# SEC Women's Basketball: Tennessee Lady Volunteers Dominates Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 110-64 **Published:** 2026-11-12 — **By:** Stacy Stanfield **Category:** games — **Type:** game-recap **Source:** https://secscouts.com/news/sec-women-s-basketball-tennessee-lady-volunteers-dominates-middle-tennessee-blue-raiders-110-64 **Teams:** [Tennessee](https://secscouts.com/tennessee/) **Players:** [Harissoum Coulibaly](https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/player/_/id/5311713/harissoum-coulibaly), [Fatmata Janneh](https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/player/_/id/5178583/fatmata-janneh), [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) --- KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (11/11/2026) — Kaylene Smikle poured in 30 points and the Tennessee Lady Volunteers rolled to a commanding 110-64 victory over the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on Wednesday night at Food City Center, overwhelming their guests in a performance built on sustained pressure and deep-range shooting. ## How It Happened Tennessee set the tone early and never looked back. Smikle opened the scoring with a 17-foot jumper at the 9:39 mark of the first quarter, and the Lady Vols never trailed. Middle Tennessee kept it competitive through the first few minutes — the game was tied three times in the opening period — before Smikle drained a 24-foot three-pointer to push Tennessee ahead 11-6 at 6:02. Fatmata Janneh followed with a 27-footer from 27 feet to extend the cushion to 16-8, and when Harissoum Coulibaly buried a 24-foot three-pointer with just over a minute to play in the quarter, Tennessee closed the first period ahead 27-17. The second quarter is where the Lady Vols took firm control. Middle Tennessee trimmed the deficit to seven on a Mya Kone three-pointer at 9:06, but Tennessee answered immediately. Smikle dropped her third triple of the half — a 26-footer — and the Lady Vols ignited a sequence that produced the game's decisive run. Gabby Minus connected from 24 feet, then Kirston Verhulst hit from 25 feet with Xai Whitfield assisting, pushing Tennessee's lead to 50-32. When Naomi White buried a 24-foot three-pointer at the 0:42 mark, the Lady Vols entered halftime with a commanding 57-34 edge. ## Turning Point The game turned decisively during a 10-0 run that pushed the Tennessee advantage from 42-29 to 50-32 in the second quarter. Middle Tennessee had made a brief push to get back within single digits early in the second, but once the Lady Vols hit that stretch — culminating in Verhulst's three with Whitfield's assist and White's late second-quarter bomb — the Blue Raiders never got within 20 again. Tennessee entered the third quarter with a 23-point lead and extended it methodically, outscoring Middle Tennessee 22-14 in the third to push the margin to 79-48 heading into the fourth. The Lady Vols crossed the 100-point mark when Kennedy Fauntleroy connected from 25 feet at 4:09 of the fourth quarter, and Harper Peterson closed the scoring with back-to-back three-pointers in the final 90 seconds. ## Star of the Game Kaylene Smikle was the engine driving Tennessee's offense from the opening tip. The guard finished with 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, making multiple critical shots at momentum junctures throughout the night. She scored in all four quarters, including three three-pointers — from 24, 26, and 24 feet — and provided crucial playmaking to open up Tennessee's ball movement. Smikle's first-quarter jumper set the tone, and her contributions in the second quarter helped the Lady Vols transform a competitive game into a rout. Gabby Minus added 15 points and 6 rebounds to complement Smikle's performance, while Harissoum Coulibaly chipped in 13 points. Fatmata Janneh contributed 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists, playing a steady two-way role throughout. For Middle Tennessee, Xai Whitfield led all Blue Raider scorers with 16 points, pulling down 6 rebounds and distributing 3 assists. Mya Kone (11 points, 5 rebounds) and Blair Baugus (10 points, 5 rebounds) also reached double figures, but the Blue Raiders were overwhelmed by Tennessee's depth and efficiency. Middle Tennessee finished with 43 turnovers — a significant factor in allowing the Lady Vols to generate easy opportunities in transition. ## What It Means For Tennessee, the victory at Food City Center — played in front of 9,877 fans — demonstrates the firepower this Lady Vols roster can bring to bear. Shooting 44 percent from the field and generating 23 assists on the night, Tennessee showcased the ball movement and three-point capability that could make them a formidable presence as the 2026 season develops. The Lady Vols also protected the ball effectively, committing just 13 turnovers to Middle Tennessee's 43 — a differential that proved decisive in the final margin. For Middle Tennessee, the gap between the two programs on this night was stark. The Blue Raiders shot 42 percent from the field and had bright individual moments from Whitfield and Kone, but the turnover issues and Tennessee's sustained execution left little room for a competitive response. The Blue Raiders will look to clean up their ball security and shore up their defensive rotations as they move deeper into the 2026 campaign. --- *Original article: [SEC Women's Basketball: Tennessee Lady Volunteers Dominates Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 110-64](https://secscouts.com/news/sec-women-s-basketball-tennessee-lady-volunteers-dominates-middle-tennessee-blue-raiders-110-64) — SEC Scouts*