Tennessee Lady Vols top No. 13 Arkansas 88-73: Three takeaways
The Tennessee Lady Vols beat the Hogs 88-73. Here’s what we learned from the women’s basketball Volunteers’ win.
Despite being off for 10 days and having their first two SEC games canceled due to a COVID outbreak, the Tennessee Lady Vols took the court like nothing had slowed them down Thursday. In the process, they scored what was probably the most impressive win of Kellie Harper’s tenure on Rocky Top, against the No. 13 ranked Arkansas Razorbacks, in dominating fashion.
After being locked in a close battle for most of the first half, UT used a 10-0 run at the end of the second quarter and into the third quarter to take a 47-35 lead. They then used a 12-3 run later in the third quarter to build a 17-point lead, and they remained in control the rest of the way to win their SEC opener by 15 points, 88-73, in an amazing offensive performance.
With the win, Rocky Top improves to 7-1 on the season and will visit the LSU Tigers Sunday. Arkansas falls to 10-3, 1-2 in the SEC and will host the No. 8/9 Texas A&M Aggies that same day. Here are three takeaways from the Tennessee Lady Vols’ incredible victory.
1. Rennia Davis and Rae Burrell become a true dynamic duo.
What else is there to say about these two? They have been the top scorers for this team dating back to the end of last year, and they complemented each other better than ever before in this one. Both Rennia Davis and Rae Burrell each had 26 points.
Playing the two, Burrell was the elite shooter, as she went 3-of-7 from beyond the three-point line. Davis, at the three, dominated more in the paint, hitting all 12 of her shots inside the three-point line. She also had 11 rebounds and five assists, playing a complete game, which leads to our next point.
2. Interior presence remains dominant.
Obviously, Davis plays inside a lot and uses her length to her advantage. That showed in this game. She wasn’t the only one to do that, however. Kasiyahna Kushkituah came off the bench to score 11 points for the Tennessee Lady Vols.
Meanwhile, the rebounding was dominant. Davis, as we mentioned, had a double-double at 26 and 11. Kushkituah added six off the bench. Altogether, UT outrebounded the Hogs 49-36, and they came away with three blocks. This is a recurring theme for Harper’s team, but when the offense is clicking like it did in this game, they become even more dominant.
3. Combo guards continue to take steps forward.
Jordan Horston had pressure on her to take a major step forward this year with the transfers of Jazmine Massengill and Zaay Green. She’s been doing that, and she took it to another level in this game with 11 points, eight rebounds, five assists, a steal and even two blocks. Jordan Walker, off the bench, did her part too with seven points, five rebounds and three assists.
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These two make for a perfect starter/backup combination of guards who can distribute, run the offense but also score and defend. There’s a reason the Tennessee Lady Vols only had 11 turnovers. They had an issue shooting free throws, going 9-of-15, and were only 5-of-17 from the three-point line, but smart play by these two is why the offense was so efficient.