Lady Vols basketball has a rematch with Mississippi State next on the schedule.
No. 15 Tennessee (14-3, 6-0 SEC) hosts the Bulldogs (15-6, 2-5) at Food City Center on Jan. 29 (6:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network+). The Lady Vols had an unexpected break between games after their road matchup with Ole Miss on Jan. 26 was postponed due to the winter storm. Mississippi State is coming off an 85-78 loss at No. 22 Alabama on Jan. 25.
Here's what you need to know about the matchup.
Lady Vols beat MSU on the road last time out
Tennessee notched its second road win of conference play against the Bulldogs, winning 90-80 at Humphrey Coliseum on Jan. 8.
The Lady Vols were led by an excellent performance by Mia Pauldo, who scored a game-high 26 points. Tennessee had a balanced attack against the Bulldogs with four players in double figures, and it shot 10-for-27 on 3-pointers and 51% from the field. But the Lady Vols got outrebounded 37-35 and outpaced in points off turnovers 18-15.
"We’ve been practicing with a lid on the rim all week, and they killed us on the glass at their place," Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell said on Jan. 28. "That’s been a point of emphasis and it’s going to continue to be a point of emphasis."
Tennessee needs to keep up strong halfcourt defense
The score of Tennessee's first game against Mississippi State has been an outlier for UT.
In every other SEC win, the Lady Vols have held opponents to 65 points or fewer, and they've held all other opponents except Florida to under 60 points. That's a stark turnaround from Tennessee's defense in its three losses so far. The Lady Vols gave up 80 points to NC State, 99 points against UCLA and 89 points to Louisville.
"We look a lot better. We’re tougher, we’re keeping the ball in front of us, we’re playing together, we’re rotating, it’s creating turnovers in the halfcourt, as well," Caldwell said. "I don’t wanna jinx it, but that’s been kind of one bright spot for our team, has been our halfcourt defense."
Janiah Barker back in practice after injury
Janiah Barker has been back in practice after missing her first game of the season.
The senior forward was sidelined against Kentucky after she exited the Alabama game on Jan. 18 in the fourth quarter and did not return. Barker got hit in the face during a play, and she went down for multiple minutes before walking off the court of her own power.
"She's back, she's been practicing," Caldwell said. "She looks how she looked before she got hurt."
Barker's likely return is significant for the Lady Vols, who will need the 6-foot-4 forward's physicality and rebounding against MSU.
Lady Vols vs Mississippi State prediction
Tennessee 80, Mississippi State 66: It's unlikely the Lady Vols will end up with a perfect SEC record, but the Bulldogs won't be the ones to hand UT its first loss. Tennessee will continue to build on its progress and add another solid win to the resume.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: [email protected]; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Lady Vols basketball vs Mississippi State prediction. Who will win SEC matchup
