KNOXVILLE, Tenn. —  No. 16/15 Tennessee (13-1, 1-1 SEC) faces its second-straight top-10 opponent Thursday night, as No. 6/4 LSU (17-0, 2-0 SEC), puts its undefeated record on the line vs. the Big Orange at Food City Center.

The Lady Vols and Tigers will clash at 6:30 p.m. ET in a contest that will be streamed live on SECN+ and carried on Lady Vol Network radio stations statewide as well as audio-streamed on UTSports.com and SiriusXM Satellite Radio channels 119 and 191.

UT has split in its opening two league games, defeating Texas A&M on the road last Thursday, 91-78, and falling to No. 9/10 Oklahoma by one, 87-86, on Sunday afternoon to drop its first contest of the season. The Lady Vols feature five players averaging double figures in scoring, led by redshirt sophomore guard Talaysia Cooper, who puts up 17.8 points per game and shoots 51.7 percent from the field. Fifth-year guard Jewel Spear, who battled injuries late in non-conference play, has recovered and hit her stride of late. She has scored 15 or more in her last four games, dropping progressive season highs of 20 at A&M and 28 vs. OU with a combined 12 three-pointers to produce 24.0 ppg. in league action.

LSU stands 2-0 in the SEC, rolling at Arkansas, 98-64, and then edging Auburn at home, 73-63, on Sunday. The Tigers, meanwhile, are led by a trio of players who have started every game, including guard Flau’jae Johnson (19.7 ppg., 6.1 rpg., 24 3FGs), forward Aneesah Morrow (18.1 ppg., 14.0 rpg.) and guard Mikaylah Williams (15.9 ppg., 28 3FGs). In SEC play, though, reserve guard Kailyn Gilbert (11.3 ppg. in all games) has set the tone at 16.5 ppg. in SEC play on 68.2-percent shooting. 

Kim Caldwell‘s first Lady Vol team enters Thursday’s match-up ranked No. 1 nationally in five statistical categories through Jan. 6. UT is tops in the NCAA in scoring offense (97.3), three pointers per game (12.1), three point attempts per game (36.5), offensive rebounds per game (20.9) and turnovers forced per game (27.64). It is second in turnover margin (12.64) and steals per game (14.9), and fifth in bench points per game (35.5) and ninth in scoring margin (29.9).

UT leads the all-time series with LSU, 53-19, with the teams splitting the past 12 and past two evenly. The Tigers, though, have claimed three of the past four meetings, including a 75-60 decision in Knoxville the last time these teams met on Feb. 25, 2024.

MORE INFO

GAMEDAY TIMES & BROADCAST INFO

• Opponent: LSU
• Date: Thurs., Jan. 9
• Tip-off: 6:30 p.m. ET
• Venue: Food City Center
• Watch: SECN+
• Radio: Lady Vol Network
• Online: Live Audio, Live Stats

RELATED LINKS

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TENNESSEE

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LSU

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BROADCAST DETAILS

• Andy Brock (play-by-play), LVFL Kamera Harris (analyst) and Sarah Detwiler (reporter) will have the call for the SECN+ live stream.
• All of the games included in the ESPN package (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU) will be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
• The contest also can be heard on Lady Vol Network stations and by audio stream, with Brian Rice providing play-by-play and Jay Lifford serving as studio host.
• A link to the live audio stream can be found on the Hoops Central page or the schedule on UTSports.com. 
• For a list of Lady Vol Network affiliates, please click the Fans tab at the top of UTSports.com, select Vol Network and then click on the Vol Network Affiliates tab.
• Air-time generally occurs 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
• The Lady Vol Network broadcast also will be available via SiriusXM Satellite Radio channels 119 and 191.

TICKETS/PROMOTIONS

• Tickets are on sale at AllVols.com.

PARKING, TRAFFIC FLOW, ENTRY ALERTS

• Fans coming to campus looking to purchase basketball parking will do so on-site with a credit card.
• Those parking in the G-10 garage are requested to enter from Neyland Drive.
• There is free public parking on the Ag Campus and a free shuttle to and from there for fans. All shuttles are fully accessible for those with disabilities.
• The shuttle location on the Ag campus is on River Drive near the Brehm Animal Sciences Bldg. and across from the CF lot. Visit https://parking.utk.edu/parking/special-events/athletic/ for maps and more information.
• Shuttles begin two hours prior to tip-off. Return shuttles run one hour postgame or until the Food City Center is cleared. 
• Accessible shuttle loading and unloading for those with disabilities is located next to Arena Dining. 
• For regular shuttles, the unloading and loading areas near Food City Center will be as follows: Prior to the game, regular shuttles will unload at Chamique Holdsclaw and Lake Loudoun Blvd. After the game, regular shuttles will load at Lake Loudoun Blvd and Phillip Fulmer Way.
• All tickets and Tennessee Fund parking passes are digital.
• Fans will again see walk-through metal detectors outside of all Food City Center entrances.  
• Gates typically open one hour before tip for women’s games.

PHILLIP FULMER WAY CLOSURE INFO.

• Due to the resumption of construction and upgrades to Neyland Stadium, basketball fans and media members should be advised of immediate changes to normal traffic patterns on Phillip Fulmer Way and Peyton Manning Pass during the rest of the 2024-25 season. 
• Phillip Fulmer Way from G-10 garage to Neyland Stadium Gate 21 vicinity is now closed.
• The G-10 garage will not be accessible southbound on Phillip Fulmer Way. 
• Phillip Fulmer Way will be closed to southbound traffic at Middle Drive, and it will not be accessible via Peyton Manning Pass.
• For events at Food City Center, G-10 and Staff 5 parking areas will be accessible via Lake Loudoun Boulevard, but it is strongly recommended that vehicles enter G-10 via Neyland Drive. 
• Lot G5/30 is only accessible from Lake Loudoun Blvd.

INDIVIDUALLY SPEAKING

• COOP TO THE HOOP: Guard Talaysia Cooper is having a break-out season, leading UT in scoring (17.8 ppg.), hitting double figures in 12 games, carding six efforts of 20+ points and notching seven quarters where she has scored 10 or more points, including 12 and 10, respectively, in the fourth quarters vs. Florida State and Iowa.
• “FEAR DA SPEAR”: Jewel Spear is enjoying her best stretch this season, averaging 19.8 ppg. over her past four games and 24.0 ppg. in SEC play, hitting six three-pointers per contest in league action to run her season total to a team-high-tying 35.
• SMOOTH SAMARA: Samara Spencer is averaging 11.0 ppg. and 5.6 apg., ranking No. 7 nationally in assist/turnover ratio (3.25) with 78 assists and 24 turnovers and No. 18 in three-point field goal percentage at 44.9 with 35 treys to tie for the team lead.
• DEPENDABLE RUBY: Ruby Whitehorn is UT’s third-leading scorer at 12.9 ppg., putting up 14.0 ppg. in SEC play and contributing 10+ points in her past eight games. 
• ZEE STEPS UP: Forward Zee Spearman has been in double figures eight times, averaging 11.1 ppg. and a team-high 5.6 rpg.

FROM A TEAM PERSPECTIVE

• PILING UP POINTS: The Lady Vols rank No. 1 nationally in scoring offense, generating 97.3 points per game. The lowest a Kim Caldwell team has ranked in ppg. is No. 4, where she was in 2023-24 (85.3) at Marshall.
• MAKING THREES IN BUNCHES: UT ranks No. 1 in 3FGs made per game at 12.1 and has hit 10+ treys 10 times, eclipsing the old school best of six at Memphis for most games with double-digit totals in a season.
• ELITE ON O-BOARDS: UT is No. 1 in the nation in offensive rebounds per game at 20.9. It has twice reached 30+ this season.
• TURNING OVER THE OPPOSITION: UT is No. 1 in turnovers forced per game (27.64) and No 2. in T.O. margin (12.64) after Oklahoma had 31 miscues for the 11th 20+ T.O. game (7th with 30+) by a foe in 2024-25.
• RACKING UP STEALS: UT is No. 2 nationally in steals per game (14.9). It now has 11 games of 10+ steals and 209 total in 14 games. It had 159 in 33 games a year ago.
• THAT’S A 10-COUNT: Tennessee has prevented its foes from getting the ball over halfcourt in 10 seconds a total of 16 times in 13 games. UT forced only five violations the previous five years combined.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• UT’S BEST START SINCE 2017-18: UT opened at 13-0 for the first time since 2017-18 (15-0) and the seventh time ever.
• SECOND BEST START FOR COACH: UT’s 13-0 start is the second-best opening of a season in Kim Caldwell‘s nine years as a head coach behind her 29-0 start at Glenville State in 2021-22 on the way to 35-1. 
• UT’S BEST COACHING START: The win over N.C. Central on Dec. 14 gave Kim Caldwell eight straight to open her tenure, making it the best coaching debut in Lady Vol basketball history. She upped it to 13-0.
• UT NO. 17 IN NET RANKINGS: UT is No. 17 in the NCAA’s NET rankings following a one-point loss to No. 11 Oklahoma. Up next is No. 9 LSU.
• NO. 18 TOUGHEST SCHEDULE: The Lady Vols’ full schedule ranks No. 18 on the NCAA Toughest Schedule report (1/6).
• CHASING 2,000/500 STAT LINE: Jewel Spear needs 26 points and 20 rebounds to hit 2,000 and 500 for her career.
• EYEING 1,000: Junior Ruby Whitehorn (892) is closing in on 1,000 career points.
• 1,500/500/500 IN SIGHT: Samara Spencer sits at 1,536 points, 456 rebounds and 443 assists. 

LOOKING BACK AT THE LAST GAME

• No. 15/13 Tennessee outscored No. 9/10 Oklahoma, 27-12, in the fourth quarter to nearly erase a 16-point final-frame deficit before falling, 87-86, on Sunday in front of a season-best crowd of 11,321 at Food City Center.  
• The Lady Vols (13-1, 1-1 SEC), who suffered their first loss of the season, pulled to within one on a Jewel Spear three-pointer with 40 seconds left and used a shot clock violation to get the ball back with just over 10 seconds remaining. The Big Orange got an open look beyond the arc, but a shot attempt with three seconds left on the clock wouldn’t go down, and the Sooners (13-2, 1-1 SEC) escaped with a one-point victory.
• Spear led all scorers with a season-high 28 points, connecting on 11 of 17 shots from the field, including 6-of-11 accuracy beyond the arc. She was four of four on field goals, nailing three treys in the fourth quarter to contribute 11 points to her team’s comeback. Talaysia Cooper and Samara Spencer scored 16 points each, while Ruby Whitehorn tossed in 13. Cooper finished with a career-high nine steals during the contest.
• OU was led by Payton Verhulst, who hit four treys and finished with 16 points. Raegan Beers added 13 points and eight boards, while Reyna Scott and Liz Scott chipped in 11 apiece, as the Sooners shot 54 percent from the field to UT’s 45.7 and pulled down 42 rebounds to the Lady Vols’ 33 for only the Big Orange’s second deficit on the glass all season.

POSTGAME NOTES VS. OKLAHOMA

• COOP WILL TAKE THAT: Talaysia Cooper racked up a career-high, season-high and personal SEC-high nine steals against the Sooners. Cooper’s nine steals tied for third place in program history for steals in a single game. Cooper is knotted with Holly Warlick, who also totaled nine steals at LSU on Jan. 24, 1979. Cooper’s previous high of seven takeaways came against Samford on Nov. 5, 2024. Cooper also tallied 16 points, seven rebounds and a block against Oklahoma.
• LARGEST CROWD OF THE YEAR: A season-high crowd of 11,321 fans were in attendance at Food City Center during the matchup against the Sooners. It marked the second 10,000-plus crowd of the 2024-25 season. The other crowd of 10K or better was counted during the 114-80 victory against Winthrop on Dec. 29, with 11,152 fans inside the building. 
• SPEAR’S SCORING SPREE: Jewel Spear’s impressive week continued vs. Oklahoma, as she produced her fourth consecutive double-digit game. The guard carded a career-high and personal SEC-high 28 points, following her 20-point performance against Texas A&M on Thursday night. Spear hit a season-high 11 field goals and a season-high-tying six treys. It marked her eighth game landing in double figures this season and the 102nd of her career. 

UT/LSU SERIES NOTES

• UT enters the 73rd meeting in the series with a 53-19 advantage over the Tigers.
• The Lady Vols are 23-5 vs. LSU in Knoxville, 16-10 in Baton Rouge and 14-4 at neutral sites.
• Tennessee is 1-1 vs. LSU in overtime games. The last time the two teams went to an extra period was on March 1, 1997. The Lady Volunteers won that game 100-99 to advance to the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament.
• The teams have split the last two meetings vs. one another and are 6-6 over their past 12 contests. 
• The Tigers, though, have emerged victorious in three of the past four matchups vs. UT and have won during their last two trips to Knoxville.

A LOOK AT THE TIGERS

• LSU is off to a 17-0 start for the second time in program history. The 2022-23 team began the season 23-0 and went on to win LSU’s first NCAA title.
• With 15 double-doubles, Aneesah Morrow leads the country in double-doubles. She scores 18.1 ppg. and is the nation’s top rebounder at 14.0 rpg.
• Flau’jae Johnson (17.8 ppg.) has three games with at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists.
• Reserve Kailyn Gilbert is averaging 11.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 20 minutes per game.

ABOUT THE HEAD COACH

• Kim Mulkey is in her fourth season at LSU and 25th year overall as a head coach, sporting records of 108-14 and 740-11, respectively.
• Leading the Tigers to the 2023 NCAA trophy, Mulkey became the first head coach in college hoops history to win national championships with multiple programs. She won at Baylor in 2005, 2012 and 2019, and did so with LSU in 2023. 
• She played for UT legend Pat Summitt on the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team that won gold in Los Angeles.

LSU’S LAST GAME

• No. 6 LSU (17-0, 2-0 SEC) defeated Auburn (9-6, 0-2 SEC) at home on Sunday, 73-63.
• Aneesah Morrow earned her 15th double-double of the season with a 21-point, 14-rebound performance. Morrow is now one double-double shy of 90, which would tie her for the third-most in NCAA DI history. 
• Kailyn Gilbert added 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting off the bench. She was a perfect six of six in the first half with 13 points, including 11 points on 5-of-5 accuracy in the second quarter alone. 
• LSU did not make a three in the game, but shot it 56-percent from the field and went 13 of 17 from the free-throw line.

LAST TIME WE MET THE TIGERS

• A determined Tennessee squad challenged No. 13/10 LSU and closed the gap to within one in the fourth quarter before the Tigers prevailed, 75-60, in front of a season-high crowd of 15,281 on Feb. 25, 2024, at Food City Center.
• UT (16-10, 9-5 SEC) trimmed LSU’s lead to 52-51 with 7:30 remaining in the game but could get no closer to the Tigers (24-4, 11-3 SEC) the rest of the way.
• Fifth-year forward Rickea Jackson paced Tennessee with 16 points and nine rebounds, eclipsing the 1,000-point scoring mark with the program in only 53 contests. Redshirt senior Tamari Key also was in double figures, contributing 10 to the Big Orange offensive ledger.
• LSU was led in scoring by Hailey Van Lith, who finished with 26 points. Mikaylah Williams chipped in 15, while Angel Reese produced a double-double with 11 points and 15 boards.

UP NEXT

• Tennessee heads to Fayetteville next to take on Arkansas on Sunday afternoon at Bud Walton Arena.
• The contest is slated for noon CT (1 p.m. ET) on SEC Network.
• It also will be carried on Lady Vol Network radio stations statewide as well as audio-streamed on UTSports.com.