Taylasia Cooper scores 20 as No. 16 Tennessee women overwhelm Arkansas 93-63

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Taylasia Cooper scored 20 points and No. 16 Tennessee breezed to a 93-63 victory over Arkansas on Sunday.

Cooper made half of her 14 shots from the floor with a 3-pointer and 5 of 7 free throws for the Lady Volunteers (14-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference), who were coming off back-to-back home losses to No. 9 Oklahoma and No. 6 LSU by a combined three points. Cooper also had four steals.

Zee Spearman scored 18 on 7-for-9 shooting, sinking 3 of 3 from 3-point range and adding eight rebounds for Tennessee. Ruby Whitehorn totaled 17 points and Sara Puckett pitched in with 11 points and nine rebounds off the bench.

Izzy Higginbottom scored 26 to pace the Razorbacks (8-11, 1-3). She had six rebounds and six of Arkansas’ 22 turnovers. Carly Keats scored 10.

Whitehorn hit back-to-back jumpers for Tennessee to turn a three-point deficit into a 12-11 lead. Puckett’s 3-pointer was the final basket of the first quarter and the Lady Volunteers led 22-16.

Puckett hit a 3-pointer and two free throws, and Cooper added a layup in a 7-2 run to begin the second quarter as Tennessee moved in front by 13. After Arkansas pulled within five, Jewell Spear made three free throws after she was fouled beyond the arc, Whitehorn and Alyssa Latham followed with layups off Razorback turnovers and the Lady Vols upped their lead to 14 in less than 90 seconds. They held a 47-33 advantage at halftime.

Tennessee outscored the Razorbacks by 12 in the third quarter to take a 73-47 lead into the fourth.

Up next: Tennessee will host Mississippi State on Thursday. Arkansas will host No. 18 Alabama on Sunday.

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