Women’s NCAA Tournament Des Moines Region Elite Eight Breakdown
#1 Baylor vs. #2 Tennessee
The Volunteers did not make quick work against the surprise Jayhawks in the Sweet Sixteen. Kansas was up on Tennessee by five at the break and by 14 at one point, but it was the Lady Vols bench that spurred a quick second half comeback, most notably Meighan Simmons and her 22 points. In the end, the Tennessee defense was too much for the Jayhawks and that defense often led to easy buckets on the other end. Since 1976 every Tennessee player who was around for four years has gone to at least one Final Four. That streak is in jeopardy and will be on the line against the most dominate team in women’s basketball this season.
Baylor has had far less trouble thus far in the NCAA Tournament. They have put teams away early and have pretty convincing victories over UCSB, Florida and Georgia Tech. Brittney Griner gets all of the headlines, and rightfully so, but other players like guard Odyssey Sims and forward Destiny Williams have stepped up big time when the opposition focuses too much on Griner. Either way, it is a lose lose situation for the opposition and Tennessee will have the same choice to make that everybody did this season…do you concentrate on Griner and make the rest of the team beat you or throw one player on Griner and hope for the best? However Coach Pat Summitt chooses to attack Griner, the odds are against UT.
These two teams went at before, back in late November. The Bears won 76-67 on their home floor. Griner scored 26 points in that contest and Sims added 23. However, the Lady Vols did what few teams have been able to do…beat Baylor on the glass. This is not the same Tennessee team it was back in November and there is so much more on the line. But if Tennessee wants to win, they will have to keep that rebounding edge on their side and take advantage of those extra opportunities by shooting consistently from the floor. Just as importantly, Tennessee will need to control the tempo of the game and not let Griner settle in on either end of the floor. That means the Lady Vols will be looking to spread things out and get up and down the court in a hurry. Tennessee has gotten off to some slow starts during this tournament and that will not fly against Baylor. The Bears have the firepower to knock the Lady Vols out of the game by halftime. Tennessee-Martin, DePaul and Kansas did not.
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