The Lady Vols didn’t just notch a gritty 60-58 win over Kentucky on Thursday night-they did it in front of their biggest home crowd of the season, and the energy inside Thompson-Boling Arena was impossible to ignore.
With 12,551 fans packing the stands-1,851 of them students-it felt like a throwback to the program’s most electric atmospheres. And the team fed off every decibel.
Head coach Kim Caldwell made it clear postgame: the crowd mattered. A lot.
“They were worth at least six points,” Caldwell said. And honestly, she might be underselling it.
This was a game that demanded toughness, especially with star forward Janiah Barker sidelined. Tennessee didn’t have its usual offensive rhythm-shots weren’t falling-but what they lacked in efficiency, they made up for in grit. That’s the kind of growth Caldwell’s been preaching all season: playing hard for 40 minutes, no matter what the box score says.
And leading the charge? Freshman point guard Mia Pauldo, who continues to look more like a seasoned vet than a first-year player.
Pauldo poured in 21 points on 9-of-22 shooting, adding four rebounds, two assists, and a steal. It wasn’t a perfect shooting night, but it was the kind of performance that showed why she’s quickly becoming a cornerstone for this team. She was aggressive, composed, and unafraid of the moment-exactly what Tennessee needed with Barker out.
The Lady Vols also got key contributions across the board. While Pauldo’s scoring stood out, it was a collective effort that held off a tough Kentucky squad down the stretch. The defense tightened when it had to, and the team showed a level of maturity that Caldwell has been pushing for since day one.
Next up, Tennessee hits the road for a matchup in Oxford against Ole Miss. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.
ET, after the game was bumped up due to weather concerns. It’s another test in what’s shaping up to be a pivotal stretch for the Lady Vols as they try to build momentum in SEC play.
Then it’s back home on Thursday, Jan. 29, when Mississippi State comes to town. Tennessee already handled the Bulldogs once this season, winning 90-80 in Starkville. But as the SEC always proves, no win is guaranteed-especially the second time around.
If Thursday night’s crowd was any indication, though, this team isn’t facing the rest of the season alone. The fans are showing up, the players are stepping up, and Tennessee is starting to look like a team that’s figuring out who it is-and who it can become.