It took the Lady Vols basketball three minutes to get on the board offensively, thanks to a Janiah Barker driving layup.
UConn took control early and battled through a Tennessee rally to avenge last season’s loss, 96-66.
Through the first six and a half minutes of the game, there were not many positives going on either side of the basketball, with the Lady Vols (14-5) trailing 18-3 at one point.
Though Tennessee rallied to tie it 42-all at halftime, the Huskies (23-0) took control in the second half and outscored the Lady Vols by 30 points after the break. The loss stands as Tennessee’s second-largest loss in the program’s history, trailing only a Dec. 11, 1984, loss to Texas at 31 points.
Despite the less-than-ideal start, the first quarter ended with the Lady Vols trailing 25-19 after a big 16-7 run heading into quarter number two.
The back-and-forth battle between the No. 15 Lady Vols and No. 1 Huskies continued into the second frame of the game.
Barker and Talaysia Cooper both led the team through the first half with 18 combined points. Freshman Jaida Civil also played valuable first-half minutes, posting six points, five rebounds and an assist.
Through the first half, the Lady Vols shot 47% from the field, a much better offensive showing than just a few days prior against Mississippi State.
Unfortunately for head coach Kim Caldwell and her Lady Vols, that momentum didn’t last long at all, as the Huskies proved just why they deserve that number one ranking.
With 7:58 left in the third quarter, Zee Spearman put the Lady Vols ahead 48-47 with a driving layup, marking their only lead of the second half.
UConn responded with a 10-0 run following Spearman’s layup.
Guard Sarah Strong logged nine points in the third quarter, with two rebounds, two assists and a 3-pointer while playing all 10 minutes in the quarter.
The Lady Vols made a quick response to the first UConn run of the quarter, moving the lead back down to just 57-53, but there’s not much that was going to stop the UConn offense on Sunday.
The Huskies finished the quarter on a 14-0 run, their second run of the quarter where the team scored double-digit points while not allowing a single basket. Through the first three quarters, the Huskies led 71-53, with the script being flipped just as quickly as it was presented.
Barker drilled a 3-pointer to start the final quarter for the Lady Vols to bring the score to 71-56. There was still time to mount a comeback, as had been the theme all game long. Instead, the Huskies responded once again with a 21-4 run, moving the game to a 92-60 Huskies lead, quickly bringing an end to any Lady Vols’ hopes on Sunday.
Barker finished the game with a team-high 16 points, shooting 6-for-14 from the field over 27 minutes. She also tallied two rebounds and two assists.
The Lady Vols were handed their second-straight loss by double digits.
