All five Lady Vol starters scored in double digits to lead Tennessee to a 70-57 victory over Vanderbilt on Thursday night at Memorial Gym.
Redshirt junior Mercedes Russell posted another dominant performance, scoring 15 points to go along with 13 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season. She also tied a career high in blocks with six to extend Tennessee's winning streak to six games.
Tennessee (10-4, 2-0 SEC) snapped a three-game losing skid on the road with the win over Vanderbilt (10-5, 0-2 SEC).
UT now holds a 68-9 series lead against the Commodores and has also won six straight in the series.
Redshirt junior Diamond DeShields filled up the stat sheet, producing 16 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals in 30 minutes of action. Senior Jordan Reynolds finished with 11 points, eight rebounds, three assists and a block.
Junior Jaime Nared had 12 points and six rebounds, with five of those coming on the offensive end of the floor. She also had two assists, two steals and a block.
Sophomore Meme Jackson was the fifth Lady Vol to reach double digits, scoring 10 points on the night, which marked the third time in the last four games she has reached double-digit scoring.
Lealea Carter fueled the offense for the Commodores, finishing with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting and six rebounds.
After falling behind 5-2 early, the rest of the first quarter was all Lady Vols. They held Vanderbilt to a season low in points scored in a quarter with seven. Russell got off to a quick start, scoring four points, grabbing five boards and blocking two shots, as UT took a 20-7 lead into the second stanza.
Vanderbilt's offense came alive in the second period, pulling to within five points of the Lady Vols. Tennessee used an 11-5 run, though, to take a 10-point lead into intermission. DeShields led UT in the first half, totaling 11 points, four rebounds, four steals and three assists.
The Lady Vols and Commodores played even during the third quarter. Russell scored six points in the stanza, giving her a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds through three. Tennessee led 53-44 going into the final period.
UT closed out strong in the fourth quarter, shooting 44.4 percent (4-of-9) from the floor and converting on eight shots from the charity stripe to ice the victory.
The Lady Vols return home Sunday to face No. 4 Mississippi State at Thompson-Boling Arena. The game will tip off at 2 p.m. ET and will be broadcast online at SECN+/WatchESPN.
Keys to the Game
Several stats and performances played a major role in Tennessee's sixth-consecutive win of the season.
The Lady Vols posted another stout defensive outing, holding Vanderbilt to 57 points on the evening, which was a season low for the Commodores. UT allowed only seven points in the first quarter, the fewest points for VU in a single quarter this season.
Tennessee forced 21 turnovers on the evening, which led to 20 points for the Lady Vols. Two other key defensive stats were UT's eight steals and eight blocks.
Mercedes Russell continued to impress on both ends of the floor, as she finished with 15 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks, tying a career high for her (6 vs. Tenn. State, 12/17/13).
After falling behind 5-2 to begin the game, Tennessee went on an 18-2 run to finish the first quarter and gain a 13-point lead over the Commodores. UT also had an 11-5 run during the third quarter after VU cut the lead to only five points.
With emphasis on performing well from the charity stripe, the Lady Vols did not disappoint this game, converting on 21-of-27 shots from the free throw line. During the fourth quarter, UT shot 78 percent (8-of-11) from the line to ice the win.
The Lady Vols scored quick when the opportunity presented itself this game, outscoring Vanderbilt 10-0 in fast break points. It was the first time all season UT held an opponent scoreless on the break.