KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Alexus Dye scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the fourth-seeded Tennessee Lady Vols held off No. 13 seed Buffalo 80-67 Saturday afternoon to remain perfect in the NCAA Tournament on their own floor.
Tennessee (24-8) improved to 24-0 in the first round at home, though the Lady Vols’ first game here since 2018 was much tighter than any of the orange-clad fans wanted. The Lady Vols will play either No. 5 seed Oregon or 12th-seeded Belmont in the second round Monday for a berth in the Wichita Region semifinal.
Senior Rae Burrell scored 15 after halftime, including nine in the third quarter helping Tennessee to a 57-51 lead going into the final quarter. Then the Lady Vols sealed the victory outscoring Buffalo 12-3 to open the fourth, including 10 straight.
Tamari Key’s putback gave Tennessee its biggest lead at 73-58 with 5:09 left. Key finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Burrell finished with 19 points, and Jordan Walker added 11.
Buffalo (25-9) snapped a nine-game winning streak overall and a two-game streak in the first round of this tournament.
Bulls junior guard Dyaiasha Fair, the nation’s fourth-leading scorer, topped her scoring average with 25 points. But she was held to five in the fourth quarter. She hit a 3-pointer with 9:32 left. Georgia Woolley added 15 points and seven steals.
The Lady Vols opened the game scoring the first eight points. Fair got Buffalo going and keyed a 7-0 spurt with five points. Woolley, a couple steps behind the arc, gave the Bulls their first lead of the game and after the first quarter at 17-15 with a 3 that bounced off the rim a couple times before falling through at the buzzer.
Woolley then hit another 3 to open the second, giving the Bulls their biggest 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 final eight shots and led 32-30 at halftime.
BIG PICTURE
Buffalo: The Bulls used the 3-pointer well in the first quarter, knocking down 3 of 5 for a team that averages 5.7 made per game. They wound up making nine 3s, but they shot only 5 of 18 in the fourth quarter.
Tennessee: The Lady Vols came in second in the country averaging 47.9 boards per game, and they bettered that with a 52-37 edge on the boards. But they struggled yet again holding onto the ball with 19 turnovers. Buffalo turned that into 19 points.
UP NEXT
Buffalo: Possibly a coaching search this offseason. Bulls coach Felisha Legette-Jack is a top candidate with her alma mater Syracuse looking for a new coach, a program where her jersey is retired.
Tennessee: Another win puts the Lady Vols closer to a potential return from leading scorer and rebounder Jordan Horston, though they likely need to advance to the regional semifinal for that to be a chance.
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