KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Kellie Harper secured her 100th win as a head coach at Tennessee with a 73-64 victory over in-state rival Vanderbilt.
The annual "We Back Pat" game was held to honor and support legendary Lady Vols head coach Pat Summitt.
Tennessee's starting five included Rickea Jackson, Jasmine Powell, Sara Puckett, Karoline Striplin and Jewel Spear.
Former Lady Vol Justine Pissot opened up scoring on the day with a corner three from beyond the arc. Jewel Spear answered with one herself to put the Lady Vols on the board, 3-3.
Rickea Jackson added eight points in the first half and continued to be a force on both ends to end the half. Powell was also working on both sides. She went 3-4 from the field and had already dished out five assists.
However, Tennessee blew a seven-point lead to end the half. Vanderbilt's Jordyn Oliver made a layup in the final seconds to tie up the game, 33-33.
Tennessee went on a 6-0 run with layups from Key, Jackson and Puckett to make the score 39-36. However, Pissot sank another one in from deep to tie back up the game right after.
The Lady Vols took back the lead with 6:23 left in the quarter, but the Commorders stayed on their tail throughout the rest of the third.
A corner three from Vanderbilt's Aga Makurat tied up the game again, 47-47, but Tennessee ended the quarter up four points, 51-47.
Tennessee struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 3-12, while Vanderbilt was 9-20 with 9:20 remaining.
Jackson was out for most of the second half after getting subbed out at the end of the third quarter. She was sitting with an athletic trainer before she was completely off the bench and out of sight.
A pair of back-to-back steals led to a 6-0 Commodore run to tie up the game, 62-62. Spear knocked down her second three on the day to put UT back in the lead. A Powell and one also extended the lead, 68-64. It was a vital play that lit up the crowd.
Tennessee went on another 6-0 run with 49 seconds remaining in the game. The Lady Vols took home a tough win against an aggressive team.
Tennessee shot 47.3 percent from the field, while Vandy shot 41.7 percent. The Lady Vols won on the glass, outrebounding the Commodores 35-25.
Rickea Jackson and Jasmine Powell each put up 16 points. Jackson also picked up ten rebounds, while Powell had eight assists. Tamari Key also went 5-5 from the field.
Tennessee's defense excelled throughout and didn't let Vanderbilt score more than 17 points in any quarter.
The Lady Vols will play in an away game against Ole Miss in one week, Jan. 28. The break will be nice to prepare for the rest of a competitive SEC schedule. The game will start at 3 p.m. inside The Sandy and John Black Pavilion.
