The Lady Vols swept the Southeastern Conference's weekly women's basketball awards Monday with senior Shekinna Stricklen earning SEC Player of the Week honors and freshman Cierra Burdick capturing the Freshman of the Week honor.

Stricklen averaged 17.3 ppg and 7.0 rpg in three key SEC wins last week. In a must win over No. 7-ranked Kentucky on Monday, she scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds while connecting on 66.7 percent of her shots. In that game the Morrilton, Ark., product eclipsed the 1,700 career points and 800 career rebounds. She led the Lady Vols with 22 points and 12 rebounds in a key road victory at Mississippi State on Thursday night, marking her fourth double-double of the season. On Sunday at Ole Miss, Stricklen tossed in 12 points, including two of three three-pointers, and grabbed three rebounds. For the week, Stricklen shot 53.8 percent from the field (21-39), 50.0 percent (3-6) from three-point land and 87.5 percent (7-8) on her charity tosses, averaging 30.0 mpg.

The honor is Stricklen's fifth career SEC Player of the Week award. She captured the accolade three times in 2009-10 and once in 2010-11. On the season, the 6-2 guard/forward leads UT in scoring with 15.2 ppg and 6.5 rpg - second on the team. In SEC play, she has upped her scoring average to a team-best 15.8 ppg. Stricklen joins classmate Glory Johnson (two times) as Lady Vols that have won the SEC POW this season.

Burdick was named the SEC Freshman of the Week for the first time during her rookie campaign after scoring 7.3 ppg and grabbing 6.0 rpg for the week. Averaging 18.0 mpg, she connected on 66.7 percent of her shots (10-15) while contributing 2.7 apg.

In limited duty versus Kentucky (10 minutes), she grabbed five rebounds, dished three assists and added a bucket. At Mississippi State, she logged 26 minutes while scoring 10 points, grabbing seven rebounds, with three assists two blocks. Against Ole Miss, she dropped in 10 points on 4 of 5 shooting (.800), collecting six rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes. The Lady Vols take the floor Thursday when they play host to Arkansas before wrapping up regular season SEC play when Florida comes to town Sunday.

STARKVILLE, Miss. - #10 Tennessee flexed its defensive muscle with a 57-41 win at Mississippi State. Shekinna Stricklen posted a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Cierra Burdick was the Lady Vols only other double-figure scorer as she tallied 10.

Tennessee (19-7, 10-3 SEC) limited Mississippi State (14-12, 4-9) to just 13 points in the first half and a paltry 23.5 field goal percentage. Kendra Grant led MSU with 17 and Porsha Grant tallied 15.

"We didn't get a lot of transition looks because we were turning the ball over," Tennessee associate head coach Holly Warlick said. "If we learned anything it's that we've got to take care of the ball more."

Stricklen was 8-for-18 from the field and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line after a slow start.

"I didn't have my composure," Stricklen said. "I was rushing and playing at a fast pace, not my own pace. My teammates really helped me get it back under control."

The win pulls Tennessee even with No. 7 Kentucky atop the SEC standings after the Wildcats' loss tonight to Alabama.

Tennessee has won three of its last four games and five of its last seven.

Cierra Burdick added 10 points and Glory Johnson grabbed 15 rebounds for Tennessee.

"It wasn't the prettiest game," Warlick said. "It was a grind for us and we found a way to win."

As poorly as Tennessee shot, Mississippi State shot even worse.

The Bulldogs shot only 24.2 percent (16 of 66) from the floor and trailed by double digits the entire second half.

"We forced enough turnovers and I felt like we really scrapped," Mississippi State coach Sharon Fanning-Otis said. "But we missed some shots and you have to rebound the ball defensively. You've got to get some put-backs and some and-ones, and we're just not there yet."

The Bulldogs are now 0-33 all-time versus the Lady Vols.

"Our defense played hard enough for us to win the ballgame," Fanning-Otis said. "They have awfully good athletes, with great size, at all positions."

Both teams struggled to find offense, starting the game a combined 1-of-21 from the floor. The Lady Vols led 22-13 at the half.

"We played rushed," Warlick said. "Once we settled down and got into a rhythm I thought we did well."

Kendra Grant scored a career-high 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting to lead Mississippi State and Porsha Porter added 15 points.

Diamber Johnson, Mississippi State's leading scorer this season, finished with three points on 1-of-15 shooting.

The Lady Vols continue their two-game swing in Mississippi, travelling to Ole Miss for a Sunday game at 2 p.m. ET. The title airs on the SEC Network and can be heard on the Lady Vol Network.

The #8 Lady Vols saw their 28-game home conference win streak come to an end as South Carolina handed Tennessee a 64-60 defeat. The Gamecocks finished the game on a run 9-0 run to claim their first-ever win in Knoxville after being 0-20 all-time. Markeshia Grant scored a career-high 27 points including seven 3-pointers for USC (18-5, 7-3 SEC).

The Lady Vols (16-6, 7-2) were led by Glory Johnson, who had 13 points. Ariel Massengale added 12.

All-time USC was 2-44 against the Lady Vols. The last time South Carolina beat Tennessee was on Jan. 23, 1980, a 56-52 USC win at home.

The last time Tennessee dropped a home SEC game was on Feb. 14, 2008, a 78-62 defeat at the hands of #7 LSU.

Ieasia Walker put home a lay-up with 2:15 left to take the lead for good, 61-60. Walker then knocked down one of two free throws with 1:00 left to make it a 62-60 game. The Gamecocks forced a jumpball and took possession with 45 seconds remaining. After Grant missed a 3-pointer with 21 seconds left La'Keisha Sutton grabbed an offensive rebound. Sutton then knocked down two free throws with 12 seconds left to seal the win. Those free throws were just the fourth and fifth made foul shots for South Carolina, which started 3-12 from the free-throw line in the game.

After being down by five, the Lady Vols rallied to tie the game at 46 all on a Shekinna Stricklen layup with 10:23 left in the second half. A Taber Spani 3-pointer -- Tennessee's first trey of the game -- with 9:57 left gave the Lady Vols a 49-46 wrapping an 8-0 run. A Kamiko Williams 3-point play extended the advantage to 52-48 with 8:48 left.

Tennessee took the first lead of more than five points in the game on a Williams' jumpshot with 5:00 left in the game. That put the Lady Vols up 57-50.

USC rallied back as Grant nailed her seven 3-pointer of the game with 3:41 left to cut the Gamecocks deficit to 57-55. That added to Grant's career-high, but was her first basket in 10 minutes.

South Carolina trimmed the lead to one at 60-59 after a steal by Ashley Bruner and a lay-in by Aleighsa Welch with 2:49 left.

The game was close throughout with neither team leading by seven points all night.

The Gamecocks went on an 8-0 run over a two-minute span to take a 43-38 lead with 14:28 left in the second half.

South Carolina held a narrow 29-28 lead at halftime thanks to 15 points from Grant, who tallied 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting. The remainder of the USC squad shot just 7-of-24 from the floor (29.1 percent). Massengale had nine points in the first stanza to lead all Lady Vols.

Tennessee did not have a steal in the game and made just one 3-pointer, that Spani trey in the second half.

The Lady Vols return to action on Sunday, Feb. 5 at 2 p.m., as Tennessee hosts Auburn. The game will air on the SEC Network and can be heard on the Vol Network.