#15/12 Lady Vols Fight Off Tenacious Tigers, 84-74, In Overtime

Monday, November 13

Knoxville, TN

6:30 P.M.

University of Tennessee

2-1,0-0SEC

Memphis

1-2,0-0AAC

OT 1

Memphis

Tennessee

#15/12 Lady Vols Fight Off Tenacious Tigers, 84-74, In Overtime

November 13, 2023 | Women's Basketball

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By: Eric Trainer

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Four players scored in double figures, helping No. 15/12 Tennessee overcome the absence of its leading scorer in an 84-74 overtime win over Memphis at Food City Center on Monday night.

Forward Sara Puckett led the Big Orange with a career-high 24 points and added eight rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal in 39 minutes of duty. Guard Jewel Spear recorded her first double-double in a Lady Vol uniform, compiling 19 points and 12 rebounds, while guard Jasmine Powell followed with 17 points and forward Jillian Hollingshead added 14 points and finished one rebound shy of a double-double with nine.

UT (2-1), with standout forward Rickea Jackson missing the contest with a lower leg injury, came from nine down in the second quarter to claim victory. The Lady Vols finished 28 of 67 from the field for 41.8 percent and 24 of 32 from the free-throw line for 75 percent, including 9-of-10 marksmanship at the charity stripe in the overtime period.

Tennessee held Memphis (1-2) to just 36 percent shooting and out-rebounded the Tigers, 56-40.

The Tigers landed three players in double figures. Guard Kai Carter led with 18 points, while guard Madison Griggs chipped in 16 points and guard Alasia Smith recorded 10.

A layup from Puckett and back-to-back jumpers from Spear kicked things off for the Lady Vols, as they gained an 8-2 lead at the 6:35 mark in the opening stanza. Hollingshead and Powell each added two points to extend the score to 12-4. After trading buckets, the Tigers went on a 6-0 scoring run to close the gap, tying the game at 17-17 with 1:10 left in the quarter. Spear hit a trey to put UT up by three points, but Griggs responded with a three to tie it. UT shot 56 percent from the field, but Memphis' defense gained momentum quickly, tallying four steals to generate an even score at 20-all to end the first period.

Puckett began the second quarter with a shot from deep, but Memphis' offense continued to pick up speed, going on a 12-point scoring streak to produce its largest run of the night at the 5:45 mark. Powell snapped the run with a layup, followed by two made throws at the stripe, accompanied by a layup from Striplin to cut the Lady Vols' deficit to 34-30 with 2:07 left in the stanza. Powell tossed in another basket in the final minute of the quarter, sending Memphis into the half with a 36-32 lead.

After trading baskets in the opening minutes of the third quarter, Spear forced a steal to assist a Puckett layup, closing the Lady Vol deficit to two at the 6:22 mark. Puckett then went on to knock down two layups and a three to give UT the lead, 45-40, with 4:43 left in the stanza. Powell hit a shot from deep to stretch the score 48-40, but the Tigers responded with a jumper and two free throws to close the Lady Vol advantage to four with 3:33 left in the stanza. Both teams exchanged free throws to close out the quarter, with Tennessee maintaining a 54-51 lead.

Both squads continued to battle in the final frame. Hollingshead opened up the quarter with back-to-back layups, followed by two made free throws from Puckett to give the Lady Vols a nine-point lead at the 8:29 mark. Memphis responded with a layup and jumper to narrow the gap, but two more scoring opportunities from Hollingshead put Tennessee up 66-57 with 3:19 left in the game. The Tigers continued to claw back, scoring five straight points to trim the Lady Vols' lead to 66-62 at the 1:06 mark. Both teams exchanged baskets, giving UT a two-point advantage with :13 left in regulation, but a layup by Memphis' Ki'Ari Cain tied the score up at 69, sending the game into overtime.

The Lady Vols scored four straight points to go up 73-69 in the opening minute of overtime play, but a pair of Memphis layups tied the score at 73 all with 2:51 left. Spear hit back-to-back buckets to give the Big Orange a 77-74 lead at the :48 mark. Powell, Wells and Spear made successful trips to the charity stripe in the final seconds to seal the Lady Vols' 84-74 overtime victory.

NEXT UP: The Lady Vols will be back in action on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET, as they play host to Troy at Food City Center. The matinee will be UT's women's basketball Salute To Service game, offering thanks to members of the armed forces who serve or have served our country. Current military members and veterans may present their Military ID or DD 214 at the gates upon entry to Food City Center for complimentary admission for themselves and their immediate family.

WORKING THE GLASS: Tennessee came into the game ranked No. 15 in the country with a rebound margin of 20.5 per contest. Against Memphis, the Lady Vols won the battle on the glass for the third time in as many games this season, doing so by a 56-40 count for a +16 edge. Guard Jewel Spear paced her team with a career-best 12 boards, with forward Jillian Hollingshead a carom away from double figures with nine.

PUCKETT GETTING BUCKETTS: Junior forward Sara Puckett scored in double figures for the third straight game to open the 2023-24 campaign and registered a career high in points with 24. She tallied 15 or more for the second game in a row after producing 15 vs. Florida State last Thursday night. Against Memphis, she finished nine of 19 from the field, hitting a pair of threes, and adding four free throws in six attempts. For the season, she is averaging 16.7 ppg. and shooting 57.6 percent from the field.

FEAR DA SPEAR: Jewel Spear scored in double figures for the third consecutive contest as a Lady Vol and for the 75th time in her career, netting 19 vs. the Tigers on Monday night. The junior guard also registered 10 rebounds to record career double-double number four and her first as a Lady Vol. Spear is putting up 19.0 ppg. and 6.7 rpg. through three games while shooting 52.6 percent from the field.

JP STEPPING UP: With Rickea Jackson out of action, Jasmine Powell stepped up her scoring production. Entering the game averaging 7.0 ppg., she reached double figures in points for the sixth time as a Lady Vol and 52nd time in her career, finishing with 17 on 5-of-10 accuracy from the field and 6-of-8 shooting from the charity stripe. Her scoring total was her second highest during her time at UT behind a 19-point effort at Ohio State in last year's opener.

BIG MINUTES FOR JILL: Jillian Hollingshead hit double figures in points for the first time this season, for the seventh time while wearing a Lady Vol uniform and the eighth time as a college player. Her 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting and nine boards came during a 34-minute evening on the court, marking the second-most minutes of her career.

WORKING OVERTIME: Tennessee played its 57th game with at least one overtime period, improving to 35-22 in all games, including 9-5 at home. The Lady Vols are now 29-20 in regular season extra-frame games, including 8-5 with the Big Orange faithful cheering them on. UT is now 3-2 in OT contest during the Kellie Harper era, including 3-0 at Food City Center.