Kamilla Cardoso buzzer-beater spoils Lady Vols near comeback in SEC Tournament semifinal

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Lady Vols were 1.1 seconds from pulling off the stunner of the women’s college basketball season in the SEC Tournament on Saturday.

Tennessee star Rickea Jackson did everything she could – her offensive rebound and fadeaway jumper even gave the Lady Vols a two-point lead with 24 seconds left against undefeated and No. 1 South Carolina.

But Kamilla Cardoso spoiled a UT comeback for the ages. The SEC defensive player of the year, who had not made a 3-pointer in her career, beat the buzzer with a banked-in shot from deep as Tennessee fell 74-73 to South Carolina in an SEC Tournament semifinal at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

Tennessee erased a 23-point deficit before the dramatic final shot.

Jackson was stunning in every aspect, from her scoring to her rebounding to her playmaking. She led the Lady Vols (19-12) with eight assists and nine rebounds in addition to her 22 points against South Carolina (31-0). Senior guard Jewel Spear was crucial in the win and added 21 points.

Tennessee didn’t crack South Carolina defense to start

It took more than seven minutes for Tennessee to score its first points against South Carolina. With 2:51 left in the first quarter, Jackson hit a 3-pointer to get the Lady Vols on the board. Spear followed it with one of her own for the only other points Tennessee scored in the first.

South Carolina was aggressive defensively to start, and the Lady Vols couldn’t get any quality looks inside. The officials let contact go, and the Gamecocks got Tennessee off balance from the tipoff. UT trailed 19-6 after the first quarter.

Lady Vols use Rickea Jackson to rally vs. South Carolina

After scoring 29 points against South Carolina last Sunday, Jackson was a focal point for the defense. She couldn’t get to her spots and had to take mostly long jumpers.

In the second quarter, Tennessee started using Jackson as a facilitator with all the attention she drew from the defense. She had a team-high four assists by halftime, finding players cutting to the basket or posted up inside.

Tennessee matched South Carolina’s 17 points and outrebounded it 8-7 in the second to go into halftime trailing 36-23.

Jackson fuels 25-point third quarter

Tennessee looked like a different team offensively in the second half. The Lady Vols outscored South Carolina 25-24 in the third, led by Jackson’s 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting.

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Jackson got in a groove immediately, hitting long jump shots and 3-pointers off the dribble. She was nearly unstoppable, as Tennessee came within seven points. Both teams shot just over 50% from the field, and the Lady Vols went 4-for-7 on 3-pointers in the quarter.

Tennessee also cleaned up its turnovers in the third. After nine turnovers in the first half, which led to 10 points for South Carolina, the Lady Vols only had two in the third and scored six points off turnovers.

Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.