BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Lady Vols basketball played every possession like their lives depended on it.
They dove on every loose ball, boxed out on every shot and pressured No. 1 Texas for 94 feet on every possession. They even outrebounded the Longhorns, but it wasn’t enough to pull off an epic upset to return to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2016.
No. 5 seed Tennessee fell 67-59 to Texas (34-3) at Legacy Arena on Saturday. The Lady Vols (24-10) tied the game 50-50 going into the fourth quarter but couldn’t find enough offense in crunch time. They only scored nine points in the fourth quarter, and their first season under coach Kim Caldwell came to an end in the Sweet 16.
Ruby Whitehorn led Tennessee with 16 points on 7-for-13 shooting and added two assists. Zee Spearman was right behind her with 13 points and seven rebounds, and Samara Spencer also scored in double figures with 12 points, four rebounds and two assists. Texas was able to limit leading scorer Talaysia Cooper to seven points.
Lady Vols within striking distance of Texas in first half
Texas ended the first quarter on a 13-0 run to take a 21-13 lead. The Lady Vols struggled to get good looks against the Longhorns’ defense, and they couldn’t get stops defensively.
But Tennessee came out in the second quarter with renewed energy and focus. It even tied the game at 28-28 with two minutes left before halftime. The Lady Vols outscored Texas 17-13, shooting 53.5% in the second to cut Texas’ lead to 34-30 at halftime. Whitehorn led the team with nine points on 4-for-6 shooting in the first half.
Tennessee’s urgency on the boards played a significant part in keeping it in the game through scoring droughts. The Lady Vols outrebounded the Longhorns 19-17 in the first half, and UT only gave up one offensive rebound while grabbing eight of its own.
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Tennessee women’s basketball heats up in the third quarter
The Lady Vols recovered from a slow shooting start and went 3-for-8 from 3-point range in the third to outscore Texas 20-16 that quarter. They shot just 2-for-14 on 3-pointers in the first half.
Spearman led Tennessee with seven points in the third, going 3-for-4 from the field, including one 3-pointer.
The Lady Vols pulled even with the Longhorns with their press, forcing five turnovers in the third quarter. They forced back-to-back turnovers late in the quarter that led to a 49-47 lead before Texas responded with a 3-pointer.
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on X @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee vs Texas in 2025 March Madness: Lady Vols fall in Sweet 16
