Lady Vols basketball plays its in-state rival on the road this weekend.
Tennessee (15-9, 8-4 SEC) faces Vanderbilt (19-7, 6-6) at Memorial Gymnasium on Sunday (2 p.m. ET, SEC Network). The Lady Vols won the first matchup in Knoxville 73-64. The Commodores have gone 2-4 since then and are coming off a 49-45 win over Texas A&M on the road. Tennessee is coming off an 11-point loss to No. 1 South Carolina on Thursday.
Here’s what you need to know about the matchup.
Vanderbilt freshman Khamil Pierre hitting her stride
In Vanderbilt’s last two wins, freshman forward Khamil Pierre has led the team in scoring. She poured in 28 points on 12-for-16 shooting against Georgia and 11 points against Texas A&M.
Pierre wasn’t as much of a factor in Tennessee’s win over the Commodores, only logging six points and four rebounds before fouling out. But she’s hit her stride in SEC play and is averaging 14.8 points and 7.2 rebounds over the last five games – which included a double-double against LSU (13 points, 11 rebounds).
Her production inside has been key with Vanderbilt’s inconsistent 3-point shooting lately, and Tennessee can’t let her get easy looks in the paint.
Tennessee needs to crush Vanderbilt on the boards
The Lady Vols outrebounded Vanderbilt 35-25 last time, but they only grabbed eight offensive rebounds. The Commodores’ recent opponents have been able to exploit their defensive rebounding. Their last five opponents have averaged 15.8 offensive rebounds and 15.2 second-chance points.
With the way Tennessee rebounded against South Carolina – 42 rebounds, 14 offensive rebounds – it should be able to do the same to Vanderbilt. The Lady Vols will need to capitalize better on second chances, but they should, and need to, dominate the boards on both ends of the court Sunday.
Lady Vols can clean up turnovers in second matchup
Tennessee committed 19 turnovers against Vanderbilt, its second-highest mark in SEC play. The Commodores capitalized off that for 17 points.
Since then, though, the Lady Vols have only averaged 13.3 turnovers, including only 13 against South Carolina. Vanderbilt has averaged 12.2 points off turnovers the last five games, and if Tennessee can limit that production, it will make this one an easier win than last time.
On the flip side, Tennessee scored 19 points off 15 Vanderbilt turnovers last time. It was able to do the same against South Carolina in the first half, and it needs to continue to create some offense from its defense Sunday.
Vanderbilt ready to avenge first loss
This Vanderbilt team is not the same as Vanderbilt teams of the past, and getting a win in Memorial Gymnasium is never a cakewalk.
But these Commodores believe they can beat Tennessee after playing the Lady Vols close last game. UT closed out the win without star forward Rickea Jackson in the fourth quarter, but it was close for the entire game.
JACKSON: How Rickea Jackson stopped second-guessing herself to lead Lady Vols to near-upset of South Carolina
Vanderbilt will be out for blood this time around, especially with its NCAA Tournament bid on the line. The Commodores are on the bubble, and a win over Tennessee would boost their chances significantly.
Lady Vols basketball score prediction vs Vanderbilt
Tennessee 77, Vanderbilt 66: This is the Lady Vols’ third game this week, so they may have to go deep into the rotation Sunday. I expect Tennessee to bring back a win after seeing the way it performed against South Carolina, but the Commodores will keep it close again on their home court.
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 vs. Vanderbilt: Score prediction, scouting report
