# SEC Women's Basketball: Tennessee Lady Volunteers Dominates Duquesne Dukes 109-62

**Published:** 2026-11-02 — **By:** Stacy Stanfield
**Category:** games — **Type:** game-recap
**Source:** https://secscouts.com/news/sec-women-s-basketball-tennessee-lady-volunteers-dominates-duquesne-dukes-109-62

**Teams:** [Tennessee](https://secscouts.com/tennessee/)

**Players:** [Jada Eads](https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/player/_/id/5240239/jada-eads), [Gabby Minus](https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/player/_/id/5455522/gabby-minus), [Kaylene Smikle](https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4618080/kaylene-smikle), [Rylie Theuerkauf](https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/player/_/id/5174444/rylie-theuerkauf)


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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (11/01/2026) — The Tennessee Lady Volunteers opened fire from beyond the arc and never let up, routing the Duquesne Dukes 109-62 on Sunday in front of 9,662 fans at Food City Center. Kaylene Smikle poured in a game-high 31 points as Tennessee led wire-to-wire — the game featured zero lead changes and zero ties — in a contest that saw a remarkable 27 combined three-pointers.

## How It Happened

Smikle set the tone immediately, drilling a 25-foot three off a Gabby Minus assist just 55 seconds in for a 3-0 Tennessee lead. The first quarter turned into a long-range shootout. Smikle hit five three-pointers in the opening period alone — including a 29-footer off a Jada Eads feed at the buzzer that sent the Lady Volunteers into the second quarter up 30-24.

Duquesne kept pace early behind its own perimeter shooting. Gabby Grantham-Medley connected twice from deep and Carla Viegas buried a 24-footer, both off Ayala Oren assists, to keep the Dukes within 25-20 late in the first.

The second quarter was where Tennessee created separation. Eads, who finished with 12 points and a team-high 6 assists, opened the period with back-to-back triples — a 24-footer off a Kennedy Fauntleroy assist and a 26-footer set up by Aaliyah Moore — pushing the lead to 40-25 with 6:31 left in the half. Rylie Theuerkauf's 23-foot three at the 2:55 mark made it 49-30, and Tennessee carried a 51-36 advantage into the break.

The Lady Volunteers blew the game open in the third. Theuerkauf's turnaround jumper and a 25-foot three from Aaliyah Moore stretched the margin to 56-36. Viegas kept firing for Duquesne — she hit threes from 26 and 28 feet off Amaya Robinson assists — but Tennessee answered every time. Minus and Naomi White closed the quarter with three-pointers off Smikle assists, and the lead ballooned to 81-50 entering the fourth. Tennessee capped the night with a 15-0 run to reach 109.

## Turning Point

The decisive stretch came in the second quarter. After Duquesne hung around through a three-point barrage in the first, Eads' consecutive triples sparked a surge that turned a six-point game into a 15-point cushion at 40-25. Tennessee's ball security told the larger story: the Lady Volunteers committed just 7 turnovers while forcing 27, and that 20-turnover margin fueled the runaway. Tennessee also dished 24 assists to Duquesne's 11 and won the rebounding battle 55-50.

## Star of the Game

Smikle was dominant from the opening tip, finishing with 31 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. Her five first-quarter three-pointers staked Tennessee to a lead it never relinquished, and she added two assists on third-quarter triples by Minus and White as the rout took shape. Minus and Theuerkauf chipped in 13 points apiece, and Eads added 12 points and 6 assists in a balanced attack that shot 41% from the field and 37% from three.

For the Duquesne Dukes, Viegas was a bright spot with 24 points, connecting from long range in every quarter — including a 27-footer early in the fourth. Nadia Moore added 16 points, but the Dukes shot just 29% from the field and 27% from beyond the arc.

## What It Means

Tennessee delivered a statement performance to open November, showcasing elite perimeter depth — four players reached double figures, and seven different Lady Volunteers hit a three-pointer in the key scoring plays. The combination of 24 assists against 7 turnovers points to an offense that is sharing the ball and taking care of it, a formula that travels well into SEC play.

Duquesne leaves Knoxville with lessons to build on. The Dukes showed they can shoot from distance when Viegas gets clean looks, and they held their own on the glass with 50 rebounds. But 27 turnovers against Tennessee's pressure proved insurmountable, and cleaning up ball security will be the clear priority going forward.

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*Original article: [SEC Women's Basketball: Tennessee Lady Volunteers Dominates Duquesne Dukes 109-62](https://secscouts.com/news/sec-women-s-basketball-tennessee-lady-volunteers-dominates-duquesne-dukes-109-62) — SEC Scouts*