Lady Vols basketball is back at home after a bounce-back win.
Tennessee (13-7, 6-2 SEC) plays Missouri (11-10, 2-6) at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center on Sunday (2 p.m. ET, SEC Network+). The Lady Vols blew out Georgia on the road Thursday, and the Tigers have lost three straight by single digits.
Here’s what you need to know about the matchup.
Missouri is efficient on offense and will let it fly from deep
Missouri doesn’t put up a ton of points — it’s averaging just 65.4 points in SEC play — but it’s fourth in the conference in field goal percentage (43.5%). Senior point guard Mama Dembele deserves a lot of credit for running the efficient offense — her 7.7 assists per game lead the conference.
The Tigers also can shoot from deep. They’ve shot 35.6% on 63 made 3-pointers in conference play, both of which rank third. Graduate forward Hayley Frank leads the team with 49 made 3-pointers on 39.5% shooting. Frank averages 17.5 points — 19.6 in SEC games — and 6.7 rebounds, both of which lead the team.
Five players have hit 25 or more 3-pointers this season, and perimeter defense has to be an emphasis Sunday.
Tennessee’s defense needs to return to form
Tennessee held four of its first six SEC opponents to fewer than 70 points, but the past two games it has struggled to slow opponents offensively.
The Lady Vols gave up 80 points to Ole Miss, which was averaging 65.5 points in SEC play. Then they allowed 73 points to a Georgia team averaging 56.3 points in conference games.
Tennessee can’t continue having those kinds of defensive performances if it wants to collect wins in SEC play. The Lady Vols need to tighten up defensively, especially against a Missouri team that can push the pace and shoot at a high clip.
Lady Vols need to build off strong offensive outing Thursday
Tennessee scored 95 points against Georgia, its highest scoring game of SEC play. The Lady Vols scored 22 points off of 14 Georgia turnovers, but they also found success executing in the halfcourt.
They ended up with 24 assists on their 34 made field goals, which was a season-high. Three starters ended in double figures and five other players scored six or more points. Tennessee found some of its best balance offensively against the Bulldogs’ three-two zone and still managed to score 42 points in the paint.
“I thought we knew where to look – that may have been as important as anything, knowing where we were trying to get the ball,” Tennessee coach Kellie Harper said Friday. “And then playing basketball, I think that was the other thing. It wasn’t just quick hits. It wasn’t very robotic. It was, we gave them a plan and then they played basketball out of that plan, which is the style that I like, but they executed it. And I was proud of them for that.”
Score prediction
Tennessee 84, Missouri 68: Tennessee should win this one comfortably at home, especially with the offensive rhythm it has found. Missouri might end up scoring more than 70 points, based on the Lady Vols’ recent defensive showings, but they will outrun the Tigers offensively if they do.
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 score prediction, scouting report vs Missouri
