Moments before the game, Tennessee forward Rickea Jackson was honored in front of the home crowd in Food City Center and teammates for her recent achievement of 2,000 career points.
Jackson wasted no time raising this number in the Lady Vols' 81-55 win over Arkansas.
By night's end, the senior had produced 21 points and nine rebounds. While sitting for the final stretch with the game out of reach, most of her production came in the first half. She dropped 17 of her points in the first 20 minutes.
Helping carry the scoring load was Jillian Hollingshead. She broke out of her cold stretch with an impressive all-around game. She would notch a double-double with 14 points and 10 points. She passed for three assists, as well.
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The only other player to reach double figures for Tennessee (15-8, 8-3 SEC) was Jewel Spear. The hot-handed guard put up 13 points while also notching eight rebounds and seven assists.
As a team, the Lady Vols shot 41.8% from the field and 53.3% from range.
On defense, Tennessee held the Razorbacks (17-9, 5-6) to 31.9% shooting from the field and 22.9% on 3-pointers.
Now, the Lady Vols sit in a tie for second place in the SEC with LSU. The pair of squads will face off in Knoxville on Feb. 25.
HOW IT HAPPENED
It would be tough to draw up a much better start than what Tennessee got off to. The Lady Vols jumped to a 12-0 advantage just minutes into the game due to six points by each Rickea Jackson and Jewel Spear.
Tennessee kept its foot on the gas, as well. It took a 14-point lead into the second quarter after producing 27 points on 50% shooting from the field and 66.7% shooting from beyond the arc in the opening 10 minutes. Jackson was responsible for 10 of these points in seven minutes of play.
In the second quarter, the Lady Vols didn't have as much offensive success but were still able to build on their lead. After winning the frame 13-11, Tennessee took a 40-24 lead into the halftime break.
Leading the way at this point was Jackson. She continued her personal tear while producing 17 first-half points on 7-for-11 shooting.
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The Lady Vols got back in rhythm in the third quarter. They would outscore the Razorbacks by 10 in the frame to take a 26-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Tennessee's barrage of 3-pointers continued as it connected on 3-of-4 to raise its mark on the game to 58.3%.
The fourth quarter featured the Lady Vols coasting to victory. Bench players wrapped things up as Tennessee secured the 26-point win.
STAT OF THE GAME
A big factor in the win was the success Tennessee saw on the glass.
The Lady Vols out-rebounded Arkansas 57-29. This featured 16 offensive rebounds for Tennessee. These opportunities translated to 15 second-chance points.
Arkansas head coach Mike Neighbors credited this stat to the team's style of play that featured a large number of 3-point attempts and also the Lady Vols' strength as a rebounding team.
WHAT THEY SAID
UP NEXT
Things don't get any easier for Tennessee. Next, it will face top-ranked South Carolina in Knoxville with a chance to hand the Gamecocks their first loss of the season.
The Lady Vols have dropped four straight to South Carolina including last season's SEC Tournament championship. The last win came in 2021 in Knoxville.
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on Feb. 15.
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