How Lady Vols basketball is benefitting from Jasmine Powell's consistency

As Lady Vols basketball's offense becomes more consistent, so does point guard Jasmine Powell.

The two are related, almost intertwined in some ways. Powell has averaged 7.2 assists over the last five games, and she has had an assist to turnover ratio of 3.3 in that stretch. She's a big part of why the offense is playing well. The offense is playing well partially because the pace has been good, which Powell also plays a big part in.

"I think just the comfort that everyone has right now is twofold," Tennessee coach Kellie Harper said Wednesday. "I think part of it starts with Jasmine, part of it starts with the offense and then hopefully it's a compound effect."

Powell's consistency will be crucial as the Lady Vols (14-7, 7-2 SEC) go into their toughest stretch of SEC play, which includes two matchups with No. 1 South Carolina and No. 12 LSU at home. It starts with a road matchup against red-hot Alabama (18-6, 5-4) on Thursday (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network+).

Harper said Powell is "playing with great confidence," which has contributed to her recent success. She has been aggressive, and she has understood where the ball needs to go.

"She looks comfortable on the court, and I think that has been really good for our team," Harper said.

Powell has been consistently efficient in her scoring, shooting 42.9% from the field and averaging 9.8 points in the last five games.

Harper said she wants Powell to look to score a few more times than she does. Her ability to get downhill and get to the basket is something the team needs, Harper said, and she doesn't want Powell to just settle in and only be a pass-first point guard.

"For her, I don't think it's difficult," Harper said of Powell finding the balance in scoring and playmaking. "I think she has a pretty good feel for what we're doing. Every now and then, you just need to remind her that she can do those things for us. She usually does a pretty good job of taking what the defense gives her. What I'd like her to do is maybe poke it a little bit and see if she can get something good. So we'll continue to work with her on finding that balance."

As Tennessee goes into the last month of SEC play, Harper said their pace offensively is one of the things that can give them an edge in tough matchups. It keeps them aggressive, and Harper said that's a positive thing.

Besides their pace, Harper said the team's willingness to grow, their ability to execute game plans well and their poise will also be their strengths in the last month of SEC play.

"We've stayed pretty poised, I think that's been a big positive for us," Harper said. "In games that we've been behind or in games that we've been ahead, I think regardless of the momentum shifts and swings, we've been pretty poised and consistent, and that's a really good trait when you're in the SEC."

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.