Sunday's match between Tennessee and Auburn marked the penultimate home game of the year and Senior Day for the Lady Vols.
Tennessee (20-9, 12-2 SEC) used this opportunity to send their seniors out on top with an 83-76 win over the Tigers (14-12, 4-10).
With seven seniors going through the ceremony, the group was a key factor in the win. It is worth noting, though, that some seniors have remaining eligibility that may or may not be taken advantage of for next season.
Leading the way for the graduating class was Rickea Jackson. The transfer from Mississippi State has only spent one year with the Lady Vols but she has been extremely impactful. Heading into the game, she averaged 18.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest.
Against Auburn, Jackson continued to show off her prolific scoring ability. She finished with a team-high 27 points on 12-for-15 shooting. She also added three rebounds, two assists and a steal in her +19 performance.
No stretch was more impactful than her eight consecutive points for the Lady Vols in the third quarter, though. After the Tigers took a one-point lead, Jackson went on a 6-0 run of her own to reclaim the lead. Auburn was never able to reclaim an advantage from that point.
She also added 13 points in the fourth quarter alone.
"We knew nobody could guard her, honestly," said Jasmine Powell. "We knew that if we got Rickea (Jackson) the ball, she would do what she always does. Be extremely efficient. We trust her with the basketball."
In the same 2019 recruiting class as Jackson was Jordan Horston. She was considered the second-best recruit in the country by ESPN out of high school. She joined Kellie Harper in her first year as Tennessee's coach for her freshman year.
In her four seasons as a Lady Vol, Horston has cemented herself as a Tennessee legend. She is just the fourth Tennessee player to ever record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 400 assists in her career.
On Sunday, she continued to play at an elite all-around level. Horston would finish with 19 points, eight rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal.
"I feel like it was a lot of jitters going on," said Horston." It was a big day. Our families are here. It was a payback game. We had a lot of nerves. But, you know, it's just a basketball game. You have to look at it as a basketball game. We did the things that we need to do."
Both Jackson and Horston are eligible to return next season. However, the pair of players are considered top picks in the upcoming WNBA Draft by the majority of mock drafts.
Also performing during their senior days were point guards Powell and Jordan Walker.
Powell is in her first season in Knoxville after spending her previous years at Minnesota. She has become a key part of the Lady Vols' offense as a playmaker. Against Auburn, she racked up a team-high eight assists. She also produced five points, three rebounds and a block.
Walker also had an impactful night conducting the offense. The guard spent her first two seasons at Western Michigan before joining Tennessee for her final three seasons. She finished with two points, four assists, two rebounds and a steal.
Powell will be eligible to return next year but Walker is out of eligibility.
The final senior to see the court was Jasmine Franklin. She began her career at Missouri State under Harper before transferring to rejoin Harper for her final year.
Franklin played 16 minutes where she contributed one point, three rebounds, an assist and a steal.
The other seniors to go through the ceremony were Tamari Key and Jessie Rennie. Key is a big factor for the Tennessee team but was ruled out for the season due to blood clots being found in her lungs. Before the diagnosis, she averaged 8.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and two blocks per game.
Rennie has been recovering from an off-season knee surgery. Recently, she has dressed out for games as she has returned to practice. However, she is yet to see the floor this season.
This group of seniors was largely impactful in the win. The ones who saw the court helped with their on-floor production but the ones who couldn't play also made an impact. Key has been a vocal leader for the team since being ruled out.
"I think in particular when you talk about just this class as a whole, you really have to look at this season obviously, I think they just brought great experience," said Harper. "I think that's been the biggest thing. They love the program. They bought in. When things aren't going well, they work through it. They led by example. They led vocally."
However, it wasn't just the seniors that showed out. Underclassmen such as Tess Darby put together an impressive game. Darby scored a career-high 17 points including 5-of-6 shooting on 3-pointers.
"I love to shoot the basketball, especially from three," said Darby. "Just seeing those go in, it just made me want to play even more today. Just having teammates that put me in those open positions... That boosts your confidence, too, having teammates that are like alright you're going to shoot this next one. Just really fortunate to be able to play with a group of girls like this."
Next, Tennessee will play in its final home game of the regular season. The Lady Vols will prepare to host No. 1 South Carolina on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET. The game will air on ESPN.
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