KNOXVILLE — The roster for the Tennessee women’s basketball program was not at full strength Sunday afternoon, limited by injuries and illness during the midseason grind.
The team coach Kim Caldwell put on the court proved more than strong enough, buoyed by multiple players who capitalized on the chance for more time by filling in the gaps admirably.
Senior forward Zee Spearman had team highs with 20 points and eight rebounds while leading a quartet of double-digit scorers for Tennessee, including freshman guard Mia Pauldo with 18 in another solid scoring performance, and the 20th-ranked Lady Volunteers pushed their winning streak to five games with an an 85-50 victory over Arkansas in front of 11,335 at Thompson-Boling Arena.
“I was really proud of our young ones, proud of everyone for giving a little bit more,” Caldwell said in Tennessee’s postgame news conference. “It’s what we challenged them to do in the locker room. We still have some things to work on. Our turnovers were better. We have to box out, have to win the rebounds.”
Tennessee improved to 12-3 overall and 4-0 in Southeastern Conference play, though with much bigger tests ahead. Including the Razorbacks (11-8, 0-4), who have lost their past five games, the quartet of league opponents the Lady Vols have beaten this season are also currently among those in the bottom half of the 16-team SEC standings.