Lady Vols Dominate Southern Indiana in Final Tune-Up Before SEC Play
The Tennessee Lady Vols closed out their non-conference slate in emphatic fashion on Monday night, rolling past Southern Indiana with an 89-44 win at Food City Center. It was the kind of performance that sends a message-not just about talent, but about timing. With SEC play looming, Tennessee looks like a team finding its rhythm at just the right moment.
The final score tells the story, but the way it unfolded says even more.
Early on, Southern Indiana managed to hang around, matching the Lady Vols bucket for bucket through the opening minutes. But that balance didn’t last long.
Midway through the first quarter, Janiah Barker knocked down a three that lit the spark Tennessee needed. From there, the Lady Vols ripped off an 11-1 run to close the quarter, and the Screaming Eagles went ice cold-missing a field goal for nearly nine minutes of game time.
By halftime, Tennessee had built a 37-23 lead, and it was freshman Mia Pauldo leading the charge. She poured in 12 points before the break, showing poise and confidence well beyond her years. Her ability to create off the dribble and finish in traffic gave the Lady Vols a steady offensive presence when they needed it most.
But if the first half was about establishing control, the second half was about completely taking over. Tennessee came out of the locker room with purpose, outscoring Southern Indiana 52-21 over the final two quarters. It was a complete team effort, but a few individual performances stood out.
Nya Robertson caught fire from deep, finishing with a game-high 20 points and knocking down six triples on 14 attempts. Her shooting stretched the defense and opened up the floor for everyone else.
Pauldo wasn’t far behind, capping off a career night with 19 points off the bench-her second straight standout performance. Alyssa Latham added another layer of consistency, getting to the line with ease and converting 7-of-8 free throws to finish in double figures.
Defensively, Tennessee made life miserable for the Screaming Eagles, forcing tough shots, controlling the boards, and never letting Southern Indiana get into any sort of rhythm. The Lady Vols dictated the pace, dominated the paint, and played with the kind of energy that’s been building over the past few weeks.
Now sitting at 8-3, Tennessee turns its focus to SEC play, where the real tests begin. The Lady Vols will open conference action on New Year’s Day against Florida, right back at Food City Center. If Monday night was any indication, this team is more than ready to take that next step.
The road ahead will be tougher, no doubt. But with young players stepping up, veteran leadership settling in, and the offense clicking into gear, Tennessee heads into the SEC portion of the schedule with momentum-and a little bit of swagger.