The Tennessee Lady Vols and Kim Caldwell had the opportunity to showcase their talents on Tuesday, as they would have their first and only exhibition game prior to the first game of the season, which is set for November 2nd.
This game was against the Florida A&M Rattlers , who had a promising team entering the contest, and still had a contest. However, fans wanted a statement win in this exhibition, even if the game wouldn't count toward the official record.
Tennessee guard Kennedy Fauntleroy (35) guards Florida A&M point guard Tahnyjia Purifoy (3) during women's college basketball exhibition game between the Tennessee Lady Vols and Florida A&M Rattlers at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center on Oct. 27, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
They got exactly that, as the Lady Vols didn't just win the game against the Florida A&M Rattlers, but they fully dominated this game, even scoring 77 first-half points. In the first half, the star of the show was Naomi White, who seemingly couldn't miss. The defensive side of things was also the main talking point, as many steals led to points off turnovers. This was a statistic that showed what Caldwell-Basketball is, along with how key this will be for the team moving forward.
This set the tone for the second half, as they would be leading 77-27 entering the half. Of course, there was no fear of losing this game, but Caldwell isn't going to let her team quit just because they have the lead. Nope, that is far from the truth. The truth is, she wanted them to apply more pressure.
This team came out of the half firing on all cylinders, as White and Kaylene Smikle drained threes. this group held their own from there on, as this was a blowout victory for the Tennessee Lady Vols.
Talk about setting the tone. You have to imagine that this is an ideal performance in the mind of Caldwell, as her team helped defeat the Rattler by a healthy score of 132-63. This showcased great offense and elite defense, which leaves many to believe that the upcoming season could be one to remember in Knoxville, Tennessee.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/tennessee as Lady Vols Basketball Dominates Florida A&M in an Exhibition Before the Regular Season .
