Hoops Preview: Lady Vols vs. Missouri Thu 2nd Rd

Rae Burrell – Lady Vols / Credit: UT Athletics

Greenville, S.C. — #RV/NR Tennessee (20-9, 10-6 SEC) will open play on Thursday at approximately 8:30 p.m. ET in the second round of the 2020 SEC Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

The Lady Vols, who tied for third in the league standings, were assigned the No. 6 seed based on the SEC’s tie-breaker policy. They will meet No. 11 seed Missouri (9-21, 5-11 SEC), which defeated Ole Miss (7-23, 0-16 SEC), 64-53, in a first-round contest on Wednesday afternoon.

Tennessee defeated Mizzou, 77-66, in Knoxville to open the SEC slate back on Jan. 2. The Lady Vols lead the all-time series vs. the Tigers, 10-3.

UT comes into the tournament on a three-game winning streak, having defeated Vanderbilt and Ole Miss at home and Auburn on the road to secure the program’s 43rd 20-victory season in the past 44 years. The 2018-19 squad finished 19-13 and came up a win short of keeping a lengthy streak intact.

The winner of Thursday night’s contest advances to the third round to meet No. 3 seed Kentucky at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Friday.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Thursday’s game will be televised by the SEC Network with Courtney Lyle (PxP), Carolyn Peck (Analyst) and LVFL Andraya Carter (Reporter) on the call.
The SEC Network studio crew includes Alyssa Lang, Andy Landers and Steffi Sorensen.
SEC Radio Network will broadcast every game from the SEC Tournament on SiriusXM 374 as well as on Sirus 138/XM 190 and on Sirius/XM app. channel 961.
The contest also can be heard on Lady Vol Network radio stations and by audio stream, with Mickey Dearstone calling the action for the 21st season and Bobby Rader serving as the studio host.
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.
For a list of Lady Vol Network affiliates, please click on the Fans tab at the top of UTSports.com, select Vol Network and then click on Vol Network Affiliates in the black bar at the top of the page.
Air time for games on the Lady Vol Radio Network generally occurs 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
SECN+ games are online broadcasts and are available only on WatchESPN via computers, smartphones and tablets.
All of the games included in the ESPN package (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU) and the SEC Network will be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.

TENNESSEE IN THE SEC TOURNAMENT

Tennessee enters Thursday night’s game with a 79-23 (.775) all-time record in the 41st year of the SEC Tournament.
The Lady Vols improved to 35-5 all-time in their opening game of the SEC Tournament and are 26-9 in their second contest of the tourney.
UT was a No. 8 seed a year ago and is playing as a No. 6 seed for the first time.
No. 6 is the Big Orange’s highest seeding since entering as a No. 5 in 2017 at Greenville.
Tennessee is seeking to capture its league-leading 18th SEC championship trophy. UT was victorious in 1980, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014.
The Lady Vols were runners-up on six occasions, including 1982, 1990, 1991, 1995, 2003 and 2015.
UT has advanced to the title game in two of the past six seasons, winning in 2014 as a #2 seed, 71-70, over #4 Kentucky and falling as a #2 seed to #1 South Carolina, 62-46, in 2015.
The Big Orange women are 24-7 in SEC Tournament play since 2007-08.
Tennessee has had 15 SEC Tournament MVPs through the years, with a Lady Vol winning four of the last nine awards.
Isabelle Harrison (2014), Glory Johnson (2012), Shekinna Stricklen (2011) and Alyssia Brewer (2010) were the past four MVPs from Tennessee.
The Lady Vols won the very first SEC Tournament title in 1980, defeating Ole Miss, 85-71, at Stokely Athletics Center in Knoxville.

SEC TOURNAMENT EXPERIENCE

This marks the active SEC Tournament debut for six of 12 Lady Vols, including Lou Brown (injured last season), Jordan Horston, Tamari Key, Jaiden McCoy, Jessie Rennie and Emily Saunders.
This also is the first SEC Tournament for Kellie Harper and her coaching staff while at Tennessee.
Kellie Harper had an 11-1 record at the SEC Tournament during her time as a student-athlete at UT with postseason tournament titles in 1996, 1998 and 1999. The only loss was in the 1997 semifinals.
Assistant Lacey Goldwire worked on Mike Neighbors’ staff at Arkansas last season during the Razorbacks’ drive to a runner-up finish.
Rennia Davis has averaged 14.0 ppg. in four SEC Tournament games, tallying 16 and five vs. Auburn and South Carolina in 2018 and 19 and 16 vs. LSU and Mississippi State in 2019.

PREVIOUS VISITS TO GREENVILLE

This marks the fourth time Greenville has played host to the SEC Tournament.
UT stands at 4-2 in games played in the city after beating LSU and falling to Mississippi State last year.
No. 2 seed Tennessee defeated #1 seed LSU in the tourney title game, 67-56, on March 6, 2005, the first time the event was held here.
Shyra Ely was named the SEC Tournament MVP that year, while Shanna Zolman and Brittany Jackson joined her on the all-tournament team.
UT beat Auburn in the second round (64-54) and Vanderbilt in the semifinals (76-73) that year.

PARKER IS UT’S SEC LEGEND

Two-time NCAA champion Candace Parker, UT’s all-time No. 3 scorer (2,137 pts.) and No. 8 rebounder (972 rebounds), will be honored as the Lady Vols’ SEC Legend at this week’s SEC Tournament.
Parker will be introduced at halftime of UT’s first game of the tourney and at halftime of game nine on Friday.
The 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic gold medalist is a WNBA star for the Los Angeles Sparks.
She also is a TV commentator for NBA on TNT, NBA TV and NCAA Tournament coverage by Turner Sports and CBS Sports.

BIG ORANGE TAILGATE TOUR

Join the Big Orange Tailgate Tour, March 5-8, in Greenville, S.C., for food, fun and Rocky Top at the SEC women’s basketball tournament.
The official UT Alumni and Lady Vol fan tournament headquarters is the Carolina Ale House, located at 113 S. Main Street in Greenville. It’s a short walk to the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
The following Big Orange Tailgates will be held ONLY if the Lady Vols advance to that day’s tournament play.
- Thursday, March 5 | Tailgate: 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. ET | Game: (approx) 8:30 p.m. ET vs. Ole Miss/Missouri
- Friday, March 6 | Tailgate: 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. ET | Game: (approx) 8:30 p.m. ET vs. Kentucky
- Saturday, March 7 (semifinals) | Tailgate: 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. ET | Game: (approx) 7:30 p.m. ET
- Sunday, March 8 (championship) | Tailgate: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET | Game: 2:00 p.m. ET

THE ROAD LEADING UP TO THIS

Tennessee has won its last three contests, defeating Vanderbilt (67-63) and Ole Miss (77-66) in back-to-back home games and closing out the regular season with a 56-55 squeaker at Auburn to improve to 20-9 overall and 10-6 in league play.
Despite its substantial personnel losses from a year ago, UT has managed to improve upon its 19-13/7-9 outcome of 2018-19.
The past three wins have been critical bounce-back contests after UT dropped five straight during a brutal stretch that included No. 1 South Carolina, No. 8 Mississippi State, LSU (receiving votes), No. 16 Texas A&M and No. 22 Arkansas in succession.
UT had won six straight SEC contests and stood at 7-1 before dropping those five consecutive contests.
Tennessee’s Rennia Davis is averaging 18.3 ppg. in all games and 19.9 ppg. in SEC play, shooting 49.6 percent (118-238) from the field and 82.8 (48-58) percent at the charity stripe vs. league foes.
Sophomore Rae Burrell and freshman Jordan Horston join Davis as UT’s next highest scorers in SEC play, contributing 10.5 and 9.9 per game.
Burrell has started the past seven games after coming off the bench the previous 22 contests. She is averaging 13.0 ppg. and 6.3 rpg. over her last seven games.
Horston has come off the bench and has produced 8.8 ppg., 4.6 apg. and 4.4 rpg. the past five games.

RECAPPING OUR LAST CONTEST

Junior Rennia Davis tallied a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds, and freshman Jordan Horston hit a runner in the lane with 0.6 seconds left on the clock to lift Tennessee to a crucial 56-55 win at Auburn to close out the regular season on Sunday afternoon.
The victory improved the Lady Vols’ record to 20-9 overall and 10-6 in the SEC, earning them a four-way tie for third place in the SEC regular season with Texas A&M, Kentucky and Arkansas.
The double-double was the 29th of Davis’ career (11th this season), tying Bashaara Graves for 10th all-time among Lady Vols. Redshirt senior Lou Brown was Tennessee’s next highest scorer, posting nine points off three-of-six shooting from behind the arc.
Auburn (10-17, 4-12 SEC) was paced by senior Daisa Alexander, who finished with 15 points, followed by sophomore Robyn Benton who had 11.

NOTES FROM THE AUBURN GAME

Keeping Thompson In Check: Auburn junior Unique Thompson entered the game averaging 16.6 ppg. and 11.6 rpg. and was fresh off recording her 41st career double-double against Missouri. Tennessee managed to hold her to just six points and five rebounds on the day.
20+ Davis: With 22 points against Auburn, Rennia Davis recorded her sixth 20+ game of the season and the 13th of her career, putting her at ninth all-time among Lady Vols.
Dominating The Boards: The Lady Vols out-rebounded the Tigers by a commanding 50-26 margin. UT has now out-rebounded 21 of 29 opponents on the season and boasts a +11.4 rebounding margin.
20-Win Season: With the victory over Auburn, UT claimed its 20th victory of the season. Tennessee has now posted 20-win seasons in 43 of the last 44 years.
Team Effort: Every Tennessee player who saw action against AU contributed at least two points to the victory, and UT’s bench outscored Auburn’s 15-9.

UT-MISSOURI SERIES NOTES

The Lady Vols hold a 10-3 all-time record vs. Missouri, dating back to Jan. 14, 1978, with Tennessee winning the past two meetings.
Against Mizzou, the Lady Vols are 5-1 in games played in Knoxville, 1-0 at neutral sites, and 4-2 in Columbia.
Three of the past four meetings between these schools have resulted in a four-point game in Columbia in 2018 (MU, 77-73) and two-point differentials in Knoxville (MU, 66-64) and Columbia (UT, 62-60) in 2019.
Tennessee beat MU, 84-39, in Knoxville on Jan. 10, 2013, in their first-ever SEC meeting. Later that season Mizzou evened the score, defeating UT, 80-63, in Columbia.
UT owns a 7-3 mark against Missouri since the Tigers joined the SEC. Robin Pingeton has been the head coach in Columbia that entire time.
Prior to 2013, the Lady Vols defeated Missouri as a non-conference foe three times, most recently at the 2010 Paradise Jam tournament in the U.S. Virgin Islands, 82-44.
Tennessee’s Kellie Harper is 3-4 vs. Missouri, with the first three wins coming while leading the program at Missouri State from 2013-19 and the most recent coming on Jan. 2 of this season in Knoxville (77-66).
Harper is 2-2 in home games, 0-2 away and 1-0 at neutral sites vs. the Tigers.
Missouri State won its first two vs. Mizzou under Harper’s tutelage in 2013 and 2014 and lost a four-point decision to the Tigers a year ago in Columbia, 65-61, before the Bears got their train rolling toward a season-ending berth in the NCAA Sweet 16.
Tennessee football wide receiver Grant Frerking is the brother of Missouri’s coordinator of recruiting operations, Kate Frerking. Kate played basketball at Auburn from 2013-17.
• These teams have never met during the SEC Tournament.

ABOUT MISSOURI

Missouri was picked by the media and the SEC coaches to finish ninth in their preseason polls, and they wound up 11th.
The Tigers returned two starters and eight letterwinners from last year’s squad that finished 24-11 overall and 10-6 in the SEC to tie for fourth place.
Mizzou is led by Robin Pingeton, who is 180-140 in her 10th season at the school and 515-297 in her 25th year as a head coach.
Freshman guard Aijha Blackwell is Mizzou’s top player, averaging 15.1 ppg. and 7.1 rpg. Senior guard Amber Smith (12.2 ppg.) and freshman forward Hayley Frank (12.0 ppg.) also pace the attack.

RECAPPING MU’S LAST GAME

Aijha Blackwell and Jordan Chavis combined for 27 points to pace No. 11 seed Missouri (9-21) to an SEC Tournament first-round victory over No. 14 seed Ole Miss (7-23) on Wednesday afternoon at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C.
Blackwell tallied nine second-half points to finish with a game-high 16 points and added six rebounds, three blocks, two assists and a steal in 28 minutes.
Chavis, meanwhile, scored nine of her 11 in the first half, as the Tigers built a 34-24 lead at the break.
Mizzou shot 60 percent from the field, including 77 percent (10-13) in the third quarter.

THE LAST TIME WE MET MIZZOU

A dominant effort in the paint and an outstanding defensive second quarter helped the Lady Vols give Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper a victory in her Southeastern Conference debut on Jan. 2, 2020, as No. 22/23 UT defeated Missouri, 77-66, to open conference play.
Tennessee (11-2, 1-0 SEC) held the Tigers (3-11, 0-1 SEC) to three field goals and just seven points in the second period. And the Lady Vols outscored Mizzou, 44-22, in the paint during the triumph.
The Lady Vols lived up to their reputation as one of the nation’s top-rebounding teams, out-rebounding the Tigers, 43-22. Tennessee pulled down 18 offensive boards and enjoyed a 19-4 edge in second-chance points.
Lady Vol junior Rennia Davis recorded her seventh double-double of the season and the 25th of her career, finishing with 19 team-high points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Sophomore Jazmine Massengill handed out a career-high 12 assists and also added seven points and six rebounds.
Freshman Tamari Key totaled 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting, and fellow first-year performer Jordan Horston scored 13.

-UT Athletics