They didn’t necessarily ace their first real test under Kim Caldwell with flying colors, but the Tennessee Lady Vols proved their mental toughness and where they could turn against the Florida State Seminoles Wednesday night. In the process, they got their best win to this point to remain undefeated.
Zee Spearman drove to the basket and hit a jumper with 24 seconds left, and UT denied FSU a game-tying layup as time expired to hold on for the 79-77 victory at home in what was likely a game to be in next week’s top 25. Caldwell’s team blew a 20-point lead in the third quarter and entered the fourth with the score tied up.
While Spearman was the hero at the end and finished with 13 points, Talaysia Cooper was the star of the game, scoring 22 points with two steals and two blocks. Samara Spencer added 11, hitting both her three-pointers. Alyssa Latham had nine points and seven rebounds off the bench, and Jewel Spear added eight points.
Both the Tennessee Lady Vols and FSU are known for tempo. Led by fourth-year head coach Brooke Wyckoff, FSU has been to three straight NCAA Tournaments running a fast-paced system. Caldwell is installing one at UT but does not have the full personnel to do it yet.
The result was going from controlled chaos to just chaos in this one.
Both teams turned the ball over 16 times and shot under 26 percent from the three-point line. UT, meanwhile, was also an abysmal 2-of-7 from the free throw line. The difference in the game, though, was offensive rebounds, as Tennessee had 23 of them and outrebounded FSU 50-39.
That stat line validated Caldwell’s offseason decisions. Unable to fully construct the team she needs to run her system at this level, Caldwell had to sacrifice size, athleticism or elite shooting when building her roster. She sacrificed the elite shooting, but with the size and athleticism, her team is winning the boards.
In addition to leading the team in scoring, Cooper was the star of the offensive rebounds, coming in with four. Spearman, Latham and Sara Puckett each had three. FSU, by the way, had 10 offensive boards, so the 13 offensive rebounds difference is why the Tennessee Lady Vols won the battle on the boards.
Beyond just the rebounding, though, Cooper and Spearman proved they could be the go-to inside out game for this team when things get tough. Cooper scored 12 points in the fourth quarter alone, and Spearman scored 10. Those were all the fourth quarter points UT scored.
Despite the limitations, this Tennessee Lady Vols team does have an identity now, it is mentally tough, and it will continue to put on a show. Caldwell’s first season has truly re-energized the fan base. At the same time, though, there is a ceiling this year. That was clear Wednesday.
With the win, UT improves to 6-0 and will leave Thompson-Boling Arena for the first time Saturday to face the Iowa Hawkeyes, who are No. 17 in the AP Poll and No. 20 in the Coaches Poll, in the Champions Classic in New York City. FSU falls to 8-2 and will host the SMU Mustangs Sunday.
