The Lady Vols have earned their best win yet in SEC play. On Sunday, No. 20 Tennessee downed No. 21 Alabama 70-59 in Tuscaloosa.
Here are three thoughts from the win.
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Alyssa Latham is the Perfect Role Player
Alyssa Latham doesn’t do anything too fancy, but she doesn’t need to. Instead, she’s seemingly always at the right place at the right time and is reaping the rewards.
Against Alabama, her timely cuts and strong finishes at the rim resulted in 12 points on 6-for-7 shooting from the field. She also contributed four rebounds, two assists and a steal with just one turnover.
Having a player like this is critical. To put it simply, Latham makes winning plays and makes the Lady Vols a better team. Her production in the stat sheet is one thing, but she’s also been a much-improved defender, which has been critical in the system.
Mia Pauldo Should Be the SEC Freshman of the Year Favorite
There’s not a better freshman in the SEC than Mia Pauldo. My hot take heading into the year was that she would win the conference’s Freshman of the Year award, and despite some mentions that it should be Aaliyah Chavez, I’m sticking with it.
Her game against Alabama was another prime example. Not only did she head into the week as the SEC’s leading scorer among freshmen, it’s the importance of her made shots. She is by far the best shooter on the team and one of the only consistent options to provide spacing.
Against the Tide, these all seemed to come at critical moments, as well. She produced 13 points on three made 3-pointers. She also added a rebound and though she didn’t record an assist, she also didn’t turn it over.
You’ll Take That Win Anyway Possible
There’s stuff to clean up, sure, but there should be no complaining about a road SEC win over a top-25 opponent. There are tougher games on the horizon, including the next matchup with Kentucky on Thursday, but this was the first real test for the Lady Vols, and they passed.
While Tennessee took care of business in its first four SEC wins, this was the biggest game in the conference slate it has played yet. Even when things started to not go their way at times, the Lady Vols showed resolve and left still perfect in the SEC slate.
At the end of the day, a win is a win, though, and this one is going to look nice on the NCAA Tournament resume. Currently, it’s in the category of a Quad 1 win. With how tough the league is, you have to secure as many of these as you can.
Final Stats
Up Next
Tennessee is back at home for another big-time matchup in SEC play. On Thursday, Jan. 22, Kentucky will come to Knoxville. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET and will air on SEC Network.
Then, it’s a trip to Ole Miss on Monday, Jan. 26, for another potential top-25 showdown.
