Tennessee guard/forward Sara Puckett has been named the SEC Women’s Basketball Freshman of the Week, the league office announced on Tuesday.
Puckett averaged 10.0 points and 2.5 rebounds last week, as the No. 9/10 Lady Vols picked up a pair of wins that vaulted them into the AP top 10 for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
The 6-foot-2 freshman was sensational in UT’s win over RV/RV Virginia Tech, scoring a career-high 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting and adding three rebounds to keep the Big Orange unbeaten at 8-0 and end the Hokies’ 63-game home-court win streak against non-conference opponents.
The rookie from Muscle Shoals, Ala., scored eight of her points in the decisive fourth quarter, spurring Tennessee to a 16-3 blitz over the final six minutes that enabled the Lady Vols to overcome a seven-point deficit and card their fourth final-quarter comeback of the season.
Puckett also was instrumental in keeping a surging Hokies squad within range during the second period before going to the bench with her second foul. Prior to departing, she scored seven points in the frame, including a spurt of three field goals, including a three-pointer, that lifted her team from six down to four ahead in the span of just over three minutes.
The UT reserve has scored in double figures in two of her past three games and has increased her season scoring average to 7.5 ppg. and her shooting percentage to 46.2.
Puckett and the Lady Vols are back in action on Sunday, as they begin a five-game home stand with a 2 p.m. contest vs. Georgia State at Thompson-Boling Arena. Tickets are available at AllVols.com.
-UT Athletics
