GREENSBORO, NC – Tennessee’s Janiah Barker was called for a technical foul during Lady Vols basketball’s season-opening loss to NC State.
Barker drained a 3-pointer in front of the Wolfpack‘s bench. Then she turned around and flashed three fingers, which is her usual celebration, at the bench before running down the court.
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She was called for a technical foul.
“They said she was taunting,” Lady Vols coach Kim Caldwell said about the officials’ explanation.
Barker had 15 points in No. 9 Tennessee’s 80-77 loss to No. 8 NC State (1-0). She shot 6-for-11 from the field, including 3-for-5 from 3-point range.
Barker’s 3-pointer gave Tennessee a 44-36 lead. NC State’s Zoe Brooks made both technical free throws to make it 44-38.
The Lady Vols (0-1) were called for 23 fouls compared to NC State’s 10. The Wolfpack went 15-for-21 from the free throw line.
“We knew fouls were going to be a problem,” Caldwell said. “We talked about it, I think I’ve said it publicly that fouls were going to cost us, and they absolutely did.”
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Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Kim Caldwell reacts to Janiah Barker technical in Lady Vols loss
