Hoops Preview: No. 12/12 Lady Vols vs. UNC Asheville

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 12/12 Tennessee hosts the second of three games in eight days, as UNC Asheville visits Thompson-Boling Arena for a 7 p.m. ET contest on Wednesday.

The Lady Vols enter with a 1-0 record after rolling past Presbyterian on Sunday in Knoxville, 97-49. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, come to Rocky Top 0-1 on the heels of a 70-53 loss at Charlotte last Thursday.

This marks the first meeting between these programs, but UT has played closed scrimmages (vs. NC State in 2017 and Duke in 2018) on UNCA’s court in Kimmel Arena the past two years.

After Wednesday’s match-up, the Lady Vols will turn their attention to a 2 p.m. Sunday home tilt vs. the Florida A&M Rattlers.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Mick Gillispie (play-by-play), Madison Blevins (analyst) and Maddy Glab (sideline) will describe the action for the UT-UNC Asheville online broadcast on SECN+.
Mickey Dearstone is handling the call for IMG College/Lady Vol Network radio/online broadcasts for the 20th season. A link to the live audio stream can be found on each game’s Hoops Central page or the Lady Vol schedule on UTSports.com.
Air time for games on the Lady Vol Radio Network generally occurs 30 minutes prior to tip-off.

PROMOTIONS FOR THE GAME

It’s WINSDAY! We’re giving away prizes all game long! Enter to win at the Fan HQ table on the concourse at Section 129.
Kids 12 & younger can pick up a wristband at the Fan HQ table on the concourse to participate in the pregame High-5 Tunnel. Wristbands are limited. To purchase discounted group tickets and reserve wristbands for your team, call 865-946-7000.
Free parking & shuttle service will be available from UT’s Ag Campus. Shuttles begin two hours prior to tip.
The UT men’s basketball team used the successful campaign, #FeedTheFloor, a year ago, and this year the Lady Vols will try to reinforce the importance of active, vocal fans with a #SparkTheSummitt initiative. Fans can ignite the home team’s players on their appropriately-named court (The Summitt) with relentless enthusiasm. Fans can give their all for Tennessee, just like the Lady Vols.

LADY VOL ODDS & ENDS

This week’s AP Poll has Tennessee ranked for the 100th time during the seventh season of the Holly Warlick era. UT’s Pat Summitt is the all-time leader at 618.
Evina Westbrook’s 20 points and seven steals vs. Presbyterian were personal bests, replacing her previous bests of 18 and two from last year.
In the opener vs. Presbyterian, Zaay Green became the 22nd freshman in Lady Vol history to start her first game. She finished with 13 points, five steals, four assists and a block in 22 minutes.
The Lady Vols improved to 41-4 all-time in openers, including 26-3 at home. They are 6-1 in openers under Holly Warlick, including 4-0 at home.
UT went on two lengthy runs vs. Presbyterian, including a 16-0 first-quarter spree and a 13-0 blitz in the third frame.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Lady Vols have the most wins in NCAA history, standing at 1,345-320 through the Presbyterian game.
In her seventh season, Holly Warlick tops SEC coaches in winning percentage in league games (71-25, .740).
Only three schools have reached the Elite Eight more than UT (three times) the past six seasons (UConn 6, Notre Dame 5, Baylor 4).
Every Lady Vol who has completed her eligibility at UT (136) has gotten a degree and earned the right to sign her name on the “Graduation Pole” in the locker room.
Lady Vol legend Chamique Holdsclaw and former assistant coach Mickie DeMoss ran UT’s total in the Women’s BB Hall of Fame to 12 with their induction this summer.

ABOUT UNC ASHEVILLE

UNC Asheville is directed by Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick, who is in her seventh season at the school and owns an 84-109 record.
Mock Kirkpatrick is a 2001 Wake Forest graduate.
Associate Head Coach Honey Brown is a 1994 Maryville College graduate who started her career as an assistant at Lenoir City (Tenn.) High School.
The Bulldogs return three starters and 12 total letterwinners and welcome three newcomers.
UNCA has made the NCAA Tournament field three times (2007, 2016, 2017).
The Bulldogs won the Big South regular season title in 2016 and tourney titles in 2007, 2016 and 2017.

LAST YEAR’S BULLDOGS

UNCA finished 17-16 overall and 12-6 in league play a year ago, good for third place.
Jessica Wall, a 5-6 senior guard, is a preseason All-Big South First Team selection, averaging 10.6 points per game and knocking down 90 three-pointers last year for the Bulldogs.
UNC Asheville, which made the WBI field during the 2017-18 postseason, is projected to finish third in the Big South this season.

UNCA’S LAST GAME

UNC Asheville opened its 2018-19 campaign with a 70-53 road loss at Charlotte last Thursday.
The Bulldogs fell behind 17-6 after one and 40-21 at the half and never got back in it.
UNCA turned the ball over 19 times, was out-rebounded 41-32 and was plagued by 0-for-10 shooting from the three-point line.
Sonora Dengokl, a 5-9 senior guard who sat out last season, was UNCA’s only player in double figures with 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting over 26 minutes.

UT Athletics