Tennessee vs Ole Miss: Lady Vols Fall Short in Oxford

OXFORD, MS – The Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team suffered a tough road loss, falling 94-81 to the No. 16 Ole Miss Rebels on February 17th at SJB Pavilion. Coming off a close contest against a top-4 ranked team, the No. 22 Lady Vols (16-8, 8-4 SEC) struggled to find their rhythm, trailing by as much as 26 points.

Game Recap: A Difficult Night for Tennessee

Tennessee found themselves down 11 points at halftime and were unable to close the gap throughout the second half. The Ole Miss offense proved too potent, shooting an impressive 54% from the field. The Lady Vols’ defense struggled to contain Cotie McMahon, who led all scorers with a dominant 39-point performance on 12-for-22 shooting.

Key Performances for the Lady Vols

Despite the loss, several Lady Vols delivered strong individual performances. Talaysia Cooper led the team with 30 points, shooting 12-for-26 from the field. Alyssa Latham contributed 10 points and three steals, while freshman Lauren Hurst had a career night, scoring 16 points on an efficient 6-for-9 shooting, including 4-for-5 from beyond the arc, and grabbing nine rebounds.

Areas for Improvement

The Lady Vols’ forwards struggled to make an impact, hampered by early foul trouble. Janiah Barker and Zee Spearman combined for just 11 points on 4-for-19 shooting. Rebounding and transition defense were also significant issues, with Ole Miss outscoring Tennessee 42-34 in the paint. The third quarter proved particularly damaging, as Ole Miss outscored Tennessee 31-20, extending their lead to 75-53.

Challenges and Circumstances

The game was originally scheduled for January 26th but was postponed due to an ice storm. This led to a challenging mid-week matchup for Tennessee, sandwiched between their typical Sunday and Thursday conference games. Adding to the team’s challenges, starting point guard Mia Pauldo remained sidelined due to an injury sustained during the South Carolina game. Her absence was felt as she is a crucial ball-handler and shooter for the Lady Vols.

Looking Ahead

The Lady Vols will need to regroup and address their defensive shortcomings as they continue their SEC schedule. They’ll need to find more consistent contributions from their forwards and improve their rebounding to compete with the top teams in the conference. You can find more information about the Tennessee Lady Vols at UTSports.com.

This article was originally published on Knox News and is part of the USA TODAY Network.