By Tyson Belton
There was no drama, no suspense, and certainly no doubt. The Tennessee Lady Volunteers delivered a commanding performance Thursday night, throttling the Missouri Tigers 98-53 in a game that was never close and only grew uglier as the minutes ticked by.
The night carried an added layer of storyline before tip-off. Missouri head coach Kellie Harper, who was released from her position at Tennessee in April of 2024, returned to the Food City Center for the first time since her departure. The crowd made its feelings known as they welcomed back coach Harper and gave her a nice ovation before tip-off. Harper said postgame it was great to see how well some of her former players have grown.
The Lady Vols came into this meeting with a rough past three games on the road and wanted to put those games behind them
Tennessee wasted no time doing what they do best. The Lady Vols played at a relentless pace designed to speed up the game, and against Missouri, that gameplan worked perfectly. The pressure was immediate from the jump ball — Tennessee forced 10 first-half turnovers alone, never allowing the Tigers to settle into any type of rhythm, and boy did it get ugly fast.
Missouri’s struggles against Tennessee’s full-court pressure were a serious problem. The Tigers could never find their footing in the half-court offense because simply getting the ball across half-court was a battle in itself.
“It all starts in practice,” head coach Kim Caldwell said after the game.
After returning from a road trip, the Lady Vols came back to Knoxville hungry, and it showed from the opening tip.
Tennessee’s dominance was reflected in every box score column. The Lady Vols shot 52% from the field, dominated the glass with a 49-30 rebounding advantage, and pounded Missouri inside to get a total of 54 points in the paint. The full-court pressure led to 21 Missouri turnovers, which Tennessee converted into 27 points.
Missouri, meanwhile, shot just 30% from the field, a number Harper will certainly want her team to put behind them quickly.
Harper addressed the performance with optimism, “Gotta bounce back. Can’t let it defeat you. Can’t let one loss turn into two.”
Missouri will need to flush this performance quickly, as three of their next four opponents LSU, South Carolina, and Oklahoma are all ranked inside the top 10.
Senior forward Janiah Barker was the offensive engine for Tennessee, pouring in a game-high 22 points on 56% shooting while snagging in eight rebounds. Barker was a matchup nightmare, standing at 6’4, and her ability to handle the ball and make plays on her own truly makes her special. I see a little bit of Rickea Jackson in her game with time.
Perhaps the most exciting development of the night came from true freshman out of Toronto, Canada, Deniya Prawl, who recorded her first collegiate double-double: 13 points and 10 rebounds in an all-around tough showing. The Toronto native was physical, relentless on the boards, and very poised. If Thursday night is any type of hint, Lady Vol fans won’t be waiting long to see many more nights like this one from the freshman guard.
Junior guard Talaysia Cooper and junior forward Alyssa Latham combined for 32 points, adding to what was a genuine full-team effort. Specifically on the defensive end, where Tennessee’s intensity never faded, and they played hard from the first minute to the last.
Thursday’s performance takes on even greater significance when you think about the road ahead. Since Jan. 18th, the Lady Vols have been a part of one of the most punishing stretches in the country — 14 games, 10 of which come against ranked opponents. The rest of the season will most definitely test the resolve of the Lady Vols, as Tennessee currently holds the No. 1 ranking on the NCAA’s Toughest Schedule list.
The Tennessee Lady Vols improve to 16-6 and 8-2 in SEC play. The Lady Vols will be back in action again at home this Sunday as they host the 4th-ranked team in the nation, the Texas Longhorns (23-3, 8-3) at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.