Coach Jumper
"the right words"
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@Rooster1 86-73
GAMEDAY TIMES & BROADCAST INFO
- Opponent: Mississippi State
- Date: Thurs., Jan. 16
- Tip-off: 7 p.m. ET
- Venue: Food City Center
- Watch: SEC Network
- Radio: Lady Vol Network
- Online: Live Audio, Live Stats
UT is coming off a 30-point road win at Arkansas, outscoring the Razorbacks 28-2 on points off turnovers, 22-10 on fast breaks and 40-22 in the paint en route to a 93-63 triumph on Sunday. The Lady Vols feature five players averaging double figures in scoring, led by redshirt sophomore guard Talaysia Cooper, who puts up 18.3 points per game and shoots 51 percent from the field. Cooper is coming off a 20-point effort vs. Arkansas, marking her eighth 20+ scoring outburst of the season. Fifth-year guard Jewel Spear has scored 15 points or more in five of her last six games, dropping season highs of 20 at Texas A&M and 28 vs. Oklahoma, followed by 25 vs. LSU. She eclipsed the 2,000-point mark for her career in the second quarter vs. Arkansas.
Mississippi State also owns a 2-2 SEC record after capturing a 79-68 road win at Georgia on Sunday. The Bulldogs are paced by guard Jerkaila Jordan, who puts up 15.6 ppg. and 6.6 rpg. She is joined in double figures by guard/forward Eniya Russell (13.6 ppg.) and 6-foot-6 center Madina Okot (12.0 ppg., 8.8 rpg.).
Kim Caldwell's first Lady Vol team enters the match-up ranked No. 1 nationally in four statistical categories through Jan. 14. UT is tops in the NCAA in scoring offense (96.4), three pointers per game (12.0), three point attempts per game (36.0) and offensive rebounds per game (20.6). It is second in turnovers forced per game (26.44) and turnover margin (11.75), third in steals per game (14.4), and sixth in bench points per game (33.8).
INDIVIDUALLY SPEAKING
- COOP IS THE REAL DEAL: Guard Talaysia Cooper is having a break-out season, leading UT in scoring (18.3 ppg.) and steals (3.6 spg.), hitting double figures 14 times, carding eight efforts of 20+ points and notching seven quarters where she scored 10 or more points, including 12 and 10, respectively, in the fourth period vs. Florida State and Iowa.
- "FEAR DA SPEAR": Jewel Spear is enjoying her best stretch this season, averaging 19.8 ppg. in SEC play, hitting 18 of 31 three-point tries in league action (58.1 pct.) to run her season total to a team-high 41 treys.
- SMOOTH SAMARA: Samara Spencer (11.3 ppg., 5.6 apg.) ranks No. 5 nationally in assist/turnover ratio (3.42) with 89 assists, is 11 dimes short of her third 100+ assist season and is second on the team with 38 three-pointers (team-best 42.7 percent).
- DEPENDABLE RUBY: Ruby Whitehorn is UT's third-leading scorer at 13.0 ppg. contributing 10+ points in her past 10 games and ranking third in rebounding (4.9 rpg.).
- ZEE STEPPING UP: Forward Zee Spearman has been in double figures nine times, averaging 11.2 ppg. and a team-high 5.6 rpg. while shooting 54.4 percent.
Noteworthy:
- Tennessee assistant coach Gabe Lazo was an associate head coach at Mississippi State and spent two seasons in Starkville before joining Kim Caldwell's Lady Vol staff prior to the 2024-25 season. He helped the Bulldogs to a pair of 20-win seasons, a top-15 prep signing class and a top-three portal class.
- First-year Mississippi State assistant coach Samantha Williams spent three seasons at Tennessee on Kellie Harper's staff.
- Cooper scored exactly 20 points vs. the Razorbacks on 7-of-14 shooting from the field and added a game-high four steals to lead the Lady Vols (14-2, 2-2 SEC). Junior forward Zee Spearman knocked down a career-best trio of three-pointers to tally 18 points and eight rebounds, while junior guard Ruby Whitehorn supplied 17 points and senior forward Sara Puckett was a rebound shy of a double-double with 11 points and nine boards. In her return to Fayetteville, where she spent her first three college seasons, senior point guard Samara Spencer directed UT's offense with eight assists and no turnovers while adding four rebounds and three steals.
- HOT FROM THREE: Tennessee carded its 12th performance of knocking down ten or more three-pointers in a single contest, hitting 12 against the Hogs. Eight Lady Vols made a three-pointer, with Zee Spearman leading the charge with three. Tennessee notched its highest three-point game against N.C. Central, draining an NCAA, SEC and school-record 30 treys. The Lady Vols have tallied 10 or more three-pointers against the following programs: N.C. Central (30), MTSU (15), Liberty (14), Tulsa (14), Memphis (12), Arkansas (12), LSU (11), Western Carolina (10), Winthrop (10), Texas A&M (10), Oklahoma (10) and Samford (10).
- DANGEROUS ON DEFENSE: The Lady Vols forced Arkansas to turn the ball over a total of 22 times during Sunday's win, posting a 28-2 advantage on points off turnovers and racking up 15 steals for its 12th double-digit effort in that category. Arkansas's two points were the fewest points Tennessee has allowed off of turnovers all season long. Twelve of Tennessee's foes thus far have committed at least 22 miscues: NC Central (44), Samford (37), Western Carolina (37), Oklahoma (31), UT Martin (31), Iowa (30), Winthrop (30), Texas A&M (25), Liberty (25), Tulsa (23), Arkansas (22) and MTSU (22). Tennessee also collected a 10-second violation versus the Hogs. This season UT's press has resulted in 17 10-second violations by opponents through 16 games.
A LOOK AT THE BULLDOGS
- Mississippi State started 8-0 and went 13-1 in non-conference play before opening 2-2 in SEC play.
- After losing at Kentucky and vs. South Carolina in week one, MSU bounced back with wins vs. No. 10/11 Oklahoma and at Georgia last week.
- Jerkaila Jordan paces State at 15.6 ppg., while Eniya Russell (13.6 ppg.) and Madina Okot (12.0 ppg., 8.8 rpg.) also score in double figures.
- The Bulldogs hold foes to 58.7 ppg. and force 17.4 turnovers per contest.
- A season-best shooting day for Mississippi State propelled the Bulldogs past Georgia, 79-68, on Sunday.
- MSU shot 48.3 percent from distance and hit a season-best 14 threes to overcome 17 turnovers.
- Eniya Russell led the way with 21 points, while Madina Okot added a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Jerkaila Jordan tossed in 11 points.
- MSU led 41-27 at the half and staved off a UGA rally.
- The Lady Vols make their way to Nashville this weekend, where they'll face in-state rival Vanderbilt on Sunday afternoon in Memorial Gymnasium.
- Tip-off between the Big Orange and the Commodores is set for 2 p.m. CT (3 p.m. ET) with SECN+ streaming.
- The game also will be available on Lady Vol Network radio stations statewide and via audio stream on UTSports.com.
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