KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee women’s basketball bounced back after their first SEC loss with a 65-51 win over Ole Miss on Thursday night inside Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Lady Vols held a 15-8 after the first quarter. The difference was second-chance points. Tennessee had eight second-chance points, which matches the Rebels’ total points in the first stanza.
Rickea Jackson extended the lead to double-digits with a jump shot she made and was fouled on. She made the free throw too to put the Lady Vols up 21-10.
Ole Miss cut the lead back down to five a couple of times, but ultimately at halftime, Tennessee still led by seven points like after the first. UT led 18-21.
Ole Miss cut the lead to as little as four points in the third quarter. Later, with UT leading 35-30, they started to gain some momentum. Jordan Horston knocked down a jumper to make it 37-30. She scored on another after an Ole Miss basket to make it 39-32.
Jasmine Franklin scored on a layup not long after, assisted by Horston, to make it 41-32. Then Franklin did it all by coming up with a steal and scoring a layup to get the Lady Vols back up by double-digits, 43-32.
They led 43-34 heading into the fourth quarter.
Horston scored the first two buckets of the fourth quarter to give the Lady Vols their largest lead, 47-34. Ole Miss went on a 7-0 run to close the margin to 47-41 with 6:56 to go in the half.
Tennessee responded with a couple of defensive plays they turned into offense. Jackson came up with a steal and was fouled on the other end. She made two free throws to make it 49-41.
Jordan Walker came up with a steal and passed it ahead to Horston for a layup to make it 51-41. Horston then got a steal and Jillian Hollingshead scored on a jumper to make it 53-41.
The best steal of them all came when Jasmine Powell dove on the floor to get a steal, and flipped it ahead to Sara Puckett who tip-passed it to Jackson for a layup to make the score 58-43.
Tennessee went on to win 65-51.
The Lady Vols improve to 9-1 on SEC. Tennessee plays Mississippi State on the road next at 7 p.m. on Feb. 6.
