The Lady Vols didn’t just beat MTSU on Thursday night. They overwhelmed the Blue Raiders from start to finish, rolling to a 110-64 win for their fourth straight victory to open the season.
It also closed the book on a four-year run of meetings between the programs. Tennessee lost in Huntsville in 2023 under Kellie Harper, won at home in 2024, won on the road in 2025 and then added this one to the pile in emphatic fashion.
What stood out most was how complete the performance was. Tennessee had already stacked up a few lopsided wins this season, including the exhibition against Florida A&M and regular-season games against Duquesne, Coppin State and New Haven.
But Thursday felt different. There was less to nitpick, less sloppiness to excuse, and far more evidence that Kim Caldwell’s group is starting to find a real rhythm.
Offensively, the Lady Vols put up 110 points while shooting 44.2% from the field. They also went a perfect 15-for-15 at the line after struggling there on Tuesday. That kind of clean execution matters, especially in a game where Tennessee never had to force the issue.
The defense was even more suffocating. MTSU managed 64 points, but the real story was the pressure Tennessee applied possession after possession.
The Blue Raiders turned it over 43 times, and despite shooting 42.1% from the field, they attempted 38 fewer shots than the Lady Vols. That’s the kind of gap that tells you the press was doing exactly what it was built to do.
Kaylene Smikle was right in the middle of it all. After opening the season with a 31-point burst in game one, she had cooled off some in the next two outings.
Thursday looked much more like that first version of Smikle. She finished with 30 points on 9-of-15 shooting and hit 3-of-7 from 3-point range.
She also added five rebounds, four assists and five steals.
The former All-Conference player at Maryland is looking every bit the part in Knoxville. The production is there, even if the broader conversation around her hasn’t caught up yet. She’ll have to keep proving it against stronger competition, but right now she’s scoring with the kind of ease that jumps off the box score.
Smikle wasn’t the only one in double figures. Gabby Minus scored 15 points, while Harissoum Coulibaly added 13.
Coulibaly’s night may have been the most encouraging of that group, considering how much she had struggled early in the season. Against MTSU, she looked far more comfortable and effective.
Another key piece was Fats Janneh, though her night was a reminder of the one issue that keeps following her around: foul trouble. The Texas A&M transfer entered the game leading the team with 10.7 rebounds per game, and there’s no question she’s Tennessee’s best rebounder. But she’s also having trouble staying on the floor.
Against MTSU, Janneh picked up three first-half fouls, then added another in the third quarter and barely played after that. She logged just 15 minutes, but still made the most of them, scoring nine points on 4-for-4 shooting and hitting her only 3-point attempt. She also finished with four rebounds, four assists and four steals.
That’s the catch with Janneh right now. Tennessee needs her on the floor because the frontcourt depth isn’t there. But if she keeps piling up fouls, her impact gets cut short no matter how well she’s playing.
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 🡒]