For the first time this season, the University of Tennessee women's basketball team has a three-game winning streak.
Getting to four in a row will be a true challenge, and one that will take the Lady Volunteers away from the friendly confines of Thompson-Boling Arena for the first time since before Thanksgiving.
The Lady Vols secured their fifth win in a six-game homestand by drumming the University of Central Florida 99-64 on Wednesday night, when all 14 Tennessee players available scored and Jordan Horston (15 points) and Justine Pissott (14) reached double digits.
That followed wins against the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, 69-39 on Dec. 6, and Wright State, 96-57 this past Sunday, but the Lady Vols' next game takes them to California to face No. 2 Stanford (10-1), the NCAA champion in 2021 and a Final Four team last season. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. Eastern on Sunday.
The Lady Vols (7-5) began the season ranked fifth but have struggled with lineup stability and didn't get above .500 until topping Wright State, so the Cardinal will represent a big step up.
"We are focusing on who's in front of us, so now we have to focus on them," Horston said in a postgame news conference. "We know they're a great team. They crash the boards and push in transition. We have to lock in on the defensive end, because we know that's going to win games for us."
Horston also had seven rebounds and five assists in her 21 minutes on the court against UCF (6-3), which led 21-20 after the first quarter. The Lady Vols were up 41-38 at halftime and, as they did three days earlier, used a third-quarter surge to take control, heading into the fourth quarter with a 75-48 lead.
Jasmine Franklin had a game-high 10 rebounds for Tennessee, which finished with a 48-35 advantage in an aspect of the game coach Kellie Harper expects to be vital against Stanford.
"I think it makes such a big difference in our defense, makes a big difference in our offensive production," Harper said of rebounding. "We've got to continue to work on it."
Compiled by Marty Kirkland. Contact him at mkirkland@timesfreepress.com.