Back on the road after a home stand, the Lady Vols looked out of sorts in the first half of their trip to Florida.
That was nullified by a dominant third quarter that pushed Tennessee to a 86-78 win over the Gators on the road.
In the first half, the Lady Vols (21-6, 8-6 SEC) struggled to get shots to fall on offense and couldn't find a consistent defense. The result was a 37-28 deficit heading to the locker room.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
Florida (14-14, 5-9) was dismantled when it returned to the court, though. Tennessee outscored the Gators 37-20 in the third quarter to retake the lead. Leading the push was Jewel Spear with 10 points and Talaysia Cooper with eight.
This was just the second time this season the Lady Vols have gone on to win after trailing at halftime.
For Cooper, this third quarter surge came after spending the majority of the first half on the bench. She picked up her second foul with 5:36 to play in the first quarter. Cooper did not return to the game until after halftime.
The duo of Spear and Cooper combined for 28 points with Cooper's 18 leading the team. Just behind Cooper, Zee Spearman also made a big impact. She finished with 16 points.
Also in double figures were Samara Spencer with 11 points and Ruby Whitehorn with 10. Spencer added 11 rebounds to her line to earn another double-double.
As a team, Tennessee shot 40.7% from the field and 34.5% on 3-pointers. It only turned the ball over 13 times.
On defense, the Lady Vols let Florida shoot 46.9% from the field. The difference was just 11.8% shooting from range and 21 turnovers for the Gators.
WHAT HAPPENED
Florida made the first shot, but Tennessee took control of the game early. The Lady Vols led 10-4 after a 6-0 run capped off by Kaniya Boyd's and-one.
From there, things swung heavily in the Gators' favor. They would finish the half on a 12-2 stretch to take a four-point lead into the break.
The second quarter continued to go Florida's way. Toward the end of the period, the Gators went on a 10-0 run to build an 11-point lead. The advantage would settle at nine at the score of 37-28 headed into the half.
Tennessee had made 12 field goals in the opening half. Just two were assisted on.
Leading the way in scoring were Spearman and Whitehorn. The duo both posted six points on inefficient scoring. They combined to shoot 6-for-19 from the field and 0-for-3 on 3-pointers.
Overall, the Lady Vols shot just 30% from the field and 27.3% on 3-pointers.
Tennessee also found itself in deep foul trouble. Cooper didn't play a minute more in the first half after picking up her second foul with 5:36 to play in the first quarter. Also earning two fouls in the opening half were Spearman (with three), Whitehorn, Tess Darby and Jillian Hollingshead.
The Lady Vols came alive in the third quarter. Tennessee came out on fire and outscored Florida 37-20 in the quarter.
This push came from Spear, Cooper and Spencer. The trio combined for 25 points in the frame to take an eight-point lead into the fourth.
Florida came back with some life in the fourth. The Gators got within four points with just over four minutes to play. Spencer responded with a big three to extend the lead back to seven. This earned her a double-double on the day.
Florida got back within four with just under a minute to play at the foul line. This time, it was Spearman with the response. She finished in the post on top of a foul. The ensuing free throw made it a seven-point advantage.
This was enough to keep the Gators at bay. Tennessee held on to win by eight.
UP NEXT
The Lady Vols have just two games left in the first regular season under Kim Caldwell.
The final road game is set for Thursday. Tennessee will travel to play No. 14 Kentucky at 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
Then, the Lady Vols will host Georgia for Senior Day. Tennessee will tip-off the day of festivities at noon ET on SEC Network.
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