_Tennessee Lady Vols continue to spiral in shocking upset vs. Georgia_

_Tennessee Lady Vols continue to spiral in shocking upset vs. Georgia_

 

The Tennessee Lady Vols’ struggles continued on Sunday as they suffered a shocking 73-68 upset loss to the Georgia Bulldogs at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia. The loss marked the Lady Vols’ third straight defeat and dropped their overall record to 16-8, with a 6-5 mark in Southeastern Conference (SEC) play.

 

The Lady Vols, who were ranked as high as No. 4 in the country earlier this season, have been in a tailspin of late, losing four of their last six games. Sunday’s loss to Georgia was perhaps the most stunning of all, as the Bulldogs entered the game with a 14-9 overall record and a 4-6 mark in SEC play.

 

“We’re just not playing with the same level of energy and focus that we need to be successful,” said Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper. “We’re making too many mistakes and not executing on either end of the floor. It’s frustrating, because I know we’re capable of playing better than this.”

 

The Lady Vols were led by senior forward Rennia Davis, who scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. However, Davis was the only Tennessee player to score in double figures, as the team struggled to find consistency on offense.

 

Georgia, on the other hand, had four players score in double figures, led by junior guard Que Morrison, who scored 22 points. The Bulldogs also dominated the Lady Vols on the glass, outrebounding them 42-31.

 

“We knew that Georgia was a physical team that would try to pound us on the glass,” Harper said. “We didn’t do a good enough job of rebounding and defending the paint. That was a big difference in the game.”

 

The loss to Georgia marked the first time this season that the Lady Vols have lost three straight games. It also dropped them to sixth place in the SEC standings, with just five games remaining in the regular season.

 

Despite their struggles, Harper remains confident that her team can turn things around and make a run in the postseason.

 

“We’re not giving up,” Harper said. “We’re going to keep fighting and keep working. We know that we have the talent and the ability to be successful. We just need to start executing and playing with more confidence.”

 

The Lady Vols will look to snap their losing streak on Thursday when they host the Vanderbilt Commodores at Thompson-Boling Arena. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET.

 

In the meantime, Harper and her staff will be working to identify the issues that have plagued the team of late and find solutions to get them back on track.

 

“We’re going to take a hard look at ourselves and figure out what’s going wrong,” Harper said. “We’re going to make some adjustments and try to get back to playing the way we know we can play. We’re not going to give up. We’re going to keep fighting.”