KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Jaime Nared hit a tiebreaking jumper with 10.3 seconds left as Tennessee erased a 15-point, second-half deficit to beat No. 6 Notre Dame 71-69 on Monday night.
The victory enabled Tennessee (11-6) to avoid its first three-game losing streak since February 1986.
After trailing by as many as 15 points in the third quarter, Tennessee pulled ahead 69-67 on Meme Jackson's baseline three-pointer with 1:22 left. A driving basket from Notre Dame's Lindsay Allen tied it at 69-69 with 1:03 remaining.
Tennessee went back in front on Nared's jumper from about 15 feet away.
Notre Dame's final hope vanished when Allen's three-point attempt fell short of the front rim at the buzzer.
Diamond DeShields led Tennessee with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Mercedes Russell had 13 points. Nared and Jordan Reynolds added 12 points each.
Marina Mabrey scored 17 points and Arike Ogunbowale had 14 for Notre Dame (16-3). Brianna Turner and Jackie Young added 10 apiece.
No. 4 MISSISSIPPI STATE 73, MISSISSIPPI 62
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Victoria Vivians scored 23 points, Dominique Dillingham added 16 and Mississippi State set a school record with its 19th consecutive victory to start the season in a victory over Mississippi.
Vivians scored 18 of her 23 points in the second half. Dillingham's 16 points were more than her previous five games combined since she returned to the lineup following knee surgery.
Mississippi State (19-0, 5-0 SEC) jumped out to a 22-8 lead by the end of the first quarter, though Ole Miss gained a little ground to pull it within 36-25 by halftime.
The Rebels (13-5, 2-3) kept hanging around throughout the third quarter, but five quick points from Vivians on a three-pointer and then a layup extended the Bulldogs' lead to 16 points and ended any realistic hope of an Ole Miss upset.
Shandricka Sessom led Ole Miss with 16 points.
In another women's Top 25 game, Chanette Hicks scored a career-high 29 points and Virginia Tech (16-1, 3-1 ACC) used big second and third quarters for a 72-70 victory over Wake Forest (10-7, 1-3) in Blacksburg, Va., to improve to 12-0 at home this season.
Sports on 01/17/2017