KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Fifth-year guard Kaylene Smikle scored 30 points, and Tennessee stayed unbeaten by forcing 43 turnovers off 30 steals to roll past Middle Tennessee, 110-64, on Thursday night at Food City Center.
Smikle scored 11 points in the first frame and 21 by halftime to notch her second 30+ scoring effort of the young campaign for the Lady Vols (4-0). She was joined in double figures by freshman guard/forward Gabby Minus with 15 and sophomore guard Harissoum Coulibaly with 13.
While Tennessee rolled up a season-high point total and surpassed the century mark for the second time this season and the 10th occasion during the Kim Caldwell era, it was its defense that served as the catalyst for the output against the Blue Raiders (1-2). The Big Orange posted the second most steals in school history, and its aggressive full-court press forced MTSU into the fourth-highest turnover total by an opponent in UT annals. Smikle and fifth-year guard Kennedy Fauntleroy led the effort with five swipes apiece.
Middle Tennessee was led in scoring by Xai Whitfield, who tossed in 16 points. Mya Kone and Blair Baugus contributed 11 and 10, respectively.
The teams exchanged baskets early and were locked up at six each when Coulibaly scored on a layup following a steal by senior forward Fatmata Janneh to make it 8-6. Smikle drained a three-pointer and hit two free throws, and then Janneh swished a three from the top of the key to give the Lady Vols a 16-8 lead entering the 4:26 media timeout. The Blue Raiders scored six straight out of the break to pull within 18-14, but UT responded with a spree of its own. Janneh started the proceedings by hitting a spinning layup and then fed Coulibaly for a layup. Following a bucket by MTSU, Coulibaly knocked down a trey, Janneh got a put-back and Smikle closed out the first period with a steal and score just before the buzzer to make it 27-17, Big Orange.
After scoring 11 points in the first frame, Smikle picked up where she left off, hitting a three-pointer and-one to open UT’s scoring in the second. A pair of layups from sixth-year forward Aaliyah Moore, another score from Coulibaly and a Minus three propelled Tennessee into the 4:44 media timeout with a 40-27 advantage. After Middle Tennessee scored right after the break, UT reeled off three straight buckets, getting layups from Coulibaly, Smikle and senior guard Rylie Theuerkauf to move ahead 46-29 and force a timeout with 3:19 remaining. The Lady Vols closed out a 30-point quarter by outscoring MT 11-5 the rest of the way, with a dart from beyond the arc by fifth-year guard Nya Robertson sending her team into the locker room with a 57-34 advantage.
The Big Orange scored the first four points of the third frame on a steal and score by Janneh and a steal by Smikle and dish to fifth-year guard Kennedy Fauntleroy for a layup, forcing the Blue Raiders to ask for time with UT up, 61-34, with 9:35 remaining. The Lady Vols continued to push, extending the lead to 73-40 by the 4:51 media timeout with Smikle and Theuerkauf contributing three-pointers to aid the cause. Middle Tennessee put together an 8-2 spurt before UT responded with a Smikle layup and a pair of Minus free throws to take a 79-48 cushion into the fourth quarter.
Tennessee built its gap to 85-52 with 8:55 to go in the fourth, forcing a Blue Raiders timeout after getting a pair of outlet-pass initiated layups from junior guard Naomi White and Minus. The Lady Vol onslaught continued, though, with the home team out-pointing the visitors, 25-9, the rest of the way to tally 31 in the final frame and card their second 30+ period of the contest and sixth such effort of the year.
NEXT UP
Tennessee is back in action on Tuesday, as it travels to Nashville to take on Belmont at the Curb Event Center. The contest is slated to tip off at 6:30 p.m. CT (7:30 ET), from 95.5FM The Jewel.
