Mike Strange: Bench 'mob' helps Lady Vols rout Vanderbilt

You beat a winless SEC team by 28 points. You led by double digits from somewhere in the first quarter. Your big three, Diamond DeShields, Jaime Nared and Mercedes Russell, delivered, hitting or surpassing their scoring averages.

So whatever you got from the bench was irrelevant, right?

Not so fast.

Tennessee coach Holly Warlick had several reasons to be encouraged by her team's 91-63 women's basketball rout of Vanderbilt on Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena.

For one, the Lady Vols didn't suffer another dubious "first time ever." Vandy is still winless in Knoxville, 0-32.

Lady Vols overwhelm Vanderbilt

More immediate, Tennessee didn't squander its early lead as it has done more than once, most recently Thursday night at Auburn. The Lady Vols did flounder through a third-quarter lull Sunday but they picked it back up to finish strong.

But there was also this: Tennessee's thin bench contributed in a noticeable way. That's a positive development considering the way SEC play has been going.

"They've got to do what they did tonight,'' Warlick said. "These kids playing 40 minutes need some relief.

"The way we play, they're not going to be able to sustain 40 minutes going through the SEC.''

Alexa Middleton was the queen of the bench mob, although 'mob' is an exaggeration. The junior guard had recorded exactly one field goal in five previous SEC games. And that came in a forgettable 1 of 7 shooting game at Ole Miss.

Middleton entered the fray early when Diamond DeShields took a hard fall early in the first quarter. DeShields was fine, it turned out, scoring 23 points in one of her better all-round efforts.

But Middleton took the torch from the fallen DeShields and helped Tennessee gain a stout upper hand. In short order, she hit a trey, fed Russell for a bucket, stole a Vandy pass and raced for a transition basket.

She finished with 19 points, seven assists and only one turnover in 34 minutes.

"She's been struggling in SEC play,'' noted Vanderbilt coach Stephanie White. "(Sunday) it wasn't just her production, she managed the flow of the game really well for them.''

Kortney Dunbar, another junior, hadn't scored a point in SEC play this season. Not long after Russell picked up her second foul and took a seat in the second quarter, Dunbar hustled for an offensive rebound to keep a possession alive and was rewarded moments later with an open 3-point look. She drilled it.

Dunbar added another 3-pointer and chipped in four rebounds.

Schaquilla Nunn contributed 16 effective minutes in the post: four points, seven boards, two blocked shots.

Freshman Kamera Harris had never seen the floor in an SEC game. Now she has. She got two rebounds in three minutes.

"They're very capable of making a difference in this basketball team,'' Warlick said.

This basketball team is in need of some difference-making. Tennessee's lack of bench options has been well documented. Russell, DeShields, Jamie Nared and Jordan Reynolds each average 33 or 34 minutes a game. That's a lot for a team that wants to be aggressive on defense and play fast on offense.

Middleton has been getting minutes but hasn't always been efficient with them. After scoring 20 or more points in three non-conference games, she's had her share of SEC oh-fers – 0-for-6 Kentucky, 0-for-4 Mississippi State, 0-for-7 Auburn. She was 9 of 18 against Vandy.

Dunbar has been a ghost since the conference grind began. Warlick's right, Dunbar meriting playing time and stretching a defense with her 3-point range could indeed make a difference.

Nunn's 16 minutes were an SEC high. Getting Russell some rest without a huge drop-off defending the rim and on the boards would be a valuable difference.

There are 10 more SEC games before postseason begins. For better or worse, the bench will have a say in how things play out.

Sunday was encouraging.

Mike Strange may be reached at mike.strange@knoxnews.com. Follow him on Twitter at Strangemike44.