KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee forward Karoline Striplin recorded her first career double-double and led five players in double figures, as the No. 15/20 Lady Volunteers rolled to a 100-73 victory over Troy on Sunday afternoon at Food City Center.
Written by Eric Trainer | UTsports.com
The 6-foot-3 junior, who had already produced 15 points and 10 boards by halftime, finished with career highs of 19 points and 14 rebounds to pace the Big Orange. Jillian Hollingshead, a 6-5 junior forward, tied her career best with 18 points and added 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season and second of her career.
Senior guard Destinee Wells also enjoyed the finest performance of her four-game Tennessee career, as the Belmont transfer fired in 18 points and tallied eight assists and four boards with only one turnover in 30 minutes. Junior forward Sara Puckett, who missed practice on Saturday due to illness, turned in 19 gutsy minutes and contributed 14 points and eight boards, while Kaiya Wynn rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10.
The Trojans (0-3) had four players score 10-plus, with former Alabama standout Nia Daniel leading the way with 19. Forward Tai'Sheka Porchia had 18 points and a team-high eight boards, while forward Ja'Mia Hollings contributed 16 points and Shaluana Wagner chipped in 10.
Tennessee (3-1), playing without starters Rickea Jackson and Jasmine Powell and reserve Avery Strickland due to injury, controlled the game from the second quarter on, winning the final three frames by a 79-52 margin. The Lady Vols' dominance on the glass this season carried over into Sunday's contest, as they out-rebounded Troy, 63-35, and added a season-best 30 second-chance points and another season high of 48 points in the paint. The bench unit made the most of its minutes, scoring 38 points compared to Troy's eight points from reserves.
Defense was a key theme early in the game for both teams, as Tennessee strung together four consecutive stops en route to a 7-2 advantage. Troy would soon find its footing, connecting on three three-pointers on eight attempts, including the last basket of the quarter to tie the game at 21. Striplin collected seven offensive rebounds in the frame to go along with seven points.
It was a Big Orange flurry in the second period, with the Lady Vols firing off two separate 10-0 runs before and after a Trojan three-pointer. Tennessee's second-quarter defensive dominance continued, allowing a season-low nine points in the frame. The halftime buzzer concluded a 25-9 run and gave the Lady Vols a 46-30 lead. Striplin (15 points), Wells (14 points) and Puckett (10 points) all hit double figures in the first 20 minutes.
Hollingshead scored two layups on the first two possessions of the second half to stretch UT's lead to 20, but the Trojans would log an 11-2 run to cut it to 13 before a corner three from Tess Darby made the score 63-47. Thanks to 10 field goals and eight points at the foul line, the Lady Vols scored 31 points to build a comfortable 77-52 advantage. It marked their most points in a regular-season quarter since they put up 34 in the third quarter against UCF on Dec. 14, 2022.
After the offensive onslaught in the third quarter, Tennessee used the final frame to lock in defensively, holding Troy to 35 percent (7-for-20) from the field. For the third consecutive quarter, Tennessee connected on three long balls, finishing the game shooting 40 percent (10-for-25) from deep.
NEXT UP: The Lady Vols travel to Southwest Florida on Tuesday to participate in the Elevance Health Women's Fort Myers Tip-Off at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. Tennessee is set to face No. 18/17 Indiana on Nov. 23 at 6 p.m. ET (FOX). On Nov. 25, the Lady Vols will meet No. 25/21 Oklahoma at 1:30 p.m. in the first-ever women's college basketball game carried by Women's Sports Network.