No. 19 Lady Vols Basketball Falls to No. 3 South Carolina

Tennessee struggles against top competition on the road this season

Published on Feb. 8, 2026

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The No. 19 Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team fell to the No. 3 South Carolina Gamecocks 85-60 on Sunday afternoon. The Lady Vols have struggled against top competition on the road this season, with an average margin of defeat of 25.3 points in games against teams currently in the top-10 of the AP Poll.

Why it matters

This loss is another setback for the Lady Vols as they look to build momentum and make a strong push in the SEC and NCAA Tournament. South Carolina is one of the top teams in the country, and this game provided a tough test for Tennessee against elite competition.

The details

The Lady Vols were led by Talaysia Cooper, who scored 14.4 points per game, and Zee Spearman, who averaged 6.9 rebounds. However, the team was unable to overcome South Carolina's dominant performance, led by Joyce Edwards' 20.4 points per game and Madina Okot's 10.0 rebounds per game.

  • The game took place on Sunday, February 8, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. ET/2:00 p.m. CT.

The players

Talaysia Cooper

A key player for the Tennessee Lady Vols, averaging 14.4 points per game.

Zee Spearman

The Lady Vols' leading rebounder, averaging 6.9 rebounds per game.

Joyce Edwards

The leading scorer for the South Carolina Gamecocks, averaging 20.4 points per game.

Madina Okot

The leading rebounder for the South Carolina Gamecocks, averaging 10.0 rebounds per game.

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What they’re saying

“I think it was good for us. It was good for us to get one under our belt. It was good for us to win. I thought we played with poise and good pace and together down the stretch. And I was a little bit worried about the momentum not being in our favor and us being deflated, and we weren't.”

— Kim Caldwell, Head Coach, Tennessee Lady Vols (rockytopinsider.com)

The takeaway

This loss highlights the challenges the Tennessee Lady Vols face in competing with the top teams in the country, especially on the road. The team will need to continue to improve and find ways to be more competitive against elite opponents if they want to make a deep run in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments.