KNOXVILLE — The Lady Vols returned home to the friendly confines of Thompson-Boling Arena Thursday night after coming up on the losing end of a lopsided decision on the road against top-ranked South Carolina.
Home was anything but sweet for Tennessee as it dropped a second consecutive Southeastern Conference game to a Top-10 foe.
No. 8 Mississippi State picked up its first win against a ranked foe as it knocked off Tennessee, 72-55.
The Lady Vols (17-6 overall, 7-3 in the SEC) took care of the basketball early against the Bulldogs (21-3, 9-1) and held a slim 21-19 advantage after the first quarter. UT committed just three turnovers over the first 10 minutes of the contest.
But as they have been all year, the miscues hurt Tennessee. The Lady Vols coughed the ball up 10 times in the second stanza and Mississippi State turned the 10 miscues into 13 points.
And it was all downhill from there for the Lady Vols, who were without Rennia Davis Thursday night.
Davis, Tennessee’s junior and lone returning starter from last year’s squad, could only watch from the bench as she was sidelined with the flu.
Rae Burrell, the Lady Vols’ freshman who usually provides a spark off the bench, started in Davis’ absence and she was solid by scoring 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Tennessee, ranked 23rd nationally, also got 12 points and seven rebounds from Jordan Horston.
Jazmine Massengill scored 11 points and also pulled down seven rebounds for Tennessee.
The Bulldogs had three players score in double figures.