KNOXVILLE - Rennia Davis spent a lot of time talking during Tennessee's six-game women's basketball losing streak about the team's need to "play 40 minutes."
She said shortly after it ended that it may have been necessary to show the Lady Volunteers they "needed to get back to playing Tennessee basketball."
It appears she could have been talking about herself as much as she was talking about her teammates.
Davis had 19 points and 10 rebounds Thursday night in the Lady Vols' 67-50 win over Florida - their second straight victory. Now 14-7 and 3-5 in the Southeastern Conference, they play Sunday at Vanderbilt (6-15, 1-7).
Some of the team's struggles could have been tied to Davis's reduced production. During the losing streak, the 6-foot-2 sophomore forward averaged 8.2 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 28 percent from the field.
In the two wins since, those numbers have shot up to 21.5 points and 8.5 rebounds on 59 percent shooting.
"I'm just doing whatever my team needs me to do," Davis said Thursday. "I think, for the most part, just trying to play a little more free. Before these past two games, I think I was kind of stuck on missed shots, more bad stuff than good stuff. I'm just trying to continue to move forward."
Thursday wasn't completely overwhelming for the Lady Vols. They shot 45 percent from the field and turned the ball over 16 times. Point guard Evina Westbrook, the team's leading scorer this season, was only 3-for-12 from the field and had eight points. But Tennessee dominated the boards (48-32) and limited the Gators to 29 percent shooting.
The team has received consistent rebounding from senior forward Cheridene Green. Westbrook has been at times the primary offensive threat, but the Lady Vols are only 5-4 when she scores at least 20 points, suggesting they're at their best when she's distributing.
Meme Jackson, who missed the previous two games with an ankle injury, returned and scored a pair of baskets against the Gators.
The freshmen have had their moments, but Davis appears to be the on-court leader. As she goes, the team goes.
And in the last two games, the Lady Vols have gone in the win column.
"Rennia, in the last probably four practices, has committed to playing hard on everything we do," coach Holly Warlick said Thursday. "Today she got up shots (before the game) for 45 minutes. She gets in the gym, and it has been mental for her, and I think ... not really focusing on her scoring ability and doing other things has really helped her."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3 or at Facebook.com/VolsUpdate.