Talk about a show. The Tennessee Lady Vols set an NCAA record for three-pointers in a game in their 139-59 win over the UNC Central Eagles Saturday night, going 30-of-63 from beyond the arc, surpassing the previous mark of 28 set by Western Illinois back in 2018.
It’s scarier than you think.
UT, ranked No. 19 in the AP Poll and No. 18 in the Coaches Poll, is not loaded with three-point shooters. Kim Caldwell’s system at the lower levels was based on shooting and athleticism. She was going to have to add size at the SEC level, so limited in picking up talent, she went for size and athleticism while sacrificing shooting in the transfer portal this offseason.
The idea was that the team would be athletic enough to create open looks and improve its three-point shooting upon what it should be. Even with that method, though, the Tennessee Lady Vols are making history with their ability to shoot the ball from beyond the arc.
Samara Spencer led the way for UT, going 9-of-13 from three en route to 33 points. Talaysia Cooper went 5-of-9 from outside with 21 points, and Tess Darby went 5-of-13 from outside with 17 points. Ruby Whitehorn went 2-of-4 from three with 13 points. That was just the starters.
Off the bench, Zee Spearman was 2-of-3 with 15 points, Avery Strickland was 3-of-7, Destinee Wells was 2-of-4, and Sara Puckett and Edie Darby each hit one as well. Just as she planned, though, the elite shooting came from the transitions plays. UT forced an insane 44 turnovers and had 22 steals.
Cooper had five steals, Spencer had three, Darby had three, Favor Ayodele had three, and Spearman had two. Darby, Strickland, Wells, Puckett, Alyssa Latham and Jillian Hollingshead all had one, and Hollingshead and Cooper also managed to come away with two blocks each. Latham, Spencer and Strickland all had one.
What’s clear from this game is that the insane amount of aggression that is a staple of Caldwell’s system allowed Tennessee to have plenty of open looks on the other end, and they took advantage. Simply put, it started with the elite perimeter defense and athleticism that allowed them to run transition.
So what’s going to happen when Caldwell is able to recruit more shooters in the future?
Here is what the Tennessee Lady Vols are all of a sudden scary. Caldwell has a loaded recruiting class for next year, all made up of guards who can shoot. This will add another element to the team she already has and allow them to have regular nights like this given the transition offense that comes with her system. Just how great could this program get?
We don’t know, but for this year, the Tennessee Lady Vols are now 8-0 and will visit the Memphis Tigers next Wednesday. UNC Central, to be fair, is not a good team, as they fall to 0-12 and will visit the Winthrop Eagles next Friday. Still, what UT just did remains beyond impressive.
