle. No one wanted to lose. There were many lead changes and much to cheer about for both teams. Brittney Griner looked like a veteran player on both ends. She ended the game with 27 points and 10 blocks. She made it very difficult for any Tennessee player to get into the paint.

An always passionate Coach Mulkey was at half-court at one point disagreeing with one of many no calls when Griner was getting hit.

Taber Spani tried to give Tennessee a spark in the first half with a three and steal. Shekinna Stricklen tried to use her athleticism to knock down shots (18 points). Morghan Medlock made all of the hard-nosed plays for Baylor. And Melissa Jones had two defensive plays down the stretch that sealed the deal. Her leadership definitely showed in the second half.

It was a rough shooting night for Tennessee sharp shooter Angie Bjorklund. She had a couple of plays that lifted the hopes of the fans, but just couldn’t find her usual rhythm. With 1:37 left in the game you could have heard a pin drop in the arena, unless you were one of the well-traveled Baylor fans.

The game came down to Griner doing exactly what she had to do, her teammates having the games of their careers, and the belief that they were going to win this game.

For Tennessee unfortunately missed free throws hurt along with the usual suspects having off shooting nights. Congratulations to Tennessee for a great season! And to Baylor for doing what not a lot of people except those in the locker room thought could be possible.

Duke vs. San Diego State, Box Score

The sea of orange thinned out quickly after their Tennessee’s to Baylor. Duke looked to have its usual support behind their bench.

SDSU traveled well considering where they came from, and they were rowdy! The Aztecs came out ready to play. They had the swagger and looks of an east coast team early on.

There was one player for Duke who was winning this game at all costs! Those of you who don’t know Jasmine Thomas, you will if Duke makes it to San Antonio. She was in a zone all day. With 9:27 left in the first half and a three point lead Thomas already had 10 points. As the game went back and forth and obvious that every possession counted, Baylor’s Griner was in the stands having grown men and women ask for autographs and pictures.

Allison Vernery picked up her third foul in the first half which allowed the SDSU players a chance to get to the rim. Quenese Davis and Jené Morris were two seniors that were not ready for their careers to be over. They each hit a couple of treys and made big defensive stops. Both played all 40 minutes.

SDSU went into the locker room down 34-35 at half. Coach McCallie must have ripped Duke a new one because they opened the half with three straight stops that led to points. It took SDSU until the 13:36 point to hit their first shot of the second half. The Duke bigs were not allowing anything in the paint. SDSU Senior guard Kim Spinardi got in late in the game and drained a three. Duke was able to convert 26 SDSU turnovers into 32 points. They were dominating on the boards all day. Thomas ended the game with 29 points and six assists.

To beat Baylor they will need to limit Griner’s touches and remember that it is a game of runs. For SDSU what a great run! A fun team to watch as a fan. They did not give up when the score got out of hand, but just kept pushing. Unfortunately, the ball was not falling and the Duke defense forced too many turnovers on this day. Beth Burns thanked the crowd on her way to the locker room for the support. She has much to be proud of with this team.

See you in San Antonio…

Lindsay Werntz (@werntz4) is a personal trainer in Missouri who spent six seasons on the sidelines as an assistant for college teams. She played basketball at Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne.

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