KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – St. John's and Tennessee have proved throughout the postseason that they can bounce back from slow starts, but they'd rather not have to make a habit of it.
Tennessee, the top seed in the Louisville Regional, erased double-digit deficits in each of its three Southeastern Conference tournament victories and was tied early in the second half of its 70-46 NCAA tournament first-round triumph over Northwestern State. St. John's (23-10) has trailed at halftime in each of its last three games.
Both teams know they must get off to a faster start Monday when they face off in a second-round matchup.
A fast start is particularly imperative for St. John's as it tries to beat the Lady Vols (28-5) on their home floor. Tennessee is 53-0 in NCAA tournament home games.