Lady Vols stay hot, cruise past Georgia behind Rickea Jackson's strong play
Since the start of SEC play, Tennessee has looked like one of the premier teams in the country. This was no different in the Lady Vols' (14-6, 6-0) 68-55 win over Georgia (13-7, 2-4) on Sunday.
Leading the way for Tennessee was Rickea Jackson. The senior averaged 22.6 points per game in SEC play heading into the contest. Against the Bulldogs, Jackson improved on this mark. She finished with 23 points on a dazzling 8-for-10 shooting from the field – including a made 3-pointer. She also pitched in a team-high seven rebounds and a block in her 27 minutes off the bench.
"(Jackson has) been very consistent," said Tennessee coach Kellie Harper. "It's who she is. Obviously, we need that. We need her to be consistent. If I had one critique of her tonight, it was I would've liked for her to take a couple more shots. Just looking for a couple more opportunities maybe. She's so fun to watch."
Outside of Jackson, Tess Darby helped carry the scoring load. Similar to Jackson, Darby has caught fire in SEC play. She has hit on multiple 3-pointers in each of her past five games including four made deep balls against the Bulldogs. Ultimately, Darby would finish with 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting. This scoring mark tied her season-high set vs. Alabama. She also contributed five rebounds, an assist and a steal.
Darby's 3-point attack along with makes from Jackson, Jordan Walker, Karoline Striplin and Sara Puckett were a big reason for the team's offensive success. Tennessee only hit on two more field goals than Georgia but still managed to outscore the Bulldogs by 13.
Walker, Darby and Striplin even managed to knock down three consecutive 3-pointers to open up the second half.
"In the locker room at halftime, we were talking about coming out strong in the third quarter," said Darby. "That's one of the things that we've kind of struggled on. So just hitting open threes and getting the energy and momentum coming our way. You also have to respect everyone. That goes to show, anyone and everyone on our team can step up and shoot them."
This offensive outburst couldn't have been accomplished without a team effort, though. 17 of the Lady Vols' 21 made shots were assisted on. Walker led the team in the category with eight assists to go along with her eight points and four rebounds.
"Really just trying to get my teammates open," said Walker. "Set them up to where they can score. I enjoy that. They knock down shots so it makes it easy for me when I can just get it to them and they can knock it down."
However, what impressed the most in the contest was Tennessee's stifling defense. The Lady Vols held Georgia to an abysmal 19-for-63 shooting from the field and 0-for-14 shooting on 3-pointers. This was the first time Tennessee has held an SEC opponent scoreless from beyond the arch since 2017.
Outside of shooting woes, the Bulldogs also struggled to maintain possession of the ball. Georgia turned the ball over 17 times leading to 23 points for Tennessee. Walker was able to come away with three of the steals leading to baskets.
Following the Lady Vols' sixth-straight win of SEC play, Tennessee will host Florida on Jan. 19 during We Back Pat night. The game will feature purple accents on jerseys as the night honors the legacy of Pat Summitt and raises money for Alzheimer's research.
"The game in itself is an initiative to keep Pat (Summitt's) fight alive," said Harper. "To raise money, to raise awareness for Alzheimer's to support her foundation... For the program, it's just one more opportunity for us to celebrate our coach. Just to be reminded of who she was, what she stood for. I think it's hard for former players, hard for fans to start thinking of how long we've been missing her. This is just one more way to keep that spirit alive."
The game will air on SEC Network+ and will tipoff at 6:30 p.m. ET.
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