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Three takeaways from Tennessee Lady Vols 77-66 SEC opening win vs. Missouri

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 21: Tennessee Volunteers fans hold up a cardboard photo of women's basketball coach Pat Summitt during the game against the Connecticut Huskies at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 21, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee defeated Connecticut 60-57. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 21: Tennessee Volunteers fans hold up a cardboard photo of women's basketball coach Pat Summitt during the game against the Connecticut Huskies at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 21, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee defeated Connecticut 60-57. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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In their first SEC game, the Tennessee Lady Vols beat the Missouri Tigers 77-66. Here are three takeaways from the women’s basketball Volunteers’ victory.

Kellie Harper came out victorious in her first Southeastern Conference game as head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols. Her team came away with a 77-66 victory over the Missouri Tigers to start the new year off on the right foot.

Missouri had a 21-16 lead at the end of the first quarter, but a 16-7 run by UT in the second quarter put them ahead 32-28 at halftime. That was part of a 17-2 run into the second half that put them up 41-30, and they then never looked back.

Ranking No. 22 in the AP Poll and No. 23 in the Coaches Poll respectively, this win moves Rocky Top to 11-2 on the year and 1-0 in league play. Mizzou, meanwhile, falls to 3-11 on the year and 0-1 in the conference. Here are three things we learned from the Tennessee Lady Vols’ win.

1. Freshmen duo emerged.

Is this a sign of things to come in the future? Jordan Horston and Tamari Key were the star recruits in this class, and together, they were stars in this game. Horston had 13 points, and Key, who has taken over at center, dropped 16 points on eight-of-11 shooting. These two together give Harper a very bright future, and they showed a great preview in this win.

2. Jazmine Massengill is settling in at point guard.

Replacing Zaay Green was always going to be tough for the Tennessee Lady Vols. But Jazmine Massengill is starting to show signs of picking up the transition. She had seven points and 12 assists with only one turnover. Her unselfish play, only taking four shots, was huge in helping the offense to get things going.

3. Rennia Davis is still the star.

Lou Brown made a splash with three made three-pointers in this game, the freshmen were stars, and Jazmine Massengill had 12 assists, but Rennia Davis is still the main attraction on this team. She led the team in scoring with 19 points and on the boards with 12 rebounds. That came despite missing all three three-point attempts. We knew this going in, and she continues to prove it.