The Tennessee Lady Vols added another win to the record Sunday night, celebrating an 80-69 victory against the Missouri Tigers. Tennessee improved to 14-7 for the season, solidifying an impressive 7-2 run in SEC play.
Tennessee Sets First-Quarter Pace With 60% Success Behind The Arc
The Lady Vols set the pace early on, adding five points to the scoreboard before Missouri could reply with a quick layup of its own. Early foul trouble added to that deficit for the Tigers. But where Missouri excelled was in three-point attempts, allowing them to recover to a one-point deficit before Tennessee sped off with the lead again.
Sara Puckett generated much of that early energy with her own finesse behind the arc, sinking two three-pointers in the first five minutes of play. And her fellow teammates followed suit, with Jewel Spear sinking a quick follow-up three and Rickea Jackson finding herself wide open for an easy three-pointer soon after. The Lady Vols ultimately sunk eight three-pointers during the game, with six of those coming in the first quarter alone.
Tennessee found itself with a 28-17 lead by the end of the first quarter. Come quarter two, Missouri had shifted its defensive strategy to account for that. What the Tigers didn’t account for, however, was the defensive enthusiasm on Tennessee’s part. The Lady Vols logged a combined eight steals on the night, three of which came from the game’s top performer, Jewel Spear.
In addition to her three steals, seven assists, and six rebounds, Spear added 22 points to the scoreboard, with 12 of those points coming from behind the arc.
Lady Vols Maintain Comfortable Lead For 80,69 Win
By halftime, the Lady Vols were situated with a comfortable 46-34 lead. That lead ultimately stretched to 15 points before Mizzouri found its stride again and shortened the gap to a mere three points. The Tigers struggled to find consistency, though, quickly falling behind again by a consistent 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
A handful of fourth-quarter fast breaks allowed the Tigers to prevent further harm. And a couple of late-quarter foul mishaps on Tennessee’s side offered Mizzouri room to add a few more points to the board.
Three Lady Vols found themselves in double figures for the game – Spear with her 22 points, Jackson with 19 points, and Puckett with 15 points.
Four Missouri players also found themselves with double-figure scores – Mama Dembele, Grace Slaughter, Ashton Judd, and Hilke Feldrappe.
Rickea Jackson Celebrates 2,000 Career Points
As the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, Rickea Jackson once again played an integral part in this Lady Vols win. Jackson positioned herself in all the right places, making herself useful both behind the arc and under the basket.
She celebrated her 2,000th career point during the second quarter – her 19th point of the game. In all, Jackson added 19 points to the scoreboard – 23.75% of Tennessee’s total score.
When she wasn’t busy adding points to the scoreboard, Jackson was offering assistance to her teammates, contributing three assists and five rebounds to the night.
The Lady Vols are now on a two-game win streak after a 95-73 away game win against Georgia last Thursday. Tennessee’s 14-7 record situates them as No. 3 in the SEC behind South Carolina and Ole Miss.
Next up, the Lady Vols head to Tuscaloosa for a matchup against Alabama this Thursday. Tune into SECN+ at 7 p.m. ET to catch the game. Tennessee then returns home on Monday, Feb. 12 to face Arkansas in the Food City Center.
