Sunday’s matchup for the Tennessee Lady Vols is important.
It was Tennessee’s first ranked win of the season and could be a turning point for a team that struggled until November. -4) feels like a must-win. She will face No. 9 Virginia Tech (7-0) at Thompson on Sunday (1pm ET, ESPN2). – Bowling arena.
The most important key to winning on Sunday is defense, which was Tennessee’s weakness in November. Tennessee’s opponents are averaging 70 points per game, ranking her 253rd among 361 Division I teams, according to Her Hoop Stats. Her 3-point percentage defense for the Lady Vols ranks her 256th in the nation. Opponents shot her 32.6% from behind the arc, making a total of 60 of her 3-point shots.
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“I think it starts with transition defense,” Harper said of improving perimeter defense. There are some and you have to make sure the system is consistent every day, anything from ball pressure to off.Keeping the ball in mind and finishing off the defense with technique and disciplined box-outs.”
Dropped out of the top 25 in both polls this week, Tennessee has a six-day gap in the game to prepare for Sunday’s all-important game. If they can’t improve their defense, the Lady Vols can’t beat her Hokies, with ranked losses piling up and the toughest competition standing in front of them.
