After over a week off from game action and in its return home for the first time in three weeks, Lady Vols basketball didn’t show any signs of rust. Tennessee dominated Winthrop, winning 112-40 to improve to 7-2 on the season.
As a result, the Lady Vols have moved up in the AP Poll. Tennessee is now the No. 17 team in the country. This is a one-spot move after UT hopped North Carolina and USC, but were jumped by Louisville, which is the Lady Vols’ next opponent on the schedule.
Tennessee’s position in the rankings is good for eighth in the SEC. The Lady Vols trail No. 2 Texas, No. 3 South Carolina, No. 5 LSU, No. 8 Oklahoma, No. 12 Kentucky, No. 13 Vanderbilt and No. 14 Ole Miss.
Leading the poll nationally is UConn, which Tennessee will play on the road later this season. UCLA, which the Lady Vols lost to by 22 points on the road, is at No. 4.
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The Lady Vols’ dominant win over Winthrop was a total team effort. However, the star of the game was freshman point guard Mia Pauldo. She finished with 18 points, 10 assists, three rebounds, four steals and no turnovers.
“I just think she’s playing with more confidence,” Lady Vols head coach Kim Caldwell said about Pauldo after the game. “And with freshmen, the more games they get under their belt, the stronger and stronger they’re going to look down the stretch. And she’s a great player and when she’s on, our team looks better.”
Next, the Lady Vols will head north to Brooklyn for a clash with Louisville. Tip-off is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET and will air on FOX. It is a part of the Shark Beauty Women’s Champions Classic, in which Tennessee defeated Iowa in a season ago. After UT’s game, the Hawkeyes and UConn will square off in the same building.
Then, the Lady Vols face Southern Indiana on Dec. 22 in Knoxville to round out the pre-SEC slate. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET and will air on SECN+.
