No. 19 Tennessee holds off No. 5 UConn, snapping the Huskies 11-game winning streak 80-76.
This win marks the first time the Lady Volunteers have beaten Geno Auriemma's squad since 2007 after losing the past four matchups with the Huskies.
BOX SCORE 📊: Full stats from No. 5 UConn vs. No. 19 Tennessee
First-year head coach Kim Caldwell, who gave birth to her son just 17 days ago, joins the legendary Pat Summit as the second Vols coach to beat UConn in Tennessee women's basketball history.
Caldwell, who was hired last April, missed just one game due to the birth of her son in the Vols' 80-76 loss to No. 4 Texas on Jan. 23. She was back on the hardwood on Jan. 27 for a matchup with Dawn Staley's Gamecocks.
"That's a very good team but I thought we outworked them"
— Lady Vols Basketball (@LadyVol_Hoops)
🎙️ Coach Kim
While Tennessee fell to South Carolina last week, the Vols bested UConn tonight, fending off a late push from Auriemma's squad.
It was a tight contest throughout, featuring six lead changes and seven ties. The largest lead of the game was just eight when the Huskies trailed 62-54 early in the fourth quarter.
UConn stormed back in front of a rowdy orange- and white-checkered crowd, going on a 15-7 run in the fourth to tie the game 69-69. Tennessee took a 76-74 lead with 1:41 to play, and a UConn turnover sent the Vols to the charity stripe with a minute remaining to ice the game.
Tennessee forward Zee Spearman powered the Vols with 16 points, including nine in the fourth to hold off the fifth-ranked Huskies. UConn's Sarah Strong paced the game with 18 points on 8-13 shooting.
Tennessee (17-5, 4-5 SEC) has now won two straight after dropping its previous three matchups to ranked SEC squads. Caldwell and company will carry this momentum to Baton Rouge on Sunday against No. 6 LSU.
UConn (21-3, 12-0 Big East) was handed its first loss since Dec. 21, and the Huskies will look to get back on track on the road against Providence this weekend.
