Lady Vols basketballheld an open scrimmage Oct. 17, showcasing their completely new roster to fans for the first time at Food City Center.
Tennessee played four 10-minute quarters against the male practice players. The Lady Vols struggled in the first half, trialing by four points at the break. But the offense picked up the slack in the second half and won 109-79.
Forward Fatmata Janneh was in a walking boot. The Texas A&M transfer and one of Tennessee's top offseason additions tweaked the left ankle in practice the day before. The injury is not considered to be a long-term issue.
Maryland transfer Kaylene Smikle was as good as advertised in the scrimmage. The 6-foot guard scored 30 points, followed by Rylie Theuerkauf, a 5-9 guard, with 16 points.
Tennessee shot 54.9% from the field (50-for-91) and 20% from 3-point range (6-of-30).
The Lady Vols are averaging 102 points per game in three scrimmages against male practice players as they prepare for an exhibition game against Florida A&M on Oct. 27 (6:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network+).
Here are takeaways from the the scrimmage.
Lady Vols starting lineup, rotations
Coach Kim Caldwell's lineups remain ever-changing.
Tennessee started Smikle, Theuerkauf, 6-2 forward Zhen Craft, 5-7 guard Jada Eads and 5-9 guard Naomi White. It wasn't long before Caldwell went to the bench for a new look, though.
Harrisoum Coulibaly, Aaliyah Moore and Kennedy Fauntleroy were the first players to enter the game off the bench. Every available player was used in scrimmage, while Smikle earned a heavy usage rate.
Which players look ready to make an impact?
Tennessee didn't have a shortage of offensive contributors. Twelve of the 13 active players logged at least one point. Shaelyn Steele was the only player to not score and she did not take a shot.
Smikle looks to be the player the offense will run through. The 6-foot forward had no issues getting to the basket, and made her presence felt on the inside. She finished 14-for-21 from the field. Smikle's outside game did struggle, though, making just one of her five 3-point attempts.
Theuerkauf struggled early, but looked better late in the second half. She had 16 points on 7-for-12 shooting. The Georgia transfer poured in 10 fourth-quarter points.
Freshman Gabby Minus had a strong second-quarter stretch with help from the half-court trap. The Lady Vols forced turnovers on back-to-back possessions, leading to easy fastbreak points for Minus, who finished with 6 points.
Concerns from Lady Vols open scrimmage
As much offense as Tennessee had, it did so with easy looks at the rim. Life wasn't as easy beyond the perimeter.
The Lady Vols made just six of their 30 attempts from 3-point range. White, the Northern Arizona transfer, who is expected to be one of the top shooting threats in the country, went 2-for-8 and all of her attempts were 3-pointers.
Minus, Eads, Fauntleroy, and Riley Makalusky combined to shoot 0-for-11 from the behind the arc. Harper Peterson was the only one to have success, making both of her 3-point attempts.
Tennessee also found itself in an early hole. The Lady Vols' defense faltered in the opening minutes, finding themselves in a 19-9 hole halfway through the first quarter. After facing the double-digit deficit, the Lady Vols did not allow another point for nearly four minutes.
The Lady Vols started the second quarter on an 8-0 run, but the scout team continued to hang around. The practice players carried a 48-44 lead into halftime.
Tennessee also struggled at the free-throw line. The team made three of its eight attempts. The Lady Vols didn't attempt a free throw until 5:06 remained in the second quarter.
Trevor McGee covers the Knoxville Smokies and One Knox SC for Knox News. Email: trevor.mcgee@knoxnews.com; X: @TrevorMcGee12
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Kaylene Smikle scores, 3-point shooting struggles in Lady Vols basketball scrimmage
