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Tennessee Lady Vols preview at Missouri: Live stream, game time, TV and radio info

By Caleb Calhoun

Dec 9, 2020; Columbia, Missouri, USA; A general view of the court and arena before the game between the Missouri Tigers and Liberty Flames at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 9, 2020; Columbia, Missouri, USA; A general view of the court and arena before the game between the Missouri Tigers and Liberty Flames at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /
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For the first time in over two weeks, the Tennessee Lady Vols will take the court Thursday night against an unranked team. Kellie Harper’s team takes the court after losing the three road games of those four matchups, including coming off a loss at the Georgia Bulldogs Sunday, but also having upset the South Carolina Gamecocks at home a week ago.

UT travels to Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo. Thursday night night to take on the Missouri Tigers. Mizzou is coming off a win over the Florida Gators this past Sunday which snapped a two-game losing streak to South Carolina and Georgia.

This is the first game of the year between these two teams. It’s safe to say that Rocky Top, with an easier road ahead, will be doing everything it can to try to avoid any slip-ups now as the end of the regular season draws near. Here is all the information you need for the Tennessee Lady Vols’ Thursday matchup.

531. 8 p.m. ET. SEC Network+. Thursday, Feb. 25. 8-9 (4-8). . 13-6 (7-4). 534

Live stream: WatchESPN

Radio: Lady Vol Network; Tiger Network Radio

Listen online: UTSports; MUTigers

Led by ninth-year head coach Robin Pingeton, Mizzou is showing substantial improvement over last year’s season, in which it went 9-22 and 5-11 in the SEC, which was a dramatic drop-off after four straight years of making the NCAA Tournament. The loss of three starters from 2018-2019 to 2019-2020 played a huge role in that. This year, though, Mizzou had to replace four starters.

However, the additions of LaDazhia Williams, who transferred from South Carolina and had to sit out last year, and Shug Dickson, who transferred from the Tulsa Golden Hurricane and then the Texas Tech Red Raiders, sitting out the past two years, has been huge. Adding Mama Dembele, a freshman from Spain, has also helped.

Williams is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 14.5 points a game. Dickson is also averaging double figures, just over 10 points a game as a rotational player coming off the bench. Dembele, starting every game, has become a defensive specialist with 23 steals on the year.

Meanwhile, the return of Aijha Blackwell, last year’s only starter, and the emergence of Hayley Frank and Haley Troup, rotational players off the bench from last year, have been hugely helpful. All three are starting. Blackwell is averaging a double-double with 14 points and over 11 rebounds. Frank is also averaging double figures at over 13 points a game.

Simply put, Missouri has some weapons, and while they are young, they have talent. They also have a bright future as every starter will be back next year. If UT is not careful, they could be the team Mizzou puts it all together agains.

After this game, the Tennessee Lady Vols, ranked No. 20 in the AP Poll and No. 21 in the Coaches Poll, will host the Auburn Tigers Sunday the close out the regular season. Mizzou, meanwhile, will visit the Mississippi State Bulldogs that same day.