Behind a pair of come-from-behind efforts, Tennessee is 2-0 in SEC play.
On Sunday, the Lady Vols (9-5, 2-0 SEC) downed Kentucky (8-8, 1-1) 87-69 despite trailing by as much as 17.
This effort came largely behind the play of Rickea Jackson. The senior forward produced 27 points with seven rebounds, three assists and a steal.
Behind her, Jewel Spear also had a productive night. She finished with a season-high 21 points to go along with six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
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On defense, Tamari Key continued to reintegrate herself into the lineup while being the anchor in the paint. She finished with six blocks in 25 minutes of play.
As a team, Tennessee shot 53.3% from the field. On defense, it held Kentucky to 38.7% including a poor 24.2% mark in the second half alone.
It was another start riddled with turnovers for Tennessee. The Lady Vols forked it over seven times in the first period and fell into a four-point hole. It was ugly on both ends to finish the quarter, though. Nobody scored for the final four minutes of the frame.
The second quarter was dominated by the Wildcats. Kentucky fired off to a 16-2 run and managed to build a lead of as much as 17. However, Tennessee responded with a 9-2 run to head into the break down 10.
Leading the way at the break was Spear who scored 13 points. Jackson was right behind her with 11. However, the team turned the ball over 10 times while digging themself into the hole.
As a team, both squads shot an impressive 50% from the field in the first half.
Tennessee fired right back in the third quarter, though. The Lady Vols went on an 11-0 run in the frame to tie the game at 55. However, it didn’t stop there. Tennessee parlayed this into a 22-5 run to end the quarter.
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Heading into the fourth quarter, the Lady Vols held a six-point lead. This was quickly expanded, though. Tennessee would win the final quarter by 12 to leave with an 18-point victory.
The second half effort was spear-headed by Jackson who scored 16 of her points in the final 20 minutes.
Tennessee did a good job sharing the ball in the win. On 32 made shots, 21 of the makes were assisted on.
This far exceeded Kentucky’s mark. The Wildcats only assisted on 10 of its 29 makes.
Leading the way in assists for the Lady Vols was Jasmine Powell who recorded nine.
Next, Tennessee will square off with Florida on Jan. 11. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
The Gators are 9-4 on the year and 0-1 in conference play after dropping their opener to top-ranked South Carolina. They will also face Vanderbilt on the road on Sunday afternoon.
