The Lady Vols never let Middle Tennessee State settle in Thursday night, and by the time the final buzzer sounded at Food City Center, Tennessee had turned a 3-0 start into a 4-0 one with a 110-64 rout.
Kaylene Smikle set the tone immediately. She scored Tennessee’s first four points and spent the rest of the night making life miserable for MTSU on both ends.
The Blue Raiders were already under pressure early, coughing the ball up 12 times in the first quarter alone. Tennessee wasn’t spotless - the Lady Vols picked up six fouls in the opening period, including two on offense - but they were clearly the more disruptive team from the jump.
After the first media timeout, Tennessee was ahead 16-8 and had already knocked down two of its first three 3-point attempts, with Smikle and Fats Janneh both hitting from deep. MTSU briefly pushed back with a 6-0 run to trim the margin to 16-14, but Harissoum Coulibaly helped Tennessee close the quarter with authority. She scored five of her seven points late in the period, including a 3-pointer, as the Lady Vols took a 27-17 lead after one.
The second quarter turned into a showcase for Smikle. MTSU’s Mya Kone opened the frame with a 3-pointer, but Smikle answered with a four-point play after Blair Baugus fouled her at the top of the key. She scored 10 points in the quarter and reached halftime with 21 points on 6-for-8 shooting, including a perfect 7-for-7 at the line.
Tennessee’s defense kept feeding the offense. The Lady Vols turned 10 second-quarter turnovers into 12 points, had 28 fastbreak points by halftime, and owned the paint 24-12.
They also went 11-for-11 from the free-throw line. By the break, Tennessee had stretched the lead to 57-34.
The start of the third quarter only widened the gap. Janneh opened with a steal and a fast-break layup, then Kennedy Fauntleroy scored off a Smikle steal to make it 61-34 and force an MTSU timeout just 25 seconds into the half. Tennessee kept stacking stops and scoring off them, adding 15 points off 11 Blue Raider turnovers in the quarter.
Rylie Theuerkauf chipped in with a 3-pointer and a layup at the rim, while also turning in a clean defensive night with four steals and just one foul. Smikle reached 28 points through three quarters, and Tennessee was in full control at 79-48.
The fourth quarter brought more of the same. Tennessee kept piling on points off turnovers, scoring 16 more that way in the final period. Harper Peterson hit a pair of 3-pointers, and Naomi White added six points, all in transition.
By the end, the numbers were overwhelming. Tennessee finished with 48 fastbreak points and a 58-26 edge in the paint. MTSU committed 43 turnovers against Tennessee’s 13, and the Lady Vols’ 30 steals were the second-most in a single game in program history.
Smikle led the way with 30 points, plus five rebounds, five steals and four assists. Gabby Minus added 15 points and six rebounds, and Coulibaly finished as the third Lady Vol in double figures with 13 points on 50% shooting.
In Other News...
Tennessee Suddenly Has An O-Line Problem Before Texas A&M
Tennessees offensive line took an unexpected hit Thursday night when starting left guard Nic Moore showed up on the SEC Availability Report as out after not appearing on it the day before. Moore had settled in as a productive starter at left guard, so his absence lands at an awkward time with Texas A&M next on the schedule and the Volunteers already needing stability up front.
Now the focus shifts to how Tennessee reshuffles the interior line to cover the vacancy. The staff is weighing lineup adjustments at left guard, and with a conference game looming, the next move matters for both protection and the run game as the Vols try to keep their offense on track. [Read more 🡒]
Kim Caldwell Saw Exactly What Tennessee Needed In Bounce-Back Win
After a rough patch, Tennessee got the kind of response Kim Caldwell was looking for in Knoxville, rolling past Middle Tennessee State 110-64 and looking much more like itself in the process. The Lady Vols showed cleaner offensive spacing, better foul shooting, sharper ball pressure and a more connected effort overall, the sort of details that can turn a bounce-back game into something more meaningful than just a lopsided win.
Caldwell also had to sort through the injury side of the night, with Aaliyah Moore dealing with a calf issue, even as several reserves helped steady the performance. Harissoum Coulibaly, Gabby Minus and Kaylene Smike all drew praise for their contributions, a reminder that Tennessees depth can matter just as much as its top-end talent when the schedule starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Suddenly Has A Backfield Problem Before A Huge SEC Test
Tennessees backfield took a sudden hit heading into a pivotal SEC matchup, with Daune Morris ruled out for the game against Texas A&M after suffering a leg injury in a car accident. The setback lands at a bad time for the Volunteers, who had been counting on Morris as a reliable second-string option and a useful piece in recent games.
Morris is expected to miss the rest of the season, leaving Tennessee to adjust its depth chart as the stakes rise. For a team already staring at a major test, losing a back who had become part of the weekly rotation adds another layer of pressure to an offense that now has to find answers quickly. [Read more 🡒]