University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Central Arkansas
Lady Vols Dominate UCA in Season Opener
November 15, 2015 | Women's Basketball
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Holly Warlick |
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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Five players reached double-figures in scoring to lead No. 4/4 Tennessee to a dominating 102-47 win over Central Arkansas in the regular-season opener on Sunday afternoon at Thompson-Boling Arena before a crowd of 9,709.
With the win, the Lady Vols extended their home winning streak to 23 consecutive games and also improved to 38-4 in season-openers over the past 42 seasons. UT shot 54 percent from the floor and scored 102 points, which is the most since scoring 111 in a victory over Saint Francis on Dec. 3 last season.
"Offensively, everybody moved the ball. Everyone got touches. We rebounded and got second-chance points. I was really excited and thrilled about our production today," head coach Holly Warlick said.
Sophomore forwards Kortney Dunbar and Mercedes Russell led the charge as Tennessee finished with a 54-18 advantage in points in the paint. Both Dunbar and Russell recorded double-doubles and posted career highs in points and rebounds on the afternoon. Dunbar finished with a game-high 24 points and pulled down 13 rebounds while Russell scored 20 points and grabbed 13 boards of her own.
"I feel a lot more confident. Coming off having a little bit more playing time in the exhibition game, I just wanted to kind of go off of my last game and come in high energy," Dunbar said.
True freshman guard Te'a Cooper had a dazzling debut, scoring 22 points and recording six assists. Her 22-point scoring performance ranks tied for second in program history for points by a freshman in their first game, tying Meighan Simmons, who had 22 points against Louisville on Nov. 12, 2010. Her six assists was also tied for third most in a debut by a freshman for Tennessee.
Tennessee had three players score 20 or more points in Dunbar, Cooper and Russell, marking the first time that has occurred since Feb. 26, 2006, when Candace Parker, Tye'sha Fluker and Shanna Zolman accomplished the feat in a 95-93 loss to Florida.
UT burst out of the gates, hitting seven of its first eight shots while scoring on its first seven possessions to start the game on a 17-0 run. Central Arkansas didn't get on the board until the 5:45 mark of the first quarter, when Kendara Watts hit a 3-pointer from the top of the arc.
Highly-touted transfer and preseason All-American Honorable Mention Diamond DeShields made her Lady Vols debut in the first quarter and received a big ovation from the fans after checking in.
The Lady Vols led 34-12 at the end of the first quarter after dominating down low. UT outscored UCA 18-2 in the paint during the opening 10 minutes. The sophomore duo of Dunbar and Alexa Middleton led the first-quarter charge, combing for 17 of the team's 34 points.
Tennessee rattled off a 20-2 run to begin the second quarter, sparked by a highlight-reel assist from DeShields that brought the crowd to its feet. The redshirt sophomore led the team and tied her career high with seven assists. She also finished the game with 12 points and four rebounds.
The Big Orange outscored the Sugar Bears, 28-8, in the second quarter to take a commanding 63-20 lead into the break. As impressive as the offensive output was, the Lady Vols were just as impressive on the defensive end, holding UCA to just 19 percent shooting in the first half while forcing 14 turnovers.
Cooper led all scorers after 20 minutes with 17 points and was one of three Tennessee players in double figures at halftime, joining Middleton and Russell.
Tennessee outscored UCA 39-27 in the second half as the Sugar Bears were held to just 26 percent shooting and committed 28 turnovers for the game.
"I thought our defense was solid. I thought we set the tone with our ball pressure. We had 17 steals and forced 28 turnovers. That is what we are looking for right there," Warlick said.
The Lady Vols continue their eight-game homestand to begin the season on Wednesday, Nov. 18 when they host Penn State. The game can be seen live on the SEC Network at 8 p.m. ET
