Lady Vols basketball has had a longer break between games than expected after the postponement of the team’s early week matchup on the road against No. 17 Ole Miss.
The last time Tennessee took the court was a week ago, Jan. 22, as it faced No. 18 Kentucky, defeating the Wildcats in a tight 60-58 finish.
Due to the postponement, the team’s upcoming games and practice routine have shifted accordingly.
“We found out right before we started practice that the game was gonna be postponed,” head coach Kim Caldwell said. “And so we had to tell our team right before practice because, had we switched up the practice time that drastically before the game, they would have known something was up. So we told them, and we practiced pretty hard, and we were off the following day.”
Despite no date being announced for the makeup game, Caldwell anticipates the game to be played at some point. Deep in the heart of SEC play, with a schedule already otherwise set, fitting in a game will throw off the calendar.
“It’s gonna be a rough next month,” Caldwell said.
Senior forward Janiah Barker, who missed the last game due to a facial injury, is set to return.
“She’s back,” Caldwell said. “She’s been practicing. She looks how she looked before she got hurt.”
Barker has averaged 14.3 points per game over 16 games played. She trails Talaysia Cooper by 0.1 points for the team high. Her return adds to not only the team’s offensive attack but also its defensive capabilities. Barker’s presence down low, averaging a block a game, will be a major return to the floor.
The team’s next matchup is against yet another tough SEC foe, a team the Lady Vols have already met once this season in Mississippi State.
Despite not being ranked, the Bulldogs enter the game with a 15-6 record. Since the start of conference play, the Bulldogs have struggled to find much consistency, losing five of their last seven games played, including a loss at home to the Lady Vols.
In their last meeting, the Lady Vols walked away with a 90-80 win in which Barker and freshman guard Mia Pauldo stepped up. Barker finished with 18 points while Pauldo earned a team-high 26 in 28 minutes played.
“I think the biggest thing is we both played pretty well offensively in our last game, so getting ready for adjustments that they may make,” Caldwell said. “They’ve been doing some different things defensively, so making sure that we’re prepared for that and any adjustments that they may make. It is kind of a quick turnaround to play the same team twice. Hopefully, we look better than we did at their place.”
With each game, it feels like the team is getting closer and closer to playing at the level that has been expected all season. Riding a seven-game winning streak, the Lady Vols have the momentum. They just need to capitalize.
The first tip is at 6:30 p.m. ET at Food City Center, and the game can be viewed on the SEC Network+.
