No. 19 Tennessee defeated No. 5 UConn in Knoxville on Thursday, winning the matchup between two of the most accomplished programs in women’s college basketball for the first time in their past five meetings.
The Lady Vols’ 80-76 victory over the Huskies was their first in the rivalry since 2007, but that’s deceiving because the two teams didn’t play again after that until 2020. UConn coach Geno Auriemma thought the rivalry had become too bitter between fanbases and wanted to take a break. Tennessee and UConn last played each other in January 2023.
The first 20 minutes of Thursday’s matchup were tight with the Huskies going into halftime with a narrow 39-37 lead led by Sarah Strong‘s 12 points.
However, Tennessee created some separation with six minutes remaining in the third quarter on a jumper by Samara Spencer, who followed that up with a steal and another basket for a 49-45 lead. On Tennessee’s next possession, Sara Puckett hit a 3-pointer to create a seven-point margin.
The Huskies took a four-point lead in the first two minutes of the third quarter and appeared to be taking control of the game. Tennessee then went on a 13-0 run capped by a Talaysia Cooper layup that built a nine-point margin.
UConn slowly chipped away at the Lady Vols’ lead and ended the third quarter down 59-54. Tennessee maintained its lead, but could never get further ahead than six points. The Huskies eventually tied the game twice, first at 69-69 on two free throws by Kaitlyn Chen then at 74-74 on a 3-pointer from Paige Bueckers.
Yet the Lady Vols weren’t shaken by UConn’s rally, quickly regained the lead on a jumper by Zee Spearman and stayed ahead until the end. Spearman’s basket out of a timeout with 15 seconds was the dagger, giving Tennessee an 80-76 lead. Azzi Fudd missed a layup and Bueckers misfired on a 3 as time expired.
Spearman led Tennessee with 16 points and seven rebounds, with Spencer adding 14 points. Jewel Spear tallied 12 points for the Lady Vols, who improved their record to 17-5 overall.
Strong scored a game-high 18 points for UConn with nine rebounds, followed by 14 from Bueckers. However, the Huskies star guard shot 5-of-16 from the floor. With the defeat, UConn dropped to 21-3 for the season.
For new Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell, who gave birth to a son last month, the win over a longtime rival is the biggest of her first season in Knoxville. Previously, her team had lost its four games against opponents ranked in the top 10.
After defeating the No. 5 team in the nation, Tennessee takes on No. 6 LSU (23-1) in Baton Rouge on Saturday. UConn is again on the road for a matchup with Providence (10-15) on Sunday.
