NASHVILLE – Jasmine Powell passed the ball to Rickea Jackson at the top of the key.
The Lady Vols had the final possession of the third quarter against Vanderbilt, and now there were only 10 seconds left. Jackson turned and drove, but the Commodores didn’t let her into the lane. She passed to Powell on the arc, who hit Jillian Hollingshead cutting to the low block.
Vanderbilt tried to double team her, but she passed out of it perfectly to a wide-open Kaiya Wynn. The junior guard drained her short jumper, giving Tennessee an 18-point lead going into the fourth quarter.
Jackson yelled as she ran over to Wynn, wrapping her in a hug that nearly knocked her off her feet. There was pure elation in that moment as Tennessee throttled its in-state rival.
Things are coming together for the Lady Vols (16-9, 9-4 SEC), and they know it. They made sure everyone else knows it, too, beating Vanderbilt 86-61 at Memorial Gymnasium on Sunday.
“I’m really excited about where we are,” Lady Vols coach Kellie Harper said. “And I just think there’s still growth to be had, and that’s exciting for me, because now that growth can be some X’s and O’s. We’ve played with really good focus and really good toughness, and we’re playing hard. We’re doing a lot of the things that are necessary to win basketball games.”
Tennessee outscored Vanderbilt (19-8, 6-7) with 20 or more points in three quarters – including a 30-point first quarter – and shot 52.5% from the field. The Lady Vols had 15 assists to 12 turnovers, they outrebounded the Commodores 43-36 and went 9-for-21 from 3-point range.
Jackson led the Lady Vols with 24 points on 73.3% shooting, and her seven rebounds and four assists were also team-highs. She was on another level, and Vanderbilt failed to make anything difficult for her.
“When she can stay consistent and stay efficient … it’s really good for our team, because not only is she a good scorer, but she’s a great passer as well,” said point guard Jasmine Powell, who had 12 points, five rebounds and three assists. “So when she’s on, everybody else is on as well.”
Tennessee went 2-1 in its three games over seven days, its only loss by 11 points to No. 1 South Carolina on Thursday. The Lady Vols kept the game tied with the undefeated Gamecocks for three quarters after a blowout win over Arkansas at home.
Tennessee also strung together its best three defensive games in SEC play, holding opponents to an average of 60.7 points.
“I thought Tennessee played a really, really good game,” Vanderbilt coach Shea Ralph said. “They played as well as I’ve seen them play this year … I thought we played one of our worst games today, and they beat the breaks off of us. So, I mean, that’s what’s going to happen in this league if you don’t show up with your A-game in February.”
The Lady Vols punched first against South Carolina and Vanderbilt, and it started with their focus in practice, Powell said.
“We’d liked to have had that other (win), but in terms of our focus and how well we were locked in, I was proud of that,” Harper said. “I think we’ve had quite a bit of carryover this week.”
The Lady Vols went through their tests in nonconference play without Jackson due to injury. They had to go through them again in the SEC after she returned, and it took longer for them to hit their stride.
But they’re hitting it now, because they learned from the losses, Jewel Spear said. The senior guard rebounded from a scoreless performance against South Carolina with a 16-point game Sunday. Spear shot 50% from the field and added four rebounds and an assist and block.
“We got better from it,” Spear said. “So now, when we face those moments, we’re calm, we’re poised, we’ve been here – and we know how to attack it.”
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 prove they’re hitting their stride with blowout win over Vanderbilt
