Lady Vols beat No. 17 Kentucky for 5th straight win (Jan 1, 2017)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Mercedes Russell matched her season high with 22 points, Diamond DeShields added 21 after missing two games, and Tennessee defeated No. 17 Kentucky 72-65 in a SEC opener Sunday.
DeShields was 10-of-16 shooting and DeShields, back from a thumb injury, 8 of 16 to give the Lady Vols (9-4) their fifth straight win.
DeShields scored the Vols' first seven points of the fourth quarter and Jamie Nared, who finished with 18, added a 3-pointer for a 62-50 lead, Tennessee's largest.
Russell added two free throws and a layup but Kentucky cut it to 68-64 with 1:27 left before Nared, a 91 percent free-throw shooter, made 4 of 4 at the line in the final 34 seconds.
Taylor Murray led Kentucky (9-5) with a career-high 23 points. Maci Morris added 15 points and Evelyn Akhator 11 points and 10 rebounds for her eighth double-double this season. Scoring leader Makayla Epps was held to eight on 3-of-13 shooting.
The Wildcats lost to No. 15 Duke by 15 points on Thursday.
