Lady Vols basketball is back in action on Thursday for the first time in a week. Tennessee was supposed to face Ole Miss on Monday, but the game was postponed due to inclement weather. Now, it’s a matchup with Mississippi State for the second time this season.
Here is everything to know about the game, from broadcast details to a prediction.
More From RTI: Lady Vols Basketball HC Kim Caldwell Updates Injury Status of Janiah Barker
How to Watch — No. 15 Lady Vols (14-3, 6-0 SEC) vs. No. 11 Kentucky (15-6, 2-5 SEC)
- Start Time: 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT
- Location: Food City Center (Knoxville, Tenn.)
- Watch: SECN+ | PxP: Andy Brock, Analyst: Niya Butts, Reporter: Sara Detwiler
- 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
No odds listed yet
ESPN Matchup Predictor
Lady Vols: 88.9%
Mississippi State: 11.1%
What Kim Caldwell Said
On the challenge of playing Mississippi State a second time in one month
“I think the biggest thing is we both played pretty well offensively in our last game, so getting ready for adjustments that they may make. They’ve been doing some different things defensively, so making sure that we’re prepared for that and any adjustments that they may make. It is kind of a quick turnaround to play the same team twice. Hopefully, we look better than we did at their place.”
On limiting Mississippi State, Favour Nwaedozi on the glass
“We’ve been practicing with a lid on the rim all week and they killed us on the glass at their place, and that’s been a point of emphasis and it’s gonna continue to be a point of emphasis.”
On limiting Mississippi State in the second half
“Yeah, it definitely happened the first time we played them and I think they’re very similar to us as we both have new rosters and they’ve been reconstructed, so the farther the season goes along, the more consistent you get. So we need to be prepared for a more consistent team. So they’ll put more quarters together and we need to do the same.”
Last Five Games
Lady Vols:
- vs. Kentucky, 60-58 W
- at Alabama, 70-59 W
- vs. Arkansas, 85-50 W
- at Mississippi State, 90-90 W
- at Auburn, 73-56 W
Mississippi State:
- at Alabama, 85-78 L
- vs. Kentucky, 71-59 W
- vs. Vanderbilt, 89-84 L
- at Ole Miss, 93-68 L
- vs. Tennessee, 90-80 L
Where They Land In Rankings
Lady Vols:
AP Poll – No. 15
Coaches Poll – No. 15
Bart Torvik – No. 11
Mississippi State:
AP Poll – Unranked
Coaches Poll – Unranked
Bart Torvik – No. 34
Stat Leaders
Lady Vols:
- Points: Talaysia Cooper – 14.4
- Rebounds: Zee Spearman – 6.9
- Assists: Talaysia Cooper – 4.1
Mississippi State:
- Points: Favour Nwaedozi – 13.2
- Rebounds: Favour Nwaedozi – 10.4
- Assists: Destiney McPhaul – 3.9
Prediction
It’s always interesting when two teams play in such a short amount of time. It was less than a month ago that the Lady Vols went on the road and defeated Mississippi State by 10. It sure feels like Tennessee has continued to take steps in the right direction since then, though. On the other hand, the Bulldogs upset Kentucky, but have lost their three other games since.
While sure, Mississippi State knows what to expect and has the game experience of dealing with Kim Caldwell’s system, Caldwell also now knows how the Bulldogs adjust on the fly to different traps and pressures. I think the rematch will be more of an advantage for Tennessee at the end of the day.
Caldwell also seems to understand the importance of taking care of business early in this conference schedule. The Lady Vols have a back-loaded slate, which means they can’t mess around early and drop games they shouldn’t. They haven’t slipped up so far, but the Bulldogs will likely be hungry for revenge.
I’ll still take the Lady Vols comfortably, though. Mia Pauldo is coming into her own and looks like one of the best scorers in the conference. Tennessee is also getting Janiah Barker back from injury, and Talaysia Cooper always has the ability to take over a game.
I think this star power will be far too much for Mississippi State to keep up with. The only way the Bulldogs stick around is if they dominate the glass, but with Barker back and Zee Spearman playing well, they should be fine as long as they don’t fall into foul trouble.
Lady Vols 82, Mississippi State 67
