As the game turned: With 13 seconds left in the first half, Tennessee center Nia Moore intercepted a pass from Oral Roberts’ Jordan Doyle, taking it coast-to-coast before finishing at the rim.
That was the story of the first half as the Lady Vols scored 28 points off of 19 Golden Eagle turnovers on their way to a 46-17 halftime lead.
“We just wanted to be aggressive and force turnovers,” freshman guard Jaime Nared said. “We did a great job of pushing the pressure up and making it uncomfortable for them to bring the ball down the floor. I think everyone did well flipping around and being active on defense, which caused turnovers.”
Tennessee’s full court defense gave Oral Roberts trouble all night long as the Lady Vols recorded 21 total steals, many of them coming as a result of the constant pressure and trapping they applied to the smaller Golden Eagle guards.
“I think Nia’s length is so effective for them at the top of the press,” Oral Roberts coach Misti Cussen said. “Their length is one of the things we prepared with our scout team. You can’t just simply bring the ball up the floor and throw it over. There’s length and jumping and fingers going to the ceiling.”
Oral Roberts ended the game with 30 turnovers leading to 41 points for Tennessee as the Lady Vols defeated Oral Robets 91-39 on Monday night.
Hot topic: The Lady Vols love to play a fast paced game, and Monday night the tempo was exactly where head coach Holly Warlick wanted it to be.
Tennessee’s point guards did a good job of pushing the ball up the floor, leading to 22 assists on the night to go along with 27 fast break points.
“I loved tonight,” Warlick said. “I think we’re in great shape, I think Coach Taylor has done a great job of getting them physically ready in the weight room. Our practices have been really up and down and competitive, and I think that’s showing right now.”
Tennessee’s press was another key that allowed it to control the tempo. Even when the Lady Vols didn’t get a turnover, many times they were able to force Oral Roberts into taking a rushed shot, and then capitalize on the other end.
As good as Tennessee was pushing the tempo today, the Lady Vols were only able to play eight players due to suspension and injuries, meaning the tempo could improve even more when they are back to full strength.
“Every single day in practice we’re running,” senior guard Ariel Massengale said. “We don’t look at it as punishment, we look at it as getting in shape because we want to play a running game. We don’t have all our numbers yet, so just wait until we get out team back, and we’re gonna be unstoppable.”
Spotlight: A big reason Tennessee was so successful in pushing the ball is the ability of sophomore guard Jordan Reynolds to run the offense.
Reynolds only scored five points for the Lady Vols Monday night but ran the offense very well. She dished out seven assists and didn’t have a single turnover in 26 minutes of play.
“I think Jordan Reynolds played aggressive,” Warlick said. “She didn’t have a turnover. She’s pushing the ball up the floor, and she’s putting pressure on the defense, and that’s what I love.”
One way the Portland, Ore. native was able to facilitate the offense was with her defense. Reynolds recorded seven steals in Tennessee’s full court press, and many of them led to baskets on the offensive end.
The 5-foot-11 guard is known as one of the better distributors on the team, and a no-look bounce pass in transition to fellow Oregon native Jaime Nared brought the crowd to its feet early in the first half.
“I think you to have to expect that from Jordan,” Nared said. “She’s just such a great passer. When the ball comes, you better catch it. I think she’s just a great passer.”
The other guys: Vicky McIntyre was tough to stop inside, and many times she was able to grab a rebound without leaving the ground. The 6-foot-7 center had 10 points to go along with 13 rebounds and two blocks.
Outside the box score: Tennessee has now won its first two games by a total of 97 points, making this the second largest margin of victory over the first two games of the season in program history.
The Lady Vols recorded a margin of 99 points in 1989-1990 with wins over Stetson and Virginia Tech to start the season.
Say something: Holly Warlick on injuries to Isabelle Harrison and Jasmine Jones, suffered against Penn: “Izzy had a mild sprain in her knee, and Jasmine has a mild concussion. Both will be back soon. I don’t have a set date, but it looks very promising for both of them to be back soon.”
By the numbers:
39: Tennessee recorded 39 bench points, led by 21 from Massengale and 10 from freshman Kortney Dunbar.
54: The Lady Vols scored 54 of their 91 points in the paint, compared to just 24 for Oral Roberts.
55: Tennessee’s largest lead of the night was 55 points, after a Dunbar 3-pointer with a little over three minutes left in the game.
