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Although No. 19 Tennessee was at home, they were the clear underdog against No. 5 UConn.
However, the Lady Vols executed down the stretch, with Zee Spearman scoring the game-securing basket to pull off the upset and defeat the Huskies, 80-74. This is the first time Tennessee has beaten UConn since 2007.
Spearman didn’t just score some clutch points in the fourth. She was dominant from start to finish. She had 16 points and seven rebounds on the night. The rest of the Lady Vols starters were equally impressive. All of Talaysia Cooper, Jewell Spear and Samara Spencer scored in double figures, and the bench played well, scoring a combined 20 points.
Sarah Strong continued her impressive season for UConn with an 18-point and nine-rebound game. Paige Bueckers struggled from the field, going 5-for-16, but still scored 14 points in the defeat.
How the Lady Vols persevered and prevailed
In the first quarter, things began going UConn’s way. Strong and Bueckers scored early and often, and the Huskies led the Lady Vols 13-12 midway through the period.
However, Spencer responded with a 3-pointer to regain the lead for Tennessee. After a 6-0 UConn run, the first quarter ended with a Spear steal and score to bring the Lady Vols within two points.
The rest of the half was an even affair. For every mini-run a team went on, the opponent matched it with their own scoring burst.
In the third, the separation finally happened. The Lady Vols got a lot more aggressive with Azzi Fudd, forcing her into some turnovers and getting her into foul trouble. At the same time, Spencer succeeding in pressuring the rim with her drives. It was as though she created a black hole and the defense collapsed on itself, unable to stop her production. Tennessee went on a 13-0 run during this moment, turning a 45-41 deficit into a 54-45 edge.
Still, UConn has too much talent to be out of any game by the third quarter. A Strong basket followed by a Fudd 3-pointer, and the Huskies were back within four.
Spearman began her fourth-quarter heroics by scoring the first Lady Vols points of the frame. She followed that up with another basket, and Tennessee was up by eight. UConn slowly chipped away, with a pair of Kaitlyn Chen free throws evening the score at 69. Spear then responded with a 3 for the Lady Vols, and Fudd countered with a make of her own before Spear scored again to keep Tennessee in front 74-71.
Despite a tough performance, Bueckers stepped up in the fourth and hit a shooter’s shot, making a 3 to even the score at 74 with only 2:08 left to play.
With the result up for grabs, Tennessee took it. Spearman made another basket, Cooper scored two from the charity stripe and the Lady Vols’ lead was back up to four. Both teams scored once more, and time expired on UConn’s comeback after Bueckers missed a 3-point attempt in the closing seconds.
Key takeaways
What a gutsy win for Tennessee! They trailed early but stayed in the game, took a huge lead in the third and did just enough in the fourth to earn the win. Times are certainly changing in Knoxville, and this win is evidence of that. This guard-heavy squad is fun to watch, and on their best day, they can beat anyone.
For UConn, while they are an elite program, the stars didn’t do enough for the win. It’s tough to ask Bueckers to do it all, but she has to be more efficient from the field. Fudd had some rough moments and Tennessee took advantage.
The good news for both teams is that there is still time to play before March arrives. Tennessee is showing signs of potential, and these losses remind us that if UConn wants to win it all, they will have to be sharper throughout each game.
