Following a 2-1 start to the season, Lady Vols basketball is back in Knoxville for its second home game of the 2025-26 season. This time, it’ll be Belmont coming to town for the first end of a home-and-home series with the in-state foe.
Here’s everything to know about the matchup, from broadcast details to a prediction.
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How to Watch — No. 12 Lady Vols (2-1, 0-0 SEC) vs. ETSU (1-1, 0-0 MVC)
- Start Time: 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT
- Location: Food City Center (Knoxville, Tenn.)
- Watch: SEC Network | PxP: Sam Gore, Analyst: Carolyn Peck
- Online Streaming: Watch ESPN
- Radio (Knoxville): The Vol Network/The Vol Network App
- Vol Network radio crew: PxP: Brian Rice, Studio Host: Jay Lifford
Betting Odds
Spread: -19.5 Lady Vols
Over/Under: 150.5
How They’ve Fared
Lady Vols:
- Loss vs. No. 9 NC State in Greensboro, 80-77
- Win vs. ETSU, 97, 47
- Win at UT Martin, 72-61
Belmont:
- Loss at No. 6 Oklahoma, 84-67
- Win vs. Brown, 83-61
Where They Land In Rankings
Lady Vols:
- AP Poll: No. 12
- Coaches Poll: No. 12
- Bart Torvik: No. 13
Belmont:
- AP Poll: Unranked
- Coaches Poll: Unranked
- Bart Torvik: No. 64
Stat Leaders
Lady Vols:
- Points: Talaysia Cooper – 17.0
- Rebounds: Zee Spearman – 7.7
- Assists: Talaysia Cooper – 2.7
Belmont:
- Points: Jailyn Banks/Hilary Fuller – 14.5
- Rebounds: Quinn Eubank – 6.5
- Assists: Tuti Jones – 3.5
Prediction
Belmont is not a bad team by any means. It didn’t necessarily give Oklahoma, a top-10 team, a run for its money, but it did keep things moderately competitive in the 17-point loss.
For the Lady Vols, they’re coming off of one of the weaker performances of Kim Caldwell’s tenure. They could never create true separation at UT Martin, a team far worse than Belmont.
With that said, I still think Tennessee has a bit of a bounce-back game on Thursday night. The Lady Vols got some much-needed rest, which also gave Caldwell the chance to hone in on some of the issues the team has been plagued by. There’s no excuse now for not boxing out, letting the half-court offense get stagnant and fouling far beyond necessary.
I think the Bruins will hang in there at first, but I’ll take Tennessee pulling away and winning decently comfortably.
Lady Vols 88, Belmont 70
