KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Wichita State's late rally fell short as the Shockers, led by Alex Harden's 19 points, couldn't overcome a 10-point second-half deficit at No. 11 Tennessee Tuesday night.
The Shockers' Alie Decker backed Harden with 17 points, including 15 off three-pointers, as the Shockers matched the Lady Vols' 23 second half points. The three-point deficit at the half, 31-28, was the game's difference on the scoreboard.
Harden put the Shockers on her back the final six minutes, scoring six of WSU's final nine points, two on a steal and breakaway layup before Kelsey Jacobs hit a three-pointer in the right corner to cut the UT lead to one, 52-51 with 25 seconds remaining.
UT's Massengale hit two free throws to seal the win as WSU's final possession with five seconds left ended in a turnover.
Isabelle Harrison led UT with 14 points, while Cierra Burdick had 17 rebounds to spearhead the 21-rebound lead by the Lady Vols.
The Lady Vols out-shot the Shockers for the game, 40.8 percent (20-49) to 36.4 percent (20-55). At the line, UT made 13 free throws, while WSU made the two they took.
To open the second half, UT out-scored WSU, 7-2, in the first five minutes to take a seven-point lead, and extended that lead to 10, 40-30, on a Harrison layup.
The Shockers cut the lead with the help of two Decker treys and four points from Harden to out-score the Lady Vols, 13-8, until the 5:41 mark. Harden continued to shine with four more points before Jacobs' trey with 25 seconds left.
In the first half, WSU held a 16-12 lead into the second media timeout at 10:53 on 43 percent shooting (6-14) and four three-pointers, three by Ale Decker.
Tennessee took a 17-16 lead at 8:40 on a Harrison put-back after Graves missed her second free throw.
The Shockers answered 18 second later with a Jacobs trey to take the lead back, 21-19 at the 6:24 mark.
The teams traded leads during the next three minutes with Tennessee scoring four-straight to take a 24-23 lead at 3:48 when WSU's bench took a called timeout.
Tennessee had just built its largest lead with six seconds remaining on a three-pointer by Middleton, but Alex Harden drove the floor for a trey of her own as time ran out to fashion the halftime score, 31-28.
WSU out-shot the Lady Vols by a tenth of a point, 40.7 (11-27)-40.6 (13-32). The Shockers had four players hit a three-pointer in the half, led by Decker's three treys.
Decker led WSU's first-half scoring with 11 points, while Burdick had 10 for the Lady Vols.
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