SOUTH BEND — The Tennessee Lady Volunteers came into town an underdog and made a big statement in their first major test of the season, defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on the road, 74-63.
Tennessee led by as many as 18 points after charging out of the gates after halftime, and only trailed once in the game — at the 8:55 mark of the first quarter. The Fighting Irish came as close as four points towards the end of the second quarter, but would fail to close the gap any further for the remainder of the game.
The Lady Vols were led by Rennia Davis, who exploded for 33 points with 10 rebounds and an assist added for good measure. Her double-double paced the rest of the team, which featured two other players in double figure points: Jordan Horston chipped in 12 points and Tamari Key added 11. Jazmine Massengill kept the window clean with 13 rebounds and also added nine assists.
Rennia Davis is the first @LadyVol_Hoops player to put up 30 & 10 against a ranked opponent since @Candace_Parker (2008 vs. Notre Dame). pic.twitter.com/y0T0EPYBw3
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) November 12, 2019
Tennessee shot 47 percent from the floor, thanks in large part to Davis’ 12-20 effort, and managed to shoot 64% from the free throw line — both significant improvements from their previous game. The defense also came up big, with 12 blocks and no player with more than three personal fouls. However, the team’s 28 turnovers put a blemish on an otherwise excellent performance.
The next game for the Lady Vols is on Thursday, November 14, back home in Knoxville against Tennessee State. Gametime is set for 7 p.m. ET.
LADY VOLS WIN! LADY VOLS WIN!
The #LadyVols defeat the Fighting Irish in South Bend! pic.twitter.com/jdtdj05USZ
— Lady Vol Basketball (@LadyVol_Hoops) November 12, 2019
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