What Kim Caldwell’s grandmother wrote to her after the Lady Vols blew a lead against Florida State

Kim Caldwell had someone at home to answer to after Lady Vols basketball blew one 18-point lead against Florida State on Wednesday.

Her grandmother.

“Not a big win, but we’ll take it. Nothing like blowing an 18-point lead,” the first-year Tennessee coach said. “My grandmother texted and said, ‘What happened?’ And I said, ‘That was a terrible halftime speech.'”

Tennessee may have blown the lead, but it won the game 79-77 over Florida State in the SEC/ACC Challenge. The Lady Vols led by as many as 20 points near the end of the second quarter and led 45-27 at halftime at the Food City Center.

But their defense could not stop Seminoles came out of the break and UT was outscored 30-12 in the third quarter. The game was tied 57-57 going into the fourth.

“We have a lot to learn from this one,” Caldwell said. “I think we needed that. We needed a test, and the more you can get tested early, the better you’re going to be going into the conference. And that’s what your whole non-conference schedule is about. “

Talaysia Cooper led Tennessee with 22 points and FSU guard Ta’Niya Latson scored a game-high 38 points.

“It’s a really good team,” Caldwell said. “In my opinion, it’s a top-25 team. They’ve had big wins, they’ve got three big players surrounded by a great cast. So we’re happy to come out of here with a win.”

Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @corahall. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that gives you access to it all.

This article originally appeared on the Knoxville News Sentinel: Kim Caldwell’s grandmother texted her after the Lady Vols blew a lead vs Florida State