Rickea Jackson Coming Out Party Leads Tennessee Past UMass

When Jordan Horston went crashing to the floor early in the second quarter clutching her knee, Thompson Boling Arena fell completely silent. 

For good reason. The Lady Vols, who are fifth in the preseason AP Poll, lost their first game in an ugly performance and were tied with UMass 17-17 at the time of their best player's injury.

Tennessee limped to halftime, holding onto a five-point lead despite the Minutewomen shooting a poor 32 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes. 

The Lady Vols didn't come out of halftime firing on all cylinders, per say, but they soon found their groove later in the third quarter. 

Thanks to Mississippi State transfer Rickea Jackson. 

The former Lady Bulldog dominated the Minutewomen in the late third quarter and all throughout the fourth quarter to lead Tennessee to a BLANK win, their first on the season (1-1).

Below are three quick takeaways from Thursday night's action in Thompson Boling Arena. 

Rickea Jackson Erupts

With Jordan Horston going down in the first half, Tennessee needed someone to step up in the second half. They got that in Rickea Jackson. 

Jackson had a modest debut in orange and white in Tuesday night's season-opening loss, and Thursday night served as her coming out party. 

Jackson ended the game with 24 points and 11 rebounds for her first Tennessee double double. UMass had no match for Jackson's offensive attack, as the senior had her way driving to the hoop on many occasions. 

The Detroit, Michigan, native shot 9-18 from the field and frequently got to the free throw line. finishing the evening 6-8 from the charity stripe. 

Horston's injury will undoubtedly be a situation to monitor moving forward, as a significant injury for the senior would be a major loss for Tennessee. However, Jackson's performance showed that the Lady Vols still have a premiere go-to option to lean on in tight games. 

Jasmine Franklin Provides Solid Relief for Tamari Key

In Tuesday's loss to Ohio State, Lady Vols starting senior center Tamari Key had two early fouls that prevented the Second-Team Preseason All-SEC selection from playing the majority of the game. 

Key did not find herself in foul trouble on Thursday, but Key was far from efficient in the first half. UMass' offense found success offensively getting behind Key and making layups, and Key struggled mightily on the offensive end early. During Key's struggles, Jasmine Franklin stepped up significantly, especially defensively. 

UMass struggled to find any rhythm on offense when Franklin was on the court, as the Missouri State transfer used her size well to thwart the Minutewomen's attack in the paint. 

As for Key, the Cary, North Carolina, native had a much better second half, as she began to execute on open looks down low and find her groove defensively, accumulating a pair of blocks. 

In addition, Key's overall effort and hustle was better coming out of halftime, contributing to Tennessee's much more efficient 20 minutes of play.  

Tennessee Gets Out-Rebounded

Tennessee's win against UMass was no stress-free win. The Lady Vols had to fight for 40 minutes to secure their first win of the season. A big contributor to that reason is the fact the Minutewomen were able to out-rebound Tennessee 49-45. 

The Lady Vols are one of the best rebounding teams in the country, so the stat is surprising. In addition, UMass' 49 rebounds are more than any team had against Tennessee last season outside of Stanford and South Carolina, who both went on to be Final Four teams with the Gamecocks winning it all. 

The stat shows that UMass is a physical team that put it all out on the court, but it also is another sign that Tennessee has plenty to work on moving forward.

Up Next

The Lady Vols will be back in Thompson-Boling Arena on Monday night (November 14) to take on Indiana at 6:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Tennessee already has played one Big Ten opponent, as the Lady Vols lost to Ohio State on the road to begin the season.

Final Stats

Split Box

Tennessee Only Stats

Photo Credit: Tennessee Women's Basketball Communications