Senior Jewel Spear's hot hand leads Lady Vols to key victory over Ole Miss
The Lady Vols got a key 80-71 home win over Ole Miss Sunday afternoon as Tennessee has their post season eyes on a being a top 16 seed which would mean hosting in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
Sunday just the Lady Vols tipped off against the Rebels, the NCAA Tournament Committee had their first in season reveal of the top 16 seeds. Tennessee was number 16 and Ole Miss was 17.
So beating the Rebels, who boast the SEC’s top ranked scoring defense, was a must.
“It would have really sucked to have lost this game with that 16 on paper and know that it’s gone,” head coach Kim Caldwell said. “It’s good that we can breathe another day.”
The Lady Vols can breathe in large part because of senior Jewel Spear. Spear led the way with 28 points on 9 of 11 shooting including 5 of 7 from the three point line. In the second half, Spear was a perfect 6 for 6 from the field scoring 20 second half points.
“I think the most impressive thing is how efficient she is,” Caldwell said. “She doesn’t take bad shots and she can score at will when she gets it. It’s hard when you want to heat check and you don’t force it. That’s what her stat line says. I took the shots that came to be and I passed the ball when I needed to pass the ball. I made plays for other people.”
Spear’s efficiency over the last four games has been impressive. Spear is 24 of 38 from the field (63%). She has made 13 of her last 19 three point shots (68%).
“We stay on her to shoot the ball,” Zee Spearman said. “Sometimes she passes up shots. We tell her to just shoot it.”
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Spear admits that she’s the reason she’s not a high volume shooter.
“Sometimes, I don’t realize how open I am because I know teams are going to try and run me off the line,” Spear said. “Being comfortable and being confident in myself because I know my teammates and coaches are confident in me. It’s really just myself.”
Sunday, Spear didn’t second guess herself and the result was a much needed win. With four games to play, the opportunities are abound for Caldwell’s first team and the first year head coach likes what she’s getting every day from the low-key Speer.
“I will always appreciate a player that can be level headed and steady,” Caldwell said. “It helps calm everyone around you when you are a leader on the floor. You can talk to people calmly no matter what, whether you are up 10 or down 10. That’s a breath of fresh air for a coach and I do think Jewel recognizes the sense of urgency we have coming down the stretch. She’s been more vocal in practice. She’s made sure everyone is approaching every drill with a sense of urgency.”
The Lady Vols return to Food City Center on Thursday night as they host Alabama. The Tide host Texas A&M Monday night. Alabama is 20-5 on the year and 7-4 in SEC play.
