Lady Vols basketball's offense struggles for first time without Rickea Jackson in 71-57 loss to Indiana

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Lady Vols basketball dropped its second game of the season, and this time it wasn't because of its defense.

For the first time this year, No. 21 Tennessee struggled to score. It was the Lady Vols' first true test without senior forward Rickea Jackson on the court, and it was clear they need Jackson back sooner rather than later.

Tennessee lost 71-57 to No. 19 Indiana (4-1) on Thursday at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. The offensive woes for the Lady Vols (3-2) were compounded with officiating that benefitted the Hoosiers, and it resulted in the worst loss of the season. Junior forwards Karoline Striplin and Sara Puckett led Tennessee with 13 points each.

Senior point guard Jasmine Powell returned to play after missing last game with a wrist injury. Sophomore Avery Strickland, who missed last game due to concussion protocol, and Jackson missed her third straight game due to a lower leg injury – she has not played in a game since Nov. 9.

Tennessee's defense keeps it in the game early

The first quarter was not pretty on offense – for either teams. Tennessee shots 18.2% from the field and Indiana shot 26.3%. The Lady Vols had a strong defensive start, forcing Indiana into tough shots and getting stops to offset their offensive struggles. Senior center Tamari Key played early minutes and made an immediate impact defensively, stopping Indiana's drives and even getting a block. Key had two rebounds in two minutes in the second quarter.

Tennessee was getting to the rim, but it wasn't making layups or drawing fouls. UT only made one of its 10 layup attempts in the first quarter, but its defense kept Indiana's lead to 12-9 going into the second.

Indiana sophomore guard Yarden Garzon started to heat up in the second quarter and scored 11 points of her 23 points and went 3-for-4 from 3-point range. The Lady Vols' shot selection and lack of offensive rhythm hurt them in the second quarter – they shot 9-for-35 from the field – and Indiana stretched the lead to 33-21 by halftime.

Third quarter gets physical, Tennessee unable to close gap

Tennessee started the third quarter with a spark, but Indiana's physicality and the officiating started to get the better of it.

Officials were letting contact go on most plays, and Tennessee couldn't draw fouls on layups through contact. It was a situation that benefitted the Hoosiers, who played with physicality on both ends. It helped that Indiana continued to have success on offense and got the looks it wanted, regardless of whether Tennessee was in zone or man-to-man defense.

The officiating continued to affect the game in the fourth quarter, and not in Tennessee's favor.

FROM LAST GAME:Lady Vols basketball was dominant in 100-73 win over Troy while still without Rickea Jackson

Tennessee's offense has worst showing of season

The Lady Vols' weakness this season has not been their offense, even without Jackson. They have averaged 92 points through their first four games and shot 45.6%. To make matters worse, Tennessee got outrebounded for the first time this season, 42-39.

On Thursday, Tennessee shot just 35.9% from the field. Tennessee didn't score more than 15 points in a quarter until the fourth quarter against the Hoosiers.

Senior guard Jewel Spear struggled to get the shots she was hunting. After averaging 19 points through the first three games, Spear scored only five points and hasn't scored in double figures the last two games.

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.