Updating Lady Vols rankings in college basketball polls after two straight SEC wins

KNOXVILLE, TN – The Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team has been on a roll lately, winning two straight games in the Southeastern Conference. And with those wins, the Lady Vols have seen a significant boost in their rankings in the latest college basketball polls.

 

In the Associated Press Top 25 poll, the Lady Vols jumped up three spots to No. 18. This marks the highest ranking for Tennessee since the 2017-18 season.

 

The Lady Vols also saw a significant jump in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, moving up four spots to No. 17. This is the highest ranking for Tennessee in the Coaches Poll since the 2015-16 season.

 

The Lady Vols’ two straight wins in the SEC have been impressive, with Tennessee defeating Auburn 73-65 on Thursday and then following that up with a 77-66 win over Alabama on Sunday.

 

Tennessee’s offense has been clicking on all cylinders, with the Lady Vols averaging 75.5 points per game over their last two contests. Junior guard Jewel Spear has been leading the charge, averaging 22.5 points per game over the last two games.

 

Spear’s impressive play has not gone unnoticed, as she was named the SEC Player of the Week on Monday. This marks the second time this season that Spear has earned the honor.

 

The Lady Vols’ defense has also been stout, holding opponents to just 65.5 points per game over the last two contests. Tennessee’s defense has been led by senior forward Karoline Striplin, who has averaged 7.5 rebounds per game over the last two contests.

 

Tennessee’s two straight wins in the SEC have moved the Lady Vols into a tie for fourth place in the conference standings. The Lady Vols are now 9-5 in the SEC, with four games remaining in the regular season.

 

The Lady Vols will look to keep their momentum going when they host Vanderbilt on Thursday. The game is set to tip off at 6:30 p.m. ET and will be televised on the SEC Network.

 

Tennessee’s win over Alabama on Sunday was a significant one, as it marked the Lady Vols’ first win over the Crimson Tide since the 2017-18 season.

 

The Lady Vols’ victory over Alabama was also a milestone one for Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper, who earned her 150th career win as a head coach.

 

Harper was proud of her team’s effort against Alabama, saying, “I thought our team played really well. We were able to get out to a good start and then maintain that lead throughout the game.”

 

The Lady Vols will look to keep their momentum going as they head down the stretch of the regular season. With four games remaining, Tennessee is in a good position to make a deep run in the SEC Tournament and potentially earn a high seed in the NCAA Tournament.

 

“We’re feeling good about where we are right now,” Harper said. “We’ve got a tough stretch of games coming up, but we’re confident in our abilities. We’re going to take it one game at a time and see where it takes us.”