Samara Spencer expected her teammates’ shot to go in and started backing up, ready to celebrate at the halftime buzzer.
But the shot rimmed out and the offensive rebound ended up in Spencer’s hands with a second left to shoot. The senior guard didn’t hesitate and launched a shot from nearly half court – and she drained it.
The logo 3-pointer capped off a dominant half for Lady Vols basketball, which beat North Carolina Central 139-59 Saturday at Food City Center. Tennessee set an NCAA record for 3-pointers made, hitting 30 on 63 attempts. The previous school record was 16.
UT also broke the program record for points scored in a game. The previous record was 136 against Puerto Rico-Mayaguez on Nov. 29, 2002.
Spencer’s shot gave No. 18 Tennessee (8-0) 69 points at halftime, which tied the program record for first-half points. She picked up right where she left off after halftime, immediately hitting another 3-pointer to break the program record.
Spencer ended with a team-high 33 points on 9-for-13 shooting from deep, which broke the program record for made 3-pointers by a player in a single game and tied an NCAA record. Ariel Massengale and Meighan Simmons previously held the UT record of eight made 3-pointers. Spencer added 10 assists, three steals and two rebounds.
Six Lady Vols scored in double figures, and they shot a season-high 52.2% from the field. Talaysia Cooper had 21 points, seven assists, six rebounds, five steals and two blocks.
Tennessee led 69-18 at halftime, which is the biggest halftime deficit of the season for the Eagles (0-12). NC Central has played six road games against power conference opponents, including No. 14 North Carolina and No. 4 LSU, which previously had the biggest halftime lead at 63-18.
2025 SIGNEES: What it was like for Pauldo twins to watch Lady Vols beat Iowa, get recognized by UT fans
The Lady Vols opened the game on a 20-0 run, and their press immediately dismantled NC Central. They forced 15 turnovers in the first quarter alone and scored 43 points off 28 turnovers at halftime. They ended the game with 44 forced turnovers for 73 points.
Tennessee hit 100 points with 1:38 left in the third quarter, when it outscored NC Central 42-21.
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: Lady Vols basketball sets records, led by Samara Spencer
