Athens, Georgia — Joy McCorvey, an assistant coach, sat with Tamari Key in the film room. The two worked on improving the technical parts of Key’s game.

The 6-foot-6 center and her coach discussed Key’s rebounding positioning extensively. They were minor improvements to Key’s game, but they had a significant impact when the fifth-year senior on the court against Georgia.

In her first start of the 2023-24 season, Key tied her season high with 10 points and eight rebounds while playing 26 minutes in a 95-73 victory over Georgia on Thursday.

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Key’s debut came against a team that aimed to dominate the paint. The Bulldogs (10-11, 1–7)

r role. She had her most field goals taken of the season and her most rebounds while maintaining an efficient 5-of-8 shooting from the field. She also registered a block, moving to fourth all-time in the SEC.

“I think it was just something we felt like we wanted to do,” Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper said on starting Key. “Wanted to shake it up a little bit, felt like it was what the team needed right now. And everybody on this team has been really receptive on when we’re making adjustments and changes like that.”

Key’s impact goes beyond just her individual stats as well. She perfected the inside-out game for the Lady Vols to help break the Bulldogs’ persistent zone defense.

That was crucial for guard Jewel Spear to drop 25 points and lead the way for Tennessee’s offense. Spear shot 8-for-14 and added five 3-pointers, helping push the Lady Vols to tie their season-high with 12-made 3-pointers.

That would not have been possible without Key’s play in the paint.

“We get slammed and we can’t get out to the corners,” Georgia head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson said. “That’s because (Key) is so big, and she’s doing a really good job of being a big post presence in there. … She only had 10 points. So it’s more her occupying space and it’s like her setting a bunch of on-ball screens and we can’t get through them because of her size.”

Rickea Jackson wasn’t far behind Spear with 21 points on the night. Like Spear, Jackson enjoyed a lot of open looks and shot 3-for-4 from beyond the arc.

Tennessee scored its highest point total under Harper in SEC play, a mark that shows the impact Key can have on the Lady Vols.

“We like to play inside out and when our guards are hitting on the outside, it opens stuff up on the inside,” Key said. “We kind of just bounce off of each other and we made a lot of great reads today and they hit a lot of big shots today, especially after the third quarter just to kind of get us back pulling away and that forth. So I was super proud of our guards today