Horston, Lady Vols overcome sloppy second quarter to top Central Arkansas

Freshman guard Jordan Horston knows how it feels to thrive on some of basketball’s biggest stages.

She added “The Summitt” to that list on Thursday.

Horston scored 17 points in her first start of the season and went 7-for-8 from the field as the Lady Vols overcome a sloppy second quarter effort to down Central Arkansas 63-36 at Thompson-Boling Arena.

Tamari Key also logged eight points and five rebounds for the Lady Vols, who shot an even 50 percent from the field as a team.

The win marks the second consecutive to open the season for Tennessee and the first official home win in the Kellie Harper era.

Despite that reality, hearing “Rocky Top” was the furthest thing from the veteran coach’s mind following the final buzzer.

“Our players were excited about some improvement that we had from our Tuesday game and from the first half to the second half,” Harper said. “I think we’re going to continue to get better and the players understand that.”

Despite logging just four points against East Tennessee State on Tuesday, it was Horston who provided the constant spark on offense that the Lady Vols were in need of on Thursday. Whether it was by way of the interior or beyond the arc, the Columbus, Ohio native continued to deliver.

She connected on her first six shots and was a mismatch for nearly every defender that the Sugar Bears threw her way. Horston wasn’t the only UT freshman making plays, however. Key’s presence down low was also played a key role and Harper took notice of that.

“There’s no doubt that those two are really talented,” Harper said. “I’m really excited for both of those players and their future. They’re still young, they’re going to learn and I think this was a good step for them.”

After a strong first quarter in which she logged eight points and a block, Horston was Tennessee’s only source of positivity in the second. With the Lady Vols struggling to find a rhythm on the offensive end during that span, they would turn to No. 25.

She would account for 38 percent of Tennessee’s 13 points during the second period. At one point, both teams went a combined 0-for-8 for nearly a three-minute stretch.

This all comes after Horston led the team in turnovers against ETSU. Her confidence, however, did not waiver.

Tennessee’s didn’t either.

“I just feel like I slowed down a little bit and just played my game,” Horston said. “The first couple of games I was a little jittery and I just had to slow down and let the game come to me.”

Carrying that momentum over into the second half, the Lady Vols quickly put to rest any doubt regarding the final outcome.

UT scored 10 of the opening 12 points in the third period with Horston’s jumper in the paint less than a minute in setting the tone for what fortunes would look like for both teams over the final 20 minutes.

That meant plenty of good for Tennessee and truckload of bad for Central Arkansas.

The Sugar Bears shot just 15 percent from the floor to finish the game, including a 1-for-15 mark from the 3-point line. They didn’t fare any better from the foul line either, missing all six attempts in the second half.

While Horston was the driving force for Tennessee and the only Lady Vol that finished in double figures, the game’s end result will not be what she remembers most.

Coming out of the tunnel during pregame introductions remains at the top of her list.

“That was a dream come true. Honestly, everything is so surreal right now,” Horston said. “I’m happy to be here with this group of girls and I just have to take everything in because it's more than basketball.”

Photo Credit: Tennessee Athletics

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