BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alontae Taylor, a rising junior on the Tennessee football team, was recently selected as Vice Chair of the Southeastern Conference Football Leadership Council.
Taylor was selected by a vote of his peers at a meeting of the council held recently at the SEC offices in Birmingham. The Manchester, Tennessee, native will attend a portion of the SEC Spring Meetings in May to meet with conference leadership and provide feedback on SEC legislative proposals.
The Football Leadership Council is one of three components of the SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Council. The other two components are the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Leadership Councils. Student-Athlete Leadership Councils were introduced for the sports of football and men’s and women’s basketball, which, in addition to the conference’s longstanding Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), provide student-athletes with additional opportunities to engage with campus leaders and conference office staff. The councils serve as a conduit of communication to the conference office on issues related to student-athlete experience and student-athlete wellness.
During its recent meeting, the council met with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, reviewed NCAA and SEC legislative items, discussed a number of topics submitted by members of the Council, and engaged with football officials on rules of the game and student-athlete/referee interaction.
Taylor, a defensive back, appeared in all 13 games for Tennessee this past season, logging six starts. He finished the year with 33 tackles, one interception and three pass breakups. He is a Communications Studies major and was recently named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll.
On what he thinks about the charge call after watching the game film:
“I don’t know about that particular call. At the time I thought that and now I can talk to you about a lot of other calls I don’t agree with, but in that particular instance, when he spun, there was contact and I thought the defender was there. But, like I said, there were a lot of other calls we could talk about that I wouldn’t agree with.”
Credit: UT Athletics
On if Yves is healthy and how Josiah did in his first game back:
“He’s struggling with a little tendonitis in his right knee. He hasn’t done much, you guys saw him—he didn’t do much at practice for a couple days, but he’s such a tough kid that he’ll keep fighting through it. I thought Josiah, for the most part, for not being able to do much for the last couple of weeks went out and was okay. Some of the things he didn’t do is just related to not playing and he needs to clean it up and he will.”
On where Josiah is limited:
“He was doing some good things. We felt like he had really started coming around, but he’s dealt with that injury all year. I’m not saying it’s the exact same injury, but it’s in that area, and he told me he’d come back when he thought he could play. I think the way he handled it was the right way to handle it. Now, it’s a matter of him getting back and getting his conditioning back where he needs to have it and getting him back into the flow with everybody.”
On how tough it is to not see Jordan Bowden step up late in games:
“We all feel for Jordan because, one thing I will tell you, he has continued to defend at a high level, which is hard to do when you’re not playing as well as you want to play on the offensive end. The other day, two different players missed a free throw, and went down right after that and almost broke down on the defensive end where they didn’t let the missed free throw go, and they weren’t as locked in as they needed to be and gave up a play on the defensive end. For a guy that has struggled as much as he has, he hasn’t done that on the defensive end, and to be honest with you, we all keep thinking sooner or later, it’s got to happen. Obviously, he’s having his worst shooting year that he’s had since he’s been here. We just hope it happens because he’s doing what he should be doing, and sometimes it can become a mental block, and we do everything we can to try to get him to understand that when he’s open, he’s got to shoot the ball. We just ask him to take good, in rhythm shots to be honest with you. He just needs to see a couple of them go in, and hopefully he can get it going.”
On if the turnovers on Saturday were due to South Carolina’s defense:
“Some, but John Fulkerson’s travels had nothing to do with their defense. Davonte threw the ball out of bounds with no pressure on him because Josiah broke his cut. That had nothing to do with them, that was us. That was the most frustrating thing from our team, was the fact that we turned it over too many times where they had nothing to do with it. That was the most disappointing thing, where it was just careless mistakes that we talked about, and twice we turned it over where we knew we were going to lob the ball, and we got a lob dunk and then Josiah came out in the timeout, and why he did it we don’t know because that wasn’t even the play we had on. We start the second half with a situation where we ended up with not a great possession because we didn’t execute. Those are the things that are the most frustrating. The 20 turnovers, a lot of them were just us, and that’s not to take anything away from South Carolina, but when you’re not being guarded on the perimeter and you travel with no pressure, that’s just being careless with the ball.”
On if they are looking towards the postseason:
“I think the most important thing is where we can get leadership. If it’s not from the older guys, it’s got to be from the younger guys. We showed a clip in the game that hasn’t happened too many times this year; because if you look at our older guys they’re not the most vocal. If you talk to them, they are on the side of being quiet. There was a play where Davonte Gaines was playing really hard, got tripped, got up, and made another play and turned around and talked to his teammates in a way like we need to get a stop here. That’s what we’re lacking and we need that. I don’t care if it comes from the sophomores or the freshman. They have to do it. As we continue this year out, that’s the one thing I think we can get some momentum somewhere going for the future with this team. We challenged our older guys yesterday about that. Where is it going to come from coming down the stretch. We have a lot of opportunities in front of us. We’ve told them there’s not a game on our schedule we can’t win. You can’t turn the ball over 20 times, because once you do that you have to play near perfection to win a game. You don’t want to go into any game thinking you have to be perfect, but if you’re going to turn it over 20 times, you have to darn near be perfect if you want to win. So, that goes back to what we’re talking about with leadership. We want to be in the postseason; but right now, we have to worry about Vanderbilt. We have to get ready for that and then the next one after that. We always think about the postseason don’t get me wrong. We always think about. But, we know what goes into it and its winning games. You have to win games.”
On Tuesday’s game against Vanderbilt:
“I think Jerry (Stackhouse) has done a great job. I really do. When I watch them, I think his players have improved. Obviously, they went through a period where they were in a shooting slump and it hurt them. There’s not one guy on their team that hasn’t improved since we’ve played them. Again, I think that’s a sign of terrific coaching and players that want to be coached. They have made it hard on everybody they have played. They obviously beat LSU when they were undefeated and number one in the league. They had Kentucky down at halftime. They’re close like everyone. So, you have to be ready to play, it’s plain and simple. They have the ability and they have proved, even though they have the one win, that they have played everybody tough. I guarantee when they sit down and watch tape, just like we do, they show the what ifs and things they can certainly fix. I’m sure that’s what he and his staff are trying to do.”
On things he can do as a coach to get big plays out of the older guys:
“When you talk about it, I don’t like any of the phony stuff. It’s something as simple as saying something when you’re coming down the floor. I’ll give you a great example. I thought Kotsar was terrific coming down the stretch Saturday. I watched him talking to his teammates on defense and it’s nothing crazy, it’s just being aware of what needs to be said in certain situations of the game. Fulky has done some of that for us. In the out of bounds play the other day he took charge and called the play. People pretty much know that when the shot clock gets under 10, we’re going to switch all ball screens. In the first half we had no problem with it, in the second half we do, because they can hear us. You’d be amazed at how often we talk to our guys about guys knowing where the shot clock is on the defensive end just as much as the offensive end. When you go to set a ball screen, guys away from the ball need to be communicating that and that’s the leadership we need. We know each other well enough to know a guys body language and when they’re struggling a bit. I told Yves during the game ‘hey Yves, the other coaches don’t think you’ve got it right now,’ and immediately he flipped the switch and became much more aggressive. It’s subtle things where players should be thinking of their teammates more. That’s getting out of your comfort zone a bit and I don’t think there’s a single guy on our team that would bark back if I guy told him to play harder.
“To me, that’s the beginning of the kind of leadership we need. It’s not the ra ra stuff, it’s the little things that need to be said between players. It’s really more difficult than you would think trying to get guys to talk throughout the game. The best teams we play against are the teams that communicate throughout the game. We have little adjustments that we make in-game and we’re not getting it from sometimes one guy. That’s when we need someone to tell them ‘hey, we’ve moved our offense up higher, you need to get up here,’ and that’s what we’re not getting.”
On Jalen Johnson only playing 13 minutes on Saturday:
“Like I’ve told you all, all of these guys are going to be judged on production. Jalen missed a shot and on the defensive possession, we had a scout that said to not go under on one of there players and he did. Davonte had been playing well and we had Josiah back. When Josiah was out, Jalen got those minutes. Everything we do with these guys is based on production. What’s difficult for players, is they look out and say ‘this guy gets more rope then this guy,’ and it all goes back to what we see every day in practice. Can you earn extra rope? You can. Davonte Gaines—and I hope he can continue to earn extra rope, he’s put together six games where he’s been incredibly consistent—he did something in our scouting report he wasn’t supposed to do and he didn’t play after that. The games are so close and the possessions are so important you can’t wait and hope that he’s going to get it. There are certain guys who are out there that have been out there more who have more rope? Yes, but they get that rope because they earn it and they earn it every day in practice. There are only a certain number of minutes in a game to go around. Look at Uros, he goes in the game and the violation he had stepping across the lane like that, he can’t do that. That’s a possession we lose. When you lose a one possession game and take a point away from a good free throw shooter that’s what loses games. When you’re working your way into the lineup you have to do the things we need you to do to really help us win. You don’t have to be perfect, but you can’t do things that are absolutely out of the norm in terms of what we’ve talked about. You can’t go under on a screen against a guy who can only step behind a screen and shoot. You can’t step into the lane when a guy isn’t even attempting to shoot the ball yet. Those are breakdowns that can’t happen. That’s what’s tough about it. As time goes on, guys have to get out there and earn more rope, but he would have come out for that mistake regardless. I could tell you multiple times where guys have worked their way in and out of the lineup. Most of the time when they work their way out of the lineup it’s because they don’t do what we’ve talked to them about. It’s the role we need them to play and if they’re not willing to play that role then they’re not going to play.”
On the inconsistencies and challenges of this season:
“If you would have told me when the season started that Lamonte Turner wasn’t going to be here and Jordan Bowden was going to have his worst shooting year ever and for us to even be where we are? We have two guys on the roster who weren’t even on our opening day roster. If you think about when the season started, we were expecting Lamonte, Jordan Bowden and Josiah-Jordan James to play a lot. One of those guys is no longer with us, one is having as a tough a year as he has ever had, and the other has basically been hurt from the start. For us to even be where we are after those things, I’m really proud of these guys. And the fact that we had a guy that had three days of practice and has done a tremendous job, Uros (Plavsic) sat out much of the year. I think a lot of teams go through these things and I don’t think anybody feels sorry for them. I can only tell you what we have gone through. Right after Christmas, we were a team that looked like a shell of what we were when we started. Without Santiago (Vescovi) I don’t know where we would be right now, but to be able to continue to fight back and still be in the thick of it, is a real compliment to these guys, I think it really is. We’re not talking to them about being young, because I think these guys have played enough minutes right now that we’re in it. I go back to Saturday, John Fulkerson had six turnovers, you don’t expect that from him, that’s a lot of turnovers from a post guy. Yves (Pons) had two that had nothing to with the defense. It’s the older guys in games at this time of year that have to really step up. You can’t travel, you just can’t do that. Fulky had one turnover where he got tripped then he stood up. You can’t stand up, that’s a rule. Those are plays you can’t have. Our whole year has been inconsistent, and for these guys to continue to fight and to have given everything they have got, I would not trade them for anybody because I know they are trying, I know we are going to get so much better as time goes on. Does that make us feel any better right now? We were all disappointed in losing the game Saturday, because we controlled it for the most part. It really it got away from us at the seven-minute mark, because we felt like they were reeling at that point and then we had some missed free throws, they go down and we let them have a straight-line drive. We hadn’t let them do that all game long. We go back and look at all the things we said we have to do to beat these guys, we did them all and then the last couple minutes we gave up a couple things that we can’t. But you have to give them credit. Lawson made a tough runner on the baseline, and then hit a wide open three where we overhelped and that’s how quickly it can change. But does frustration come in sometimes with where we are? It does, but the bottom line is we have to find a way to finish it and we had it, but we didn’t finish it, so we have to let it go and get ready for tomorrow and then Saturday and on from there.”
Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani shared a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of their “Nobody But You” video.
“There’s no point to this video, okay, but it’s a cool song,” says Blake, in jest, when describing the Sophie Muller-directed clip.
Penned by Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne and Tommy Lee James, “Nobody But You” is featured on Blake’s recently released album, Fully Loaded: God’s Country. The new single is currently No. 23 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart after six weeks.
Country trio Rascal Flatts—comprised of Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney—revealed they are extending their Rascal Flatts Farewell: Life Is a Highway Tour with 11 new dates.
After announcing an initial run of 25 dates, including stops in Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta and more, Rascal Flatts will make 11 additional stops in Kansas City, New Orleans, Nashville and more. Tickets for the new dates go on sale on Feb. 21 at 10 a.m. local time.
In additional, Rascal Flatts shared that they will be inviting special guests Chris Lane, Chase Rice, Avenue Beat, Caylee Hammack, King Calaway, Matt Stell and Rachel Wammack to join them on select dates across the run.
Rascal Flatts Farewell: Life Is a Highway Tour (new dates in bold)
June 11 | Indianapolis, IN | Ruoff Music Center
June 12 | Detroit, MI | DTE Energy Music Theatre
June 13 | Cincinnati, OH | Riverbend Music Center
June 25 | Chicago, IL | Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
June 27 | Pittsburgh, PA | S&T Bank Music Park July 17 | Rogers, AR | Walmart AMP
July 18 | Dallas, TX | Dos Equis Pavilion
July 23 | St. Louis, MO | Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre July 24 | Southaven, MS | BankPlus Amphitheater July 25 | Kansas City, MO | Sprint Center July 31 | Welch, MN | Treasure Island Casino Amphitheater Aug. 1 | Omaha, NE | CHI Health Center Aug. 2 | Dubuque, IA | Q Casino Aug. 20 | New Orleans, LA | Smoothie King Center** Aug. 21 | Brandon, MS | Brandon Amp Aug. 22 | Birmingham, AL | Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
Sept. 3 | Toronto, ON | Budweiser Stage
Sept. 4 | Cleveland, OH | Blossom Music Center
Sept. 5 | Buffalo, NY | Darien Lake Amphitheater
Sept. 10 | Raleigh, NC | Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Sept. 11 | Virginia Beach, VA | Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
Sept. 12 | Washington, DC | Jiffy Lube Live
Sept. 17 | Wantagh, NY | Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
Sept. 18 | Boston, MA | Xfinity Center
Sept. 19 | Holmdel, NJ | PNC Bank Arts Center Sept. 25 | Columbus, OH | Nationwide Arena
Oct. 1 | Mountain View, CA | Shoreline Amphitheatre
Oct. 2 | San Diego, CA | North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Oct. 3 | Irvine, CA | FivePoint Amphitheatre
Oct. 7 | Denver, CO | Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Oct. 9 | Albuquerque, NM | Isleta Amphitheater
Oct. 10 | Phoenix, AZ | Ak|Chin Pavilion
Oct. 15 | Atlanta, GA | Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Oct. 16 | Tampa, FL | MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Oct. 17 | West Palm Beach, FL | Coral Sky Amphitheatre Oct. 30 | Nashville, TN | Bridgestone Arena
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 25 Tennessee pulled to within two points in the final minute but couldn’t overcome a No. 16/18 Texas A&M team that went 28 of 33 from the free-throw line en route to a 73-71 victory in Thompson-Boling Arena on Sunday afternoon.
Sophomore Rae Burrell led UT (17-8, 7-5 SEC) with 19 points and seven rebounds in front of a season-best crowd of 12,738. Junior Rennia Davis was also in double figures for the Big Orange, posting 18 points, six assists and five rebounds.
Junior Chennedy Carter was the high scorer for Texas A&M (20-5, 8-4 SEC), finishing with 37 points and five rebounds. Carter was 14 of 16 from the charity stripe for the Aggies.
After being down 6-2 early in the opening quarter, the Lady Vols tied things up at 6-6 following a dish from sophomore Jazmine Massengill to Brown under the basket. UT continued its 10-0 scoring spree and took its first lead of the game after a bucket from Davis. The Big Orange extended its lead by six after a jumper from freshman Jordan Horston and another score from Davis, making it 12-6. Tennessee ended the quarter on top, 15-12, after forcing three turnovers in the final minute of the period. Davis led the team with six points and one board. UT shot at a 43.8 percent clip and held the Aggies to 40 percent.
A&M came out in the second quarter and went on a 7-0 scoring surge, but Burrell responded with a run of her own by scoring 10-straight points for the Lady Vols to help cut the Aggies’ lead to 33-27. The teams scored three more points apiece the rest of the half, with a 25-14 second-stanza burst providing the visitors with a 36-30 lead at the break. Burrell led UT over the first 20 minutes with a team-high 11 points and five boards, and the Big Orange out-rebounded TAMU in the first half, 20-18.
Coming out of the intermission, freshman Tamari Key got things going for the Lady Vols with a jumper and a free throw, cutting UT’s deficit to five. The Aggies, however, then went on a 6-0 run to extend their lead to 10. Tennessee stuck around, though, as the team went on its own 6-0 run to make it a two-possession game after a three from Davis and an and-one play from Burrell. Then, Burrell scored on a fast break and scored a bucket with another free throw, pulling UT to a 50-47 deficit. UT’s defense also was impacting play, as TAMU was held to 5-for-17 shooting on field goals during the third. The Aggies finished the period on top, 53-47.
Key scored first in the fourth, making it a four-point game again. Horston and Davis both tallied buckets on the next possessions, keeping the game within reach at 57-53. After another three-pointer from Davis, UT went on a 4-0 scoring run to pull within three points, 63-60, with just over four minutes remaining. The Aggies went on a quick 5-0 burst of their own to gain an eight-point advantage, but the Big Orange battled back with Massengill and Brown scoring jumpers and Horston nailing a three-pointer to make it a three-point game with 32 seconds remaining.
Carter drained two more free throws with nine seconds left, but Massengill scored another jumper on the other end to narrow the gap to three points with six seconds remaining. After Ciera Johnson made a free throw, Davis finished the game with a last-second lay-in to make it a two-point final differential.
Up Next: The Lady Vols hit the road for a 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT) tilt with Arkansas on Thursday. The contest will be televised on the SEC Network and broadcast on Lady Vol Network radio stations.
Balanced Attack: Five different Lady Vols contributed to UT’s first 10 points, and on the day six UT players finished with seven or more points.
Have A Day, Rae: Sophomore Rae Burrell made the most of her third career start, scoring nine-straight points in the second quarter en route to a team-high 19 points and seven rebounds. The game moves her scoring average to 10.2 ppg., making her the team’s second-highest scorer.
Packed House: Sunday’s attendance of 12,738 is the largest Lady Vol crowd since the 2017-18 season. It’s the third audience of 10K or more this season, an increase over the 2018-19 season in which no games had an attendance greater than 10,000.
Unselfish Basketball: Tennessee doled out 21 assists against the Aggies, marking the eighth time this season the team has posted 20 or more assists. Rennia Davis helped fuel the effort with a career-high six assists, while Jazmine Massengill and Jordan Horston also finished with six assists. Massengill moving her season total to 104. If the season ended today her average of 4.2 apg. would be good enough for sixth all-time among Lady Vol sophomores. Horston, meanwhile, now has 122 assists and averages 4.88 per game. The total ranks her fifth all-time among Lady Vol freshmen, and her average is currently the second-best ever by a UT rookie.
COLUMBIA, S.C. – A career-high 25 points from junior John Fulkerson wasn’t enough to lead the Tennessee basketball team past South Carolina, as the Vols fell, 63-61, inside Colonial Life Arena Saturday.
Tennessee’s 20 turnovers proved costly. The loss was the first for UT (14-11, 6-6 SEC) against South Carolina (16-9, 8-4 SEC) since the 2016-17 season.
Fulkerson’s 25 points came on a career-high eight made field goals. He also added a game-high nine rebounds.
SEC Defensive Player of the Year Candidate Yves Pons added 13 points, seven boards and three blocks.
The opening 12 minutes were highlighted by defense, as each team combined to shoot .333 from the field. The Vols were led during that stretch by Fulkerson, who scored eight points to propel UT to a 15-11 lead at the under-eight media timeout.
The teams went bucket-for-bucket, with neither side taking a lead larger than six over the final 7:27 of the half. The squads entered the locker rooms with South Carolina holding a slim 30-29 advantage.
Out of the break, two quick 3-pointers from the Gamecocks increased their lead to 36-29 less than two minutes in to the second half. The Vols followed up those two possessions with an 11-0 run over a 3:15 stretch, with five of those points coming from Fulkerson, to take back the lead to the tune of a 40-36 score line.
South Carolina responded with a few timely baskets to knot the score at 44-44, before the Vols reeled off a 10-3 run to take their largest lead of the contest to that point, holding a 54-47 advantage.
In the game’s final eight minutes, the Gamecocks battled back and used multiple timely baskets and defensive stops to close out the victory.
New Flow, Same Fulky: John Fulkerson continued his stellar play in SEC action, eclipsing his previous career-high for the third time during league play and for the second time in the last four games.
La Séquence Continues: SEC Defensive Player of the Year Candidate Yves Pons blocked three shots on the night. He has now blocked a shot in all 25 games for the Vols this season and is just 10 blocks away from breaking UT’s single-season blocks record.
Up Next: Tennessee returns to actions when it hits the hardwood at Thompson-Boling Arena for a Tuesday night clash with in-state rival Vanderbilt. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico – It was an anything but a lovely finish to Valentine’s Day for No. 12 Tennessee on Friday.
As the sunset at Campo de Softball Nancy Almaraz, so did UT’s hopes of finishing the day undefeated.
The Lady Vols (5-2) were met with a heartbreaking ending to a doubleheader, falling in five-innings to an unyielding No. 6 Texas Longhorns team 11-0.
Texas struck early with an eight-run opening frame to enact the run-rule. The Lady Vols were unable to chip away at all only recording one hit and getting on base three times. UT gave up three more runs across the second and third frames and were only unable to prevent Texas from scoring in the bottom of the fourth.
The defense struggled behind four errors as Kiki Milloy, who started in the circle, earned her first official loss of the season.
Next Up
Tennessee concludes its time at the Puerto Vallarta Collegiate Challenge with a first-ever match-up against Cal-Baptist at 1:30 p.m. (ET).
Tennessee 8, Utah 5
The Lady Vols played a little A-B-C ball to keep in step with an aggressive effort by the Utes (5-2), whose lead-off hitter Haley Denning stole a pair of bases after a first-pitch single to open things up. The Utes led 1-0 through 2.5 innings, before UT got its first hit in the bottom of the third.
Tennessee tied it up after Cailin Hannon (2-for-3) was hit by a pitch with loaded bases to bring in Kaitlin Parsons (1-for-2) who got on an errant throw.
UT took a one-run lead on an RBI single from Jenna Holcomb (2-for-3) to bring in Kaili Phillips (2-for-4), but it was short-lived. Denning pressured the Orange and White once again leading off the top of the fifth with a single and two more stolen bases. Denning was the first to cross the plate in a three-run half that gave the Utes a 4-2 lead.
Undeterred, however, the Lady Vols rattled off a five-run half to take the lead for the remainder of the game. Phillips doubled to bring in Chelsea Seggern (1-for-3) and Ashley Morgan (1-for-3) singled to get pinch runner Treasuary Poindexter across the plate. Following, freshman Kiki Milloy blasted a three-run shot, her lone hit of the contest, through centerfield to cap off scoring for the Lady Vols with an 8-4 lead.
The Utes added one more run and had the tying run on the bags after a pair of errors loaded the bases, but UT turned its second double-play of the day to prevent any further damage.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee opened its 2020 season with a shutout win over Western Illinois on a chilly Friday afternoon at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Pitching ruled the day for the Vols in their 3-0 victory, as sophomore starter Chad Dallas and junior reliever Sean Hunley combined to throw nine shutout innings while holding the Leathernecks to just two base hits.
A pair of home runs from Connor Pavolony and Jake Rucker accounted for all of the runs in Friday’s contest.
Dallas got the opening day start in place of Garrett Crochet, who is dealing with minor arm soreness and was held out for precautionary reasons. The junior college transfer made the most of his opportunity, tossing five scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and two walks to go along with four strikeouts en route to earning a win in his first-career appearance for the Big Orange.
Hunley picked up right where Dallas left off, retiring the first eight batters he faced. The Mount Juliet, Tennessee native allowed just one hit and struck out a pair over four innings to earn his first save of the season.
WIU ace Javin Drake was stuck with the loss despite a solid performance on the mound. The senior right hander allowed just two runs on two hits and struck out five batters in five innings of work.
Notable
Pavolony and Rucker Go Yard
Tennessee’s only three runs on the day all came via the long ball. The Vols scored their first two runs of the year on a home run by Pavolony in the second inning. The sophomore catcher hammered a 3-1 pitch over the left-field fence to put the Big Orange ahead 2-0.
Rucker provided UT with some more insurance in the bottom of the eight. The Greenbrier, Tennessee native hit a solo shot to straightaway center field to lead off the frame. It was the first-career homer for the Vols’ sophomore shortstop.
Say Cheese!
Dallas, who goes by the nickname “Cheese”, is the second Tennessee pitcher in as many seasons to throw five-plus shutout innings in their first start with the program. Camden Sewell allowed just one hit in six shutout innings in his first-career start as a freshman last season against Middle Tennessee (Feb. 27).
Season-Opening Shutouts
With Friday’s 3-0 blanking of the Leathernecks, UT has now posted shutouts in its season opener in each of the past two seasons. The Vols held Appalachian State to just one hit in a 6-0 victory over the Mountaineers on opening day last season.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee women’s basketball legend Tamika Catchings was announced Friday evening as one of eight finalists for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The list was revealed at the NBA All-Star Weekend in Chicago.
This year’s list includes four first-time finalists: 18-time NBA All-Star and five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant, 15-time NBA All-Star and three-time NBA Finals MVP Tim Duncan, 15-time NBA All-Star and nine-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection Kevin Garnett, and 10-time WNBA All-Star and four-time Olympic gold medalist Tamika Catchings.
Previous finalists included again this year for consideration are three-time NCAA National Championship Coach of Baylor Kim Mulkey, five-time Division II National Coach of the Year Barbara Stevens, four-time National Coach of the Year Eddie Sutton and two-time NBA Champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich.
“When the nominees for the Class of 2020 were announced in December, we knew this class had the potential of being one of the most historic of all time,” said Jerry Colangelo, Chairman of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “The untimely passing of Kobe Bryant has left us in a state of reflective mourning and we’re proud to honor his legacy while also recognizing seven other individuals who have meant so much to our game. We congratulate our finalists and those who have supported them on their journeys, and we look forward to revealing the Class of 2020 at the Final Four in Atlanta.”
The Hall of Fame Class of 2020 Announcement will take place on April 4 at 11 a.m. EST on ESPN from the NCAA Final Four in Atlanta, Georgia. A finalist needs 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The Class of 2020 will be enshrined during festivities in Springfield, Massachusetts, the Birthplace of Basketball, Aug. 28-30, 2020. VIP Tickets Packages for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2020 and enshrinement events are on sale at www.hoophall.com. Single event tickets will be available Saturday, April 4, subject to availability.
Catchings, who played for the Lady Vols from 1997-2001, is one of only two UT players to earn WBCA All-America accolades all four years of her career and was a four-time All-SEC recipient, including three times as a first-team honoree.
The 6-1 forward from Duncanville, Texas, was a two-time All-Final Four recipient; the 2001 ESPY Awards Women’s Basketball Player of the Year; the 2000 Associated Press, WBCA, Naismith and U.S. Basketball Writers of America Player of the Year and the 1998 U.S. Basketball Writers of America and SEC Freshman of the Year. Catchings also was a three-time SEC All-Tournament Team member, and two-time NCAA All-Regional Tournament honoree and two-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Catchings played a key role as Tennessee went 39-0 and won an NCAA title in 1998 and also helped the Lady Vols place second in 2000. Additionally, she was instrumental in the Big Orange winning four SEC regular season championships and three tournament crowns.
In Lady Vol history, Catchings remains fourth in all-time scoring with 2,113 points and is sixth with 1,004 career rebounds. She is one of only two UT players to record 2,000 points and 1,000 caroms. Catchings continues to rank third in steals (311), fourth in career field goals (760) and free throws (471), and eighth in blocked shots (136). She also is tied for most games played in a season with 39.
Catchings played 15 seasons with the Indiana Fever, was named the 2011 WNBA MVP and led that franchise to the 2012 WNBA Championship, earning Finals MVP honors. Catchings was a 10-time WNBA All-Star, a 12-time All-WNBA Team selection, a five-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and the 2002 WNBA Rookie of the Year. She holds the league’s all-time steals career mark and now is employed by Indiana as vice president/Fever basketball operations.
Catchings also won four consecutive Olympic gold medals with Team USA from 2002-2016, setting records for most Olympics participated in and most golds won by a Lady Vol.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 25/RV Tennessee (17-7, 7-4 SEC) and No. 16/18 Texas A&M (19-5, 7-4 SEC) will meet Sunday at 3:02 p.m. ET in Thompson-Boling Arena in a contest that has seeding ramifications for the SEC Tournament.
The Lady Vols and Aggies enter the contest in a tie for fourth place in the conference standings along with Arkansas and Kentucky at 7-4. UK has a win over UT, and the Big Orange women face A&M and UA in their next two games.
In addition to conference seeding, Sunday’s contest offers Tennessee an opportunity against an A&M squad that ranks No. 18 in the RPI. As of Feb. 13, the Lady Vols occupy the No. 47 spot in the RPI, with upcoming games against Texas A&M (No. 18) and Arkansas (38) providing a chance to improve that stock.
This will mark the 14th meeting in a series that began in 1997 when Lady Vol head coach Kellie (Jolly) Harper was Pat Summitt’s point guard. UT leads A&M, 8-5.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Sunday’s game will be televised by ESPN2 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.
BIG CROWD EXPECTED/ARRIVE EARLY
Tennessee’s #12KinTBA promotion has drawn great interest. A season-best crowd surpassing 12,000 is expected on Sunday, so fans should plan to arrive on campus early.
This will mark the Lady Vols’ third crowd over 10,000 this season after having no games reaching 10K in 2018-19.
General admission tickets are now available at AllVols.com for seating located in the 300 level on the side court. General admission tickets will also be available on game day, but fans are encouraged to purchase prior to arrival at the arena.
Gates open at 2 p.m. and free parking & shuttle service is available from UT’s Ag Campus. Shuttles begin two hours prior to tip at 1 p.m.
REPLICA JERSEYS AND MORE PROMOS
The first 500 kids (12 and under) in attendance will receive a free replica #14 Kellie Jolly (Harper) youth jersey. Child must pick up a voucher and be present with voucher to redeem.
It’s Big Orange Family Day. UTK faculty and staff can receive two free tickets to the game by showing I.D. at the ticket window at Thompson-Boling Arena on game day. All deans, faculty and family participating in the Dean’s Battle can check in for their college at the Fan HQ table at Section 129 on the concourse. Contact [email protected] with any questions.
High School Team Day: Take your team out for a day at the Summitt. Contact Spencer Billingsley at [email protected] for more details.
Enjoy the pregame Kids’ Corner near section 113. It opens one hour prior to tipoff. Meet and take pictures with everyone’s favorite dog, Smokey X. More fun includes free face painting, the Big Orange prize wheel, visits from cheerleaders, crafts and more at the Kids’ Corner.
Postgame Layups: Kids 12 & younger can shoot a layup on the court after the game.
High-Five the Lady Vols: Kids 12 & younger can pick up a wristband at the Fan HQ table on the concourse to participate in the pregame high-five tunnel. Wristbands are limited. To purchase discounted group tickets and reserve wristbands for your team, call 865-946-7000.
Want to be the Jr.Vol of the Game? Sign up for the Jr.Vol Club today and get the chance to see yourself on the video board. Members also receive free Jr.Vol swag, tickets to games for all sports, and exclusive Jr.Vol events.
You can be a part of the Lady Vols’ electric introductions. Make sure to download our light show app courtesy of Coca-Cola. The “Hoops Hype” app is available free of charge from the Apple Store or on the Google Play Store.
THE ROAD LEADING UP TO THIS
The Lady Vols will try to snap a three-game losing streak after falling in recent games vs. No. 1 South Carolina, No. 8 Mississippi State and LSU.
UT had won six straight SEC contests and stood at 7-1 before dropping those three contests.
Tennessee’s Rennia Davis is averaging 20.3 points per game in SEC play, shooting 53.7 percent (79-147) from the field and 81.8 (36-44) at the charity stripe.
Jordan Horston is UT’s only other double-figure scorer in league play, contributing 10.5 per game.
Texas A&M enters Sunday’s battle having dropped two of its last three, including losses at LSU and Mississippi State before taking down Vanderbilt at home on Thursday evening.
All-star guard Chennedy Carter missed seven games due to an injury, but she has returned to the lineup and only bolsters an Aggie squad that has several scoring options and plays aggressive defense.
TAMU has four players scoring in double figures in SEC play, including Carter (17.8), N’dea Jones (16.1), Kayla Wells (13.9) and Ciera Johnson (12.5). Jones averages 12.5 rebounds, as well, making her a consistent double-double threat.
A&M’s losses were to Florida State, LSU (twice), Kentucky and Mississippi State.
RECAPPING OUR LAST CONTEST
The #25 Lady Vols pulled within one but couldn’t overcome a 26-point fourth-quarter surge by LSU, falling 75-65 Thursday night in Baton Rouge.
Junior forward Rennia Davis led Tennessee (17-7, 7-4 SEC) with 19 points and six rebounds. Redshirt senior Lou Brown and freshman Tamari Key were nearly in double digits, finishing with nine points each.
Khayla Pointer and Awa Trasi were the top scorers for the Tigers (18-5, 8-3 SEC) with 24 and 22, respectively.
NOTES FROM THE LSU GAME
Bench Contributing: UT’s bench outscored LSU’s bench, 20-15. It was the most points UT’s bench had contributed since scoring 23 at Vanderbilt.
Turnovers In Check: Tennessee committed just 12 turnovers against LSU, tying its lowest turnover total in SEC play which came against Ole Miss on Jan. 9.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
After closing out a four-game swing where it had to play three of those away from home, the Lady Vols now get to play three of the next four at home.
Included in the run of home contests is No. 16/18 Texas A&M on Sunday (3 p.m. ET), Vanderbilt on Feb. 23 (noon) and Ole Miss on Feb. 27 (7 p.m.). The lone road game during that set is at No. 23/RV Arkansas on Feb. 20 (6 p.m. CT/7 ET).
The Vanderbilt game is UT’s Live Pink, Bleed Orange (Play4Kay) game, and the Ole Miss date is Senior Night.
A&M’s next game is at Georgia on Thursday night.
UT-TAMU SERIES NOTES
Tennessee holds an 8-5 all-time record vs. Texas A&M, dating back to Dec. 19, 1997.
UT is 3-1 in Knoxville, 1-3 in College Station and 4-1 at neutral sites vs. the Aggies.
The Big Orange women are 6-5 vs. hall-of-fame coach Gary Blair and A&M since the Aggies joined the Southeastern Conference.
Kellie Harper is 0-1 vs. Texas A&M and Gary Blair. Her 2015-16 Missouri State team fell, 74-65, in College Station on March 19, 2016, in the NCAA Tournament First Round.
A&M is 2-0 in overtime games vs. UT, defeating the Lady Vols in an extra frame in two of the past three times these squads met in College Station.
Rennia Davis has an 11.0 ppg. average vs. the Aggies in three career games, scoring 10 last season after tallying 12 in College Station and 11 in Knoxville the year before.
In the initial meeting between these teams in Knoxville, on Feb. 28, 2013, Tennessee defeated A&M, 82-72, on Senior Day to give UT an SEC regular-season championship on the Lady Vols’ home court. The squad had been picked to finish as low as fifth in the league and returned no starters.
Tennessee made its first-ever women’s basketball appearance in College Station on Jan. 26, 2014, and the (then) #11/12 Lady Vols picked up a key victory over the (then) #17/15 Aggies, 76-55. A&M was the SEC leader at the time of that defeat.
UT’s first two contests vs. Texas A&M came in tournaments, including one regular-season event in 1997-98 and one postseason event during the 2007-08 campaign.
In the first meeting, the #1/1 Lady Vols rolled to a 105-81 victory over the Aggies at the Northern Lights Invitational in Alaska in game two of a three-game stay.
The famed “Three Meeks” dazzled #8/9 A&M on Dec. 19, 1997, as Chamique Holdsclaw tallied 29, Semeka Randall tossed in 23 and Tamika Catchings added a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds for #1/1 UT in the high-scoring affair.
Kellie (Jolly) Harper was UT’s point guard in that game, and she was the Lady Vols’ fourth player in double figures with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including a pair of three-pointers.
In 2008, Candace Parker scored 26 points and Alexis Hornbuckle chipped in 14, as the Lady Vols defeated Texas A&M, 53-45, in the Oklahoma City Regional Final to advance to the Final Four in Tampa.
After both of those tourney wins over the Aggies, the Lady Vols would advance to, and win, the NCAA Final Four in 1998 and 2008.
ABOUT TEXAS A&M
The Aggies returned 10 letterwinners, including all five starters, from last season’s team that finished 26-8 overall and 12-4 in SEC play (third).
Texas A&M is led by junior guard Chennedy Carter, who averages 21.6 ppg. Carter recently returned to the lineup after missing seven games due to injury. Three others average double figures.
The Aggies are coached by Gary Blair, who is 402-164 in his 17th season in College Station.
A&M was predicted to win the SEC by the coaches and picked to place second by the media.
RECAPPING A&M’S LAST GAME
No. 16 Texas A&M ran away with a 74-53 home win over Vanderbilt at Reed Arena on Thursday night. Junior forward N’dea Jones recorded her 12th consecutive double-double to help lead the Aggies with 17 points and 12 boards.
A&M (19-5, 7-4 SEC) used a 15-2 run midway through the first quarter to go up by double figures, and held a dominant 28-10 lead after the opening 10 minutes of play.
THE LAST TIME WE MET THE AGGIES
Tennessee outscored No. 21/22 Texas A&M 20-17 in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to overcome an Aggies team that scored 27 points on nearly 70-percent shooting in the third quarter to send the Lady Vols to a 79-62 setback on Feb. 21, 2019, in College Station.
Senior forward Cheridene Green posted a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds for UT (17-9, 6-7 SEC), and Rennia Davis also managed double digits, finishing the day with 10 points.
Kayla Wells was the high scorer for Texas A&M (20-6, 9-4 SEC) with 29 points. Chennedy Carter was close behind with 28 points, while Shambria Washington had 11.
LAST TIME WE MET IN KNOXVILLE
Senior Jaime Nared scored 23 points and No. 12/13 Tennessee allowed just eight points in the fourth quarter in an 82-67 win over No. 14/12 Texas A&M on Feb. 1, 2018, at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Lady Vols (18-4, 6-3 SEC), who returned to the win column after dropping three of their previous four matchups, also had Mercedes Russell recording 18 points and 13 rebounds to earn her 40th career double-double, while Rennia Davis scored 11 and Meme Jackson added 10.
UT showed a strong defensive effort in the second half, forcing 12 A&M turnovers and yielding no field goals over the final 3:21 of the game.
Chennedy Carter scored 25 points for the Aggies (17-7, 6-3 SEC), while Jasmine Lumpkin added 22 points and seven boards as the two teams split their regular-season series.
![Blake Shelton & Gwen Stefani Share Behind-the-Scenes Glimpse Into Making of “Nobody But You” Video [Watch]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/602/2020/02/17135304/Blake-Shelton-Gwen-Stefani.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
