Lady Vols Falter in Second Half Collapse Against Louisville
The Lady Vols headed to Brooklyn with a chance to make a national statement against a top-20 opponent. Instead, they left Barclays Center with more questions than answers after an 89-65 loss to Louisville that exposed some familiar issues-particularly in the second half.
Here’s a breakdown of what went wrong and where Tennessee goes from here.
Third Quarter Troubles Strike Again
If there’s been a consistent thorn in Tennessee’s side this season, it’s been the third quarter. Head coach Kim Caldwell has acknowledged it before-every team develops its own rhythm, and for the Lady Vols, that rhythm tends to go flat coming out of the halftime break. Saturday was no exception.
Despite trailing by just five at the half, Tennessee came out with energy and quickly tied things up at 48 midway through the third quarter, thanks to a 7-0 run. For a moment, it looked like momentum had shifted.
But that spark fizzled fast.
Louisville responded with a punishing 15-4 run to close the quarter, capitalizing on Tennessee’s turnovers and lack of defensive pressure. The Lady Vols struggled to get clean looks on offense and couldn’t slow down the Cardinals on the other end. By the time the horn sounded, Tennessee was staring at an 11-point deficit heading into the fourth.
And unfortunately, the worst was still to come. Louisville poured it on in the final 10 minutes, outscoring Tennessee 26-13 and putting the game completely out of reach.
Outworked on the Boards
Plenty went wrong on Saturday, but the rebounding battle might’ve been the most glaring. Tennessee got dominated on the glass, losing the rebounding war 59-37. That kind of disparity is tough to overcome against any opponent-let alone a top-tier program like Louisville.
The most damaging part? The 17 offensive rebounds Tennessee surrendered.
Those turned into 24 second-chance points for the Cardinals, giving them extra possessions and momentum at critical moments. It wasn’t the sole reason for the loss, but it certainly helped the game spiral out of control in the second half.
Louisville’s Elif Istanbulluoglu led all players with 14 rebounds, and Imari Berry added 13 of her own. Two other Cardinals chipped in with eight boards each, showing just how relentless Louisville was in crashing the glass.
For Tennessee, Zee Spearman led the way with 12 rebounds, and Janiah Barker added seven. But beyond that, the effort fell off. Deniya Prawl was next with five, and the rest of the roster struggled to make an impact on the boards.
Mia Pauldo Continues to Flash Potential
While the final score was lopsided, there were still some encouraging signs-particularly from freshman guard Mia Pauldo. After a slow start to the season, Pauldo has been finding her footing in recent weeks, and her performance in Brooklyn showed more signs of growth.
She finished with 10 points, including two made threes, and added four rebounds, four assists, and a steal. The shooting wasn’t particularly efficient, and she had three turnovers-most of which came during the chaotic second half-but the overall body of work was solid.
For a young player still adjusting to the college game, Pauldo is showing she belongs. The next step is consistency, and she’s beginning to put together a stretch of games that suggests she’s turning the corner.
What’s Next
Tennessee will look to bounce back in their final non-conference matchup before SEC play begins. The Lady Vols return home to host Southern Indiana on December 22 at 6:30 p.m. ET (SECN+).
Then it’s on to the SEC gauntlet, starting with a New Year’s Day matchup against Florida in Knoxville. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. ET, also on SECN+.
The road ahead won’t get any easier, but for Tennessee, the focus will be on cleaning up the third-quarter lapses, tightening up on the boards, and continuing to develop young talent like Pauldo. The pieces are there-now it’s about putting them together when it counts.