COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Jewel Spear hit six 3-pointers and scored 20 points and No. 15 Tennessee used a strong first half to beat Texas A&M 91-78 on Thursday night in a Southeastern Conference opener.
The Lady Vols hit four 3-pointers in the first quarter to take a 22-15 lead and took command with a 14-0 run in the middle of the second quarter to make it 48-26 at halftime.
Ruby Whitehorn started the critical run with a jumper that made it 28-20 barely two minutes into the second quarter. Six different players scored baskets in the spurt with Whitehorn getting two. Talaysia Cooper’s jumper made it 40-20 at the 4:18 mark.
The Aggies only missed two shots in their 4-minute, 19-second drought but had five turnovers. They finished with 25 turnovers — the 10th Tennessee opponent to have at least 20 — and the Lady Vols turned those into 34 points. Tennessee had 19 turnovers for 27 A&M points.
Cooper had 16 points for the Lady Vols (13-0), Whitehorn added 15 and Zee Spearman 14. Tennessee was 10 of 23 behind the arc and shot 47% overall.
Aicha Coulibaly scored 20 points for the Aggies (7-6), Sahara Jones had 17 and Janae Kent 10.
Tennessee shot 54% in the first half while A&M shot 44% and was just 3 of 9 from the foul line.
The teams combined for 33 fouls and 37 free throws in the second half.
Texas A&M shot 68% in the second half and got within nine after a 7-0 run. Coulibaly’s free throws at the 2:23 mark made it 58-49 but Spear responded with a 3-pointer and Spearman had a tip-in and the lead stayed in double figures the rest of the way.
Tennessee is home against No. 9 Oklahoma on Sunday and the game will be on ESPN.
No. 25 Mississippi plays at Texas A&M on Sunday.
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