Under Kellie Harper, Tennessee is yet to lose to Missouri.
With the 80-69 win on Sunday, Harper has claimed a win in all six contests at the top of the Lady Vols program.
This time, it was a trio of scorers who got the job done.
Once again, the leading scorer was Jewel Spear. The guard followed up 30 and 25-point performances with 22 on Sunday. She also contributed a career-high seven assists.
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Behind Spear, Rickea Jackson and Sara Puckett produced 19 and 15 points, respectively. This came on efficient shooting from both players. The duo also grabbed five rebounds, each.
Although Jasmine Powell only scored seven, she was a crucial part of the offense, as well. She dished out seven assists while never turning the ball over.
As a team, Tennessee (14-7, 7-2 SEC) shot 50.8% from the field and 34.8% on 3-pointers.
Missouri (11-11, 2-7) shot just 46.6% from the field and 36.4% from range.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Tennessee opened up the game on fire. The Lady Vols shot a red-hot 62.5% from the field and 60% on 3-pointers in the first quarter. This offensive production gave Tennessee an 11-point lead.
The Lady Vols came back to earth in the second quarter but still had an effective offense. Led by Jackson, Tennessee put up 18 in the period while once again holding the Tigers to 17.
Jackson's 19 points at halftime were enough to give the Lady Vols a 12-point cushion at the break. Puckett also produced 12 and Spear put up 11.
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What helped lead to this mark was the lack of turnovers Tennessee committed. For the first time all season, it didn't commit a single giveaway in the first half.
However, Missouri fired directly back. On the back of a 12-0 run, the Tigers cut the lead to just three with three minutes remaining in the third quarter. This also featured a three-minute scoring drought for Tennessee as it stalled on both ends.
The Lady Vols returned the favor, though. They ran out to an 11-0 run as an instant response to once again put the game out of reach heading into the fourth.
The final quarter was a continuation of the stretch. Tennessee would empty the bench in the period but still took home an 11-point win.
STAT OF THE GAME
Tennessee did a great job taking care of the ball. In the past, limiting turnovers has been an issue for the Lady Vols and contributed to losses and deficits.
Against Missouri, Tennessee didn't turn it over a single time in the first half. This was the first time all season that this was the case. In the second half, the Lady Vols gave it up eight times.
This resulted in just six points off turnovers with each coming in the fourth quarter.
WHAT THE LADY VOLS SAID
UP NEXT
Next, Tennessee will once again hit the road while making the trip to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama.
The Tide enter Sunday 4-4 in SEC play and 17-6 overall. They are on a two-game win streak and will battle Vanderbilt on Monday heading into the matchup with the Lady Vols.
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET and will air on SECN+.
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