Last Updated 8:36 AM, February 19, 2021
Autumn Johnson

Tennessee shocks South Carolina, Indiana beats Michigan on busy women’s basketball night

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The top 16 seeds right now, revealed by the NCAA women's selection committee
5:19
2:24 am, February 19, 2021

Final: No. 21 Tennessee 75, No. 2 South Carolina 67

No. 21 Tennessee got its first top-5 win since 2017 by upsetting No. 2 South Carolina, 75-67, on Thursday night. The win over the Gamecocks snapped South Carolina's 31-game SEC regular-season win streak. The Gamecocks last lost in regular-season SEC play almost two years ago (lost back-to-back to Mississippi State on March 3, 2019, and then to Arkansas in the SEC tournament five days later).

Tennessee trailed by 15 points in the third quarter, but it was a Rennia Davis takeover that gave South Carolina its first SEC loss of the season. Davis couldn't get a shot to fall in the first half, but she began to find an offensive rhythm, shooting 6-for-12 from the floor. She also knocked down two big 3s and was flawless from the charity stripe with 10 free throws. Davis recorded a double-double, scoring 24 points and posting 12 rebounds. Tennessee's Rae Burrell and Jordan Horston combined for 31 points.

As for South Carolina, Aliyah Boston led with 17 points and 16 rebounds. Zia Cooke and Destanni Henderson also chipped in 15 points a piece for the Gamecocks, but it wasn't enough — South Carolina shot 38.2 percent from the field for the game. South Carolina, a team who is known for its fast-pace game, was limited to only three fast break points compared to Tennessee's 10.

Tennessee also remained resilient on the boards, tying 40-40 on the glass.

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1:08 am, February 19, 2021

End of 3Q: No. 2 South Carolina 54, No. 21 Tennessee 53

Rennia Davis

Tennessee trailed by 15 points in the third quarter, but an offensive spark from Rennia Davis cut the lead to a nail-bitting 54-53. Davis scored 13 points in the third quarter alone after suffering a scoring drought in the first half. The Vols outscored the Gamecocks, 28-17. 

Rae Burrell, who's currently leading Tennessee with 16 points, sat out with five minutes left of the third quarter with a tweaked ankle. Destiny Salary and Jordan Walker were able to step up in Burrell's absence with crucial points in transition to push a 14-4 run against the Gamecocks. 

12:48 am, February 19, 2021

Halftime: No. 2 South Carolina 37, No. 21 Tennessee 25

South Carolina's dominance in the paint took over in the second quarter to push its lead to 37-25. A majority of the Gamecocks' offensive looks have came from inside with 24 paint points.

After facing a scoring drought in the first quarter, Aliyah Boston came alive, putting up 5 points. However, it's been Destanni Henderson in transition and perimeter shooting to help the Gamecocks push the lead. Henderson finished the half with 10 points.

The Gamecocks have done an incredible job so far attacking the basket to find open lanes to the basket. The battle on the boards has also been crucial in the SEC matchup, outscoring Tennessee 24-18. 

South Carolina's defense has only allowed four Vols to score, which did not include Tennessee's top scorer Rennia Davis, who's shooting 0-for-4 from the floor. 

12:13 am, February 19, 2021

End of 1Q: No. 2 South Carolina 16, No. 17 Tennessee 16

Rae Burrell

Rae Burrell came out relentless in the first quarter, scoring Tennessee's first eight points of the game. But the Gamecocks' presence in the paint with Aliyah Boston and Victaria Saxton has made it difficult for Tennessee's inside game. The duo in the paint has combined for two blocks. 

However, Tennessee's two-three defense has has put emphasis on shutting down Boston. South Carolina's lead scorer went scoreless in the first quarter. Destanni Henderson steps up for South Carolina with seven points.

1:47 am, February 19, 2021

Final: No. 14 Indiana 70, No. 11 Michigan 65

The Big Ten battle came down to the wire, but No. 14 Indiana knocked off No. 11 Michigan, 70-65.

Ali Patberg was unstoppable on offense, knocking down 3s and attacking the basket to lead the Hoosiers with 21 points. Patberg shot 8-for-18 from the floor and 3-for-4 on 3-pointers. Overall, the Hoosiers had nine 3s with the help of Aleksa Gulbe, who knocked down three 3s and finished with 13 points. Indiana shot 50 percent from beyond the arc.  

After a scoreless first half, Grace Berger had 10 of Indiana's 19 points in the fourth quarter. Eight of those points came from the free-throw line, which determined the game down the stretch. Berger finished with 16 points. 

Michigan won the paint battle, outscoring the Hoosiers 32-14, plus winning on the glass 42-28. That's credit to Naz Hillmon, who had a double-double performance scoring 23 points and 12 rebounds. Leigha Brown chipped in 19 points, but it wasn't enough to offset the Wolverines' 15 turnovers. Indiana gained 20 points off of Michigan's mistakes.

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11:41 pm, February 18, 2021

Halftime: No. 14 Indana 37, No. 11 Michigan 35

It's been a close first half between the Big Ten foes with 11 lead changes and seven ties. Indiana's Ali Patberg's relentless 3-point shooting helped Indiana take the 2-point lead into the locker room. Patberg is shooting 7-for-13 beyond the arc and has knocked down 17 points so far against the Wolverines. 

Aleska Gulbe has also been an offensive threat beyond the arch, with two 3s of her own, chipping in eight points for the Hoosiers. Michigan's suffocating defense left one of Indiana's top scorers Grace Berger scoreless in the first half. Michigan limited Berger to only four attempts from the floor.  

Michigan's Naz Hillmon did not skip a beat coming into the second quarter after sitting out majority of the first due to early foul trouble. Hillmon scored 10 points in the second quarter alone. She leads Michigan with 14 points.

11:21 pm, February 18, 2021

End of 1Q: No. 11 Michigan 17, No. 14 Indiana 13

We knew the inside game would be crucial for both of the Big Ten foes with Michigan’s Naz Hillmon facing Indiana’s Mackenzie Holmes. Hillmon got her team going with four points in the paint, but an attempted charge put Hillmon in early foul trouble with two personals in the first two minutes.

Despite Hillmon on the bench, Michigan picked continued the momentum in the paint to hold the lead. The Wolverines ended the first quarter with 10 paint points compared to Indiana's two. That effort came from Michigan's 15 offensive boards and capitalizing with seven second chance points against the Hoosiers. 

Hailey Brown stepped led the Wolverines in the first quarter with six points, so far. 

 

10:06 pm, February 18, 2021

Here's why tonight's games are important

No. 11 Michigan vs No. 14 Indiana 

Both teams are currently slated for four regular season games until the Big Ten tournament tips off on March 9. With Selection Monday less than a month away, the Wolverines are looking to pick up a couple of ranked wins to build their resume for the NCAA tournament. Michigan will have a tough week ahead of it, facing No. 14 Indiana tonight and No. 15 Ohio State on Sunday. But two wins against ranked Big Ten foes could be a resume-booster. The selection committee has already included Indiana as a No. 4 seed in the first top-16 reveal. 

No. 2 South Carolina vs No. 21 Tennessee 

In the SEC, South Carolina was considered a No. 1 seed and Tennessee has been placed as a No. 4 seed, for now, in the first look of the top 16 teams in the NCAA tournament. The top-3 SEC matchup could give the Vols a big push in the rankings if Tennessee can pull an upset over the Gamecocks. As for the Gamecocks, South Carolina will use their final four games to fine tune their transition game, plus closing its fourth quarters after falling to NC State and UConn this season. 

8:44 pm, February 18, 2021

No. 2 South Carolina vs No. 21 Tennessee preview

Tennessee Athletics Tennessee's Rae Burrell

Here's a closer look at the main game we'll be watching tonight. We'll also be keeping our eyes on No. 11 Michigan vs. No. 14 Indiana at 6 p.m. ET

No. 2 South Carolina (17-2 overall, 12-0 SEC) vs No. 21 Tennessee (12-5, 6-3) 

  • When: 7 p.m. Eastern
  • Where: Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn.
  • TV and stream: SEC Network
  • South Carolina preview, courtesy of gamecocksonline.com: South Carolina was the No. 2 team in the selection committee's first Top 16 reveal of the season ... the Gamecocks are 6-3 against the Lady Vols over the last six seasons ... South Carolina has won the last three meetings, all by double digits ... South Carolina is looking for its 29th straight SEC regular-season victory tonight, which is the fifth-longest streak in league history ... Tennessee holds the SEC record of 42 consecutive regular-season wins, which it did twice (Jan. 26, 1992 - Jan. 1, 1996; Feb. 7, 2002 - Feb. 6, 2005) ... A win tonight would be the Gamecocks' 32nd straight over an SEC opponent, including three in the 2020 SEC Tournament, which would give them sole possession of the second longest in league history. 
  • Tennessee preview, courtesy of utsports.com: This is the annual Live Pink, Bleed Orange game, which brings attention to the fight against breast cancer and provides recognition to the fighters and survivors of the disease ... Tennessee was listed as the No. 13 overall seed in the first Women's NCAA Selection Committee Top 16 Reveal ... Tennessee enters Thursday's contest on the heels of an 80-70 loss at No. 6/5 Texas A&M on Sunday afternoon. It was a one-point game with 2:11 to go, but the Aggies were able to draw fouls and close out the game by making their free throws. The Aggies hit 17 of 22 charity tries alone in the fourth quarter and 25 of 34 for the game.
9:20 pm, February 18, 2021

No. 11 Michigan vs No. 14 Indiana preview

Michigan's Naz Hillmon

No. 11 Michigan (12-1 overall, 7-1 Big Ten) vs No. 14 Indiana (13-4 overall, 11-2 Big Ten) 

  • When: 6 p.m. Eastern
  • Where: Bloomington, Indiana
  • TV and Stream: Big Ten Network

Indiana Preview, courtesy of iuhoosiers.com: BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A Top 15 showdown is set for Thursday night as No. 14 Indiana welcomes No. 11 Michigan. Game time is set for 6 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.

ABOUT THE WOLVERINES Coming off a COVID-19 pause last week, Michigan has won two games over Purdue and Michigan State. They are led by Big Ten preseason player of the year candidate junior forward Naz Hillmon who averages 26.1 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. Junior guard/forward Leigha Brown adds 19.8 points per game. The Wolverines average 80.2 points per game while outrebounding its opponents by a Big Ten high +14.0 per game.

SERIES HISTORY Indiana leads 46-29

LAST MEETING 3/1/20 – W, 78-60 (Ann Arbor, Mich.)

NOTES

  • The Hoosiers are coming off a pair of season sweeps last week against Penn State and Illinois. Junior guard Grace Berger earned a spot on the Big Ten Player of the Week honor roll for her performances as she notched her third – and the program's – triple-double of the season against the Lady Lions on Wednesday.
  • In this week's national polls, the Hoosiers climbed to its highest ever ranking in the USA Today/WBCA coaches poll at No. 12 and the highest of the season in the Associated press top 25 at No. 14.
  • Sophomore forward Mackenzie Holmes continues to pace Indiana with 18.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Berger adds 15.3 points per game while senior guard Ali Patberg is also averaging double figures with 13.2 points per outing.