WBB Preview: #19/17 Lady Vols at #RV/RV Georgia

February 03, 2026 | Women's Basketball

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No. 19/17 Tennessee (14-5, 6-1 SEC) plays the second of three straight road games, visiting Athens on Thursday night to take on RV/RV Georgia (18-4, 4-4 SEC) at Stegeman Coliseum.

The Lady Vols face the Lady Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. ET in a contest that will be broadcast on SECN+ and available on the Lady Vol Radio Network and SiriusXM Satellite Radio (Chs. 117 or 191).

UT returns to conference play after falling at No. 1/1 UConn, 96-66, on Sunday in Hartford, Conn. The Big Orange led by four in the second quarter and by two in the third before the Huskies pulled away. Kim Caldwell's squad remains as one of only two SEC teams with a single loss in league play, joining No. 3/3 South Carolina (8-1).

Georgia, meanwhile, enters on the heels of a 68-53 home loss to No. 24/22 Alabama last week but has a win over Kentucky and a split with Ole Miss to its credit.

The Lady Vols lead the all-time series vs. the Lady Bulldogs, 55-20, and have won three of the past four, but UGA took the meeting last season in Knoxville, 72-69.

MORE INFO

GAMEDAY TIMES & BROADCAST INFO

Opponent: Georgia
Date: Thurs., Feb. 5
Tip-off: 6:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Stegeman Coliseum
Watch: SECN+
Radio: Lady Vol Network
Online: Live Audio , Live Stats

TENNESSEE

Roster Schedule Game Notes

GEORGIA

Roster Schedule Game Notes

THE LATEST FROM THE LADY VOLS

#15 Lady Vols Challenge #1 UConn Before Falling To Unbeaten Huskies Tennessee, Ole Miss Announce Date For Rescheduled SEC Contest Hot-Shooting Bulldogs End Lady Vol Winning Streaks, 77-62 Cooper Named To Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List

BROADCAST DETAILS

Matt Stewart (play-by-play) and Anne Marie Armstrong (color analyst) will be on the call for SECN+.
All of the games included in the ESPN package (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU) will be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
The contest also can be heard on Lady Vol Network stations and by audio stream, with Brian Rice providing play-by-play and Jay Lifford serving as studio host.
A link to the live audio stream can be found on the WBB Preview page or the schedule on UTSports.com.
For a list of Lady Vol Network affiliates, please click the Fans tab at the top of UTSports.com, select Vol Network and then click on the Vol Network Affiliates tab.
Air-time generally occurs 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
The Lady Vol Network broadcast also will be available on SiriusXM Satellite Radio channels 117 or 191.

A LOOK AT OUR LAST GAME

1,500 CLUB: Nya Robertson's second free throw Sunday put her at 1,500 points for her career. Robertson is the only Lady Vol on this team to be part of that exclusive club. The guard scored 856 points in her first two years at George Washington, then added 499 in her junior season at SMU. Robertson has scored 151 at Tennessee in 2025-26.
PROVIDED A SPARK: Janiah Barker's 16 points led UT in scoring for the fourth time this season. Barker has now scored in double figures in 15 games this campaign and 58 for her career. That number for the season ranks second on the team behind Talaysia Cooper.
CONNECTING FROM BEHIND THE ARC: The Lady Vols' hit 10 threes, which marked the eighth time UT has hit 10+ threes during the 2025-26 season. Eight ranks second-most in a season in program history for 10+ threes in a game, standing behind only the 18 Kim Caldwell's team had last season. The Big Orange average 9.4 treys per contest.

NOTES FROM THE UCONN GAME

STAYING HOT IN SEC PLAY: Freshman Mia Pauldo's 13 points, all in the second half, made it five games in a row she has scored in double figures. The guard now has 12 games with 10+ points in her first year on Rocky Top with half of them coming in SEC play. Pauldo is averaging 15.6 points in conference action.
DOUBLE DIGITS AGAIN FOR COOP: Talaysia Cooper's 19 points marked her 15th double-digit scoring performance in the 17 games she has played during the 2025-26 season. Cooper leads the Lady Vols with the most 10+ point performances and has paced UT in scoring seven times this year.
TURNING THEM OVER: The Big Orange forced the Bulldogs into 24 turnovers, making it 12 opponents on the season UT has hurried into 20+ miscues. The Lady Vols increased their opponent turnover average to 21.72 per game. That number ranks in the top 25 nationally. Tennessee also collected 11 steals against MSU, marking the 13th time UT has tallied 10 or more this season.

A LOOK AT THE LADY VOLS

Tennessee stands at No. 19 in the NET rankings and is No. 19 in the AP Poll.
UT is led by 6-0 redshirt junior guard Talaysia Cooper (14.3 ppg., 5.4 rpg., 4.0 apg., 3.1 spg., 32 3FGs), 6-4 senior forward Janiah Barker (14.1 ppg., 6.6 rpg., 23 3FGs), freshman guard Mia Pauldo (11.7 ppg., 48 assts./26 TOs, 38 3FGs) and senior forward Zee Spearman (11.3 ppg., 6.6 rpg., 18 3FGs).
UT is No. 8 nationally in offensive rebounds per game (16.3) and No. 34 in total rebounds per contest (41.42).
The Lady Vols rank No. 9 nationally in threes made per game (9.4), with eight games of 10+ treys made (2x in SEC play).
Tennessee is No. 22 in turnovers forced per game (21.37) and has caused 20+ turnovers 12 times this season after hurrying Mississippi State into 24 on Jan. 29.
UT is No. 27 nationally in steals per game (11.6), carding 10+ steals on 13 occasions after grabbing 11 vs. Miss. State.
The Big Orange bench contributes 26.3 points per contest, ranking No. 28 nationally.
Tennessee is No. 33 in NCAA scoring offense (77.7) and No. 43 in scoring margin (14.7).

TRENDING...

Of the Lady Vols' nine remaining games, six are against ranked teams, and Georgia is receiving votes.
Since Jan. 18, Tennessee has entered a stretch where it plays nine ranked teams in a span of 13 games.
By the time the regular season ends, UT will have played the top seven teams in this week's AP Poll (UConn, UCLA, South Carolina, Texas, LSU, Louisville, Vandy).
It played at No. 1 UConn last game and is at No. 3 South Carolina on Sunday.
The Big Orange has road wins at Auburn, Miss. State and Alabama, and will be trying to go 4-0 in away SEC contests.
Senior guard Nya Robertson is coming off her best game since December, hitting three treys and scoring 11 points vs. No. 1 UConn to surpass 1,500 career points.
The Big Orange bench has outscored its opponents' reserves in 17 of 19 games.
UT got back on track with its three-point shooting at UConn, making 10 to card its eighth game with 10+ treys.
Janiah Barker (16 points) made a trio of threes vs. UConn, tying her high for treys in a season at 23 (Texas A&M, 2023-24).

LADY VOLS IN SEC PLAY THIS SEASON

Tennessee enters the Georgia game with a 6-1 league record that ranks second in the SEC standings.
UT and South Carolina are the only one-loss teams.
The Big Orange has ranked league wins over No. 11/12 Kentucky and No. 21/21 Alabama, and its only loss is to Mississippi State in Knoxville in the teams' second meeting of the year.
The Lady Vols are 3-0 on the road in SEC play thus far.
Freshman guard Mia Pauldo leads Tennessee in scoring in Southeastern Conference play, averaging 15.6 ppg. to rank No. 12 among all league players and second among freshmen.
Pauldo also paces her squad in three-pointers with 14 and free throws (27-31, .871), ranking No. 8 in the league in free throw percentage.
Talaysia Cooper is averaging 15.2 ppg. and leads the Big Orange with 16 steals in six conference games.
Janiah Barker paces the team on the boards with 7.8 rpg. in SEC play and is third in scoring at 12.8 ppg.
UT ranks No. 3 in scoring defensive in SEC play (63.57), No. 3 in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.263)and No. 4 in field percentage defense (.387).
Tennessee is No. 2 in offensive rebounds per game (15.29) vs. league foes.
The Lady Vols are No. 3 in turnover margin (+4.86).
Janiah Barker is No. 9 in the SEC in rebound average (7.83), No. 4 in defensive rebounds per game (5.67) and No. 8 in blocked shots per game (1.33).
Talaysia Cooper ranks No. 4 in steals per game (2.67).
Zee Spearman is No. 8 in off. rebs. per game (3.14).

NCAA RANKS UT SCHEDULE AS THE MOST DIFFICULT

The NCAA's Toughest Schedule Report as of Feb. 3 ranks Tennessee's slate as the most difficult in the nation in 2025-26.
Counting games played and games scheduled (cumulative opposition), Lady Vol foes currently possess a .713 winning percentage (433-174).
The breakdown includes the fourth toughest for past opposition (271-134, .669) and No. 2 toughest for future opposition (162-40, .802).
Kim Caldwell entered 2025-26 with her team ticketed to play the top six teams in the AP Preseason Top 25, seven of the top 10 and 11 total ranked squads.
The current (Feb. 2) AP Poll features the top seven teams in the country on the Lady Vols' schedule, and the Top 25 includes 11 programs on UT's 2025-26 slate.
Through Feb. 3, the Lady Vols are 2-4 vs. teams that were in the top 25 at the time they played this season.

UT/UGA SERIES NOTES

The Lady Vols are 24-6 in Knoxville, 16-3 at neutral sites and 15-11 in Athens vs. the Lady Bulldogs after UGA pulled off a 72-69 upset last season on Tennessee's Senior Day.
UT has won in its past two trips to Athens, but is 2-3 in its last five visits to Stegeman Coliseum.
The Big Orange is 1-3 vs. UGA in overtime games.
The Lady Vols have a 14-3 postseason record against Georgia after winning in the 2015 SEC quarterfinals.
UT beat Georgia, 83-64, in the 1996 NCAA title game in Charlotte to begin a run of three straight crowns.
Tennessee (18) and Georgia (7) rank No. 1 and No. 3 in SEC regular season championships. S.C. is second (9).

A LOOK AT THE LADY BULLDOGS

Georgia features four players averaging double figures in scoring this season, including Georgia Tech transfer Dani Carnegie (19.0), Mia Woolfolk (12.1), Trinity Turner (12.0) and Rylie Theuerkauf (10.4).
In SEC games, Carnegie has upped her number to 22.7 ppg., while Woolfolk (11.0) and Trinity Turner (10.4) also average double digits.
Reflective of its 4-4 league record thus far, UGA's scoring margin also is nearly even in SEC play. It scores 66.9 ppg. and allows 67.9 ppg.
UGA has given up 70 or more points only twice in SEC play, including at Ole Miss (79) and vs. LSU (80).

ABOUT THE HEAD COACH

Katie Abrahamson-Henderson is 437-210 in her 21st season as a head coach, including 65-53 in her fourth year with Georgia.
Abrahamson-Henderson has compiled 13 20-win seasons as a head coach with 12 NCAA berths.
She also served as head coach at Missouri State (2002-07), Albany (2010-16) and UCF (2016-22).

GEORGIA'S LAST GAME

The No. 23 Georgia Lady Bulldogs fell to the No. 24-ranked Alabama Crimson TIde, 68-53, in Stegeman Coliseum last Thursday night.
The Lady Bulldogs started off strong, leading 20-12 in the first quarter, but Alabama shot 54.5 percent from the field, including 8-of-17 marksmanship beyond the arc, to outscore Georgia the rest of the way, 56-33.
Mia Woolfolk scored 13 points to lead UGA, while Rylie Theuerkauf tossed in 11.

LAST TIME WE MET

No. 11 Tennessee came back from a 23-point first-half deficit and grabbed a three-point lead with just under five minutes remaining, but it couldn't hold on in falling in Knoxville to Georgia, 72-69, on March 2, 2025.
In her final regular-season home game on Rocky Top, Jewel Spear fired in a game-high 20 points to lead the Lady Vols (21-8, 8-8 SEC), including 10-of-10 accuracy at the free-throw line. Zee Spearman added 19 points.
UGA (12-18, 4-12 SEC) was led by Mia Woolfolk with 20 points, while De'Mauri Flournoy had 18, Asia Avinger and Trinity Turner scored 11 each and Roxane Makolo added 10.

LAST TIME WE PLAYED IN ATHENS

The Lady Vols took a decisive road win the last time these teams met in Athens, with Tennessee defeating Georgia in Stegeman Coliseum, 95-73, on Feb. 1, 2024.
Jewel Spear racked up 25 points with five three-pointers to lead the Lady Vols (13-7, 6-2 SEC). Rickea Jackson added 21 points, while Tamari Key chipped in 10 of her own.
Georgia (10-11, 1-7 SEC) was led by De'Mauri Flournoy with 18 points. Asia Avinger was also in double figures with 15, and Javyn Nicholson and Jordan Cole posted 13 and 11, respectively.

NEXT UP

Tennessee next heads to Columbia to take on No. 3/3 South Carolina (22-2, 8-1 SEC) at Colonial Life Arena on Sunday afternoon.
The Lady Vols and Gamecocks will meet at 3 p.m. ET in a contest televised nationally on ABC.
The game also will be carried on Lady Vol Radio Network stations with audio streaming available on UTSports.com.