Lady Vols Secure Victory Against UConn Huskies
Today, the University of Connecticut and Tennessee reignited their rivalry top-20 matchup. The Huskies came into the game ranked fifth nationally, with a season record of 21-2. Meanwhile, the Lady Vols were ranked nineteenth with a 16-5 overall record. UConn's only recent defeats occurred in December against the University of Southern California and Notre Dame. On the other hand, Tennessee had suffered losses to several notable ranked teams, including the reigning champions, the South Carolina Gamecocks. Coming off three consecutive losses, the Lady Vols recently regained momentum with a narrow five-point victory over Missouri last Sunday. The question remained: could they keep their streak going against a nearly unstoppable UConn team? Discover the full story below!
The Rundown
Ruby Whitehorn scored the opening layup for Tennessee following the jump ball. Jewel Spear and Paige Bueckers got active quickly, with Spear making a jump shot and Bueckers sinking a three-pointer. Sarah Strong added two points for UConn with an offensive rebound. Tennessee's Sarah Puckett nailed a three-pointer, followed by a successful shot from Jillian Hollingshead. Azzi Fudd assisted Strong for another layup for UConn. After getting fouled by Jana El Alfy, Hollingshead made one free throw. Afterwards, Bueckers made both her free throws after being fouled on her way to the basket. Zee Spearman scored her first points for Tennessee, while Bueckers added another layup for UConn. Strong, fouled leading into a timeout, made both her free throws, and Samara Spencer hit a crucial three-pointer. KK Arnold contributed with a layup, and Spear stole the ball to finish the quarter with a layup of her own.
UConn won the second quarter jump ball, followed by Spearman scoring off a layup. Arnold hit a three to put the Huskies in the lead, which was quickly answered by Tess Darby's own three. Strong added two points with a layup, followed by Bueckers finding Strong for another layup. Spencer grabbed her own rebound for two points, and El Alfy got a layup assisted by Arnold. Spearman made a free throw, and Aubrey Griffin scored two consecutive layups. Talaysia Cooper added to the score, and Whitehorn added a three for the Lady Vols. Morgan Cheli got a layup, and a Fudd turnover led to a layup on the other end from Kaniya Boyd. Bueckers tossed the ball back down the court, where Fudd drew a foul in the paint. Fudd hit both free throws, stole the ball, and nailed a three. The third quarter ended with Tennessee going up by five, heading into the half only down by two.
Kaitlyn Chen started off the third quarter strong with a layup for UConn, followed by a jumper from Bueckers. Alyssa Latham and Hollingshead kept Tennessee in the game with their own contributions, including Hollingshead's rebound and putback. El Alfy secured two free throws for UConn, while Talaysia Cooper and Spencer drove in for layups, with Spencer making an additional layup and a steal for a third. Puckett nailed a triple, putting Tennessee ahead by seven. Cooper made a layup after a timeout, and Hollingshead blocked a shot from Strong, who then responded with a layup and blocked a layup attempt from Cooper. Bueckers assisted Fudd for a three-pointer, and Whitehorn scored off the backboard. Bueckers then sent the ball into the paint for a layup by Griffin. Arnold added another layup, and Spencer closed the quarter with a triple.
Spearman kicked things off with a three-pointer, followed by a jumper from Paige Bueckers. Spearman quickly added another two points, and Arnold scored a layup for UConn. Cooper shot a free throw, then Latham fouled Griffin, allowing her to score from the line. Bueckers and Cooper exchanged jumpers, with Strong and Griffin both contributing layups. Strong's defensive effort led to a foul on Chen, and Spear capitalized with a three-pointer. Bueckers tied the game at 74-74 with under two minutes remaining. Spearman then drove for two points, prompting a UConn timeout. After Strong turned the ball over, Cooper made two free throws. Spearman's layup sealed Tennessee's victory, despite missed final attempts from Fudd and Bueckers.
Analysis
Sarah Strong led the scoring for the Huskies with 18 points and nine rebounds, the highest of any player in the game. Paige Bueckers and KK Arnold combined for 25 points, with Bueckers also adding eight assists. For the Lady Vols, Zee Spearman was the standout performer, leading with 16 points and seven rebounds, while Samara Spencer and Jewel Spear also finished in double digits. Despite UConn outperforming Tennessee in several categories, including turnovers and free throw shooting. Although, they were up over 5.4% when it came to scoring from the field. UConn was great at sharing the ball with 20 assists across the board compared to Tennessee’s 13. Additionally, they had five more steals. Both teams were evenly matched in three-point shooting, each maintaining a 25% success rate.
Looking Forward
Tennessee achieved a historic victory over UConn in Knoxville, winning 80-76, marking their first win against the Huskies since 2007. The Lady Vols will face LSU in Baton Rouge this Sunday, while UConn travels to Rhode Island to play Providence. This defeat is UConn's third loss this season. Tennessee looks to continue their momentum in Louisiana. The game was closely contested, similar to UConn’s two-point loss to USC in December. UConn needs to improve their performance in close games against tough opponents to secure late-game victories. Tonight's match was exhilarating, with the local crowd electric for every play, cheering for Tennessee all the way. The Lady Vols earned their victory without a doubt.
