KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Talaysia Cooper scored 17 points and Zee Spearman added 16 points and 10 rebounds as No. 23 Tennessee beat Florida State 76-65 on Thursday.
With 4:34 left in the game and Tennessee leading 65-60, Florida State’s Me’Arah O’Neal’s foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 1 foul, sending Janiah Barker to the free throw line and handing the ball over to the Lady Vols in half court. Buck hit two shots and launched a 7-0 surge to seal the victory.
advertise
Mia Pauldo added 10 points for Tennessee (9-3, 1-0 SEC). Buck grabbed 12 rebounds and scored nine points. Spielman notched his second double-double of the season.
Liv McGill scored 32 points for Florida (12-4, 0-1), her third 30-point game of the season. Jade Weathersby added 11 points for the Gators.
Weathersby’s layup to open the fourth quarter cut Florida’s deficit to 55-54, but the Lady Vols scored nine of the next 13 points and the rest of the game was at least a two-possession game.
Next
Tennessee: Visit Auburn on Sunday.
Florida State: Hosts No. 3 South Carolina on Sunday.
___ Get AP Top 25 poll alerts and updates all season long. Register here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball
