Lady Vols basketball is getting Alyssa Latham back from injury, but it’ll be down another player for its road matchup with Mississippi State.
Sophomore guard Kaniya Boyd was listed as out on the game day update for the SEC injury report. No. 22 Tennessee (10-3, 2-0 SEC) plays the Bulldogs (14-2, 1-1) at Humphrey Coliseum on Jan. 8 (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network+).
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Boyd was listed as doubtful on the initial report Jan. 7. She and Latham were both full participants during the open period at the beginning of practice for media Jan. 7.
Latham was not listed on either SEC injury report after missing Tennessee’s road win over Auburn on Jan. 4 due to a shoulder injury. Latham was back in practice Jan. 6.
Mississippi State guard Chandler Prater and 6-foot-6 center Faith Wylder were both listed as out on the injury report.
Latham will be a critical presence on the boards for the Lady Vols against MSU, which ranks No. 9 in the nation in rebounding (45.6 rebounds per game). She is averaging 4.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 16.5 minutes per game. But she plays a crucial role within Tennessee’s system, and she has averaged 7.8 points and 5.0 rebounds in her past four games.
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Boyd will miss her first game of the season. She’s a solid piece of Tennessee’s rotation in her role, averaging 2.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per game. Boyd brings strong defensive pressure and speed with and without the ball in her hands that few players on the team possess.
Boyd has played in all 13 games and shoots 40.6% from the field and 31.6% from 3-point range.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks: subscribe.knoxnews.com/offers
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Alyssa Latham active, Kaniya Boyd out for Lady Vols at Mississippi State
