KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Cierra Burdick had 14 points and 10 rebounds and No. 8 Tennessee routed Middle Tennessee 82-43 on Tuesday night.
Kortni Jones led MTSU with 16 points.
Shekinna Stricklen took an inbounds pass, spun around and sank a jumper with 17:14 left in the first half that launched a 17-0 run. During the stretch, Tennessee stole the ball from Middle Tennessee on four consecutive possessions and got a basket in transition after each one.
MTSU cut the margin to a single digit just once more on a layup by Ebony Rowe that made it 27-18 with 7:13 in the first half.
Tennessee (3-2) hit 59.3 percent in the first half, including 6 of 9 from 3-point range.
The Blue Raiders (4-3) struggled to get clean looks at the basket against the Lady Vols' defense and hit just 28.6 percent in the first half, and Tennessee pushed the lead to 48-24 just before halftime.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
