Tennessee guard Rae Burrell (12) shoots previous Buffalo guard Dominique Camp (11) in the course of the first half of a faculty basketball recreation within the first spherical of the NCAA Match, Saturday, March 19, 2022, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photograph/Wade Payne)
AP
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
The Tennessee Woman Vols made coach Kellie Harper a winner in her first NCAA Match recreation on their house courtroom teaching her alma mater.
Alexus Dye scored 18 factors and grabbed 11 rebounds as fourth-seeded Tennessee held off No. 13 seed Buffalo 80-67 Saturday afternoon to stay good opening an NCAA Match at house.
“All wins are good wins, particularly while you get to the NCAA Match,” Harper mentioned.
Tennessee (24-8) improved to 24-0 within the first spherical at house, although the Woman Vols’ first recreation right here since 2018 was a lot tighter than any of the orange-clad followers needed. The Woman Vols will play both No. 5 seed Oregon or Twelfth-seeded Belmont within the second spherical Monday for a berth within the Wichita Area semifinal.
Senior Rae Burrell scored 15 after halftime, together with 9 within the third quarter serving to Tennessee to a 57-51 lead going into the ultimate quarter. Then the Woman Vols sealed the victory outscoring Buffalo 12-3 to open the fourth, together with 10 straight.
The Woman Vols had an excellent feeling when Sara Puckett’s lone 3 within the third bounced off the backboard and entrance rim earlier than falling in.
“That is the luck of enjoying at house, first spherical of the NCAA Match, with the ability to host,” Tamari Key mentioned. “I really feel just like the basketball gods have been simply in our favor in the present day.”
Key’s putback gave Tennessee its largest lead at 73-58 with 5:09 left. Key completed with 16 factors and 11 rebounds. Burrell completed with 19 factors, and Jordan Walker added 13.
Buffalo (25-9) snapped a nine-game profitable streak total and a two-game streak within the first spherical of this match. Bulls coach Felisha Legette-Jack known as it a enjoyable and fantastic recreation to be on ABC nationally.
“We weren’t going to relent and neither was Tennessee,” Legette-Jack mentioned. “The combat was super all the way in which to the final seven to eight minutes of the sport. On the finish of the day, that dimension actually wore us down a bit bit.”
Bulls junior guard Dyaisha Truthful, the nation’s fourth-leading scorer, topped her scoring common with 25 factors. However she was held to 5 within the fourth quarter. She hit a 3-pointer with 9:32 left. Georgia Woolley added 15 factors and 7 steals.
“I do know this workforce can compete with any workforce within the nation, and we confirmed that,” Truthful mentioned.
The Woman Vols opened the sport scoring the primary eight factors. Truthful bought Buffalo going and keyed a 7-0 spurt with 5 factors. Woolley, a pair steps behind the arc, gave the Bulls their first lead of the sport and after the primary quarter at 17-15 with a 3 that bounced off the rim a pair instances earlier than falling by way of on the buzzer.
Woolley then hit one other 3 to open the second, giving the Bulls their largest lead at 20-17. Tennessee responded with eight straight capped by a Dye jumper to take a 23-20 lead. The Bulls missed seven of their last eight photographs and led 32-30 at halftime.
BIG PICTURE
Buffalo: The Bulls used the 3-pointer nicely within the first quarter, flattening 3 of 5 for a workforce that averages 5.7 made per recreation. They wound up making 9 3s, however they shot solely 5 of 18 within the fourth quarter.
Tennessee: The Woman Vols got here in second within the nation averaging 47.9 boards per recreation, and so they bettered that with a 52-37 edge on the boards. However they struggled but once more holding onto the ball with 19 turnovers. Buffalo turned that into 19 factors. The Woman Vols shot 55.6% within the second half and had a 40-26 edge scoring within the paint.
UP NEXT
Buffalo: Probably a training search this offseason. Legette-Jack is a prime candidate along with her alma mater Syracuse searching for a brand new coach, a program the place her jersey is retired. Legette-Jack mentioned she was completely targeted on the Bulls.
“I instructed them there would by no means be a dialog about every other faculty till we end the job right here, and we’re nonetheless not completed. We haven’t celebrated right here but. I’m right here with Buffalo and Buffalo is my job,” Legette-Jack mentioned.
Tennessee: One other win places the Woman Vols nearer to a possible return from main scorer and rebounder Jordan Horston, although they doubtless must advance to the regional semifinal for that to be an opportunity.
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Extra AP protection of March Insanity: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25