Lady Vols basketball started Kim Caldwell’s second season by beating a program record it set in her first.
Tennessee cruised past the single-game scoring record of 139 points, beating Columbus State 148-48 in an exhibition at Food City Center on Oct. 29.
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But Caldwell watched the 100-point win and saw something different than most of the fans did.
“I think we got a lot of good film tonight,” she said. “We obviously found some things that we desperately need to work on and fix before we go to NC State.”
The No. 9 Lady Vols officially open the season against No. 8 NC State on Nov. 4 (4 p.m. ET, ESPN2) at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Mia Pauldo stands out in debut
Freshman point guard Mia Pauldo had an excellent debut, with 18 points, seven assists, four steals, four rebounds and zero turnovers.
But she stood out for reasons beyond her stats. She has great handles, saw the court well, made the right plays and looked comfortable. She executed what Caldwell wants offensively, played with great pace and got the ball into the paint before kicking it out for 3-pointers.
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“I’m not one bit surprised,” Caldwell said. “That’s who she is, that’s why she’s here. It’s what she does every single day in practice.”
Pauldo was also Tennessee’s most efficient 3-point shooter, going 4-for-7, and Caldwell believes she could have shot more. She also drew a team-high six fouls, which Caldwell wants her team to do more of this season, and went 6-for-8 from the free-throw line.
Janiah Barker looking like she’ll have a special season
Janiah Barker was a force to be reckoned with at the top of Tennessee’s full-court press. Caldwell believes she could have finished with a triple-double if the 6-foot-4 forward had been at the top the whole game.
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At the end of the first quarter, Barker had two steals in a row off the top of the press, resulting in a layup and then a 3-pointer for Pauldo. Barker said they’ve been trying to find the best place for her in the press, and she played in the back at times.
“Being able to be up there and just use my length, that’s something that they enjoy,” Barker said. “So it’s fun. I mean, it’s tiring, but it’s fun.”
Barker ended with 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting, 10 rebounds, six steals and four assists, and led the team with a plus-62. She also often was in the same lineup as 6-5 transfer Jersey Wolfenbarger, and the two forwards play well together and off of each other.
“Jersey will cut really well when (Barker) gets doubled, and that makes it a hard matchup,” Caldwell said. “And (Barker) does a phenomenal job of making the right play, setting her teammates up for success. Not coming in and being like, ‘Hey, I’m gonna shoot it every single time.’ She passes it just as well as anyone on our team.”
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Ruby Whitehorn draws teammates’ praise
Ruby Whitehorn was one of four players to score 18 points, but Barker and Pauldo praised the senior guard’s leadership, someone they can lean on as they get acclimated to Caldwell’s system.
Whitehorn leads with her voice, but she also sets the tone with her effort and high energy every time she’s on the court. If Pauldo feels like she’s doing something wrong, she goes straight to Whitehorn, who is there to pick her up.
“I think why she does so well in the system is because you have to play hard to do well in it, and she does that very, very well,” Barker said. “But it’s been really nice to have her energy and have her voice, because when she’s giving it to us, it’s very well-received from the whole team.”
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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:knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Mia Pauldo, Janiah Barker stand out in debuts for Lady Vols basketball
