Lady Vols basketball will be without two guards due to injury Saturday, the team announced prior to tipoff.
Senior guard Jewel Spear and redshirt freshman guard Kaniya Boyd are both inactive for No. 18 Tennessee’s matchup with NC Central at Food City Center on Saturday (2 p.m. ET, SEC Network+).
Spear is out due to a lower right leg injury, which she already missed one game this season for. Spear was out for Tennessee’s win over Western Carolina, but she returned to play the last two games against Florida State and Iowa.
On Tuesday, coach Kim Caldwell said Spear still wasn’t 100% from the injury and they would see how she looked this week after the team’s trip to Brooklyn, New York for the Champions Classic.
This is the first game Boyd has missed this season. She is out due to concussion protocol, according to Tennessee athletics.
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Spear is one of two returning players who started every game last season and has been a key piece to Tennessee’s undefeated start in Caldwell’s first season.
Spear is averaging 8.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and one assist through four games. Boyd, who is a crucial defensive piece for Tennessee, is averaging 3.1 points, 2.1 steals and 1.4 rebounds.
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Jewel Spear, Kaniya Boyd out due to injury for No. 18 Lady Vols vs NC Central
