Lady Vols basketball was in desperate need of a quality win and got it on Wednesday night. Tennessee went on the road and downed Stanford 65-62 in a nail-biter.
Here are three takeaways from what transpired out in California.
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Talaysia Cooper has Real Quadruple-Double Potential
Talaysia Cooper could genuinely record a quadruple-double this season. That’s not a stretch of the imagination at all. If she’s locked in defensively in the press, she’s consistently threatening double-digit steals. Against Stanford, she eclipsed the mark for the first time, setting a program record of 10 steals in a single game.
This time, Cooper was only able to record a double-double. She scored 19 points on 8-for-20 shooting from the field. However, she missed all three of her attempts from three. She shot 3-of-4 from the free-throw line, as well.
She’s proven to be capable of threatening double-digit rebounds and assists, as well. Her career high on the glass is 14, while she has topped out at seven assists so far. Cooper is consistently putting her teammates in spots to score, though. If shots start to fall at a higher clip, she could get to double digits there, too.
Cooper finished against Stanford with a crucial 19 points, 10 steals, six assists, two rebounds, one block and just two turnovers and a single foul. She also hit the game-winning shot with little time remaining. If it wasn’t for her, Tennessee isn’t leaving with the win.
Mia Pauldo Looked Much More Settled In
After looking great in the exhibition before the season, Mia Pauldo got off to a slower start than expected. The last time out against UCLA, she again looked a bit uncomfortable and not at the level many thought she’d be able to operate at as a true freshman.
Against Stanford, she looked much more settled in and in control. She produced 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and a pair of made threes. She also added three rebounds, an assist and two steals without committing a turnover.
Pauldo has room to grow, but if the Lady Vols can get that version of her more often than not, it’s a huge addition on both sides of the floor.
The Lady Vols Needed This Win Badly
You cannot understate how important this win was for the Lady Vols. Tennessee was in danger of dropping completely out of the AP Poll top 25 and having its NET ranking continue to fall into the 30s. With more tough out-of-conference games left to be played before the SEC gauntlet, it could’ve been a major gut-punch to morale.
While the Lady Vols were far from perfect, simply escaping with a win could go a long way. Instead of having to deal with losses in all three marquee matchups, it can at least fall back on the confidence of gutting out this road win.
Now, Stanford isn’t the same team it was just a few years ago. If Tennessee doesn’t continue to take steps forward in the coming weeks, it’ll have more trouble and face the same issues it just potentially avoided. I still think it was about as must-win a game as you can have in December, though.
Final Stats
Up Next
Next, Tennessee returns to Knoxville after the two-game trip in California. Coming off the win, the Lady Vols face Winthrop on Dec. 14. The game tips off at 2 p.m. ET and airs on SECN+.
Then, Tennessee heads to Brooklyn to play Louisville on Dec. 20. That game will begin at 11 a.m. ET and air on FOX.
