money Tennessee Lady Vols basketball had 29 turnovers in upset loss at Ohio State to open season
COLUMBUS, Ohio – New team, same nightmares.
The Tennessee Lady Vols may have six new additions to the basketball roster, but they're haunted by the turnover problem from last season that caught up to them in SEC play. The 29 turnovers against No. 15 Ohio State and its full court press led to a 87-75 loss in the No. 4 Lady Vols' season opener on Tuesday.
Tennessee (0-1) opened the game with the offensive momentum, scoring 22 points in the first quarter. The Lady Vols held onto a 41-33 lead going into halftime, but the second half was more of the same. Ohio State (1-0) took the lead in the third quarter and never looked back.
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The Lady Vols' offense was enough to overcome the turnovers in the first half, but that offense fizzled out after halftime and OSU's heated up. Tennessee scored only 34 points after halftime compared to the Buckeyes' 54. OSU ended up shooting 50.8% from the field and senior Taylor Mikesell had a game-high 25 points.
Freshman guard Justine Pissott and sophomore guard Kaiya Wynn of UT were not dressed for the season opener.
Ohio State's full court press gives Lady Vols fits
The Buckeyes came out with a full court press and they were rewarded for their hard work with 14 points off of turnovers in the first two quarters. By the end of the game, the Buckeyes scored 37 points off of turnovers.
OSU forced 12 turnovers in the first half, including seven steals, and Tennessee couldn't seem to figure out how to break the press the whole game. The pressure kept the Buckeyes in the game after shooting only 38.7% – and only 10% from 3-point range – in the first two quarters.
Tennessee wasn't helped by players in foul trouble. Tamari Key picked up two fouls in the first two minutes of the game and sat until halftime. Tennessee was called for 28 fouls, but it caught a break by OSU's 58.1% free-throw shooting.
Not the homecoming Jordan Horston envisioned
The season opener was scheduled for Jordan Horston to have a homecoming game.
The result may not be what Horston wanted, but she notched her first double-double of the season with 20 points and 13 rebounds, along with four assists. But she also a team-high seven turnovers.
She looked every bit the player who carried Tennessee last season, but her efforts weren't enough to secure a win to start the season.
Jasmine Powell right at home playing Big Ten competition
Powell got the start in her first game in the orange and white. The senior point guard looked right at home on offense facing a team she is familiar with from her three seasons at Minnesota.
Powell had 19 points and four assists in her UT debut. She also led the Lady Vols in minutes played at 36. Despite her five turnovers against the full court press, she performed well at point overall.
Her production on offense, often creating her own chances, were a bright spot for Tennessee in the loss. Especially since the Lady Vols did not have a strong enough presence in the paint – Key had eight points, Jasmine Franklin had two and Rickea Jackson had only nine.
Up next
Tennessee heads back to Knoxville for its home opener against UMass on Thursday (6:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network+).
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee Lady Vols basketball upset by Ohio State in season opener
