The Lady Vols get back in the win column after back-to-back conference losses against top-ten opponents. Tennessee didn't let those two losses affect their Arkansas matchup as they cruised to victory with a 93-63 win in Fayetteville.
Tennessee again showed its explosive, high-powered offense, and Arkansas had no answers for Tennessee's offense on Sunday afternoon.
This is the exact result you want to see after two close losses at home against higher-ranked opponents. Kim Caldwell has the Lady Vols way ahead of schedule in her first year as head coach, and the girls are playing their hearts out for her, and it's easy to see why.
This past week, Caldwell went viral for taking offense to expectations being lower since it's her first year at Tennessee. Seeing this kind of response as a veteran on the roster has to make you want to play harder for Caldwell after she publicly took a stand for the seniors on the roster and the players who chose to stay on Rocky Top and not transfer out.
"I get a little bit offended with 'you have time to rebuild, these seniors aren't your players'...They are my players."
— John Sartori (@JohnSartoriTV) January 10, 2025
Kim Caldwell says the #LadyVols two losses are especially frustrating for her seniors in their final season.
She takes winning for them very seriously. pic.twitter.com/dqgvMUGd7h
Caldwell is getting the most out of her players, and she continues to coach for all four quarters, no matter if the game is out of reach or not. In the fourth quarter, Caldwell called a timeout when the Lady Vols were up 30 points to fix an issue, keeping standards and expectations high.
Those high expectations manifested in no better way than Jewel Spear joining the record books as the tenth player in program history to score 2,000 points. Spear transferred to Tennessee from Wake Forest after three seasons with that program. She joined Caldwell in her first year at Tennessee, and they are both thriving.
Talaysia Cooper, Zee Spearman, and Ruby Whitehorn went off against the Razorbacks, combining for 55 points, with Cooper leading the charge with 20 points, three rebounds, and four steals.
Tennessee's new-look "big three" have been dominant this year and continue to show their sky-high potential throughout conference play. The team shot 45.5% from the field and 35.3% from three-point range, getting back on track on the offensive end of the court.
The Lady Vols return home to host Mississippi State on Thursday in another SEC matchup. The Bulldogs are in a similar spot as Tennessee, looking to earn a statement win and rise through the SEC rankings while being overlooked by the rest of the conference.