The Tennessee Lady Vols made history on Saturday, shattering the NCAA record for three-pointers in a single game during an impressive 139-59 win over North Carolina Central. The No. 19-ranked Lady Vols connected on 30 3-pointers, passing the previous record of 28 held by Western Illinois, much to the surprise of first-year Tennessee women’s basketball head coach Kim Caldwell

Samara Spencer led the charge, hitting nine three-pointers to set a new individual program record and finishing with a career-high 33 points. Spencer also dished out a career-best 10 assists, anchoring an offensive explosion that saw nine players connect from beyond the arc.

“It does surprise me,” said Caldwell when asked about the record-breaking performance, as reported by The Associated Press. “We shot enough of 'em, we should have broke it, but yeah, it was surprising to hear that it was a record.”

The Lady Vols’ previous team record for three-pointers in a game was 16, while the SEC record was 19. Seven Tennessee players hit multiple threes, with Spencer, Talaysia Coope and Tess Darby leading the way. Cooper and Darby each contributed five three-pointers, scoring 21 and 17 points, respectively.

Win makes history for Tennessee women's basketball in multiple ways

Tennessee's Samara Spencer (7) is carried off the court by Ruby Whitehorn (2) and Zee Spearman (11) after the NCAA college basketball game against North Carolina Central.
© Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The win also marked Tennessee’s highest scoring output in a game since 2002 when they posted 136 points in a record-setting margin of victory against Puerto Rico-Mayaguez. The Lady Vols’ 80-point margin over North Carolina Central ranks as the fourth largest in program history.

Tennessee’s offensive dominance was evident from the start, as the Lady Vols built a 33-10 lead in the first quarter by hitting seven 3-pointers and forcing 15 turnovers. Spencer added six more threes in the first half as Tennessee reached a school-record 69 points by halftime.

Destiny Wells added the historic three-pointer in the third quarter that officially broke the NCAA record. By the end of the period, Tennessee had 111 points, nearly tripling the Eagles’ total of 39. North Carolina Central committed 44 turnovers, with as many points as giveaways entering the fourth quarter.

Shakiria Foster led North Carolina Central with 17 points and Terriana Gray added 10.

With the win, Tennessee improved to 8-0 on the season. The Lady Vols are set to next face Memphis on Wednesday, Dec. 18, in Memphis at 7:30 p.m. CST.