Kellie Harper Looking For Team to Execute in Return to Knoxville
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.– The No. 13 Lady Vols will take on the Missouri Lady Tigers in Thompson-Boling Arena on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. ET. The Lady Vols return to their home arena after two road battles in which they lost to Florida and UConn.
Tennessee enters Thursday in a near must-win scenario to regain their confidence after the recent skid, as Tennessee has lost three of their last four games and their previous two by 44 points.
Lady Vols head coach Kellie Harper met with the media on Wednesday to discuss the Missouri game and the significance of a win.
"We desperately need to win right now for morale sake," Harper said. "It's not a given, that's for sure. You know that you've got to perform to get it, but regardless, we need to win. I'd like to see - regardless of the end result - us play a certain way. I really do believe that's more important right now, how we play. As we take the court, we can't be overwhelmed by the sheer need to win, just go out and play each possession. Be great this possession, and once you start doing that, once you start simplifying it, once you really start taking one possession at a time - I know it's cliché but it's true - it makes the end results better. Right now, we can't be looking big picture; it is what are we going to do when that ball tips, how well are we going to play on each end of the court."
And to play well, Harper notes the team will have to execute, as the practices have been going well.
"They've been good in practice. We've seen them a lot in the last couple days, just checking in on them, spending time with them watching film. So, we've had a lot of touches, but you know, when the game begins, we're going to find out where we're at. Because right now... I think right now they're good. Practice has been good. They've practiced hard. I think they're saying the right things, but you've got to go out and execute."
To execute, the Lady Vols will have to find a way to shoot at a high percentage and prevent the three-ball, something that has been decimating Tennessee as of late. And UT will have to do it against a Lady Tigers squad averaging a solid eight threes made per game at a 39.3 percent clip.
Mizzou lost to Ole Miss by 16 points in their latest outing, dropping their record to 16-7 (5-5 SEC), ranking them eighth in the conference. However, the Lady Tigers cannot be taken lightly, as they are the only team to have knocked off South Carolina this season, the No. 1 juggernaut in the Gamecocks.
Keyen Green's absence has been felt significantly for Tennessee, as they have gone 1-3 since the reserve post player suffered a season-ending knee injury against Georgia. For Tennessee to get back on track, they will have to move past that, find leadership on the court elsewhere and contend on the inside offensively, as Tamari Key has struggled since Green's injury.
When asked if Key's struggles have been due to a possibly nagging ankle, Harper said it was more so the mental game for the junior center.
"I think we're probably looking at more of a mental hurdle," Harper said. "She and I actually talked about that this week, but I don't think it's anything that's holding her back. So, we've just got to get, you know, get everybody back in a good place mentally but also with some good practice habits, good rhythm in practice, good rhythm in games. We can get back to that."
Key only had three rebounds against UConn and made only two field goals, and Key has not scored more than eight points in any of the Lady Vols' losses this season.
The bright spot for Tennessee has been Jordan Horston. The junior, who was recently named to the Naismith Player of the Year midseason list and to the Top-10 of the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award watchlist, scored 26 points against UConn, but no other Lady Vol scored more than 11 (Rae Burrell).
Prediction: For Tennessee to get back on track, Horston needs more help, and the most likely sources are Rae Burrell and Tamari Key. Burrell has erupted at points in games since returning from her injury but has struggled at points in Tennessee's most recent losses. Mizzou presents an excellent opportunity for the Lady Vols to win at home and get their feet back under them. Granted, the Lady Tigers are no easy out, but if UT can still play like the team from a month ago, this is the opportunity to do it.
And they should. Tennessee gets the win in a much-needed return to Knoxville, giving the fans something to believe in and themselves something to believe in.
Tennessee gets back on track defensively, shows something on offense, and wins the board battle going away.
Lady Vols 71, Missouri 60
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