Lady Vols rout FAMU, welcome back Bridgette Gordon in season opener
On Monday night, Tennessee's men's basketball team got things started with a lopsided win at home. On Tuesday, the Lady Vols followed it up with one of their own.
No. 11 Tennessee (1-0) ran away with a 93-64 win over Florida A&M (0-1) on the night in Knoxville.
On the Rattlers' sideline was former Lady Vol Bridgette Gordon. The now FAMU head coach instructed her team directly under the banner that shows off her retired No. 30.
During her time at Tennessee, she won a pair of National Championships, made four All-SEC First Teams and was awarded 1989 SEC Player of the Year.
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Over the course of the night, all 12 eligible players on the Lady Vols' roster entered the game. Only two didn't score.
As a team, Tennessee shot 47.1% from the field and 27.6% on 3-pointers. Leading the way were Jewel Spear and Karoline Striplin who both finished with 20 points. However, Spear didn't play any minutes in the fourth quarter.
Spear did her damage from range knocking down 5-of-10 3-point attempts. Striplin performed well in the post shooting 8-for-9 from the field.
Projected leading scorer Rickea Jackson took a back seat but had a fine game of her own. She scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the win.
On defense, the Lady Vols did a good job limiting the Rattlers. This was parlayed with effective rebounding to keep FAMU out of reach. On the glass, Tennessee won the night 47-25.
HOW IT HAPPENED
It wasn't the prettiest start for Tennessee. Despite striking first, the Lady Vols fell into a 10-5 hole while playing less-than-desirable defense. Quick substitutions were made to address the breakdowns but it wasn't until 3:19 remained when Tennessee retook the lead that it would never again surrender.
Hitting the shot to snag back the advantage was Spear. The transfer hit three 3-pointers in the quarter and finished the frame as the leading scorer.
Due to a 15-4 run to wrap up the quarter, the Lady Vols held a 26-19 advantage after the first 10 minutes. They shot 9-for-18 from the field while FAMU knocked down 8-of-17.
The second quarter got off to a much better start than the first. Tennessee continued where it left off to extend its lead. Between the two quarters, the Lady Vols went on a 14-0 run to push the advantage to 16.
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By halftime, the lead sat at 46-30 in the favor of Tennessee. Leading the way was Spear who knocked down five 3-pointers in the half for 16 points. The next highest scorer was Striplin who reached eight.
The third quarter was also all Lady Vols. They outscored the Rattlers by 12 in the frame behind points from eight different players.
To wrap it up, Tennessee continued to unload the bench and give its players ample opportunities. The Lady Vols outscored FAMU by one in the frame to reach the final differential of 29.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
In her debut, Spear did not disappoint. The Wake Forest transfer put up 20 points in just 17 and a half minutes on the floor. This came on 5-for-10 shooting from range as she was seemingly automatic from deep.
Helping carry the scoring load was Striplin who also earned 20 points in her 19 minutes on the floor.
Impressing in her debut, as well, was Destinee Wells. The backup point guard dished six assists on the night including some impressive no-look dimes.
UP NEXT
Next, Tennessee will take a trip to face No. 18 Florida State in Tallahassee. This will be the first true test of the season tipping off at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
No. 9 Indiana also comes to Knoxville on Nov. 23 for the Lady Vols' first match against a preseason top-10 opponent.
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