How do the Lady Vols end losing streak at Stanford?

Traveling the red-eye route from San Francisco to Knoxville is tough enough.

For Tennessee Lady Vols coach Holly Warlick, a women's basketball loss to Stanford makes the travel even more grueling.

"It feels like I'm going to Australia," she said after Tennessee's 90-61 victory at Long Beach State on Sunday.

Tennessee has lost on its last five visits to Stanford. Three times, UT was playing its final game before its Christmas break, creating the down under feel to Warlick's return home.

She has the same itinerary after the No. 7 Lady Vols (11-0) face No. 24 Stanford (6-5) on Thursday at Maples Pavilion. (TV: Pac-12 Networks, 9 p.m.). The game will conclude the pre-Christmas portion of UT's schedule.

More:Tennessee Lady Vols score big on 3-pointers in win over Long Beach State

Tennessee is off to its best start since the 2005-06 season. Stanford, meanwhile, lost to Western Illinois 71-64 Monday night and played without two of its top three scorers — guards Brittany McPhee and DiJonai Carrington — who have been sidelined because of injury.

"We're not going to beat anybody playing like this," Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said.

Warlick's concern, though, is the Lady Vols' inability to beat any Stanford team on its home court lately. The current losing streak began with Tennessee's 2007-08 team, which eventually beat the Cardinal that season in April in Tampa, Fla., to win the program's eighth national championship.

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"Stanford is Stanford to us," Warlick said. "We haven't won out here in a while. We're going to bring out their best. (After Monday), they're going to be spitting nails I'm sure."

Here are three factors that will help determine UT's fate on this visit:

Rebounding

The Lady Vols are on a program-record pace, averaging 51.3 rebounds per game. They've gathered at least 51 during the past three games. Their per-game margin stands at plus-14.5.

"We've drilled it, drilled it and drilled it," Warlick said. "Hopefully it just clicked."

Since rebounding impacts everything from scoring to game tempo, Stanford typically approaches it with the same sort of zeal. The Cardinal is averaging 45.5 rebounds per game.

Shot selection

Warlick said that she wasn't alarmed by the 29 3-pointers Tennessee attempted against Long Beach State. She liked the corresponding ball movement, and UT's 41.4 percent accuracy from long range wasn't a deterrent.

Still, Warlick noted: "It's not our bread and butter. We always want to play inside-out."

Former Lady Vol Andraya Carter, who now works as an analyst for the SEC Network, broached the topic during her weekly appearance on Knoxville sports talk radio station WNML. Carter thinks UT's decision-making should begin with center Mercedes Russell or forward Jaime Nared.

More:Lady Vols' Jaime Nared, Mercedes Russell intend for their leadership to go long way

"I think Mercedes has to touch the ball, if it's not a good look by Jaime or a paint shot," Carter said. "If it's a jump shot, I don't think it should be taken until Mercedes gets two hands on the ball and gets an opportunity to score, in my opinion."

Tough enough

Stanford likely will make a stand regarding toughness. "We have to be more competitive," VanDerveer said after Monday's loss. "We have to work harder."

For Warlick, there will be physical and mental components of the quality in play.

More:UT Lady Vols use toughness to topple Texas

The physical part, for example, involves aggressive defense, setting good screens and making hard cuts, among other things.

The mental component will be about making good decisions or being disciplined enough not to foul, among other considerations.

"Keeping your wits, keeping your poise," Warlick said.

How Tennessee fares will be something to consider on Warlick's trip home.