Sara Puckett was due for a big performance, and the physicality of the win against Tulsa was perfect timing.
Puckett led Lady Vols basketball with 17 points in its 102-61 win over Tulsa (6-6) in the West Palm Beach Classic in West Palm Beach, Florida. The senior forward shot 7-for-12 and went 3-for-5 from 3-point range. It was a confidence-boosting performance for Puckett, who has struggled recently.
There were 47 total fouls called at Rubin Arena, which wasn’t ideal for the Lady Vols’ style of play. No. 16 Tennessee (11-0) kept its composure, but when there was a lot of stoppage in the third quarter, it only outscored Tulsa 15-14.
“For me personally, it just ticks me off, like you’re really gonna do this right now?” Puckett said. “You’re not stronger than us, you’re not faster than us, so don’t play that way. And so I was just really glad to see how we kept our calm. But we also gave it back to them. If they want to give it, we’ll give it right back and harder.”
Why Kim Caldwell was not satisfied despite winning by 41 points
Kim Caldwell was anything but satisfied with the 41-point win, which hasn’t been uncommon for the first-year Tennessee coach.
The Lady Vols started out sluggish for a second straight game and only led 22-20 after the first quarter. Tennessee’s effort was lacking to start, especially on 50-50 loose balls, and Caldwell said they’ll be watching those in film.
“Once we get to SEC play, if that’s the effort we go with after a ball, it’s going to be a long year,” Caldwell said.
Caldwell doesn’t budge on her standard, and scoring more than 100 points for the fifth time this season doesn’t automatically equal a great game.
Caldwell noted the Lady Vols still need to figure out how to put four quarters together. It was an up-and-down game against Tulsa (6-6) from a slow start to a 41-point second quarter when it shot 68.2%. The Lady Vols built a 63-31 lead at halftime, but they followed it with a weaker third quarter, which was a letdown to Caldwell.
Tennessee then finished the game strong, outscoring Tulsa 24-16. The Lady Vols had 27 points off turnovers – they forced 23 – and shot 14-for-32 from 3-point range.
However, Caldwell does see improvement.
“I think our half court defense is getting better, our defensive percentage is going down, which is good,” Caldwell said. “I think players are playing with more confidence. They’re getting more comfortable, and that’s exactly what we needed first semester.”
Besides Puckett, Zee Spearman and Ruby Whitehorn are also getting better every game. Spearman has averaged 14 points and, perhaps more importantly, 8.5 rebounds over the last four games. Whitehorn has averaged 13.4 points and 4.4 rebounds since only scoring four points against Florida State, and she has shot 55% from the field in that span.
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“(It’s) extremely fun because they’re being consistent,” Puckett said of Spearman and Whitehorn. “That’s really important, and so it’s good to see them do what they do in practice. So now I think we’re all kind of getting it together, and it’s gonna be really fun after Christmas.”
Five Lady Vols scored in double figures – Jewel Spear had 16 points, Spearman added 15, and Whitehorn and Talaysia Cooper had 13 points each.
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Sara Puckett was ticked off by Tulsa’s plan vs Lady Vols
