Tennessee’s Alexa Middleton (33) looks to pass as Pennsylvania’s Kara Bonenberger (22) and Sydney Stipanovich guard her in their game on Nov. 14, 2014, in Knoxville.KNOXVILLE – Nia Moore had 24 points and 14 rebounds to set career highs in both categories for No. 4 Tennessee as the short-handed Lady Volunteers opened the season Friday with a 97-52 victory over Penn.
Tennessee center Isabelle Harrison appeared to hurt her right leg while battling for a loose ball with 3:26 remaining. Harrison, a first-team all-Southeastern Conference selection last season, was down on the floor for several minutes before getting helped to the locker room.
The Lady Vols had only eight available players because coach Holly Warlick handed down one-game suspensions to guards Ariel Massengale and Andraya Carter and two-game suspensions to Jannah Tucker and Cierra Burdick last week. Massengale was suspended for missing one class and Tucker was punished for missing two classes. The penalties for Carter and Burdick were due to missing curfew.
The Lady Vols still had more than enough firepower to beat Penn.
Freshman guard Alexa Middleton had 20 points, 11 assists and six rebounds in her Lady Vols debut. Bashaara Graves had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Kortney Dunbar scored 15 points. Harrison had 12 points and 10 rebounds before getting hurt.