KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Samara Spencer drilled a school-record nine 3-pointers for a career-high 33 points to help No. 19 Tennessee set an NCAA record for 3-pointers and a Southeastern Conference record for total points in a 139-59 win over North Carolina Central on Saturday.
Spencer was 9-of-13 on 3-pointers and the Lady Vols were 30-of-63 with nine players hitting at least one, seven hitting at least two and three hitting at least five.
The previous Lady Vols record for 3s by one player was eight (three times). The Tennessee team record was 16, the SEC record was 19 (Arkansas) and the NCAA record was 28 (Western Illinois). The Lady Vols’ SEC record for points was 136 when they set a record for margin of victory in a 136-26 win over Puerto Rico-Mayaguez in 2002. The 80-point margin of victory is the fourth largest.
The 30 3-pointers are two more than the Division I men’s record shared by Troy and Wyoming. The Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics share the NBA record of 29 3-pointers in a game. The WNBA record is 18 shared by several teams.
“It does surprise me,” first-year Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell said. “We shot enough of ’em, we should have broke it, but yeah, it was surprising to hear that it was a record.”
Talaysia Cooper had 21 points and Tess Darby 17,…
