According to Tennessee Athletics, No. 6 seed Tennessee erased all but two of a 20-point second-half deficit, but it came up just short in falling to No. 3 seed and 11th-ranked NC State, 79-72, Monday in the NCAA Second Round at Reynolds Coliseum.
Fifth-year forward Rickea Jackson fired in a season-high 33 points and added 10 rebounds, and fifth-year guard Jasmine Powell tossed in 13 in their final games for the Big Orange (20-13). Redshirt senior center Tamari Key, who has another year available but hasn’t announced her intentions, chipped in 10.
NC State (29-6) was led by four in double figures, including Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers with 22 and 20, respectively. Zoe Brooks tallied 16, while River Baldwin added 11.
The Lady Vols end the season with a record of 20-14 and a SEC record of 10-6. Key wins for the Lady Vols this year were wins over Oklahoma and a sweep against Vanderbilt. Tennessee also ends the season by making it’s 42nd straight NCAA Tournament the only team in the nation to do so.