RALEIGH, N.C. — No. 6 seed Tennessee competed in the Round of 32 and fell short to No. 3 seed NC State in a 79-72 comeback battle at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Both teams were efficient early on the offensive end. Rickea Jackson started 5-7 from the field and scored 12 points in the first five minutes. NC State's Saniya Rivers notched a steal, which led to an and-one on the other end. The three-point play tied the score up at 17 a piece.
The Wolfpack went on a 7-0 run to take the lead by one after the first quarter. The score was 24-23. That run continued with three more made buckets on three straight possessions. NC State contained Jackson's hot streak and stayed consistent with the ball in their hands.
Jackson scored her first points in the second quarter, almost four minutes in. She sank her signature jumper to stay within three, 33-29. The Wolfpack was back in front by eight after several turnovers from Tennessee. The team struggled to give Jackson the ball, and NC State's defense looked locked in.
Three minutes before the half, down by ten, Sara Puckett knocked down a much-needed jumper over Rivers. However, the Wolfpack stayed hot with a Zoe Brooks deep ball to make it 44-31, and the threes kept coming. At the buzzer, Maddie Cox sank one at the end of the second to make it 49-31. Jewel Spear and Tamari Key sat out most of the quarter with foul trouble.
In the third, UT's offense still needed to click. The Lady Vols scored occasionally, but NC State continued to dominate from the field, making it hard for them to catch up early in the half.
However, Jackson cut it to 12 from the line, and she led with 22 points at the time. Jasmine Powell was sent to the line on the next two possessions to get within eight. The score was 56-48, and Tennessee was on an 8-0 run. This is when Tennessee flipped the script.
You know the Lady Vols—the queen of comebacks. Tamari Key did it herself with a turnaround jumper to make it a two-point game, 65-63. Her family lit up in the stands after the bucket.
The Wolfpack answered soon after with a three to get back up by seven points.
Spear came in clutch with a deep three to space it back to four. On NC State's inbound play, Spear was a second away from a steal and score, but the Wolfpack was granted a timeout. Head coach Kellie Harper was fuming at the officials, and if the layup counted, UT would have scored two buckets in those critical moments. After the timeout, Tess Darby got blocked on possession, and from then on, it went downhill.
Jasmine Powell was sent to the line and missed both free throws. The Lady Vols grabbed her offensive board, but Sara Puckett couldn't make a three-pointer that would have made it a three-point game.
Tennessee ends their season the way they've done it many times before, coming from behind and just shy of a win.
