KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Lady Vols took down UT Martin in a quick turnaround matchup inside Food City Center Thursday night. The 90-50 win came just two days after Tennessee beat Samford 101-53 in Kim Caldwell's head coaching debut on Tuesday.
Caldwell bases each game's starters on their productivity in the previous game. Zee Spearman started with Jewel Spear, Sara Puckett, Talaysia Cooper and Kaniya Boyd. Fitting for Spearman, as she put up 25 points the last time she was on the court.
To keep up with Tennessee, UT Martin also full-court pressed the entire time. Tennessee's start offensively was slower than in its previous matchup, but senior Sara Puckett stepped up big to end the first quarter.
Tennessee went on a 10-0 run before the second, and seven buckets were Puckett's. The Lady Vols led 23-9.
To end the half, Ruby Whitehorn led with 10 points. Whitehorn was aggressive, getting offensive boards and, more importantly, scoring off them.
Tennessee ended the first half leading by over 20 points, 42-20. The Lady Vols also scored 13 second-chance points.
After the third quarter, Whitehorn had already secured a double-double, including tying a career-high 14 rebounds. She also ended the night leading the team in scoring with 18 points.
Four other Lady Vols scored in double figures, including Spear, Puckett, and Spencer. Tennessee shot just 39.3% from the field and made nine of 39 three-point attempts.
Next up, Tennessee takes on Middle Tennessee on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. inside Food City Center.
