KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Sophomore guard Evina Westbrook’s career-high 20 points and seven steals propelled No. 11/12 Tennessee past Presbyterian, 97-49, in both teams’ season opener Sunday afternoon at Thompson-Boling Arena.

The Lady Vols (1-0) forced 39 turnovers in the victory, which is the most since Charlotte committed 40 miscues on Dec. 2, 1992. Tennessee also registered its most steals (22) since compiling 22 vs. ETSU on Dec. 2, 2015.

Overall, Tennessee had six players scoring in double figures, as redshirt senior forward Cheridene Green notched her third career double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds. The other Lady Vols with 10 or more points included freshman guard/forward Rae Burrell (14), freshman guard Zaay Green (13), senior guard/forward Meme Jackson (11) and sophomore center Kasiyahna Kushkituah (10). Tennessee recorded 44 points off turnovers and 60 points in the paint while shooting 47 percent from the floor in the win.

After a slow start, the Lady Vols scored seven points in 37 seconds to take their first lead of the game through four minutes of play. Tennessee forced six turnovers in its 16-0 run to end the first quarter. The Lady Vols notched 17 points off turnovers, seven steals and shot 45 percent from the floor en route to a 24-12 lead. Westbrook and Green led Tennessee through the first 10 minutes with a combined 16 points.

Once again in the second stanza, the Lady Vols were slow out of the gates, as they went on a two-minute scoring drought at the five-minute mark. Tennessee, however, relied on the charity stripe to provide its points. The Lady Vols went 9-of-10 from the free throw line, which is where nearly half of their second quarter points were generated. After forcing three turnovers in the final 1:24 of the quarter, Tennessee took a 46-29 lead into halftime.

Defense remained the name of the game for the Lady Vols in the second half, as the squad went on a 10-0 run to start the third quarter behind six steals and two blocks. Still, a three-minute scoring drought followed for Tennessee, which didn’t allow a field goal from the Blue Hose (0-1) until the 4:14 mark of the third quarter. A Jackson deep ball broke the Lady Vols’ drought and sparked a 15-3 run to end the quarter. Tennessee held Presbyterian to 11 third-quarter points and went into the fourth quarter with a 74-40 lead.

The Lady Vols took a game-high 40-point lead at the 7:42 mark of the final quarter after a pair of free throws from Burrell, igniting a 9-0 run from Tennessee. The Blue Hose proceeded to turn the ball over six more times over the next five minutes, helping improve the Lady Vols’ run to 15-3. Tennessee held Presbyterian to just nine points on 4-of-13 shooting in the final frame to round out the afternoon.

Up Next: Tennessee hosts UNC Asheville at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Fans attending the game can take part in WINSDAY, a Tennessee Athletics promotion in which a variety of prizes will be given away throughout the game, by registering at the FanHQ table on the concourse level. The game is available for streaming on SECN+.

A Tale of Turnovers: The Lady Vols forced 39 turnovers against Presbyterian, the most turnovers forced by a Tennessee team since Dec. 9, 1992, when Charlotte had 40.  The Lady Vols converted those turnovers into 44 points vs. Presbyterian while committing only 15 turnovers of their own.

Block Party: Tennessee blocked nine shots on the day, with six players getting in on the action. Cheridene Green led the team with three blocks, tying her career high.

Freshman First: Zaay Green logged her first career start in her rookie debut, becoming just the 22nd Lady Vol to start in the season opener as a freshman. She finished with 13 points, five steals, four assists and a blocked shot in 22 minutes.

Sharp Shooters: UT shot 55.6% from behind the arc, going 5-of-9 on the afternoon. Jackson, Westbrook and Zaay Greenall knocked down at least one three-pointer, with Green’s 3-for-4 day leading the team.

Balanced Attack: Every active member on the Tennessee roster scored at least two points against Presbyterian, and six Lady Vols ended the day in double-digit scoring. The last time UT opened a campaign with six in double figures was on Nov. 14, 2014, when UT had half a dozen vs. Penn.

Success In Season Openers: The Lady Vols are 41-4 in season openers over the past 45 years, including 26-3 at home, 8-0 at neutral sites and 7-1 on the road. UT is now 6-1 in season openers under Holly Warlick, including 4-0 at home and 2-1 on the road. Tennessee has now won 13 season openers in a row at home.
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