NASHVILLE – Jordyn Cambridge gave Rickea Jackson space at the arc, daring her to shoot.
Jackson took a second, expecting Cambridge to close out. When she didn’t, Jackson pulled up and drained her second 3-pointer of the game, giving Lady Vols basketball a 13-point lead against Vanderbilt.
Jackson led the way throughout the game, scoring 24 points to give Tennessee (16-9, 9-4 SEC) a dominant 86-61 win over Vanderbilt (19-8, 6-7) at Memorial Gymnasium on Sunday. The star forward added seven rebounds and a team-high four assists while shooting 11-for-15 from the field.
Tennessee held the Commodores to 33% shooting and outrebounded them 43-36. The Lady Vols also outshot Vanderbilt from behind the arc, going 9-for-21 from 3-point range compared to the Commodores’ 5-for-17.
Lady Vols put foot on the gas from tipoff
Tennessee didn’t look like it was playing its third game of the week in its start against Vanderbilt. The Lady Vols made five straight shots after missing their first attempt.
Vanderbilt had no answers for Tennessee’s perimeter shooting in the first half. The Lady Vols went 5-for-6 in the first quarter en route to 30 points. They shot 76.9% from the field in the first quarter and ended up shooting 59.3% from the field in the first half.
The Commodores cut Tennessee’s lead, which was up to 18 points in the second, to 10 points with 2:43 left before halftime. The Lady Vols committed three turnovers as their lead dwindled, and coach Kellie Harper called timeout. After that, Vanderbilt didn’t score the rest of the quarter as Jackson went on a 5-0 run to give Tennessee a 44-29 lead at the half.
Jewel Spear finds her shot again in Nashville
Jewel Spear led the Lady Vols with nine points after the first quarter. The senior guard shot without hesitation, going 3-for-4 from the field and draining two of her three 3-point attempts.
It was an important first quarter to set the tone for Spear, who went scoreless in the loss against No. 1 South Carolina on Thursday. She was a point of focus for the Gamecocks’ defense after the tear she went on in conference play and Spear went 0-for-8.
But she got right back on track against the Commodores. Spear scored from everywhere – behind the arc, off the dribble and at the free throw line. She ended with 16 points on 50% shooting, four rebounds and an assist.
Tennessee cleans up turnovers, capitalize on offensive boards
Tennessee committed 19 turnovers in the first matchup with Vanderbilt, but it cleaned things up Sunday.
The Lady Vols only logged seven turnovers in the first half, and their five turnovers in the second quarter was the most they committed in a quarter. They ended with 12 turnovers, but Vanderbilt only scored four points off them. Tennessee was able to score seven points off seven Vanderbilt turnovers.
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Tennessee also beat Vanderbilt in second-chance points, even though the Commodores outrebounded the Lady Vols on the offensive glass. Vanderbilt grabbed 17 offensive rebounds, but only had nine second-chance points to show for it. But Tennessee logged 13 second-chance points off 11 offensive boards.
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 crush Vanderbilt on the road behind Rickea Jackson’s 24 points
