KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 12/12-ranked Tennessee came out hot and never let up in a 96-31 win over Florida A&M on Sunday afternoon at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Lady Vols began a season 3-0 for the sixth year in a row. The Rattlers fell to 0-3 with the loss.
Sophomore guard/forward Rennia Davis notched her 10th career double-double, scoring 14 points and pulling down a team-high of 11 rebounds on the day. Three other Lady Vols also finished with double-digit scoring, led by senior guard/forward Meme Jackson with 19 points. Jackson also had a career-high six steals with her previous-best being four against Central Arkansas on Nov. 30, 2017.
Freshman guard/forward Rae Burrell had another double-figure performance for UT with 14, while sophomore center Kasiyahna Kushkituah scored 13.
Freshman guard Mya Moye led Florida A&M with seven points, while Auryel Perkins collected five rebounds for the Rattlers.
The Lady Vols came out on fire, opening up the first quarter with a 20-0 scoring run led by Meme Jackson, who scored nine. Tennessee also played aggressive defensive from the opening tip, forcing 10 turnovers by the Rattlers and turning those into 19 points for UT. With a 34-10 advantage after the first 10 minutes, the Lady Vols tied for the sixth-most points ever produced in a quarter by the program.
Tennessee kept up the momentum in the second quarter by extending the lead to 58-18 going into halftime, marking the most points scored in a half this season. Keeping up the aggressive offensive effort, the Lady Vols had six different players score from beyond the arc, also the most in a game so far this year and more than any game a year ago.
During the third quarter, Tennessee shot 63.6 percent overall. The Lady Vols went on an 8-0 scoring streak, with Davis tallying six of those points. FAMU was held to only eight points throughout the quarter and committed four turnovers.
In the fourth stanza, Tennessee had another lengthy run, a 16-0 burst, with five different Lady Vols scoring in that timeframe. UT didn’t let up on the defensive side of the ball, either, as FAMU only had five points during the quarter, tying for the fourth fewest ever by an opponent.
Up Next: The Lady Vols hit the road for the first time, as they travel to Bimini, Bahamas, for the 2018 Junkanoo Jam at Resorts World Bimini on Nov. 22-24. The Lady Vols depart Tuesday afternoon and open play against Clemson on Thanksgiving day at 3 p.m. ET in the tournament’s Junkanoo Division. The winner meets the winner of Oklahoma/UAB at 2 p.m. on Saturday, while the loser plays the OU/UAB loser at 7:45 p.m. on Friday.
Quick Start: The Lady Vols started the game with a 20-0 run, holding FAMU scoreless until the 5:40 mark of the first quarter. UT went on to log 34 first-quarter points, tying for the sixth-most points scored in a quarter by any Lady Vols team.
Balanced Scoring: Tennessee has had four or more players in double figures in all three games thus far this season. Additionally, every UT player has scored at least two points in two of the three contests.
From Long Distance: Through three games Tennessee is 21-of-57 (36.8%) from behind the arc and has had seven different players hit at least one 3-pointer. Senior Meme Jackson leads the team in treys, knocking down seven so far this season.
High Pressure Defense: UT had 22 steals and forced 32 turnovers against FAMU while holding the Rattlers to just 31 points in the game, tying for the sixth fewest points scored by any Lady Vol opponent. FAMU’s five third-quarter points ties for fourth all-time for the fewest points scored in a quarter by an opponent.
Career Nights: Kasiyahna Kushkituah scored 13 points, besting her previous career high of 10 points. Meme Jackson snagged six steals, upping her career high for the second time this season. Freshman Mimi Collins also got in on the action, grabbing 10 rebounds to set a new career high.
