Ann Arbor, MI. (TVC) — The Lady Vols’ treacherous back half of the season carried over into postseason play, as they fell to the Wolfpack 76-61.
After Talaysia Cooper’s score to start the game, Tennessee would not lead the contest again.
Once pulling within two points with three minutes left in the third quarter, Tennessee would then cool off and end the third quarter trailing nine points.
Head Coach Kim Caldwell’s team couldn’t seem to defend on the transition well, and after 17 turnovers, the Wolfpack capitalized. They scored 23 points off Tennessee’s misfortunes.
“Not the game we wanted, really not the season we wanted but doesn’t really help us to get into that right now,” Caldwell said.
Tennessee shot repeatedly from the three, and rarely succeeded in their attempts. They started the 1st quarter going 17%, and ended the game making seven of their 36 attempts from beyond the arc.
While Caldwell was critical of the result, she was proud of her team’s effort.
“Yeah, we didn’t play very well on offense – the ball didn’t go in really any type of way,” Caldwell said. “We obviously missed a bunch that allowed opportunities for more but, again, the effort to go get them even when someone took a shot we didn’t like, they were getting in there.”
The Wolfpack shot 51% from the field, and were sent to the line 25 times, something that proved to be crucial for their success. They made 21 of those attempts.
Tennessee only shot six free throws the entire game.
N.C. State’s successes were enough to silence Talaysia Cooper’s 24 points. Cooper played 31 minutes and went 9-20 from the field.
“I was just playing my game being surrounded by great teammates that believed in me and pushed me tonight,” Cooper said. “That’s all I can hope for.”
For Caldwell, she was bluntly honest about the emotional and mental toll of this season
She said she ‘has never felt this level of failure before,’ and called this season ‘the worst year of her professional career.’
“It’s a tough place to do it, publicly, and I didn’t like who I was at certain times,” said Caldwell. “I think that God sometimes pulls you out of the storm and sometimes he sits with you through the storm.”
She expressed appreciation for her staff and told reporters she is taking the blame for the failures of this year.
“It was a rough year all around and I think all of that stems from me —- I’ve built a staff around me where a majority of them have come from me,” expressed Caldwell. “When they have learned from you and I start to question me, then it’s a little bit hard there because that’s all we know.”
She declined to address improvements for next season, and said she will discuss player’s futures when she has arrived back home.
“We’ll meet when we get back and we’ll figure out who wants to stay, what we’re going to do,” she said. “The portal, we have a little while before it opens to get there, but it’s just going to continue to be crazier and crazier every year.”
