Live Updates: Lady Vols Basketball vs. Duquesne in the Season Opener

Current Score: Tennessee Leads 51-36

***For those looking to get updates along the way, please refresh the article for updates between periods of play and following big moments.***

First Quarter

10:00: The game is underway and an early miss from Kaylene Smikle keeps the game at 0-0. Smikle drains a three, and the Lady Vols force a turnover. Foul on Gabby Minus. Rylie Theuerkauf is on the board.

6:53: Naomi White scores her first career points with the Lady Vols. The Lady Vols are on fire on defense, and Smikle is draining shots. She hit her second three of the quarter. Some big shots by the Dukes makes this a close game. Smikle drains another one. Smikle drains another three-pointer. Jada Eads drains a three. This team is scoring, but the defense hasn't been ideal. Minus hits a layup to give the Lady Vols another bucket before the end of the quarter. Smikle drains another to end the quarter. 17 first-quarter points.

Second Quarter

10:00: Eads strikes first. Smikle scores on the layup. Nadia Moore has been the star for Duquesne. She is at 10 points on the game already. Smikle misses for the first time beyond the arc. Eads drains her third from behind the arc. This team is shooting the ball extremely well and is disciplined in their shot-taking. Duquesne burns a timeout.

4:09: Tennessee has some good control in this game. Aaliyah Moore will go to the line yet again. Fats Janneh will go to the line now, as she was fouled on the layup. Therekauf hits a massive corner three. This extends the lead with just minutes remaining until halftime. Moore is finding her groove down low. The Lady Vols will take the final shot of the half, and it is good, but it didn't get off before the buzzer. Halftime.

Halftime: Please return at 7:42 for the third quarter

Pre-Game Articles Worth Reading

Pre-Game Information

Tennessee women’s basketball coach Kim Caldwell yells during a women’s college basketball exhibition game between the Tennessee Lady Vols and Florida A&M Rattlers at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center on Oct. 27, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Tennessee Lady Vols are set for their first game of the season, as this is a game that will be featured in the great city of Knoxville, Tennessee, against a team that has been slept on during the offseason. While Duquesne is a team that could shock a ton of people, the Lady Vols are heavy favorites entering this game, which means that the Lady Vols have a great chance to start the season 1-0 yet again under head basketball coach Kim Caldwell.

This is the beginning of year three for Coach Caldwell, who is sporting a brand new look for the Tennessee Volunteers, as this team is filled with newcomers, since there were zero returning players from last year's team. In fact, every single player either departed to the transfer portal, moved on to the WNBA, or simply ran out of eligibility, giving them no chance of returning to the team.

This gives Caldwell a tall mountain to climb, but if there is one thing to know about the team that she has put together, it's that they are willing to put in the necessary work, and they are ready to run through a brick wall for their coach. Every single player has expressed how they wanted to be in Knoxville, which gives everyone a clear answer that they are willing to do whatever it takes to win each game this season.

This team will show what they are capable of, as fans should have a good idea of how the season could look after this game, although they had the chance to see just the tip of the iceberg in the non-regulated exhibition game between the Lady Vols and the Florida A&M Rattlers last week. This was a game that resulted in a blowout victory for Caldwell and her team.

Although she expressed her pleasure with the team's performance, don't think for a second that she will allow this team to become complacent. This is going to be a fun one, as Lady Vols basketball finally makes its return to the court.

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