University of Tennessee Athletics
Spear Named SEC Women’s Basketball Co-Player of the Week
February 06, 2024 | Women's Basketball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Tennessee's Jewel Spear has been named SEC Women's Basketball Co-Player of the Week, the league office announced on Tuesday.
Spear, who garnered her first-ever SEC weekly honor, shares recognition with Alabama's Sarah Ashlee Barker, whose team UT will play on Thursday night in Tuscaloosa. Spear is the second Lady Vol this season to earn distinction, joining Jan. 9 recipient Rickea Jackson.
The 5-foot-10 guard has hit her stride lately, adding 25- and 22-point efforts last week after scoring 30 at Ole Miss on Jan. 28 to post three-straight 20 spots for only the second time in her career.
Spear was sensational against Georgia and Missouri last week, averaging 23.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals. She also shot a blazing 60.7 percent from the field and went nine of 16 from the three-point arc (55.6 pct.) as the Lady Vols won for the 10th time in their past 12 games and took sole possession of second place in the SEC at 14-7 overall, 7-2 in league play.
At Georgia on Feb. 1, Spear led all scorers with 25 points on 8-of-14 accuracy, including 5-fo-9 marksmanship from long range, and was four for four from the charity stripe. She pulled down five boards and added an assist, block and steal as the Lady Vols rang up 95 points on a Georgia squad that was allowing less than 65 per game.
Spear fired in 11 points in the third frame to thwart a Georgia counter-offensive and added eight more in the final frame as Tennessee put the game away. She enjoyed back-to-back 3-for-4 shooting quarters in the second half, including a combined 3-of-6 effort beyond the arc.
Against Missouri on Sunday, Spear was even more accurate, connecting on nine of 14 attempts from the field, including 4-for-7 marksmanship on treys to lead all scorers with 22 points as the Big Orange became the only SEC team besides South Carolina and LSU to register 80 or more points against the Tigers. She added a team-best six rebounds and tied career highs with six assists and three steals in the victory.
Spear helped the Lady Vols zoom to a 28-17 lead after one, draining three of five three-point attempts for nine points in the opening 10 minutes. In the third stanza, Spear was three for three from the floor, including one of one from the arc, for seven points as UT pushed its lead to as many as 16 points. In the final frame, she contributed four points, three rebounds and two assists as Tennessee closed out its sixth straight home triumph.
With her efforts last week, Spear has elevated her per game season scoring averages to 13.8 overall and 17.4 in SEC play. She is hitting 44.9 percent from the field and 36.7 from the arc and 78.5 from the free-throw line in all games and is shooting 55.4 / 44.4 / 81.4 percentages, respectively, vs. league foes.
Spear and her teammates meet the Crimson Tide at 7:02 p.m. ET (6:02 CT) inside Coleman Coliseum on Thursday. The game will be streamed on SECN+ and carried on the Lady Vol Network via radio stations statewide and UTSports.com.
Spear, who garnered her first-ever SEC weekly honor, shares recognition with Alabama's Sarah Ashlee Barker, whose team UT will play on Thursday night in Tuscaloosa. Spear is the second Lady Vol this season to earn distinction, joining Jan. 9 recipient Rickea Jackson.
The 5-foot-10 guard has hit her stride lately, adding 25- and 22-point efforts last week after scoring 30 at Ole Miss on Jan. 28 to post three-straight 20 spots for only the second time in her career.
Spear was sensational against Georgia and Missouri last week, averaging 23.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals. She also shot a blazing 60.7 percent from the field and went nine of 16 from the three-point arc (55.6 pct.) as the Lady Vols won for the 10th time in their past 12 games and took sole possession of second place in the SEC at 14-7 overall, 7-2 in league play.
At Georgia on Feb. 1, Spear led all scorers with 25 points on 8-of-14 accuracy, including 5-fo-9 marksmanship from long range, and was four for four from the charity stripe. She pulled down five boards and added an assist, block and steal as the Lady Vols rang up 95 points on a Georgia squad that was allowing less than 65 per game.
Spear fired in 11 points in the third frame to thwart a Georgia counter-offensive and added eight more in the final frame as Tennessee put the game away. She enjoyed back-to-back 3-for-4 shooting quarters in the second half, including a combined 3-of-6 effort beyond the arc.
Against Missouri on Sunday, Spear was even more accurate, connecting on nine of 14 attempts from the field, including 4-for-7 marksmanship on treys to lead all scorers with 22 points as the Big Orange became the only SEC team besides South Carolina and LSU to register 80 or more points against the Tigers. She added a team-best six rebounds and tied career highs with six assists and three steals in the victory.
Spear helped the Lady Vols zoom to a 28-17 lead after one, draining three of five three-point attempts for nine points in the opening 10 minutes. In the third stanza, Spear was three for three from the floor, including one of one from the arc, for seven points as UT pushed its lead to as many as 16 points. In the final frame, she contributed four points, three rebounds and two assists as Tennessee closed out its sixth straight home triumph.
With her efforts last week, Spear has elevated her per game season scoring averages to 13.8 overall and 17.4 in SEC play. She is hitting 44.9 percent from the field and 36.7 from the arc and 78.5 from the free-throw line in all games and is shooting 55.4 / 44.4 / 81.4 percentages, respectively, vs. league foes.
Spear and her teammates meet the Crimson Tide at 7:02 p.m. ET (6:02 CT) inside Coleman Coliseum on Thursday. The game will be streamed on SECN+ and carried on the Lady Vol Network via radio stations statewide and UTSports.com.
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballWBB | Kim Caldwell Media Availability (8.28.25)
Thursday, August 28
Lady Vol Basketball Season Attendance 2024-25
Thursday, April 10
WBB | Caldwell, Whitehorn, Spencer Postgame Presser | 3.29.25
Saturday, March 29
WBB | Highlights: Lady Vols 59, Texas 67 (3.29.25)
Saturday, March 29
