KNOXVILLE — Glory Johnson loathes the bench.
Perhaps even stronger is her desire to stay on the court once she gets there.
The Tennessee freshman had 33 points and 14 rebounds as the defending national champion Lady Vols whipped Division II member Carson-Newman 135-55 in an exhibition basketball game at Thompson-Boling Arena. The crowd was announced at 11,781.
“It’s something you don’t want to do, coming off the bench,” Johnson, one of six freshmen among the Lady Vols, said after making her debut early in the first half.
Her objective after checking in was clear.
“To prove I don’t really need to be there (on the bench) or at least go out and have to come back,” she said. “It’s just something that I was trying to prove.”
UT coach Pat Summitt got the message.
“I have a lot of respect for her (Johnson), and also I have a different expectation for her,” Summitt said. “She’s got to bring it every day in practice. The people that start for us, that’s how they win that starting role. I think she’s got it in her. It’s not about who starts. It’s about who has the big impact on the game. Clearly, she had tonight.”
Fellow newcomer Alicia Manning added 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting, and redshirt freshman Kelley Cain had 18 points in the first half. Freshmen Shekinna Stricklen, Alyssia Brewer and Amber Gray also scored in double figures.
Cain missed all of last year’s regular season after suffering a knee injury in practice. Summitt said she was pleased with Cain’s mobility in her first career start.
“I thought Kelley moved well up and down,” the coach said. “She has to continue to make that a priority because we need that from Kelley. I told her, ‘You have to be the first post down, not the second post.’”
Cain’s 6-foot-6 frame was dominant inside as the Lady Vols scored 44 of their 64 first-half points in the paint.
“At first I was nervous because I didn’t know what to expect,” she said, “but once I got there I forgot about it and played.”
Tennessee led 64-29 at the half despite the absence of sophomores Angie Bjorklund and Vicki Baugh, both of whom were benched Thursday night for missing summer school class.
Even without them, the Lady Eagles, who lost to North Carolina in an exhibition game Tuesday, struggled against their bigger opponents.
“It was just hard to get a look off, and it’s hard when you see someone half a foot taller than you and they’re coming at you,” said Carson-Newman forward Ashley Tipton. “That’s intimidating.”
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