Harper says Tennessee still has lots of work to do

There were highs and lows in the Lady Vols matchup against No. 1 South Carolina, but it wasn't enough.

The Tennessee Lady Vols have had a tough stretch of ranked opponents the last few games, including Sunday’s matchup against No. 1 South Carolina.

Much like their meeting with No. 4 UConn, there were some bright spots, but just not enough to put together the upset as the Lady Vols fell 69-48.

Tamari Key, who leads the SEC in blocks, far surpassed her 2.9 per game average to reject nine shots in the contest, but she would foul out late in the second half.

Tennessee trailed by double digits coming out of the halftime break, but an inspired 6-0 run to start the third quarter, cut the lead to single digits. That was as close as they got as the Gamecocks hit a few timely threes and got the Lady Vols in foul trouble.

After the game, Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper said her team has shown growth, but it’s going to take a lot of work to get to the next level.

“We’re excited about some of that growth, but we still have a long way to go,” she said. “That last inch is a mile.”