WBB Preview: #15/15 Lady Vols vs. Mississippi State

January 27, 2026 | Women's Basketball

UT Game Notes MSU Game Notes UT Record Book SEC Weekly Release Watch Live Listen Live Live Stats Buy Tickets Game Day Info.

No. 15/15 Tennessee (14-3, 6-0 SEC) is back at Food City Center on Thursday night, as Mississippi State (15-6, 2-5 SEC) pays a midweek visit for the teams' second meeting this season.

The Lady Vols, who were off Monday after their game at No. 17/17 Ole Miss was postponed, face the Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. ET in a contest that will be broadcast on SECN+ and available on the Lady Vol Radio Network and SiriusXM Satellite Radio (Ch. 384).

UT enters on a seven-game winning streak and has been victorious in nine of its last 10 after edging No. 11/12 Kentucky, 60-58, in Knoxville last Thursday night. Kim Caldwell's squad remains as the only SEC team without a blemish in league play entering Thursday's slate of games.

MSU, meanwhile, has dropped five of its past six, but it did beat (then) No. 7 Kentucky on Jan. 18, 71-59, and pushed No. 5 Vanderbilt before falling, 89-85, on Jan. 15.

This is the 51st meeting between these programs, with UT improving to 42-8 all-time in the series after prevailing, 90-80, in Starkville on Jan. 8. The Lady Vols have won the past three match-ups and five of the last six vs. MSU.

MORE INFO

GAMEDAY TIMES & BROADCAST INFO

Opponent: Mississippi State
Date: Thurs., Jan. 29
Tip-off: 6:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Food City Center
Watch: SECN+
Radio: Lady Vol Network
Online: Live Audio , Live Stats

TENNESSEE

Roster Schedule Game Notes

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Roster Schedule Game Notes

THE LATEST FROM THE LADY VOLS

Cooper Named To Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List Rookies Shine As #17 Lady Vols Edge #11 Kentucky To Win Seventh Straight #20 Lady Vols Overcome 10-Point Deficit To Topple #21 Tide, 70-59 LVFL Catchings Set To Receive NCAA Silver Anniversary Award Mia Pauldo Earns Second USBWA, SEC Freshman Of The Week Honors

BROADCAST DETAILS

Andy Brock (play-by-play), Niya Butts (color analyst) and Sarah Detwiler will be on the SECN+ call.
All of the games included in the ESPN package (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU) will be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
The contest also can be heard on Lady Vol Network stations and by audio stream, with Brian Rice providing play-by-play and Jay Lifford serving as studio host.
A link to the live audio stream can be found on the WBB Preview page or the schedule on UTSports.com.
For a list of Lady Vol Network affiliates, please click the Fans tab at the top of UTSports.com, select Vol Network and then click on the Vol Network Affiliates tab.
Air-time generally occurs 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
The Lady Vol Network broadcast also will be available on SiriusXM Satellite Radio channel 384.

UPCOMING PROMOS

The first 250 UT students at Thursday night's Mississippi State game will receive a Summitt Blue Homefield shirt.
The Texas A&M game on Feb. 19 will be UT's Play4Kay contest.

A LOOK AT THE LADY VOLS

Through Jan. 26, UT stands atop the SEC standings and is No. 17 in the NET.
Tennessee is led by 6-0 redshirt junior guard Talaysia Cooper (14.4 ppg., 5.7 rpg., 4.1 apg., 3.4 spg., 29 3FGs), 6-4 senior forward Janiah Barker (14.3 ppg., 6.9 rpg., 19 3FGs), freshman guard Mia Pauldo (12.1 ppg., 43 assts./20 TOs, 35 3FGs) and senior forward Zee Spearman (11.3 ppg., 6.9 rpg., 18 3FGs).
Senior guard Nya Robertson (8.2 ppg., 2.8 rpg., 32 3FGs) is right behind them.
The Lady Vols rank No. 6 nationally in threes made per game (9.7), with seven games of 10+ treys made (2x in SEC play).
UT is No. 8 nationally in offensive rebounds per game (16.7) and No. 19 in total rebounds per contest (42.71).
Tennessee is No. 25 nationally in steals per game (11.9), No. 23 in TO margin (6.47) and No. 21 in TOs forced per contest (21.59), carding 10+ steals on 12 occasions and forcing 20+ turnovers 11 times.
UT is No. 24 in NCAA scoring offense (79.4) and No. 23 in scoring margin (19.1).
The Big Orange bench contributes 26.6 points per contest, ranking No. 31 nationally.

TRENDING...

Tennessee is aiming for its eighth straight victory, which would rank as the second longest streak of the Caldwell era behind last year's 13-0 season-opening spree.
The Lady Vols are seeking a 7-0 SEC start for the first time since 2022-23.
UT is trying to improve to 9-0 in Knoxville in 2025-26, to record its longest home streak of the Caldwell era and to post its most home wins in a row since a nine-game string from 12/20/21 to 2/24/22.
Tennessee notched its first back-to-back wins over ranked teams since 2021-22.
UT has risen to No. 2 in scoring defense in SEC games (61.33) after holding four of its last five league foes under 60 points.
The Lady Vols rank No. 2 vs. SEC foes in field goal pct. defense (.372) and three-point field goal pct. defense (.235).
In SEC play, Mia Pauldo ranks No. 11 overall and second among freshmen in scoring at 16.0 ppg.
UT has committed an average of only 9.7 turnovers in its past three games.
After combining for 23 vs. Alabama, Tennessee's highly-touted freshmen tallied 38 of the Big Orange's 60 points vs. UK.

FAMILIAR FACES

Tennessee assistant coach Gabe Lazo was an associate head coach at Mississippi State and spent two seasons in Starkville before joining Kim Caldwell's Lady Vol staff prior to the 2024-25 season.
Lazo helped the Bulldogs to a pair of 20-win seasons, a top-15 prep signing class and a top-three portal class.
At UT, he has helped Kim Caldwell sign a highly-regarded five-player portal class in spring 2024, ESPN's No. 2 prep group in 2025, one of the top portal classes in 2025 and the No. 9 prep signing group in 2026.
Second-year Mississippi State assistant coach Samantha Williams spent three seasons at Tennessee on Kellie Harper's staff from 2021-24 and previously worked with MSU head coach Sam Purcell when they were assistants at Louisville.

STREAKING ALONG IN SEC PLAY

Tennessee carries several streaks into Thursday's game.
The Big Orange will attempt to extend its current winning streak to eight consecutive.
The Lady Vols are trying to win their seventh straight in league play, stay unbeaten and retain their position atop the SEC standings.
UT also will attempt to improve to 9-0 at home, establishing its longest home streak under Kim Caldwell.

HOLDING FOES TO 60 OR FEWER

Tennessee has held four of its first six SEC opponents under 60 points in 2025-26 and ranks No. 2 in conference games in scoring defense at 61.33 ppg.
By comparison, the Lady Vols did not hold any league foe under 60 during regular season SEC play in 2024-25. It did limit Texas A&M to 37 in the SEC Tournament.
UT has held Auburn, Arkansas, No. 21/21 Alabama and No. 11/12 Kentucky to 56, 50, 59 and 58, respectively, this season.
It has been since 2022-23 (5 times) that the Big Orange held as many opponents to 60 points or fewer in league games in a season.

A LOOK AT OUR LAST GAME

No. 17/17 Tennessee's highly-touted freshman class combined for 38 points, and the Lady Vols held an SEC opponent below 60 points for the fourth time in five games, seizing a 60-58 victory over No. 11/12 Kentucky in front of a season-high crowd of 12,551 last Thursday night at Food City Center.
The Wildcats (17-4, 4-3 SEC) had the ball with a chance to tie or win it with eight seconds left in the game, but UT knocked the ball loose and forced a jump ball. With two seconds left, UK had alternate possession and another opportunity, but redshirt junior Talaysia Cooper forced UK's 21st turnover to end the threat and deliver the Big Orange (14-3, 6-0 SEC) its first back-to-back wins over ranked teams since the 2021-22 season and extend its winning streak to seven games.
Freshman guard Mia Pauldo continued her strong play since the calendar turned to December, firing in 21 points as the only Tennessee player to score in double figures. Fellow rookie guards Deniya Prawl and Jaida Civil offered Pauldo support, with Prawl contributing an SEC high of nine and Civil chipping in eight. Civil also led the squad in rebounds with nine and tied for the lead in assists with three, as the Lady Vols persevered without injured senior forward Janiah Barker, the team's second-leading scorer.
UK, which was without its star forward Teonni Key, was paced by three players scoring in double digits. Amelia Hassett tallied 16, while Jordan Obi produced a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double and Tonie Morgan added 13 points. UK's leading scorer, Clara Strack, was held to nine points, but she pulled down a game-best 15 boards.

NOTES FROM THE KENTUCKY GAME

PRESSING DEFENSE: The Lady Vols were stiff defensively against the Wildcats, holding their fourth SEC opponent in the past five contests to fewer than 60 points. UT limited Kentucky to its second-lowest scoring effort all year with 58 points. Their low of 51 came vs. Alabama. UT's defense was strong all game, holding the Wildcats to their lowest first-half output this season and tying the lowest half the Wildcats have had in either half this year. The seven points Tennessee surrendered in the first quarter marked its best opening frame defensive effort in SEC play, and UK's 22 first-half points were only two away from the low of 20 allowed vs. Arkansas in the second half as the lowest surrendered in either half during the current campaign.
MIA MAKING HER MARK: Mia Pauldo's 21 points paced UT for the second time this season, joining her effort of 26 at Mississippi State on Jan. 8. Pauldo has been on fire in SEC play, averaging 16 points per game over the six-game stretch. The freshman has been especially clutch in the fourth quarter of the past two games, scoring 10 against #21/21 Alabama and nine versus #11/12 UK. Pauldo now has scored 10 or more points in 11 games this season, and five of them have come during conference play.
TURNING THEM OVER: Tennessee has now hurried 11 opponents into 20+ turnovers on the season after forcing 21 against the Big Blue. The Lady Vols are causing an average of 21.59 miscues a game and rank in the top 25 nationally for turnovers forced per contest. UT also came up with 11 steals vs. UK, marking the 12th time the Big Orange has tallied 10 or more in 2025-26.
FRESHMEN CAME TO PLAY: A total of 38 of UT's points came from its highly-regarded freshman class in the win against Kentucky. Mia Pauldo, Deniya Prawl and Jaida Civil were the leading scorers for the Big Orange, and they started it with 21 of the Lady Vols' 29 first-half points. They finished with 38 of the team's 60.

UT/MSU SERIES NOTES

Tennessee has a 42-8 all-time record vs. Mississippi State after winning five of the past six meetings, including a 90-80 decision in Starkville on Jan. 8, 2026.
UT is 19-3 vs. MSU in Knoxville, 19-3 vs. the Bulldogs in Starkville and 4-2 at neutral sites.
The Bulldogs last won in Knoxville in 2020, marking only their third all-time victory on Rocky Top in the series. UT has won the past three on The Summitt.
State has a 2-0 record in overtime games between these programs, winning a 65-63 affair in Starkville on Jan. 29, 2016, and a 91-90 double-overtime thriller at Humphrey Coliseum on Feb. 26, 2023.
UT and MSU have faced off six times in the SEC Tournament, with the Lady Vols owning a 4-2 record.

A LOOK AT MISSISSIPPI STATE

Madison Francis (12.8 ppg., 8.9 rpg.), Kharyssa Richardson (11.3 ppg.) and Favour Nwaedozi (10.4 ppg., 9.7 rpg.) have been MSU's standouts in SEC play.
The Bulldogs are scoring 71.9 ppg. but allowing 80.6 in SEC games and committing 14.7 turnovers per game.
State has dropped five of its past six, but all are to ranked teams. It won at home over No. 7 Kentucky, 71-59, and lost, 89-84, in Starkville to No. 5 Vanderbilt.

ABOUT THE HEAD COACH

Sam Purcell is in his fourth season at State and is 82-41 overall and 26-28 in SEC play during his tenure.
He has guided MSU to two NCAA berths (2023, 2025).

THE BULLDOGS' LAST GAME

Mississippi State dropped Sunday's home contest to the No. 23 Alabama Crimson Tide, 85-78.
Sunday's contest was a back-and-forth affair that featured 18 lead changes and the score knotted on 10 occasions. Ultimately, the Crimson Tide pulled away from the Bulldogs in the latter stages of the game.
Favour Nwaedozi led the Bulldogs with 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while Madison Francis contributed 16 points, eight rebounds and seven steals, Jaylah Lampley provided 14 points off the bench and Trayanna Crisp was six of six from the charity stripe en route to 11 points.

LAST TIME WE MET

Freshman guard Mia Pauldo scored a career-high 26 points to lead four players in double figures, as hot-shooting No. 20/22 Tennessee prevailed over Mississippi State, 90-80, on Jan. 8, 2026, in Starkville.
Pauldo finished eight of 12 from the field and eight of nine from the free-throw line to tie for the eighth-best scoring effort by a freshman in UT history. Also in double figures for the Lady Vols (11-3, 3-0) were senior forward Janiah Barker with 18 and senior forward Zee Spearman and redshirt junior Talaysia Cooper with 14 each, as UT shot 50.7 percent vs. the Bulldogs and carded its second-straight game making over 50 percent of its shots.
MSU (14-3, 1-2 SEC) was paced by Kharyssa Richardson and Madison Francis, who each finished with 22 points, with Francis adding a game-high 13 rebounds. Destiney McPhaul also scored in double figures, tossing in 14.

LAST TIME WE MET IN KNOXVILLE

No. 15 Tennessee shot 46 percent from beyond the arc, connecting on 12 of 26 attempts, to hand Mississippi State an 86-73 loss on Jan. 16, 2025, in Knoxville.
Ruby Whitehorn made eight of 16 shots from the field, including two of five tries from three-point range, to lead UT (15-2, 3-2 SEC) with a season-high 20 points. Samara Spencer hit four treys and had 18 points, while Talaysia Cooper added a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double and Jewel Spear tossed in 13 on 4-of-6 marksmanship from long range.
The Bulldogs (15-4, 2-3 SEC) placed three players in double figures, led by 17 points from Jerkaila Jordan. Debreasha Powe and Destiney McPhaul chipped in with 16 and 11, respectively.

NEXT UP

Tennessee steps outside of Southeastern Conference play this weekend, traveling to Hartford, Conn., to take on No. 1/1 UConn.
The Lady Vols and undefeated Huskies will meet at noon ET on Sunday at PeoplesBank Arena (formerly XL Center) in a contest televised by FOX.
A No. 19/17 UT squad in Kim Caldwell's first year at the helm knocked off No. 5/5 UConn at home last season in Food City Center, 80-76, on Feb. 6, 2025.
UConn leads the series, 17-10, and holds a 3-2 advantage in games played in Hartford, with UT earning its last victory there on Jan. 6, 2007, 70-64.
The game will be streamed on SECN+ and carried on Lady Vol Radio Network stations with audio streaming on UTSports.com and SiriusXM Radio (Chs. 106 or 190).