ORLANDO, Fla. – Tennessee junior Jordan Horston had 14 points and 11 rebounds – her first double-double in nearly two years – and the 15th-ranked Lady Volunteers posted a second straight win to start the season as they beat the University of Central Florida 49-41 on Friday night.
Horston started in an exhibition victory over Georgia College on Nov. 3, but an ankle injury kept her out of the season-opening 59-49 win against Southern Illinois on Wednesday night in Knoxville. Late in Friday’s game, she blocked a shot by Tay Sanders and then was assessed a technical foul, apparently for something she said. Diamond Battles made the ensuing free throws with 46.9 seconds to play to pull UCF within 46-41, but Alisha Lewis missed a deep 3-point try with nearly 20 seconds on the shot clock and the Knights did not score again.
Battles sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers around two free throws in an 8-0 run over the final 71 seconds of the third quarter to trim UCF’s deficit to 34-30. The Knights, however, then went scoreless for more than six minutes, going 0-for-5 from the field and committing four turnovers – three on consecutive possessions – in that span as Tennessee stretched its lead back into double figures.
Battles finished with a career-high 21 points for UCF (1-1), which stifled Duquesne in a 68-39 win to open the season. The Knights limited Tennessee to its fewest points since a 69-48 loss to No. 1 South Carolina on Feb. 2, 2020.
Tess Darby and Sara Puckett each added eight points for Tennessee, and Alexus Dye had eight rebounds and three steals.