KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Lady Vols took on Wofford inside Food City Center on Tuesday night. Tennessee went nine days without a game, and the team wanted to stick in the win column.
Star forward Rickea Jackson was suited up for the matchup for the first time in 40 days. She’s missed the last eight games due to a lower leg injury.
Destinee Wells was seen in a full right leg brace during the game, so she did not play. Post game, head coach Kellie Harper confirmed Wells will be out for the rest of the season with a right leg injury.
Jewel Spear had five of the Lady Vol’s seven points in the first five minutes. Jackson came in around the three-minute mark and scored her first jumper to put Tennessee up 11-9.
A pair of threes from Sara Puckett and Karoline Striplin helped put the Lady Vols up by 15 in the second quarter, 30-15. At the end of the half, the score was 35-25. Tennessee shot 12-32 from the field and 4-17 from beyond the arc going into the second half.
At this time, Striplin was leading with 11 points, and Spear was right behind her with 10 points. Jackson was also just 1-4 shooting.
With about five minutes left in the third quarter, Tennessee was up by 17.
Jackson and Puckett led in scoring in the third, each picking up five more points.
Tennessee was up by 20 points three minutes into the last quarter, 68-48. But the Terriers were still scoring on a majority of its possessions.
With 2:50 left, the Lady Vols were up 25 points. Tennessee was consistently hitting shots on almost every possession in the fourth quarter, rebounding well, and showing aggressiveness on both sides.
Jewel Spear led in points with 18. Striplin had 16, Puckett had 12, and Jackson picked up 11.
The Lady Vols took home the win, 85-63. Next up, the team plays Liberty in Lynchburg on Dec. 2. That tip-off is at 2 p.m.
