By Charlie Faircloth
The Tennessee Lady Vols opened their season with a win on Monday night in Food City Center against the Duquesne Dukes. Kaylene Smikle fueled the night with an impressive performance, scoring 31 points, the second-most in a Lady Volunteer debut.
Smikle also paired it with eight rebounds, four assists, and went 5-for-6 from beyond the arc, shooting the ball at an 87% clip, all while only being on the floor for 21 minutes, leading the team to a monstrous 109 points in the victory, which is the second-most in an opening game in the program’s history.
“She has been locked in from the moment I saw her today. She’s been happy. She’s been full of joy. It has been a long time since she has played in a basketball game so to be able to see that joy in her was really special for me,” Tennessee Head Coach Kim Caldwell said.
This Lady Vols team completed a total rebuild over the off-season, bringing 15 new players to Rocky Top. Some people would have never known.
The size and athleticism were just too much for the Dukes
“I was surprised at the size of the Tennessee team. Very impressed they play much bigger than they are listed,” Duquesne Head Coach Dan Burt said.
The Lady Volunteers controlled the game from the tip, with their high-pressure full-court press forcing nine turnovers in the first quarter, but the defense didn’t stop there; they held the Duquesne offense to just 29% from the field and kept adding turnovers.
The Dukes would finish with 27 team turnovers.
“Our goal tonight was to get to 30 turnovers. We want to turn people over and get easy layups, and that will help with us getting points in the paint,” said Caldwell.
While Smikle was the star, this win was a group effort: the Lady Vols tallied 24 assists and scored 30 points in two different quarters, a feat this team did in only one quarter all last season.
It’s early — 31 games remain, but after one exhibition and opening night, a new feeling has settled over the program: this team plays for more than the name on the back; it takes pride in the Summitt Blue.
“They want to win. They want to make the right play. They want to score, and it doesn’t matter who it comes from,” said Caldwell.
A fresh look on opening night, it’s the classic staples of a successful Caldwell unit: defensive high presses, uptempo run-the-court fast breaks, and relentless effort. With that said — it’s game one.
There are always ways to improve.
UP NEXT: The Lady Vols look to keep building success in the winning column as they head to Baltimore to face the Eagles of Coppin State Thursday, Nov. 5th at 7:00 p.m.