ATHENS, Ga. — Following a loss to Ole Miss on the road, Tennessee was forced to pack its bags for another trip away from Knoxville.
This time, the Lady Vols were greeted by Georgia — the program at the bottom of the SEC standings.
Tennessee didn't have much trouble getting back in the win column and handing the Bulldogs their seventh-straight loss while going home with a 95-73 win.
Leading the offensive charge were the duo of Jewel Spear and Rickea Jackson. Coming off a 30-point night against the Rebels, Spear dropped 25 points on 57.1% shooting. Jackson followed her up with 21 on 47.1%.
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Tamari Key also earned her first start and took advantage of the situation. She produced 10 points, eight rebounds and a block.
As a team, Tennessee (13-7, 6-2 SEC) shot 50% from the field and 41.4% on 3-pointers. The 12 made long balls were the most the team has made in SEC play at this point.
For Georgia (10-11, 1-7), it had its best offensive game of the conference slate. The Bulldogs shot 46% from the field and 33.3% on 3-pointers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Tennessee got out to a solid start. The Lady Vols used Tamari Key's first start to their advantage scoring first through the center in the paint. This helped build an 8-0 advantage.
They continued to build off of this while reaching a lead of as much as 10. However, Tennessee finished the frame one for its last 11 shots from the field to enter the second quarter ice-cold and with a lead of just five.
The Lady Vols snapped out of it quickly following the short break, though. They went on a 13-0 run to start the second frame while holding Georgia off the board. The Bulldogs went on a seven minute field goal drought during this time.
By the end of the half, Tennessee held a 41-24 lead. This came on 40.5% field goal shooting from the Lady Vols and 35.7% from the Bulldogs. Jackson led the way with 11 points.
MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Lady Vols junior forward Jillian Hollingshead OUT vs. Georgia with illness
Tennessee's defense fell apart in the third quarter, though. It allowed 30 points to a Georgia offense that averages under 60 points per game in SEC play. The Lady Vols maintained a solid offensive attack to keep the Bulldogs at an arms reach but the lead was shaved to five.
The fourth quarter was all Tennessee. The Lady Vols won the period by 10 while dropping 29 points. This left no doubt as they took home a 95-73 win.
STAT OF THE GAME
Georgia has been abysmal on the offensive end this season. The team's highest output heading into the game was 69 against Florida.
Tennessee's poor defensive showing wasn't enough to keep the Bulldogs under that mark, though. After allowing 73, Georgia has now produced a new conference-high mark for the season.
WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY
UP NEXT
Tennessee will return home after the two-game road stand on Sunday. The Lady Vols are slated to face Missouri at 2 p.m. ET.
The Tigers entered Thursday second-to-last in the SEC behind just Georgia. They owned a 2-6 conference record and 11-10 overall mark.
Tennessee is on a six-game win streak over Missouri with the last loss coming in Jan. 2019. The Lady Vols are 6-1 at home against the Tigers.
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