In Tuesday's matchup between Tennessee and Wofford, the Lady Vols returned one key piece but lost another.
The 85-63 win for the Lady Vols (6-5) over the Terriers (7-5) marked Rickea Jackson's first game in 40 days. Her last appearance was in the loss to Florida State.
However, Tennessee was without Destinee Wells in the contest. She suffered a lower right leg injury that required her to wear a full leg brace and holds her out for the remainder of the season. Avery Strickland also didn't play while she remains in concussion protocol.
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In her return, Jackson posted 11 points, six rebounds and two assists. This came in 21 minutes of play. She did shoot a poor 5-for-14 from the field as she shook off the rust, though.
Leading the way in the game was Jewel Spear. The guard scored 18 points on 6-for-12 shooting to fully get out of a cold stretch. She knocked down four 3-pointers during this time.
The highest +/- went to Kaiya Wynn, though, who gave her team a 25-point advantage while on the court.
As a team, Tennessee shot 43.5% from the field and 29.4% on 3-pointers. Wofford finished shooting 35.7%.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Tennessee didn't get out to a fast start. With less than a minute remaining in the first quarter, the game was tied at 11. However, the Lady Vols finished strong with a 5-0 run to create breathing room.
In the second quarter, Tennessee extended its lead. It led by as much as 15 following a 10-0 run but couldn't hold on. The Terriers held in tight and cut the advantage to 10 heading into the break.
As a team, the Lady Vols shot 37.5% from the field and 23.5% on 3-pointers in the first half. Wofford connected on 30.3% of its shots and 21.4% of 3-pointers.
Leading the way for Tennessee was Karoline Striplin who continued her hot stretch. She put up 11 in the first two periods on 4-for-5 shooting. Jewel Spear also produced 10 points with a pair of made 3-pointers.
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The third quarter was dominated by the Lady Vols. They won the frame by nine points behind runs of five, six and seven. This gave Tennessee an 18 point edge.
This was just the beginning of a dominant second half, though. The Lady Vols slammed the door in the fourth quarter to win the game by 22.
In the second half, Tennessee shot 48.6% from the field while holding Wofford to 40.5% shooting.
STAT OF THE DAY
Tennessee wasn't afraid to shoot from deep.
The Lady Vols attempted 34 3-pointers and knocked down 10. This was good for a 29.4% clip.
This made up for 35.3% of Tennessee's points. While they didn't always fall, there was no hesitation to shoot.
WHAT THE LADY VOLS HAD TO SAY
UP NEXT
Now, Tennessee will spend another week away from game action. The next contest is set for Dec. 31, 2023, against Liberty. The road match will be played in Lynchburg, Va. at 2 p.m. ET airing on ESPN+.
Then, SEC play starts with Auburn on the road on Jan. 4, 2024. The next home clash is against Kentucky on Jan. 7.
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