Following a grueling double-overtime loss to Mississippi State, Tennessee returned home with a chance to get back in the win column.
That's exactly what the Lady Vols did as they took down Vanderbilt, 86-59, in Knoxville.
Let’s dive into some key takeaways from the Lady Vols’ win.
Horston took over in the third quarter
At halftime, Tennessee and Vanderbilt were knotted at 38. The teams went stride for stride as neither could create true separation.
However, the Lady Vols surged to a 24-4 run to take an early 20-point lead. In the deciding third quarter, Tennessee shot 73.3% from the field. On the other end, it held the Commodores to eight points on 20% shooting.
Leading the way for the Lady Vols was Jordan Horston. The star senior exploded for 10 points in the period. On top of her scoring prowess, she also added four rebounds, an assist and a block. On the defensive end, she was instrumental in creating stops which ultimately led to points on offense.
By the end of the game, Horston raised her total to 18 points on 8-for-13 shooting. She also contributed nine rebounds, four assists, a block and a steal. Her play was a major reason for the second-half surge. Without her presence, the game could have gone very differently.
Tennessee dominated the glass
In the first half, Tennessee also struggled to create true separation on the boards. It led the category 22-16 by halftime but lacked its typical dominance.
This also changed in the second half, though. By the end of the game, the Lady Vols had grabbed a 51-25 lead in the rebounding department. Helping lead the way on the glass was Horston and Jillian Hollingshead. Both players led the team with nine rebounds. Karoline Striplin also grabbed seven. Tess Darby and Jordan Walker came up with six, as well.
Where Tennessee truly shined, though, was limited Vanderbilt's second-chance opportunities. The Commodores were only able to come up with four offensive rebounds. This resulted in not a single second-chance point throughout the contest. This effort included just one offensive board in the entire second half.
When the Lady Vols are rebounding at this level, they are an extremely hard team to beat. Their ability to limit teams from creating extra looks and give themself extra opportunities make them dangerous.
Lady Vols have areas to clean up in
Although Tennesse took home a dominating victory, it still struggled in some aspects. These games are incredibly useful, though, as they grabbed a win but still showed what it needs work on.
One aspect to improve upon was turnovers. The Lady Vols forfeited the ball 13 times — two more than Vanderbilt. Walker, Horston and Hollingshead all gave it up more than once. This area has hurt Tennessee in the past and needs to be cleaned up going forward.
Another thing to work on is shooting from deep and the foul line. On 3-pointers, the Lady Vols shot a poor 26.3%. Although Tennessee doesn't settle for many deep balls, it needs to knock them down at a higher rate when it does let them fly. From the stripe, it also struggled. The Lady Vols finished shooting 15-for-23 on foul shots. This won't work against better competition.
Finally, Tennessee needs to stay out of foul trouble. Although the officials were whistle happy at times, it is important that the team's best players stay on the court. In the first half, a lot of valuable pieces were forced to sit with two fouls. Hollingshead only played 13 minutes in the game for this reason.
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