Game Thread: Lady Vols Vs Oklahoma; Sun Jan 5th ; Home game; 3 PM Eastern; ESPN

#28
#28
Rooster1 said:
Love the spirit, I called 85-79 LV’s. I feel it is the first big test of this team. Obviously I think they pass it.

If they exceed expectations against a team of this stature, it’s like I already said, all bets are off. I believe SC will find a way to win the SEC this year, but Texas and UT are the biggest worries to me atm. I’m still not sure which of the two is more dangerous to SC.
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We’ll ALL know more at this time tomorrow, won’t we? These are exciting times!
 
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#32
#32
ThatVolGuy said:
I’ll be there! Excited to watch the team in person for the first time.
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Oh my goodness! You’ve chosen a great game for your first!

I just noticed Oklahoma had 8,039 in Norman for their game against Texas, so folks like us have GOT to be there and loud tomorrow so we can try to be the best fans in the country this weekend. 🤗
 
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#33
#33
This game could be a nail-biter, it is according to which Oklahoma team shows up and how well Tennessee protects the paint and defends the 3. Beers could be a monster inside and Oklahoma can shoot the three. Tennessee has the better athleticism as compared to Oklahoma, that will depend upon which groups CKC puts together. Except for Beers, Oklahoma is quick and fast. However, except for Puckett, Holinshed and Tess Darby, Tennessee can hold its own against fast and quick teams. I project a Tennessee win. This team refuses to give in.

Tennessee. 95
Oklahoma 84
 
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#34
#34
lvocd said:
Oh my goodness! You’ve chosen a great game for your first!

I just noticed Oklahoma had 8,039 in Norman for their game against Texas, so folks like us have GOT to be there and loud tomorrow so we can try to be the best fans in the country this weekend. 🤗
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Sorry, I should’ve clarified JUST a bit. 😆 I graduated from UT in 2011, so I got to see the Candace Parker teams, but I actually haven’t been back to watch them in person since I graduated.

Also, right before I moved to Knoxville from New Mexico in 2006, we got to see the Lady Vols beat UConn during our “scouting” trip (we were picking a house and my high school). That was my first official Tennessee sporting event!
 
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#35
#35
ThatVolGuy said:
Sorry, I should’ve clarified JUST a bit. 😆 I graduated from UT in 2011, so I got to see the Candace Parker teams, but I actually haven’t been back to watch them in person since I graduated.

Also, right before I moved to Knoxville from New Mexico in 2006, we got to see the Lady Vols beat UConn during our “scouting” trip (we were picking a house and my high school).
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That is coooooool
 
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#36
#36
ThatVolGuy said:
Sorry, I should’ve clarified JUST a bit. 😆 I graduated from UT in 2011, so I got to see the Candace Parker teams, but I actually haven’t been back to watch them in person since I graduated.

Also, right before I moved to Knoxville from New Mexico in 2006, we got to see the Lady Vols beat UConn during our “scouting” trip (we were picking a house and my high school). That was my first official Tennessee sporting event!
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What an awesome slate of games to catch!
 
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#37
#37
ThatVolGuy said:
Sorry, I should’ve clarified JUST a bit. 😆 I graduated from UT in 2011, so I got to see the Candace Parker teams, but I actually haven’t been back to watch them in person since I graduated.

Also, right before I moved to Knoxville from New Mexico in 2006, we got to see the Lady Vols beat UConn during our “scouting” trip (we were picking a house and my high school). That was my first official Tennessee sporting event!
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Love it! Have fun tomorrow!
 
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#38
#38
OrangeBeachVol said:
Men just crushed Arky, need make it a double double this weekend.
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Saw our Lady Vols in the stands watching the men today.

Hope they took good notes on the rebounding/blocking out clinic the guys put on. Windex props to Miličić today, and to 5'9" Zakai Zeigler for demonstrating perfect form and position against 7'2" Zvonimir Ivišić!

This is how it's done, ladies! No fears for Beers tomorrow.

1736042969129.png
 
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#40
#40
Rooster1 said:
LV 85-79

The offense will sputter at times, but the LV’s are going to wear OK out in the end.
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IF the refs don't call another game so tightly that our opponents get to fully recover during 40+ foul shots!

Midway through the 4th quarter, A&M looked like they'd stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, while LV Fast & Furious was stuck running most of the race under a yellow caution flag.
 
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#42
#42
Coach Jumper said:
View attachment 711955

University of Oklahoma Logo

vs
View attachment 711954

Score Predictions:
Masse : TN 79-77
@Coach Jumper ;
@th2421 ; 93-85
@J-Dog 1313 ; 103-72
@VolBall09 ; 90-84
@Vols2015 ; 85-68
@Volfan2012 ; 92-85
@VolBalls33 ; 85-82
@Orange Maniac ; 82-74
@knoxvol52 ; 80-68
@RespectAPA ; 97-90
@Rooster1 ; 85-79
@lvocd ; 87-73
@1morevol ; 89-84
@MAD ; 84-72
@Just a VolinTears ; 89-81
@Deebowbear ; 83-74
@Volfan1000 ; 94-73
@TNRazor ; 88-84
@Chippo ; 82-79

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- No. 15/13 Tennessee (13-0, 1-0 SEC) is back home for two games against top-10 teams, beginning with a Sunday matinee vs. No. 9/10 Oklahoma (12-2, 0-1 SEC) at Food City Center. The Lady Vols, who've won all eight games on The Summitt in 2024-25 and have a nine-game home winning streak dating back to last season, will face the Sooners at 3 p.m. ET. The Big Orange will attempt to open the year 14-0 for only the second time in the past 19 seasons.

Caldwell's first Lady Vol team enters Sunday's match-up ranked No. 1 nationally in six statistical categories through Jan. 2. UT is tops in the NCAA in scoring offense (98.2), three pointers per game (12.2), three point attempts per game (36.5), offensive rebounds per game (21.6), turnovers forced per game (27.38) and winning percentage (100.0). It is second in turnover margin (14.6) and third in steals per game (14.6) and bench points per game (37.5), and sixth in scoring margin (32.3).

Oklahoma enters on the heels of an 80-73 home loss to No. 5/6 Texas on Thursday night in Norman. That setback snapped a six-game Sooner winning streak. OU's only losses are to No. 13 Duke (109-99 OT) and to the Longhorns, and they have quality wins over No. 22 Louisville (78-72) and No. 20 Michigan (72-62).

INDIVIDUALLY SPEAKING
  • COOP TO THE HOOP: Talaysia Cooper is having a break-out season, leading Tennessee in scoring (17.9 ppg.), hitting double figures in 11 games, carding six efforts of 20+ points and notching seven quarters where she has scored 10 or more points, including 12 and 10, respectively, in the fourth quarters vs. Florida State and Iowa.
  • "FEAR DA SPEAR": Jewel Spear is enjoying her best stretch this season, hitting 15+ in each of the past three games and averaging 17.0 ppg. during that span with 13 treys.
  • SMOOTH SAMARA: Samara Spencer is averaging 11.7 ppg. and 5.6 apg., ranking No. 3 nationally in assist/turnover ratio (4.06) with 73 assists and 18 turnovers and No. 10 in three-point field goal percentage at 46.4 with a team-leading 32 three-pointers.
  • ZEE SPREE: After scoring in double figures once in her first four games, Zee Spearman has had 10+ points in seven of her last nine contests and is averaging 14.3 ppg. and 6.3 rpg. over Tennessee's past three contests.
  • RUBY'S ROLLING: Ruby Whitehorn has emerged as UT's second leading scorer at 12.9 ppg., putting up 14.0 ppg. and reaching double digits in her past seven outings.
FROM A TEAM PERSPECTIVE
  • PILING UP POINTS: The Lady Vols rank No. 1 nationally in scoring offense, generating 98.2 points per game. The lowest a Kim Caldwell team has ranked in ppg. is No. 4, where she was in 2023-24 (85.3) at Marshall.
  • MAKING THREES IN BUNCHES: UT ranks No. 1 in 3FGs made per game at 12.2 and has hit 10+ treys nine times, eclipsing the old school best of six at Memphis for most games with double-digit totals in a season.
  • ELITE ON O-BOARDS: UT is No. 1 in the nation in offensive rebounds per game at 21.6. It has twice reached 30+ this season.
  • TURNING OVER THE OPPOSITION: UT is No. 1 in turnovers forced per game (27.38) and No 2. in T.O. margin (12.62) after Texas A&M had 25 miscues for the 10th 20+ T.O. game (6th with 30+) by a foe in 2024-25.
  • RACKING UP STEALS: UT is No. 3 nationally in steals per game (14.6). It now has 190 in 13 games, but its 162 in only 11 contests passed last year's 159 in 33 games.
  • THAT'S A 10-COUNT: Tennessee has prevented its foes from getting the ball over halfcourt in 10 seconds a total of 15 times in 13 games. UT forced only five violations the previous five years combined.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
  • ONE OF SEVEN UNBEATENS: UT is tied with seven teams at No. 1 nationally with a win percentage of 100 through Jan. 2.
  • UT NO. 19 IN NET RANKINGS: UT is No. 19 in the NCAA's NET rankings, with wins over No. 21 Florida State, No. 30 Iowa, No. 38 Richmond and No. 66 Middle Tennessee.
LADY VOLS 6-2 IN "SUMMITT BLUES"
  • UT is 6-2 all-time in its "Summitt Blue" uniforms, including 2-0 in 2024-25, and is expected to wear them again on Sunday vs. Oklahoma.
LOOKING BACK AT THE LAST GAME
  • The Lady Vols (13-0, 1-0 SEC), who had lost in five of their last six trips to College Station, were led by Texan Jewel Spear. The fifth-year guard from The Colony knocked down six of eight attempts beyond the arc to finish with a season-high 20 points. Also in double figures for UT were Talaysia Cooper with 16, Ruby Whitehorn with 15 and Zee Spearman with 14. Samara Spencer dished out eight assists with only one turnover.
  • 13-0 WITH 12 DIFFERENT LINEUPS: The Lady Vols have begun the year 13-0 with 12 different starting lineups and 10 different players appearing in the first five. Tennessee repeated a previous quintet vs. Memphis but had new ones in the past four contests. Jewel Spear, Samara Spencer, Sara Puckett, Zee Spearman and Kaniya Boyd opened Thursday's contest. Spencer leads the team with 12 starts and Spearman recorded her ninth. Spear and Puckett tallied their seventh, while Boyd added her second versus the Aggies.
A LOOK AT THE SOONERS
  • Raegan Beers, a 6-4 center, paces the OU attack at 17.4 ppg. (68.3 FG%) and 9.4 rpg.
  • Payton Verhulst (14.1), Skylar Vann (10.8) and Sahara Williams (10.6) also score in double figures.
  • The Sooners have the No. 6 scoring offense in the country (90.3) and are No. 1 in rebound avg. (50.5) and No. 2 in assist avg. (22.4) and rebound margin (18.1).
OKLAHOMA'S LAST GAME
  • Freshman Jordan Lee scored 17 points off the bench and No. 5 Texas rallied to defeat No. 9 Oklahoma 80-73 Thursday night at Norman in the SEC opener for both teams.
  • Rori Harmon scored 16 points, Taylor Jones added 14 points on 7-for-9 shooting and Kyla Oldacre had 12 points and seven rebounds for the Longhorns (14-1).
  • Payton Verhulst scored 23 points and Liz Scott added 14 for Oklahoma (12-2). The Sooners squandered a 12-point lead in the second quarter, but kept it close, even without leading scorer Raegan Beers, who got in early foul trouble and scored 11 points in 17 minutes.
UP NEXT
  • Tennessee will play host to its second straight top-10 team, as No. 6/4 LSU pays a visit to Rocky Top on Thursday, Jan. 9.
  • The Lady Vols and Tigers will meet at 6:30 p.m. ET in a contest streamed live on SECN+ and available on Lady Vol Radio Network stations statewide and via audio stream on UTSports.com.
  • This will be the first of two meetings this season for these teams, as UT travels to Baton Rouge, La., for the second of those tilts at 3 p.m. CT (4 ET) on Feb. 9. That game will be televised by ESPN.
Click to expand...
Lady Vols 91
Oklahoma 85
 
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#46
#46
I do think we will have a hard time containing OU in the paint, but I do not think they will be able to stop us from scoring. Especially in transition, athletically we are a bad matchup for them. They are a mediocre defensive team and we are considerably more athletic. They have several girls who are just slow, Vann is a nice player but she really is slow, so are Beers and Verhulst comparatively. Verhulst is like a slightly more athletic Tess with a better handle.

Our depth should be a big factor in this one. They play quite a few players but do not have the quality depth. Liz Scott is the only player for them that comes off the bench who can really contribute. Keys can get hot so someone has to keep track of her when she’s in the game, she’s pretty much a 3 point specialist. Reminds me of Gabby Marshall at Iowa, streaky shooter and a really good defender.

Both teams are coming off games on Thursday but theirs was much more physical. Interestingly they CRUSHED Texas on the glass 44-28 but still lost the game. A stat that bodes well for us as I expect us to lose the battle of the boards against them. They had 27 turnovers to Texas 18 which is a good sign for us. They had not seen pressure like that all season and it really bothered them. They don’t have the best ball handlers and Tot is itty bitty, our size on the press is really going to bother her.

Verhulst was 1-11 from three which won’t happen often. Texas made her very uncomfortable though. She isn’t overly athletic and they forced her to take tough, contested threes or really bad deep ones. Beers struggled with the Pace and was in foul trouble most of the game. I didn’t think Oldacre/Jones were even that physical and Beers was so frustrated, at least a couple of her fouls were purely frustration.
 
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#48
#48
lvocd said:
Unfortunately, after the way Coulibaly scored at will by driving hard to the basket, I wouldn't be surprised if Oklahoma sends everyone barreling in for layups until Tennessee proves they can stop them.

Ugh. My BVS is flaring up.
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That has been the best way to score on us all season. Our defensive rotation needs (has) to be better. There was 3-4 times I thought Whitehorn could have taken a charge on AC but tried to block her and was called for the foul instead.

At some point our players have to take it personally and play some lockdown, half court D. We’ve seen flashes of it. The first half and the last 4 minutes yesterday it looked excellent. The third quarter was abysmal though.
 
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#49
#49
Spearman in particular has to protect the rim better. Her +\- suffers due to her defense. Tends to get caught ball watching and gives up way too many open drives to the basket.

We do need to address that in the portal, we need an athletic 6’5” who is primarily defensive minded and willing to rebound. Would complement Zees offense really well. I’ve been watching teams and have my eye on a few. King at ND would have made this a National Championship contending team. She is an excellent defender and crushes the boards, really wish we had gotten her.
 
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