KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Skylar Diggins scored a career-high 33 points to lead No. 2 Notre Dame over the ninth-ranked Lady Vols. The Fighting Irish built a 19-point lead in the second half before withstanding a late Tennessee rally in the 77-67 victory Monday night.
The Irish (19-1) won their 14th consecutive game while snapping the Lady Vols' nine-game winning streak. Notre Dame also became the first university ever to defeat both Connecticut and Tennessee in three consecutive seasons. UND won 73-72 at Connecticut on Jan. 5.
Jewell Loyd added 10 points for Notre Dame, while Kayla McBride had nine points and 10 rebounds. Bashaara Graves had 19 points and 13 rebounds for Tennessee (16-4). Taber Spani added 12 points, and Meighan Simmons had 11 points.
Before the game, Tennessee raised a banner at Thompson-Boling Arena in honor of former Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt, who stepped down in April after winning eight national titles in 38 seasons. She finished with an overall 84.1% winning average during the span of her coaching career, which was entirely spent in Knoxville at the University of Tennessee.
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