Zee Spearman’s 24 lead No. 8 Lady Vols over ETSU 97-47

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Zee Spearman scored 24 points and Talaysia Cooper added 18 to lead No. 8 Tennessee to a 97-47 victory over East Tennessee State on Friday night.

The Lady Vols (1-1) also got 15 points from Janiah Barker and Mia Pauldo added 12.

Emmah McAmis and Paige Lyons each scored 10 for the Buccaneers (0-2).

Cooper and Spearman each scored 12 points in the first half as the Lady Vols led 49-14 at the break. The Buccaneers shot just 17% (4 of 24) and committed 17 turnovers in the first half.

ETSU, despite its size disadvantage, outrebounded the Lady Vols 22-18 in the first 20 minutes. The Bucs have three players on their roster listed at 6-foot or taller, while Tennessee has nine, three of which are at least 6-foot-4.

Tennessee, which lost 80-77 to No. 9 North Carolina State in the season opener on Tuesday, is still looking for a third scorer to go with Cooper and Spearman. Caldwell dismissed Ruby Whitehorn from the team on Sunday. Whitehorn made 34 appearances, 28 starts, and averaged 11.6 points per game last season, her first with the Lad Vols.

The Lady Vols played their aggressive up-and-down and Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell inserted five new players into the game — like a line change in hockey — multiple times. Each of the 13 Lady Vols that got in the game played at least nine minutes.

Up next

East Tennessee State: The Buccaneers host Kennesaw State on Wednesday.

Tennessee: The Lady Vols will honor the memory of their legendary coach at the Pat Summitt Heritage Classic at UT Martin — her alma mater — Sunday.

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