PUERTO AVENTURAS, MEXICO — No. 12/14 Tennessee (5-0) meets South Dakota (3-2) for the first time ever at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday in the Cancun Challenge at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya Convention Center.
This will mark each team’s third contest of the Cancun Challenge, where both teams are competing in the Riviera Tournament. They are the only teams in the division playing three games.
UT enters undefeated after winning three straight at home to open the season (East Tennessee State, James Madison, Wichita State) and then winning its first two games of the Cancun Challenge, knocking off No. 20/20 Marquette, 101-99, in overtime on Thursday night and taking down Oklahoma State, 79-69, on Fridayevening.
South Dakota is 3-2 overall, including 1-1 in this tournament. The Coyotes beat Indiana State, 71-59, Friday and lost to Oklahoma State, 76-68, on Thursday. In addition to playing Oklahoma State, the Coyotes defeated another common opponent with Tennessee. USD took care of Wichita State, 62-48, on Nov. 18.
The three games UT is playing in Cancun are the team’s only trio of contests outside of Knoxville in the Lady Vols’ first 10 dates on the schedule.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
• Games at the Cancun Challenge will be streamed online via CBS College Sports Live. See the Hoops Central page on UTSports.com for a link to watch.
• The audio for the live streams will feature the radio broadcast audio from one of the two competing schools.
• Mickey Dearstone will handle the call for IMG College/Lady Vol Network radio/online broadcasts for the 19th season.
• Due to Saturday’s game time coinciding with the radio broadcast of the Tennessee-Vanderbilt football game, audio of the Lady Vols’ contest vs. South Dakota will be streamed online only.
• Air time for games on the Lady Vol Radio Network is generally 30 minutes prior to tip-off. Because Saturday’s contest will be streamed online only, air time will be approximately five minutes before tip.
COMING UP FOR UT
• The Lady Vols are back at home on Nov. 30, as Central Arkansas comes to town for a 7 p.m. contest at Thompson-Boling Arena.
• The game vs. UCA begins a four-game home stand, which also includes contests on Dec. 3 (Alabama State), Dec. 6 (Troy) and Dec. 10 (Texas).
ABOUT THE CANCUN CHALLENGE
• The tournament is being held in the convention center ballroom at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya. The resort is located along the Caribbean coastline of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, located on the eastern portion of the Yucatan Peninsula.
• This marks the 13th year of the women’s Cancun Challenge, and this is the sixth time it’s being played at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya.
• This marks the program’s seventh international excursion, including a 2015 late summer excursion in Italy and a 2013 regular season trip to the Bahamas for the Junkanoo Jam, both during the Holly Warlick era.
The Lady Vols had previous summer trips to Brazil in 1987, Belgium/France/Switzerland in 1999 and Italy/Greece in 2003. They also went to Great Britain in January of 1992.
• UT is 18-7 all-time on foreign soil, including NCAA countable wins over SMU and Virginia on the 2013 Bahamas trip to win the Junkanoo Jam and triumphs over No. 20/20 Marquette on Thursday and a Friday victory over Oklahoma State at the Cancun Challenge.
TENNESSEE RESET
• Tennessee is one of only five SEC schools remaining unbeaten this season. UT, Kentucky, Mississippi State and South Carolina are 5-0, while Georgia is 4-0.
• The Lady Vols are off to their best start since the 2013-14 squad began the year 10-0 en route to a 29-6 overall record.
• UT has four players averaging in double figures, including seniors Jaime Nared (18.8) and Mercedes Russell (18.6) and freshmen Rennia Davis(12.8) and Anastasia Hayes (12.4).
• Jaime Nared has scored 21 or more points three times this season, including 25 vs. James Madison, 26 vs. Marquette and 21 vs. Oklahoma State.
• Nared became the 45th Lady Vol to eclipse the 1,000-point mark, netting 21 vs. Okie State and moving her total to 1,004 in her 100th career game.
• Against OSU, Nared recorded her third double-double this season and the 12th of her career.
• Mercedes Russell continues to shoot at a high percentage, connecting on 69.5 percent of her shots (41 of 59). She leads the SEC with that accuracy.
• Rennia Davis has notched double-doubles the past three games and is averaging 12.8 points and 9.2 rebounds.
• Tennessee leads the SEC, pulling down 49.0 rebounds per game, with Jaime Nared (11.2) and Mercedes Russell (10.0) averaging double figures and ranking second and sixth, respectively, among SEC players.
• Jaime Nared and Mercedes Russell were named to the John R. Wooden Award Watch List last week.
• The Lady Vols are averaging 18.6 made free throws per game, while their opponents are hitting 9.6.
• Reserve freshman guard Anastasia Hayes has gotten to the free throw line an average of 10.1 times per game, hitting 38 of 52 for a 73.1 percentage.
• After getting off to a slow start at the free throw line this season, Jaime Nared has hit 14 of 16 at this tourney to improve her percentage to 76.7 (23-30).
• Tennessee has had at least one player score 20 or more points in four of five games.
• Tennessee has put together some scoring runs this season, stringing together 17 straight points spanning the first and second quarters vs. East Tennessee State. Against Marquette, UT opened the game on a 10-0 spurt and used a 14-0 blitz to erase a seven-point deficit. UT also added a 12-0 run vs. Wichita State (2Q) and an 11-0 spree (3Q) as well.
• Tennessee used an 11-0 run vs. Oklahoma State, bridging the first and second quarters, to take a 25-10 lead over the Cowgirls.
• Freshman Evina Westbrook has recorded at least six assists in three of five games and is leading UT with an average of 5.0 assists per game.
UT LAST TIME OUT (UT 79, OSU 69)
• Mercedes Russell led four players in double figures, notching 25 points and eight rebounds in Tennessee’s 79-69 win over Oklahoma State on Friday night.
• Jaime Nared and Rennia Davis posted double-doubles of 21 points and 10 rebounds, and 12 points and 10 rebounds, respectively, while Anastasia Hayes chipped in 10 points to the cause.
• Nared’s total moved her past the 1,000-point milestone, pushing her to 1,004 in her 100th career game.
• UT jumped out to a 25-10 early second quarter lead but had to repeatedly stave off Cowgirl comeback attempts.
SOUTH DAKOTA RESET
• South Dakota features three players averaging double figures in scoring, including guards Allison Arens (12.8) and Jaycee Bradley (10.8) as well as center Kate Liveringhouse (10.4).
• The Coyotes have won three of their last four after opening with a road loss at Iowa State (81-76).
• USD is coached by Dawn Plitzuweit, who is 26-11 in her second season there and is 214-104 in her 11th year as a head coach.
• The team finished 23-9 a year ago and was fourth in the Summit League (11-5).
• USD returned three starters and nine letterwinners from that squad.
USD LAST TIME OUT (USD 71, ISU 59)
• South Dakota overcame a seven-point second quarter deficit to triumph over Indiana State, 71-59, on Friday night.
• Madison McKeever led four Coyote guards scoring in double figures with 14 points.
• Jaycee Bradley, who had 11 points, drained three of USD’s nine successful three-point attempts (out of 21 by the team) that enabled the ‘Yotes to score 27 points at the trifecta line.
• South Dakota forced 22 ISU turnovers and converted those into 18 points.
• No. 12/14 Tennessee (5-0) meets South Dakota (3-2) at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday in the Cancun Challenge at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya Convention Center in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico.
• This will mark each team’s third contest of the Cancun Challenge, where both teams are competing in the Riviera Tournament. They are the only teams in the division playing three games.
• UT enters undefeated after winning three straight at home to open the season (East Tennessee State, James Madison, Wichita State) and then winning it first two games of the Cancun Challenge, knocking off No. 20/20 Marquette, 101-99, in overtime on Thursday night and taking down Oklahoma State, 79-69, on Fridayevening.
• South Dakota is 3-2 overall, including 1-1 in this tournament. The Coyotes beat Indiana State, 71-59, Friday and lost to Oklahoma State, 76-68, on Thursday.
• In addition to playing Oklahoma State, the Coyotes defeated another common opponent with Tennessee. USD took care of Wichita State, 62-48, on Nov. 18.
• The three games UT is playing in Cancun are the team’s only trio of contests outside of Knoxville in the Lady Vols’ first 10 dates on the schedule.
-UT Athletics
