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AUBURN, Ala. — Tennessee (19-9, 9-6 SEC) closes out the regular season on the road, taking on the Auburn Tigers (10-16, 4-11 SEC) in their Senior Day game on Sunday afternoon at Auburn Arena. Tip-off is slated for 2:05 p.m. CT (3:05 ET).

This will mark the first meeting of 2019-20 between the Lady Vols and AU, who stand tied for fifth and in 12th, respectively, in the SEC standings entering the final game of the regular season.

The Big Orange women have bounced back from the roughest part of their schedule to emerge victorious in their last two games and equal last season’s final victory total. On Sunday, they’ll try to post the program’s 43rd 20-win season in the past 44 years and put themselves into more secure position for a 39th berth in the NCAA Tournament.

UT currently would receive the No. 7 seed for next week’s conference tournament at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C., but there is a possibility to move up a spot. With a win, Tennessee would climb to 10-6 and move past the loser of the Arkansas (9-6) vs. LSU (9-6) game into the No. 6 seed and face the winner of the game between the No. 11 and No. 14 seeds. UT’s first SEC Tournament game would be at approximately 8:30 p.m. ET next Thursday in Greenville. A loss vs. Auburn, and the Lady Vols would remain the seven seed and face the No. 10 team at 6 p.m. next Thursday.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

• Sunday’s game will be televised as part of SEC Network whip-around coverage and streamed in its entirety online with Roy Philpott (PxP) and Brooke Weisbrod (Analyst) handling the call.
• 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.

CONNECTIONS OF INTEREST

• Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper spent two seasons working under Auburn legend Joe Ciampi, serving as an administrative assistant in 1999-2000 and moving up to assistant coach for the 2000-01 season, in which the Tigers advanced to the NCAA Second Round.
• Kellie Harper‘s husband and assistant coach, Jon Harper, is a 1999 graduate of Auburn. He was a manager and later intern for Coach Ciampi from 1996-99.
• Auburn head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy was an assistant coach from 2002-04 at (then) Southwest Missouri State. The school later changed its name to Missouri State.
• Tennessee’s Kellie Harper spent six years as the head coach at Missouri State before coming to Knoxville.
• Jon Harper was her assistant at MSU all six years.
• UT assistant Jennifer Sullivan was an assistant at Missouri State from 2013-18.
• UT director of recruiting operations Jessica Jackson was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Harper at Missouri State in 2018-19.
• UT director of women’s basketball sports performance Tyler Watson was Harper’s strength and conditioning coach in 2018-19.
• Auburn assistant La’Keshia Frett played at Georgia from 1993-97, while UT’s Kellie (Jolly) Harper played at Tennessee from 1995-1999, allowing for a two-year overlap of their teams battling on the SEC hardwood.
• Lee Taylor, Tennessee’s women’s basketball strength and conditioning coordinator from 2013-19, is in his first season in the same role at Auburn.

A CLOSER LOOK AT TENNESSEE

• The Lady Vols’ only losses this season are to nine teams that appear destined for NCAA Tournament bids. Seven of those were ranked, including four that were top-10 ranked teams, when UT played them.
• While UT beat Notre Dame when the Irish carried a No. 15/14 ranking, the most appealing win on the résumé currently appears to be the home triumph over LSU on Jan. 26.
• UT has a two-point loss to #16/18 Texas A&M, a four-point setback at #RV/RV LSU and a six-point loss to Texas among its “Ls”.
• In the Feb. 25 edition of Bracketology, Charlie Creme has the Lady Vols listed as a No. 11 seed, playing sixth-seeded Princeton in the NCAA First Round in Iowa City, as part of the Dallas Regional. The winner would meet No. 3 Iowa or No. 14 Marist in the second round.

THE ROAD LEADING UP TO THIS

• Tennessee has won its last two contests, defeating Vanderbilt (67-63) and Ole Miss (77-66) in back-to-back home games to improve to 19-9 overall and 9-6 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 two 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 18.1 ppg. in all games and 19.7 ppg. in SEC play, shooting 49.5 percent (109-220) from the field and 83.3 (45-54) percent at the charity stripe vs. league foes.
• Sophomore Rae Burrell and freshman Jordan Horston join Davis as double-figure scorers in SEC play, contributing 11.0 and 10.2 per game.
• Burrell has started the past six games after coming off the bench the previous 22. She is averaging 14.7 ppg. and 7.0 rpg. over her last six contests and 15.7 ppg. and 7.3 rpg. over her last three.
• Horston has come off the bench and has produced 10.3 ppg. and 5.3 apg. the past three games.
• Auburn’s record belies its talent and play in the latter part of the season. In three of their last four games, the Tigers have beaten LSU, lost to No. 10 Mississippi State in overtime and scored 95 points in a road win at Missouri on Thursday night.
• AU began SEC play 0-5 but is 4-6 since then, including a seven-point road loss at No. 15 Kentucky.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

• The SEC Tournament is next. It will be held at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in downtown Greenville, S.C., March 4-8.
• Play begins on Wednesday and Tennessee will see action on Thursday evening.
• The SEC Network will broadcast all games from Wednesday through Friday, while ESPNU will carry Saturday’s semifinal games and ESPN2 will televise the title game on Sunday.
• This marks the second straight season, third time in four years and fourth time overall that Greenville as served as host.

RECAPPING OUR LAST CONTEST

• The Lady Vols prevailed over an upset-minded Ole Miss team on Thursday, taking a 77-66 win on Senior Night at Thompson-Boling Arena.
• Junior Rennia Davis was Tennessee’s (19-9, 9-6 SEC) high scorer, recording her 28th career double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds.  Freshman Tamari Key and sophomore Rae Burrell were also in double figures, with Key scoring a career high of 17 points and Burrell finishing with 14 in the final regular-season home game of the 2019-20 campaign.
• Ole Miss (7-21, 0-15 SEC) was led by Deja Cage and Mimi Reid, who posted 22 and 21 points, respectively.

NOTES FROM THE OLE MISS GAME

• Senior Salute: Tennessee seniors Lou Brown and Kamera Harris were honored before the contest in their final regular-season appearance on The Summitt. Both will earn master’s degrees in communication and information with emphasis in journalism and electronic media from UT.
• Explosive First Half: The Lady Vols strung together a 15-0 run in the first quarter against UM. It marked their fourth longest run of the season and the 19th time they have managed a run of 10 or more points.
• Jessie…From Downtown: Jessie Rennie went two of three from behind the arc against Ole Miss, moving her season shooting percentage to .489. She is shooting at an even higher rate in SEC play, hitting .571 of her 3-point attempts. She went five of six from three-point range in two games against the Rebels this season.
• Cashing In At The Line: For the second time in three games, Tennessee shot 80 percent or better from the line, hitting 16 of 19 (.842) attempts against Ole Miss. The team previously hit eight of nine (.889) free throws against Arkansas.
• Lou Taking Charge: Redshirt senior Lou Brown drew her 12th charge of the season against Ole Miss. That total leads the team and ties UT’s total for the 2018-19 season.
• Double-Double Davis: Rennia Davis recorded her 28th career double-double against UM with 19 points and 11 rebounds. She is now just one double-double away from tying Bashaara Graves for 10th all-time among Lady Vols.

UT-AUBURN SERIES NOTES

• Tennessee holds a 45-11 all-time record vs. Auburn, dating back to Feb. 9, 1980, and has won 29 of the past 32 games in the series.
• The Lady Vols are 14-5 in games played at Auburn, 22-2 vs. the Tigers in games held in Knoxville, and 9-4 at neutral sites.
• UT has won in 14 of its last 16 trips to The Plains after getting a “W” there on Feb. 14, 2019.
• UT is 2-0 vs. AU in overtime games, winning extra-frame contests in Knoxville vs. the Tigers in 1996 and 2004.
• Tennessee has limited Auburn to 66 points or fewer 12 of the last 14 times they’ve met and to 61 or less on nine of those occasions.
• Tennessee and Auburn played for the 1989 NCAA Championship in Tacoma, Wash., with the Lady Vols prevailing, 76-60.
• Tennessee also beat the Tigers in regional finals in 1987 and 1991 en route to NCAA Final Fours they would end up winning.
• UT and AU four times played for SEC Tourney titles from 1985 to 1990, with the Lady Vols winning three of those (1985, 1988, 1989).
• Chamique Holdsclaw scored a career-high 39 points vs. the Tigers on Feb. 14, 1998, marking the sixth-highest point total in Lady Vol history.
• AU coach Terri Williams-Flournoy beat UT and Pat Summitt while coaching Georgetown on Nov. 27, 2010, 69-58, at the Paradise Jam tourney in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• Kellie Harper is 1-2 all-time vs. Auburn and 1-1 vs. Terri Williams-Flournoy as a head coach.
• She is 1-0 vs. Terri Williams-Flournoy while she has been at AU, beating the Tigers, 85-71, in Raleigh, N.C., while coaching at NC State.
• Harper’s Wolfpack team fell to Coach Flo’s Georgetown team in Washington, D.C., 67-66, on Dec. 22, 2009.
• Harper was 0-2 vs. Auburn, then coached by Nell Fortner, while at Western Carolina.

ABOUT AUBURN

• AU returned three starters and eight letterwinners from a year ago, when it finished 22-10 overall and 9-7 in league play to tie for sixth place.
• The Tigers were picked to finish seventh by the media and eighth by the coaches in the preseason polls. Those projections are just behind UT.
• Auburn is led by the trio of Unique Thompson (16.6 ppg., 11.6 rpg.), Daisa Alexander (13.6 ppg.) and Robyn Benton (10.5 ppg.).

RECAPPING AU’S LAST GAME

• Unique Thompson set the Auburn career record with her 41st double-double, three players finished with 20-plus points, and Auburn got its first road SEC win of the season with a 95-82 victory over Missouri Thursday night.
• Auburn used a blistering third quarter, hitting its first 10 shots of the period, to pull ahead by as many as 18 points, and Missouri would get no closer than seven points the rest of the way. The Tigers’ 34 points in the third quarter was a school record for a single period.

THE LAST TIME WE MET THE TIGERS

• Freshman guard Zaay Green logged 19 of her career-high 25 points in the second half, powering Tennessee past Auburn, 73-62, at Thompson-Boling Arena on Feb. 14, 2019.
• The triumph gave UT a season sweep of the Tigers (18-7, 6-6 SEC). The Big Orange (16-8, 5-6 SEC) had won at AU in the SEC opener on Jan. 3, 78-69.
• The Lady Vols recorded their third-straight home win, as the duo of senior Cheridene Green (16 points and 11 rebounds) and sophomore Rennia Davis (15 points and 10 rebounds) each tallied double-doubles on the evening.
• Junior guard Daisa Alexander led Auburn with 22 points. Sophomore Unique Thompson paced the Tigers on the boards with a double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds, while Janiah McKay also chipped in 12 points.

THE LAST TIME WE PLAYED AT AUBURN

• The No. 10/10 Lady Vols (12-1, 1-0 SEC) shot a season-high 54 percent from the floor to claim their first SEC win of the season at Auburn (12-2, 0-1 SEC) on Jan. 3, 2019, 78-69.
• Senior Meme Jackson went five of eight from behind the arc and a perfect 6-of-6 from the line to lead Tennessee in scoring with 27 points. Sophomore Rennia Davis managed her fourth double-double of the season with 21 points and a career-high tying 14 rebounds. Zaay Green also found her way into double digits with 10 points.
• The Tigers were led by Unique Thompson who posted 19 points and 12 rebounds. Crystal Primm was their second highest scorer with 16 points, while Daisa Alexander added 13.

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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee men’s basketball team returns home to Thompson-Boling Arena for a Saturday afternoon matchup with the Florida Gators. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Saturday’s game can be seen on ESPN2, online through WatchESPN and on any mobile device through the ESPN App. Fans can access WatchESPN at espn.com/watch. Mike Corey and Jimmy Dykes will have the call.

Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertlekamp describing the action.

Last time out, the Vols fell on the road at Arkansas, 86-69, on Wednesday night. The Vols were led in scoring for the third consecutive game by senior Jordan Bowden. The Knoxville native scored 19 points, knocking down 7-of-16 attempts from the field, while draining four 3-point field goals. Bowden is currently riding a stretch of hot form, averaging 17.3 points per game in the Vols last seven outings.

A victory on Saturday would be the Vols fourth consecutive victory over the Gators and would stand as the 50th SEC regular-season victory for UT head man Rick Barnes.

Up next, Tennessee hits the road for a Tuesday night clash with SEC rival Kentucky. Tipoff inside Rupp Arena is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

THE SERIES
• Tennessee leads the all-time series with Florida, 76-57, dating to 1927.
• The Vols have a 47-16 edge when the series is played in Knoxville.
• Tennessee has won three straight in the series and four of the last five.

A WIN WOULD…
• Give the Vols a four-game win streak in the series.
• Be Tennessee’s 50th regular-season SEC victory under head coach Rick Barnes.

STORYLINES
• Tennessee freshman Drew Pember and Florida freshman Ques Glover were teammates at Knoxville’s Bearden High School and led the Bulldogs to the Class AAA state championship last March.
• Pember remains in concussion protocol (day to day).
• UT is holding opponents to 58.1 points per game at Thompson-Boling Arena this season.
• During SEC play, freshmen account for 40.3 percent of Tennessee’s total minutes played.
• In UT’s last four games, Jordan Bowden is averaging a team-best 17.3 points while shooting .409 from 3-point range and posting a 2.1 assist/turnover ratio.
• With 182 career 3-point makes, Jordan Bowden ranks eighth on Tennessee’s all-time list.
• In SEC home games, junior forward John Fulkerson leads the Vols in scoring (14.4 ppg), rebounding (7.6 rpg) and field-goal percentage (.600).

LAYUP LINES
• Tennessee ranks fourth nationally in average home attendance, drawing 18,795 fans per game this season.
• During SEC play, Tennessee leads the league in blocks (5.9 bpg) and owns the conference’s best scoring defense (66.9 ppg).
• SEC Defensive Player of the Year candidate Yves Pons has blocked at least one shot in every game this season. He leads the SEC and ranks 21st nationally with 2.4 bpg. His 2.5 bpg during SEC play also leads the league.
• Freshman point guard Santiago Vescovi is Tennessee’s leading scorer in home games, averaging a team-best 13.7 points per game at Thompson-Boling Arena.
• Barring injury or illness, senior guard Jordan Bowden will finish his career in the top five on Tennessee’s list for career games played. Saturday will be the 130th game in which he’s appeared.

ABOUT FLORIDA
• Winners of four of its last five SEC contests, Florida has upped its record to 18-10 overall and 10-5 in the SEC over the last three weeks, good enough for third in the league with just three regular-season games remaining. Florida’s latest win came at home on Wednesday night over conference contender LSU, 81-66.
• Florida’s head coach, Mike White, is currently in his fifth year at the helm and has helped the Gators sustain success as they look to make a fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
• On the court, preseason SEC Player of the Year Kerry Blackshear has been a force for the Gators, ranking second on the team in scoring (13.1 ppg) and assists (1.6 apg), while leading the squad in rebounding, with 7.5 boards per contest. Blackshear, a grad transfer from Virginia Tech, is fresh off a trip to the Sweet Sixteen with the 2018-19 edition of the Hokies.
• A big contributor on the defensive end for Florida has been freshman guard Scottie Lewis, who leads the Gators in both blocks (1.3 bpg) and steals (1.2 spg). His 1.3 blocks per contest places him eighth in the SEC, ranking first among guards.
• Florida’s leading scorer is sophomore forward Keyontae Johnson, who’s averaging 14.3 points per game. His scoring average places him in 13th in the SEC. During conference action, he also sits at 13th in the league, but has upped his average to 14.7 points per contest in 15 league games.
• The University of Florida is widely known for its creation of the popular sports drink Gatorade. The drink was developed by Robert Cade ahead of the 1965 football season. Cade was a professor in the university’s College of Medicine.

LAST TIME VS. FLORIDA
•  In front of a season-high crowd of 22,261, No. 1 Tennessee’s high-flying second half helped the Vols top the Florida Gators, 73-61, on Feb. 9, 2019, in Knoxville.
•  Tennessee pushed its win streak to 18 games, the longest streak in Rick Barnes‘ 32-year head coaching career.
•  Tennessee had four players score in double figures, with Grant Williams’ team-high 16 points leading the way to go along with a team-high six rebounds. Admiral Schofield, who also grabbed six boards, finished with 14 points.
•  The Vols pushed the lead to as many as 19 points when Jordan Bowden knocked down a left wing 3-pointer. The junior, who was fouled in the act of shooting, converted the and-one opportunity to make it 69-50 with 5:14 left on the clock.
•  The Vols took that 36-30 edge into the locker room with Schofield and Williams leading the way with eight points each.
•  Coming out of the halftime break, the game remained within two scores before a pair of 3-pointers from Lamonté Turner pushed the Tennessee lead back to double digits.
•  With the victory, the Vols improved to 10-0 in SEC play, their best start since the 1976-77 season.
•  And the Big Orange’s win streak in regular-season SEC games extended to a program-record 14 straight.

MEMORABLE VOL PERFORMANCES AGAINST GATORS
• The legendary Bernard King recorded the third-best scoring performance in school history with a 43-point, 20-rebound effort as the Vols topped the Gators 93-84 on January 17, 1976, in Stokely Athletics Center.
• During the 1983-84 season, Willie Burton averaged 16.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and shot .500 (17-of-34) from the floor against the Gators. UT was 3-0 vs. Florida that season.
• Dane Bradshaw’s breakaway layup with 20.1 seconds to play proved to be the winning basket as the Vols upset second-ranked Florida 80-76 in Knoxville on Jan. 21, 2006.
• The Vols upset fifth-ranked Florida, 86-76, on Senior Day in Knoxville behind Chris Lofton’s 21 points on Feb. 27, 2007. ESPN College GameDay broadcast live from Rocky Top, Peyton Manning addressed the Vols in the locker room before the game, and Pat Summitt donned cheerleader garb and led the sold-out crowd in a rendition of Rocky Top during a media timeout.

BOWDEN HAS PLAYED WELL IN HIS CAREER AGAINST FLORIDA
• Vols senior Jordan Bowden has faced Florida four times previously in his career, helping Tennessee post a 3-1 record vs. the Gators.
• Against Florida, Bowden averages 13.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game while shooting .533 from the field, .500 from 3-point range and .842 from the free-throw line.

BOWDEN AMONG SEC’s BEST
• Senior guard Jordan Bowden ranks among the SEC’s active career leaders in several statistical categories.
• He ranks third in points (1,327), fourth in steals (126), eighth in assists (250) and ninth in rebounds (449).
• Only Breein Tyree (Ole Miss) and Skylar Mays (LSU) have scored more career points among active players.

JB ALSO PROMINENT ON UT CHARTS
• Jordan Bowden also has placed his name prominently throughout the Tennessee career records book.
• His 1,327 points place him 25th on UT’s career scoring list.
• And his 182 3-pointers rank eighth all-time. He needs just two more 3-pointers to tie former teammate and NBA rookie Admiral Schofield for seventh all-time.

TURNOVER WOES UNUSUAL
•  Approaching the end of the regular season, this is the most turnover-prone team of Rick Barnes‘ tenure at Tennessee.
•  These Vols average 13.9 turnovers per game (14.1 in SEC play). Tennessee’s previous high under Barnes was the 2016-17 squad, which averaged 12.5 tpg. It’s the highest average for any Barnes team since his 2012-13 Texas squad averaged 14.8 tpg.
• Upperclassmen are responsible for 52.7 percent of those turnovers (22.7 percent by seniors and 29.4 percent by juniors).
• Freshmen have committed 45.4 percent of the team’s turnovers.
• To add some context, upperclassmen account for 63.1 of the team’s total minutes played. Freshmen own 36.6 percent of the team’s minutes.

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