TAMPA, Fla. – There was no sunshine for the Lady Vols’ first day in Florida, but they did brighten the day fittingly with their all-orange uniform combination.
Unfortunately, despite the bright spot early on from the uniforms and a win over FIU, things ended gloomily.
Unable to string together more than a few hits in the top of the fourth inning, No. 12 UT was upset 10-1 in a quick five by UCF (10-2), falling to its first unranked team in preseason play since 2018 when it fell to FAU 3-2 in Clearwater, Fla.
After holding on to a 1-0 lead through 2.5 innings, UCF belted a nine-run half in the bottom of the third to keep things out of reach for Tennessee.
In a late effort, junior first baseman Ashley Morgan recorded a one-out double to spark the offense. Freshman Amanda Curran stepped up and blasted a two-out RBI single to bring in Amanda Fox, who pinch ran for Morgan. The momentum was short-lived and the Lady Vols could not get two more runs in time to prevent the early ending.
Lefty Callie Turner was credited with her second loss of the season giving up four earned runs and three walks, while fanning three batters.
Up Next
The Lady Vols continue their Tampa adventures on Saturday with a 9:30 a.m. (ET) rematch against UCF before taking on host-team USF at 2 p.m.
Tennessee 9, FIU 1
The Lady Vols kicked off the USF Invitational with a decisive run-rule win over the Panthers after gradually building offensive momentum to balance out a solid effort in the circle by redshirt sophomore Samantha Bender.
Led by senior Chelsea Seggern’s perfect outing at the plate Tennessee picked up its second run-rule win of the season with a 9-1 showing in six frames. Seggern (4-for-4) bombed a two-run long shot through center in the bottom of the third, and a three-run dinger the following inning, to give the Lady Vols an 8-1 lead.
The Thrall, Texas, native recorded seven RBI in the outing, tied for sixth in program history in a single game. Stepping into second base for the first time this season, Seggern also found the plate twice.
To open their third-ever meeting with the Panthers, the Lady Vols got some quick production from the top of its lineup with junior Amanda Ayala drawing a lead-off walk and then Seggern getting her home on an RBI double to jump ahead 1-0.
Seggern punctuated the day with the walk-off RBI single with loaded bases to bring in senior Treasuary Poindexter from the hot corner.
Bender picked up her second win of the year in the circle behind three strikeouts, one run and one walk in 4.2 innings of work.
AUBURN, Ala. – The Tennessee men’s basketball team hits the road for a Saturday afternoon matchup with No. 13 Auburn. Tipoff inside Auburn Arena is slated for noon ET on CBS.
Saturday’s game can be seen on CBS, online through CBS Sports Live, which can be accessed here and on any mobile device through the CBS Sports App. Spero Dedes and Clark Kellogg will have the call.
Fans can also listen in on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertlekamp describing the action.
Last time out, the Vols battled past Vanderbilt to sweep the season series against the Commodores for the third consecutive season. UT was led by senior Jordan Bowden and junior John Fulkerson who scored 17 points each. Junior Yves Pons upped his blocks streak to 26 consecutive games with at least one rejection and is now just eight blocks away from break UT’s single season blocks record.
A victory on Saturday would give the Vols their third victory over an opponent ranked inside the AP Top 25 and would be Tennessee’s first true road win over a ranked team, since Feb. 6, 2018 when the Vols took down No. 24 Kentucky inside Rupp Arena.
A win would also stand as UT’s 50th regular-season SEC victory under head man Rick Barnes.
Up next, Tennessee hits the road for its second consecutive road bout, when it travels to Fayetteville for a rematch with SEC foe Arkansas. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
THE SERIES
• Tennessee leads its all-time series with Auburn, 78-41, dating to 1927.
• The Tigers have a 28-23 edge when the series is played in Auburn.
• Tennessee has won 11 of the last 15 meetings in the series.
A WIN WOULD…
• Give the Vols three victories this season over opponents ranked in the AP Top 25.
• Stand as UT’s first true road win over a ranked opponent since the Vols beat #24 Kentucky at Rupp Arena on Feb. 6, 2018.
• Snap Tennessee’s three-game losing streak vs. Auburn.
• Be Tennessee’s 50th regular-season SEC victory under head coach Rick Barnes.
STORYLINES
• Tennessee has five regular-season games left on its schedule, and those opponents combine to own a 76-28 (.731) record and an average NET rating of 33.3.
• Due to Auburn hosting the 2020 SEC Swimming & Diving Championships, the UT basketball travel party is split between three hotels during its stay on The Plains.
• Jordan Bowden is the only active Vol who scored the last time UT faced Auburn. He had 10 points in that March 17 loss in Nashville.
• With 175 career 3-point makes, Jordan Bowden ranks ninth on Tennessee’s all-time list. VFLs Jordan McRae and Vincent Yarbrough are tied for eighth with 179 3-pointers.
• In SEC road games, Jordan Bowden and John Fulkerson lead the Vols in scoring with 13.8 ppg and 13.7 ppg, respectively.
• During SEC play, freshmen account for 39.8 percent of Tennessee’s total minutes played.
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 (6.2 bpg) and owns the conference’s best scoring defense (64.9 ppg).
• Tennessee ranks second among Division I teams in assist percentage, having assisted on 64.7 percent of its field goals this season.
• 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 20th nationally with 2.6 bpg. His 2.7 bpg during SEC play also leads the league.
• Freshman point guard Santiago Vescovi has made at least one 3-pointer in every game in which he’s appeared (14), averaging 2.2 made threes per game.
• 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 128th game in which he’s appeared.
ABOUT AUBURN
• Heading into Saturday’s contest on The Plains, Auburn is coming off back-to-back road losses to Missouri and Georgia. The Tigers were without freshman forward Isaac Okoro in both games. Okoro is currently averaging 13.1 ppg and 4.8 rpg, both of which ranked second on the team prior to his injury.
• Auburn currently sits in second in the SEC with a 9-4 mark in league play and a record of 22-4 overall. Auburn began the year 15-0 and was one of two undefeated teams remaining in Division I as January reached its midpoint. All of this comes one year after the Tigers won the 2019 SEC Tournament and played their way to the program’s first-ever Final Four appearance.
• Even with Okoro’s injury, the Tigers are led by their senior backcourt duo of Samir Doughty and J’Von McCormick. Doughty leads the Tigers in scoring (16.0 ppg) and steals (1.1 spg) and ranks second in assists (2.6 apg). McCormick ranks second for Auburn in scoring (12.2 ppg) and steals (1.0 spg), but is the Tigers’ leading assist man, with 4.5 helpers per contest.
• In the paint, the Tigers have seen solid production from senior center Austin Wiley. Wiley is averaging 10.5 ppg, which ranks third on the team, and his team-leading 9.4 rpg rank second in the SEC, trailing only Mississippi State’s Reggie Perry.
• Auburn University was not given its current name until 1960. From its opening in 1856 through 1960, the institution went through multiple name changes which included the East Alabama Male College and the Alabama Polytechnic Institute. Its name officially changed to Auburn in 1960 after the Alabama Legislature granted it university status. Its new name better expressed the expanded curriculum the school had been offering for years.
LAST TIME VS. AUBURN
• No. 8 Tennessee couldn’t match No. 22 Auburn’s hot shooting, falling, 84-64, in the SEC Tournament Championship Game on March 17, 2019, at Bridgestone Arena.
• The Vols played one of their least efficient games of the season on the offensive end, turning the ball over 17 times. That led to 21 points for Auburn. The Tigers rained 3-pointers to keep the momentum in their favor, connecting on 15 long balls.
• Tennessee’s offense went cold in the first half, going on a seven-minute scoring drought and missing 10 consecutive shots. UT was up early on the Tigers with a 17-13 lead.
• Auburn capitalized on its opportunities and swung the momentum in its favor. While the Vols struggled on offense, the Tigers rattled off a 16-0 run to take a commanding 13-point lead. On the defensive end, AU forced the Vols into 12 turnovers and held the Big Orange to 32 percent shooting from the floor. At the break, Auburn held a 32-23 advantage over the Vols.
• Vols junior Lamonté Turner was hot early on, scoring eight points behind a pair of 3-pointers in the first four minutes. He finished with a season-high 24 points on 7-of-12 shooting and four 3-pointers.
• The only success UT found in the opening period was on the glass, where it held a 26-19 advantage and limited Auburn to just four offensive rebounds.
• SEC Player of the Year Grant Williams finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
• Despite the loss, Tennessee players were recognized for their play throughout the tournament, as Williams and All-SEC wing Admiral Schofield were named to the 2019 SEC All-Tournament Team.
MEMORABLE VOL PERFORMANCES AGAINST AUBURN
• Carl Widseth made a then-school-record 17 free throws on The Plains against the Tigers en route to another school record, 47 points, on Feb. 25, 1956, in a 91-87 Tennessee triumph.
• Dalen Showalter recorded a double-double with 27 points and 13 rebounds as the unranked Vols upset No. 2 Auburn, 56-55, at UT’s Armory Fieldhouse on Feb. 23, 1959.
• Playing a team four times in a calendar year is rare. In 1979, UT played a home-and-home series with Auburn. They met again in the 1979 SEC Tournament. The first game of the 1979-80 series was played in December. The Vols were 4-0 vs. Auburn in 1979 (Feb. 2 & 7, March 2, Dec. 12).
• Tony White broke UT’s single-game scoring record with 51 points against the Tigers in Stokely Athletics Center on Valentine’s Day 1987. UT won 103-84.
PONS RIDING BLOCK STREAK
• Yves Pons, the SEC’s leading shot-blocker, has blocked at least one shot in every game this season.
• His streak of 26 straight games with at least one block is the longest such streak by a Vol since at least the 1988-89 season (research is ongoing).
• Pons has blocked three or more shots in 15 games this season, including a program-record-tying six-block effort against Jacksonville State on Dec. 21.
• With five regular-season games left to play, he already ranks second on UT’s single-season blocks list. The record is 73, by C.J. Black in 1997-98.
ROAD WARRIORS
• Dating to the start of the 2017-18 season, Tennessee has won more than half of its true road games, going 18-12 (.600).
• That includes victories at Kentucky, Iowa State, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Memphis, Alabama and Florida.
WE LOVE A PACKED HOUSE
• Dating to the start of last season, Tennessee has played 19 games in front of sold-out—and sometimes over-capacity—crowds.
• That includes seven home games as well as games at Memphis, Florida, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Auburn, the 2019 Emerald Coast Classic (two games), Cincinnati and Kansas.
Universal Music Group held its 11th annual Team UMG at the Ryman event on Feb. 20 as part of Country Radio Seminar 2020.
This event showcased UMG Nashville’s incredible roster, including Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt, Jon Pardi, Little Big Town, Brandon Lay, Caylee Hammack, Adam Hambrick, Kylie Morgan, Parker McCollum and Travis Denning.
Sam Hunt debuted a new song, “2016,” from his upcoming album, Southside, which drops on April 3.
George Strait announced he will perform a concert at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind., on Aug. 15.
The upcoming show, which is dubbed Strait to South Bend, will feature special guests Chris Stapleton and Brothers Osborne.
Tickets for the new show go on sale on March 6 at 10 a.m. ET, with pre-sale for American Express Card Members beginning on Feb. 28 at 10 a.m. local time.
George’s previously announced concert dates include shows at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 22 with Little Big Town and Chris Stapleton, followed by two dates in Las Vegas with Caitlyn Smith as part of his 5-year Strait to Vegas residency.
Fayetteville, Ark. – Rae Burrell poured in 15 points in the fourth quarter to pull UT within four in the final minutes, but it wasn’t enough to overcome No. 22/25 Arkansas on road in an 83-75 setback Thursday night at Bud Walton Arena.
Burrell led Tennessee (17-9, 7-6 SEC) in scoring and rebounding with 21 points and nine boards, narrowly missing a double-double. Rennia Davis was also in double digits, finishing with 18 points and eight rebounds.
Amber Ramirez was Arkansas’ (21-5, 9-4 SEC) high scorer, posting 29 points, and Alexis Tolefree was close behind with 22.
Davis got off to a quick start, driving in for a layup after Tamari Key won the tip. UT built up a 6-0 lead before Ramirez got the Razorbacks on the board with a 3-pointer two minutes in. By the 6:53 mark Tennessee led 10-5, but back-to-back buckets by Ramirez cut the lead to one before Key knocked down a jumper just before the media timeout to push the score to 12-9. Immediately following the timeout Ramirez hit a long-range trey to tie the score at 12-all. The teams would swap baskets through the end of the quarter until a Tolefree jumper at the buzzer put Arkansas up 18-16 at the end of the first.
Tolefree struck again in the second quarter, hitting a 3-pointer to stretch the Razorbacks’ lead to five. Tennessee struggled to score, going more than three minutes without a bucket before Lou Brown found Davis cutting to the basket for a layup. Taylah Thomas converted on an old-fashioned three-point play on the other end to put Arkansas up 24-18 midway through the period. The Razorbacks maintained their six-point lead until Jessie Rennie hit a three to cut it to 26-23 with just under three minutes remaining in the half. UA responded with a 5-0 run to take an eight-point lead into the intermission.
Tolefree was first to score in the second half, stretching Arkansas’ lead to 11 with a 3-pointer before Davis answered with a jumper for UT, setting off a 9-2 run that pulled Tennessee within four six minutes in. With 3:58 left in the quarter the Razorbacks went up 48-38, scoring five quick points off a Makayla Daniels jumper and a Ramirez 3-pointer after Tolefree stole the inbounds pass. The 10-point deficit would hold until the final seconds when Chelsea Dungee knocked down a 10-foot jumper at the buzzer to push the score to 58-46 heading into the final stanza.
The Razorbacks opened the fourth quarter with four unanswered points before Burrell and Rennie scored a combined 13 points in the first four minutes to pull UT within 11 at 70-59. Jordan Horston followed it up with a jumper and Burrell converted on a 3-point play to move Tennessee within six with 3:59 to play. Arkansas bounced back with four quick points off a pair of Ramirez jumpers. Burrell responded by knocking down a three and following it up with a layup to make the score 75-69 with 1:15 remaining. Davis hit a three-pointer to pull the Lady Vols within four with 15 seconds left in the game, but that’s as close as they would get, as Arkansas went on to hit free throws and win 83-75.
Up Next: The Lady Vols return home, hosting Vanderbilt at noon on Sunday in UT’s Live Pink, Bleed Orange game. The contest will be broadcast on ESPN2 and Lady Vol Network radio stations.
Starting Suits Her: In her four career starts, Rae Burrell is averaging 15.5 ppg. and 7.3 rpg. She led the team in both scoring and rebounding in three of those contests.
Rennie Sniping: Freshman Jessie Rennie hit 3-of-4 3-point attempts against Arkansas. She is averaging 62.1 percent from behind the arc over her last 17 games, and her season average of 47.7 leads the team.
Davis Climbing The Charts: Rennia Davis’ 18 points against Arkansas moved her career points total to 1,312, passing Tonya Edwards (1,309 pts) to rank 30th among Lady Vol scorers. She is closing in quickly on No. 29 Alexis Hornbuckle at 1,333 career points.
Kenny Chesney released his new single, “Here and Now,” on Feb. 21.
Penned by Craig Wiseman, David Garcia and David Lee Murphy at a writing retreat Kenny set up in Malibu, the new tune beckons listeners to live in the present with a chorus that proclaims: “You and me, ain’t it good to be alive / Ain’t no better place, ain’t no better time / Than here and now.”
“This song kind of blew my mind,” says Kenny. “The chorus is everything I feel about my time onstage with No Shoes Nation . . . the rush of it absolutely being the best place, best moment in the entire world. There’s no rush like it.
“I know there will days and moments that suck, but so many of them, we can decide how we feel and what we want to focus on. I’m hoping No Shoes Nation—and everyone else—can hear this and feel really good about the moment.”
“Here and Now,” which will serve as the lead single to Kenny’s upcoming album that’s slated to drop this spring, follows his recent Top 10 single, “Tip of My Tongue.”
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — SEC Media Days will return to the College Football Hall of Fame and Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta this year, the Southeastern Conference announced on Thursday.
The event will take place July 13-16 and will once again feature around the clock coverage by the SEC Network and ESPN.
Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt and the Vols’ three player representatives will take their turn on Wednesday, July 15 along with Alabama’s Nick Saban, Arkansas’ Sam Pittman and Mississippi State’s Mike Leach.
The daily schedule for 2020 football media days can be found below. Names are listed alphabetically by school and not an indicator of actual order of appearance. Daily rotations and times will be determined and released at a later date.
For more information, visit SECSports.com.
2020 SEC FOOTBALL MEDIA DAYS SCHEDULE
MONDAY, July 13
Florida – Dan Mullen
LSU – Ed Orgeron
Missouri – Eliah Drinkwitz
TUESDAY, July 14
Georgia – Kirby Smart
Kentucky – Mark Stoops
Ole Miss – Lane Kiffin
Vanderbilt – Derek Mason
WEDNESDAY, July 15
Alabama – Nick Saban
Arkansas – Sam Pittman
Mississippi State – Mike Leach Tennessee – Jeremy Pruitt
THURSDAY, July 16
Auburn – Gus Malzahn
South Carolina – Will Muschamp
Texas A&M – Jimbo Fisher
Universal Music Group held its 11th annual Team UMG at the Ryman event on Feb. 20 as part of Country Radio Seminar 2020.
This event showcased UMG Nashville’s incredible roster, including Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt, Jon Pardi, Little Big Town, Brandon Lay, Caylee Hammack, Adam Hambrick, Kylie Morgan, Parker McCollum and Travis Denning.
Keith and Carrie reunited to perform their 2017 hit, “The Fighter,” which was co-penned by Keith and the late busbee.
Amazon Music chronicles the rise of Kane Brown in a new 16-minute documentary, Velocity, which was released on Feb. 20.
Velocity documents Kane’s early days growing up in Georgia, personal moments like getting a tattoo of his daughter’s name, and his sold-out performance at the Staples Center in January. The new clip features commentary from Kane, wife Katelyn, agent Braeden Rountree, manager Martha Earls and more.
“I’m incredibly proud of the family I’ve been able to build along the way, including not only my wife and daughter but the family I have out on the road that works so hard behind the scenes to make it all happen,” says Kane. “This Amazon Music mini-documentary gives fans a new glimpse into my world, including some of the incredibly hard moments that have led up to this point. I appreciate everyone and all the fans who have been there since day one and hope anyone that watches takes away one thing. That this is a family. And we want to do you all proud.”
Luke Combs will extend his headlining What You See Is What You Get Tour with more than 15 new dates.
The tour, which kicked off on Feb. 7, will make newly announced stops in Dallas, Memphis, Las Vegas, New York, Boston and more. The new dates will feature a new in-the-round stage design.
Tickets for the shows—which will feature special guests Ashley McBryde, Drew Parker and Ray Fulcher—will be available for pre-sale starting on Feb. 25 at 12 p.m. local time with general on-sale following on Feb. 28 at 10 a.m. local time. Luke’s official fan club, The Bootleggers, will have early access to tickets through Ticketmaster Verified Fan pre-sale starting on Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. local time.
What You See Is What You Get Tour
April 18 | Albuquerque, NM | Isleta Amphitheater* (SOLD OUT)
April 19 | Colorado Springs, CO | Broadmoor World Arena* (SOLD OUT)
April 21 | Las Cruces, NM | Pan American Center* (SOLD OUT)
April 24 | Corpus Christi, TX | American Bank Center* (SOLD OUT)
April 25 | Houston, TX | Toyota Center* (SOLD OUT)
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