Lady Vols vs. Ole Miss Postponed Due to Weather, Tennessee Turns Focus to Mississippi State
The highly anticipated SEC showdown between No. 17 Tennessee and No.
18 Ole Miss will have to wait. Originally slated for Monday, Jan. 26, the Lady Vols’ road trip to Oxford has been postponed due to inclement weather.
The game had already been moved to an earlier timeslot, but with conditions worsening, officials opted to push it to a later date, still to be determined.
It’s a tough break for two teams riding high. Tennessee is coming off a gritty win over No.
11 Kentucky, while Ole Miss recently handled business against Missouri. With the new AP Poll set to drop Monday at noon ET, both programs could see movement in the rankings - though they’ll have to wait a bit longer to settle things head-to-head.
Tennessee’s victory over Kentucky wasn’t just a win - it was a statement. The Lady Vols showed poise in crunch time, leaning on their defense to close it out.
With the Wildcats threatening late, Talaysia Cooper stepped up with a clutch steal in the final moments to seal the deal. It was the kind of defensive stand that championship-caliber teams find a way to make.
Offensively, the night belonged to Mia Pauldo. The freshman guard poured in 21 points on 9-of-22 shooting, carrying the scoring load in a game where no other Lady Vol cracked double digits. Her performance wasn’t perfect - she turned the ball over more than usual - but her coach wasn’t sweating it.
“She listens. I think she is a very good listener.
She absorbs things,” said Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper. “It’s funny, I was talking to the broadcasters before the game and we were talking about her not turning the ball over.
And tonight was probably the most times she turned the ball over in a long time. But I still don’t really have to worry about her when she has the ball in her hands.
I know she’s going to make the right play and she’s continued to be spectacular and I don’t have to overcoach her.”
Harper also praised Pauldo’s work ethic and humility - two traits that have quickly made her a cornerstone of this Tennessee squad.
“I just know that she’s going to go out there and I just have to put her in space and let her play free,” Harper added. “And I think she’s such a humble player and comes in here and then she, for the majority of the time, practices the hardest every single day. And so, she deserves it.”
With the Ole Miss game on hold, Tennessee now shifts its attention to its next test: a home matchup against Mississippi State on Thursday, Jan. 29.
Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on SECN+.
For the Lady Vols, it's a chance to keep the momentum rolling - and maybe climb a little higher in the rankings while they're at it.