Lady Vols basketball has its final ranked matchup of nonconference play Sunday.
No. 22 Tennessee faces No. 13 Ohio State (5 p.m. ET, ESPN) as part of ESPN’s Jimmy V Classic at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. The Lady Vols (4-3) are coming off a loss to Notre Dame on Wednesday.
Tennessee coach Kellie Harper was asked Friday if she expected senior forward Rickea Jackson to be available for the game, to which she responded, “I don’t have any new updates.”
Jackson has missed five games with a lower leg injury, and it seems unlikely she’ll be back Sunday.
Here’s what you need to know about the matchup.
About that full-court press . . .
The Lady Vols need no reminders about last season’s matchup with Ohio State (5-1), which forced 29 turnovers with its full-court press.
The Buckeyes are forcing an average of 21.5 turnovers and scoring an average of 29.5 points off those. Taking care of the ball and not being frazzled will be critical for Tennessee.
“Their defense wears on you,” Harper said Friday. “And honestly, there is a physicalness to it, but it’s very taxing mentally, and that’s part of their game plan. They know they’re going to keep doing what they do for 40 minutes and eventually wear you down, and I think that’s where you’ve got to be consistent. You’ve got to be strong, you’ve got to play through mistakes.”
Ohio State has balanced production on offense
Three of Ohio State’s starters average double figures, led by senior guard Jacy Sheldon (17.8 points per game). Sheldon is the team’s biggest threat from deep, hitting 46.2% on 12 made 3-pointers.
Sophomore forward Cotie McMahon also is a matchup problem if Tennessee doesn’t have Jackson back. McMahon is strong, dynamic and is averaging 15.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists. Junior guard Taylor Thierry also can give Tennessee problems in the paint and on the boards, averaging 14.8 points and 7.7 rebounds.
“They do a really good job of cutting,” Harper said. “They do a good job of taking what the defense gives them. Their spacing is good. So we’ve got to communicate at an elite level to be able to know what’s happening prior to it happening. I think we have to really know who we’re guarding and we have to be locked in to guard.”
Tennessee needs to rebound from giving up lead vs. Notre Dame
The Lady Vols gave up a 16-point lead against Notre Dame on Wednesday. Harper said she thought the team got tight when the lead was cut to 12 points.
LADY VOLS:How Lady Vols basketball unraveled in the second half against Notre Dame to drop to 4-3
The team being uncomfortable with a double-digit lead is a mentality problem that is hard to fix, and Harper said the team has to “look inward.”
“In that moment when a team is making a run, I think you really have to dial it in to what you’re doing in that moment,” she said. “What is the process? What is your job in that moment? Not overcomplicate things, because we’re going to make positive plays; we’re going to make negative plays. And we have to be able to draw from what we know we’re good at and what we can do.”
Score prediction
Ohio State 80, Tennessee 68: If Jackson doesn’t play, this game is going to be difficult. Based on how Tennessee handled Notre Dame’s defensive pressure Wednesday, I don’t see Sunday against Ohio State’s full-court press going any better. Tennessee will make its runs, but the Buckeyes will win this one comfortably.
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.