Lady Vols basketball overcame a slow start on the road to notch another crucial win in SEC play.
No. 13 Tennessee scored 24 points off 21 Florida turnovers, and it needed every one in an 86-78 win at Stephen C. O’Connell Center on Sunday. The Lady Vols (21-6, 8-6 SEC) were led by 18 points from Talaysia Cooper, who added five rebounds and two steals. Zee Spearman was critical in the win, adding 16 points, and Samara Spencer logged a double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds).
The Gators (14-14, 5-9) led by as many as 11 points in the first half, but they couldn’t sustain the momentum against Tennessee’s full-court pressure. This is the second season in a row that Lady Vols coach Kim Caldwell beat Florida. Caldwell’s Marshall squad beat the Gators last season.
Florida defense, officials stifles Tennessee offense in first half
Tennessee played its worst half of basketball since almost losing to Missouri three weeks ago, and it wasn’t helped by the officiating.
Cooper only played two minutes of the first half after picking up two fouls in the first five minutes. The officials went on to call 15 fouls on Tennessee, allowing Florida to go 10-for-16 from the free throw line before halftime. The Gators were called for five fouls and UT went 1-for-3 on free throws.
But the Lady Vols’ execution on offense was poor. They didn’t get enough touches in the paint and didn’t move Florida’s defense to get to their spots. Tennessee settled for too many contested jumpers and didn’t move the ball enough, and it shot only 30% in the first half.
Lady Vols score 37 points in third quarter
The Lady Vols looked like themselves again coming out of halftime. They pressured consistently on defense and created better shots on offense, and they outscored Florida 37-20 to take 65-57 into the fourth quarter.
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Tennessee shot 50% from the field in the third, and it scored 17 points off nine Florida turnovers. Jewel Spear led the Lady Vols with 10 points on 3-for-3 shooting in the third, and Cooper chipped in eight points.
Tennessee also got on the boards after getting outrebounded 27-24 in the first half. The Lady Vols outrebounded Florida 12-9, and they scored nine second-chance points on seven offensive rebounds.
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on X @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Lady Vols explode in second half to notch critical road win over Florida
