Stuffing the Stat Sheet: Lady Vols Cruise Against Western Carolina
Credit: University of Tennessee Athletics
By Dawson Wise
The extended break did not affect the Lady Vols.
After going over a week since their last game, Tennessee welcomed the Catamounts of Western Carolina to Food City Center Tuesday. The Lady Vols were dominant in an impressive effort.
Fighting through another slow start, Caldwell's group defeated WCU 102-50 in a game that was close for about three minutes.
Several players reached double figures, UT's defense markedly improved, and the team continued to try to convince AP voters that they should have a number next to their name come next week and a big non-conference matchup.
Let's take a look back at the key stats and some takeaways as the Lady Vols reach 5-0.
First Quarter
Score: Tennessee 23, WCU 14.
FG: Tennessee 10-22 (45%), WCU 7-14 (50%).
3P: Tennessee 2-9 (22%), WCU 0-4 (0%).
Rebounds: Tennessee 12, WCU 7.
Turnovers: Tennessee 3, WCU 7.
Highlight: Talaysia Cooper scored 10 points in the opening frame, including two threes to continue her blazing hot start to the season.
Second Quarter
Score: Tennessee 54, WCU 28.
FG: Tennessee 21-40 (53%), WCU 12-24 (50%).
3P: Tennessee 5-17 (29%), WCU 0-6 (0%).
Rebounds: Tennessee 20, WCU 11.
Turnovers: Tennessee 5, WCU 15.
Highlight: It was a dominant quarter offensively for UT, a quarter that saw all 11 players contribute in the box score to help push the lead to 26.
Third Quarter
Score: Tennessee 77, WCU 39.
FG: Tennessee 31-66 (47%), WCU 15-29 (52%).
3P: Tennessee 7-30 (23%), WCU 1-8 (13%).
Rebounds: Tennessee 32, WCU 17.
Turnovers: Tennessee 10, WCU 28.
Highlight: Tennessee forced 13 turnovers, including several 10 second violations, and dominated the offensive glass for 21 offensive boards after 3 quarters.
Fourth Quarter/Overall
Score: Tennessee 102, WCU 50.
FG: Tennessee 42-91 (46%), WCU 20-40 (50%).
3P: Tennessee 10-41 (24%), WCU 2-12 (17%).
Rebounds: Tennessee 47, WCU 22.
Turnovers: Tennessee 13, WCU 37.
Points off TO: Tennessee 45, WCU 12.
2nd Chance: Tennessee 31, WCU 4.
Bench: Tennessee 38, WCU 16.
Paint Points: Tennessee 60, WCU 28.
Fast Break: Tennessee 20, WCU 15.
FT: Tennessee 8-13 (62%), WCU 8-8 (100%).
Steals: Tennessee 17, WCU 2.
Highlight: Zee Spearman scored six of her 11 points and helped get the Lady Vols up over the century mark for the second game in a row.
Notable Scorers:
Tennessee: Cooper-20, Whitehorn-16 (7 reb), Darby-12, Spencer-11 (4 reb, 5 ast), Spearman-11 (5 reb), Strickland-8 (6 reb), Puckett-6, Hollingshead-6 (6 reb), Ayodele-5, Latham-3 (7 reb).
WCU: Avyonce Carter-18, Tyja Beans/Jada Burton-6, Grace Pack/Taj Hunter-5.
Takeaways
As gritty as the last two wins were, this one was the opposite. The result was rarely in doubt.
Offensively, the looks are still there. I think inside scoring is becoming a greater strength for this team than the potential of the outside game. The ball movement was crisp, players got downhill and to the basket for efficient inside performance (32-40). If the threes start to fall, watch out, especially with Talaysia Cooper rolling like she is.
The defense was the most notable improvement in this game. The full court press was more restrictive and the rotations were faster.
There was zero space for the Catamounts offense to work. As such, Western Carolina coughed up the ball 37 times, and Tennessee was able to convert. The ability to step in passing lanes, close out on shots, and make life hard for opponents is something the Lady Vols aren't used to.
The rebounding also took a huge step forward. It's the one thing that Caldwell was pleased with but still wanted improvement from. UT pulled down over 20 offensive rebounds, finding numerous second chances. It is a testament to the hustle on both ends, and multiple players racked up big rebound numbers.
Kim Caldwell continues to roll. She has yet to lose a game in her first season on Rocky Top.
A tough stretch awaits on the other side of the Thanksgiving break.
Next Up
Tennessee takes on Florida State on Wednesday at 7:15 PM EST on SEC Network.
