Tennessee’s Meme Jackson, right, and Murray State’s Macey Turley, on court, and Lex Mayes react after Jackson knocked the ball from Turley’s hands in a full-court press during Friday night’s game in Knoxville.KNOXVILLE – Depth makes it easier for Tennessee women’s basketball coach Holly Warlick to challenge her players to become better rebounders.
The 10th-ranked Lady Volunteers showcased their bench strength and their rejuvenated rebounding ability in a 98-77 victory over Murray State on Friday night. Seven Lady Vols scored in double figures, and Tennessee capitalized on a 56-24 rebounding advantage.
Since getting outrebounded by 20 in a victory over No. 13 Texas and a loss to No. 6 Stanford this month, Tennessee has a 106-57 rebounding edge in its past two games.
“Getting outrebounded for us is something that we consider unacceptable,” said sophomore Rennia Davis, who had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead Tennessee in both categories. “In practice and even in games, there were consequences for not going to rebound, so I think tonight everyone went and rebounded a little bit better.”
Those consequences involved benching any players who didn’t show enough effort on the boards. Tennessee’s bench strength enabled Warlick to offer that kind of challenge.
“I just said if you don’t go to the boards twice, then you’re coming out,” Warlick said. “I gave you a don’t-go-to-the-boards-free pass once, and then you’re coming out. They responded. Playing time’s a good thing (to use as an incentive) when you’ve got 10 people that can play.”
Tennessee (10-1) shot a season-best 50.6 percent and withstood a season-high 23 turnovers.
Rae Burrell, Mimi Collins and Meme Jackson scored 11 points each, and Cheridene Green, Jazmine Massengill and Evina Westbrook added 10 points apiece.
Massengill, a freshman from Chattanooga’s Hamilton Heights Christian Academy, also had eight assists, four rebounds two steals and a block in 21 minutes off the bench.
Evelyn Adebayo scored a career-high 28 points for Murray State (4-7), which lost for the sixth time in seven games. Janika Griffith-Wallace added 14 points, Brianna Crane 12 and Lex Mayes 11 for the Racers.
Murray State entered the night with a plus-4.9 rebound margin for the season but knew it would have a tough time competing on the boards against Tennessee.
“They’re just so athletically superior to us,” Murray State coach Rechelle Turner said. ” The rebounding margin was something we knew would be an issue.”
The Lady Vols’ depth helped them overcome some adversity. Tennessee played extended minutes without two of its three top scorers early in the game as Westbrook picked up her second foul midway through the first quarter and Davis left after slipping later in the opening period.
The Lady Vols had an 11-10 advantage when Davis joined Westbrook on the bench. Tennessee’s lead had grown to 30-21 by the time Davis and Westbrook returned.
Tennessee had four freshmen on the floor for much of that stretch when Davis and Westbrook were on the bench.
“We’re all really close, so I feel like there is a lot of chemistry and connection when we play together,” Burrell said about Tennessee’s freshman class.
Tennessee had a 22-7 edge in second-chance points and a 38-4 advantage in bench scoring. The Lady Vols had 25 offensive rebounds, while Murray State had 24 total rebounds.
Murray State’s Adebayo has shown in her past two games that she can play effectively against anyone. She followed up a 20-point, nine-rebound performance in an 88-49 loss at No. 18 Kentucky with another big showing against Tennessee.
The Racers need to give her more help, though. Adebayo has owned or shared the team lead in points in all but one game this season, and this was the first time this season that Adebayo wasn’t the Racers’ leading rebounder.
The Lady Vols must take better care of the basketball and play tougher defense as they approach the start of Southeastern Conference competition. Tennessee allowed Murray State to score 48 second-half points.