Lady Vols Defeat Texas A&M, Advance in SEC Tourney

GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Tennessee Lady Volunteers secured a decisive 77-37 victory over Texas A&M Wednesday in the first round of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Tournament at Bon Secours Arena. The win not only marked a critical step in their postseason journey but also showcased the return of Talaysia Cooper, who played 23 minutes despite nursing an ankle injury.

Initially, the Lady Vols struggled, making only one field goal in their first seven attempts. However, their defensive tenacity helped them maintain focus, leading to a dominant second quarter that shifted the momentum of the game. “After a slow start, I was happy that we got it together,” said Tennessee Coach Kim Caldwell. “We continued to play hard, we saw some shots go in. It was good to get one under our belt in this arena.”

Cooper led the Lady Vols with 19 points and eight rebounds. Jewel Spear and Zee Spearman contributed 11 points each, and Samara Spencer added 10 points. With this performance, Cooper’s return was a much-needed boost for the team, especially after her absence in most of the regular-season finale against Georgia on Sunday.

The Aggies’ Sahara Jones led her team with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Texas A&M struggled throughout the season, battling significant injuries, including the loss of leading scorer Aicha Coulibaly, who sustained a season-ending injury in January.

Tennessee, which improved to 22-8, now sets its sights on facing No. 8 seed Vanderbilt (21-9) on Thursday at 11 a.m. Eastern, following the Commodores’ bye based on playoff seeding. The teams faced each other earlier in the season, with Vanderbilt narrowly defeating Tennessee 71-70 in January.

<p“Thankful that we have the opportunity to play them again,” Caldwell noted. “It’s a really hard team to play with zero prep. They run a lot of sets, are very disciplined. They definitely had our number.”

In their victory against Texas A&M, Tennessee tied the program record for most games forcing 30 or more turnovers in a season, achieving it for the eighth time. Caldwell’s team displayed excellent defensive effort, forcing the Aggies into 32 turnovers throughout the game.

With a quick turnaround for their match against Vanderbilt, the Lady Vols are looking to keep their momentum. “We focused on what we could control, which is our energy and effort,” said Spear. “I thought we executed the scout really well against a really good Texas A&M basketball team.”

The game presented challenges, beginning with a sluggish first quarter where the Lady Vols trailed 13-11. Following some adjustments, Tennessee came alive in the second quarter, quickly taking a 32-19 lead at halftime.

The third quarter was marked by a remarkable 17-0 run, capped off by a three-pointer from Spear that ended the period with a comfortable 60-28 lead. Caldwell was able to rotate her bench in the fourth quarter, allowing all players to contribute to the final score.

Texas A&M finished the game with a shooting percentage of 26.5% (13-49) overall, while Tennessee managed 35.0% (28-80). The Lady Vols also excelled in points off turnovers (37-5) and bench scoring (39-8).

The upcoming match against Vanderbilt is critical for both teams as they look to advance further in the SEC tournament. Caldwell acknowledged the importance of mental toughness and lessons learned through a challenging season as the team prepares for their next matchup. “You have to show up every single night and make sure your players are focused,” Caldwell said. “It’s a long SEC season, and I was a little taken aback on the physical toll this league has on players.”