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Tennessee women’s basketball used a relentless defensive effort and a late-game surge to clinch a 78-68 victory over No. 17 Iowa on Saturday night in the inaugural Women’s Champions Classic. Tennessee’s first-year head coach, Kim Caldwell, praised her team’s gritty performance, emphasizing the defensive intensity that made the difference down the stretch.
“I think we were flying around, I think we were scrappy,” Caldwell said, as reported by Cora Hall of the Knoxville News Sentinel. “I think we had active hands, which is everything we talked about, and that's what we wanted.”
The Lady Vols (7-0) closed out the game with a 12-1 run in the final three minutes, sparked by redshirt sophomore guard Talaysia Cooper. Cooper scored 19 of her game-high 23 points in the second half, including eight during the decisive run.
Iowa (8-1), led by Lucy Olsen’s 23 points, struggled to keep pace with Tennessee’s up-tempo, pressing style. The Hawkeyes committed a season-high 30 turnovers, 18 of which were steals by the Lady Vols. Tennessee capitalized with 42 points off turnovers, a stark contrast to their struggles on the boards, where they were outrebounded 48-33.
Kim Caldwell's coaching style is paying off for Tennessee women's basketball
Caldwell, in her first season at Tennessee, has implemented a fast-paced system featuring frequent substitutions to maintain energy. The approach paid off as the Lady Vols forced Iowa into 18 turnovers in the first half alone, setting the tone for a tight contest that was tied at 35 at halftime.
While neither team built a significant lead until the closing moments, Tennessee’s defensive pressure proved too much for Iowa to overcome. The Hawkeyes were held without a field goal in the final four minutes, as Tennessee forced three straight turnovers in the half-court to swing the momentum decisively in their favor.
Saturday’s win marked the first meeting between the two programs since 1993, when Pat Summitt and C. Vivian Stringer helmed the respective teams, according to Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press. The Lady Vols’ gritty performance under Caldwell highlighted the potential of her pressing, defensive style as Tennessee eyes further success this season.
“(The game vs. Iowa) wasn't pretty, wasn't our best game,” Caldwell said. “But I think you can turn that into a positive, that we can get a lot better, and we have a high ceiling.”
Tennessee will look to maintain its unbeaten record against NC Central on Dec. 14. Iowa will play Iowa State on Dec. 11.
