Country trio Rascal Flatts—comprised of Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney—announced they will hit the road this summer for their Rascal Flatts Farewell: Life Is a Highway Tour.
The trio visited CBS This Morning on Jan. 7 to make the announcement. The guys revealed they will disband after the tour to tackle individual projects, but they left the door open to reunite.
“When we started out 20 years ago, we could not imagine all of the people, places and gifts we would encounter,” said Gary. “The greatest feeling ever, is being told that our music has been the soundtrack to their lives . . . That’s why we create music and the reason we can’t wait to celebrate this incredible 20 year journey all year, with our fans who we love dearly. I don’t know what God has in store for the future, but I am excited to see what He has planned!”
“We’re really looking forward to getting to spend this entire year loving on our fans, and thanking them for allowing us to have the most amazing career over the last 20 years,” shared Jay. “While it is of course bittersweet, it is so important to us to celebrate what our music has meant to their lives, as well as what the fans have meant to us. There is no sadness here, just new chapters, new journeys, and new beginnings. Rascal Flatts’ music will live on forever, because of our fans, and this year is all about them.”
“Dreams do come true . . . and we are three walking examples of this truth,” said Joe Don. “I’m most proud of the fact that we’ve pursued our dreams together and with courage, hard-work and dedication we’ve been able to cultivate our dreams into reality—it’s simply incredible! There’s no doubt we have been blessed way beyond belief and we can’t wait to spend the rest of 2020 expressing our love and appreciation to all of our devoted fans, music industry friends and our families for believing in us and playing a major role in our path to here. And, I personally can’t wait to shine a light on my brothers Jay and Gary this year, and make another mountain of new memories with them.”
The Farewell Tour will kick off on June 11 in Indianapolis, making additional stops in Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta and more.
Rascal Flatts Farewell: Life Is a Highway Tour
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 18 | Dallas, TX | Dos Equis Pavilion
July 23 | St. Louis, MO | Hollywood Casino 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
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
Dustin Lynch is starting 2020 the right way—with a No. 1 single.
Dustin scored his seventh No. 1 single as “Ridin’ Roads” ascended to the top of both the Mediabase chart and Billboard Country Airplay chart.
Co-penned by Dusitn, Ashley Gorley and Zack Crowell, “Ridin’ Roads” is featured on Dustin’s upcoming album, Tullahoma, which drops on Jan. 17. The new project takes its name from Dustin’s Tennessee hometown, which is about 80 miles southeast of Nashville.
“Every song on Tullahoma, there’s a reason it’s there,” says Dustin. “A lot of that points back to the people who raised me, and growing up with a lifestyle where I could go outside and have fun, explore and try new things in the great outdoors. It’s kind of about being that kid and learning all those things. That’s my story, but I think we all can relate to the kid who’s discovering, the kid who’s figuring out love for the first time, all that good stuff.”
“Ridin’ Roads” is Dustin’s second No. 1 single as a songwriter, following his 2019 No. 1 hit, “Good Girl.”
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Tennessee men’s basketball team will look to bounce back from its loss against LSU in its SEC opener when it takes on Missouri on Tuesday night inside Mizzou Arena. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
Tuesday’s game is available on SEC Network, online on WatchESPN at espn.com/watch and on any mobile device through the ESPN App. Tom Hart and Andy Kennedy 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 fell to LSU in their SEC opener, 78-64. Despite the loss, UT saw great production from midseason addition Santiago Vescovi. The freshman point guard, just one week after arriving in Knoxville poured in a game-high-tying 18 points, knocking down six of his nine attempts from 3-point range. The Vols also saw positive outings from junior Yves Pons and freshman Josiah-Jordan James. Pons matched Vescovi’s point total with 18 of his own, connecting on seven of his 12 attempts from the field, with three of those makes coming from behind the 3-point line. James added a season-high 15 points, with 11 coming in the first half to help spark UT’s early first half run.
The Vols and Tigers have split the last four matchups that have been contested in Columbia, with Tennessee holding a slim 8-7 edge in the overall series.
A win would leave coach Rick Barnes just three wins shy of his 100th victory as head coach of the Orange & White and would stand as UT’s first true road victory of the season.
Up next, Tennessee will return home on Saturday, Jan. 11, when it takes on South Carolina. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
THE SERIES
• Tennessee leads the all-time series with Missouri, 8-7, dating to 1961.
• The Tigers hold a 5-2 edge when the series is contested in Columbia, though the teams have split the last four meetings there.
A WIN WOULD…
• Leave Rick Barnes just three wins shy of recording his 100th victory as Tennessee’s head coach.
• Give the Vols back-to-back victories at Mizzou Arena.
• Stand as UT’s first true road win of the season.
• Prevent UT’s first three-game losing skid since Feb. 22 through March 1 of the 2016-17 season (Vanderbilt, South Carolina, LSU).
STORYLINES
• First-year Tennessee assistant coach Kim English was a 1,500-point scorer and an All-Big 12 performer during his collegiate playing career at Mizzou from 2008-12. The Tigers won 107 games during the NBA Draft pick’s career. See note on Page 4.
• Cuonzo Martin coached the Vols for three seasons from 2011-14.
• VFL and former All-SEC Tennessee forward Jeronne Maymon (2010-14) is now a second-year graduate assistant on the Mizzou basketball staff.
• None of the projected starters for Tuesday’s game started the last time these teams met.
• Mid-year enrollee Santiago Vescovi started and scored 18 points on six 3-pointers in his Tennessee debut Saturday, just one week after arriving in the United States from his native Uruguay.
LAYUP LINES
• Tennessee ranks second in the SEC and 15th nationally in scoring defense, allowing only 59.6 ppg.
• The Vols have a 0.0 turnover margin through 13 games—UT and its opponents both have committed 175 turnovers.
• Junior John Fulkerson is shooting a team-best .663 from the field while averaging a career-best 11.2 points per game this season.
• Junior forward Yves Pons has blocked at least one shot in every game this season and ranks second in the SEC with 2.4 bpg.
• True freshman Josiah-Jordan James leads the Vols with 5.9 rebounds per game. He is the SEC’s second-leading rebounder among freshmen.
• Senior guard and preseason All-SEC selection Lamonté Turner announced on Dec. 21 that he will no longer suit up for the Vols due to thoracic outlet syndrome. The Vols are 0-2 without him.
ABOUT MISSOURI
• Missouri is coming off a loss in its SEC opener, dropping a 71-59 decision at 17th-ranked Kentucky Saturday.
• The Tigers closed non-conference action on a high note, winning four consecutive games before Saturday’s loss at Kentucky. Following a difficult loss at home against Charleston Southern to begin December, Mizzou bounced back, to post wins against Temple, Southern Illinois, Illinois and Chicago State.
• Missouri returns seven of its top-nine scorers from 2018-19 while managing the departure of graduating seniors Jordan Geist (14.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.0 apg) and Kevin Puryear (7.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg).
• Bright spots for the Tigers this season have been the production of Mark and Dru Smith. Mark is second on the Tigers in scoring (11.5 ppg) and leads Mizzou in rebounding (4.8 rpg), while Dru leads the Tigers in scoring (11.8 ppg), assists (4.4 apg) and steals (2.0 spg) while ranking second in rebounding (4.7 rpg).
• After making the NCAA Tournament in 2018, the Tigers look to avoid missing out on March for the second consecutive season under head coach Cuonzo Martin.
• Missouri’s official mascot, Truman the Tiger, was introduced on Sept. 16, 1986, and was named after Harry S. Truman, the only president from Missouri, following a campus-wide contest.
• Notable Missouri alumni include aspiring basketball official Kim English and Sam Walton, who is known for his founding of popular retail store chains Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart.
LAST TIME VS. MISSOURI
• Holding Missouri to just 35 percent shooting from the field, No. 1 Tennessee topped the Tigers for a second time last season, 72-60, on Feb. 5, 2019, to extend its winning streak to a program-best 17 games.
• The Vols remained the only undefeated team in SEC play (9-0) and pushed their conference regular-season winning streak to 13, which tied a program record set in 1979-80. The win also was the 21st consecutive victory inside of Thompson-Boling Arena, making it the fifth-longest home win streak in school history (a streak that would extend to 31).
• Four Tennessee players finished in double figures with Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield leading the way with a game-high 13 points apiece. Jordan Bowden had 12 points, while Jordan Bone (11 points) and Lamonté Turner (nine points) helped close out the game in the second half.
• Nine of Bone’s 11 points came in the second half as the SEC assists leader added a game-high seven assists and four boards.
• Kyle Alexander led the Vols with eight rebounds and four blocks to go along with six points.
• Trailing by six at halftime, the Tigers came out in the second half and cut the Tennessee lead to two possessions. It wouldn’t last for long, as the Vols went on an 11-0 burst to push their lead to 50-35 with 14:58 left in the game.
• UT continued its staunch defensive effort in the second half, holding MU to just 32 percent shooting from the field and 27 percent from behind the arc. Despite their shooting woes, the Tigers trailed by only eight with less than seven minutes remaining.
• It was the first game back on Rocky Top for former UT head coach Cuonzo Martin.
MEMORABLE VOL PERFORMANCES AGAINST MISSOURI
• Knoxville native Rob Jones totaled 14 points, 11 rebounds, one assist and a team-high three blocks against the Tigers Dec. 10, 1984, in Columbia, but it wasn’t enough, as Missouri posted a 70-61 victory. Five Tigers scored in double figures in the win.
• Mizzou had no answer for the great Bernard King, as the legendary Vols forward recorded a double-double with 32 points and 18 rebounds in a 99-77 Tennessee triumph at the Big Sun Invitational on Dec. 21, 1974 in St. Petersburg, Florida.
• Two-time first-team All-SEC honoree Mike Edwards tallied a team-high 19 points against Missouri during a 67-57 loss to the 12th-ranked Tigers in the 1972 Vol Classic title game in Knoxville on Dec. 16, 1972.
• In the first-ever meeting in this series, 6-10 Tennessee center Orb Bowling led the Vols in scoring (12) and rebounding (8), but Missouri managed an 86-61 win on Dec. 20, 1961, in Knoxville.
ENGLISH PART OF WINNINGEST CLASS IN MIZZOU PROGRAM HISTORY
• Vols assistant coach Kim English and two of his Missouri teammates were part of a program-record 107 collegiate wins during their careers as Tigers (2008-12).
• English was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2012 Big 12 Tournament after averaging 23.0 ppg.
MARTIN LED VOLS FOR THREE YEARS
• Third-year Missouri head coach Cuonzo Martin was the head coach at Tennessee for three seasons from 2011-14.
• Martin led the Vols to a 63-41 (32-20 SEC) record and a memorable 2014 NCAA Tournament run that began in the First Four and ended in the Sweet Sixteen (one possession away from the program’s second all-time Elite Eight appearance).
• On April 15, 2014, it was announced that Martin had accepted the head coaching job at Cal, where he spent three seasons before transitioning to Mizzou.
• Tigers assistant coach Marco Harris was on Martin’s staff at Tennessee, serving in the role of Student-Athlete Welfare Coordinator and later Director of Basketball Operations.
VOLS VS. FORMER HEAD COACHES
• Tennessee is 9-7 all-time when facing a team led by a former UT head coach. This is the fourth time the Vols will oppose Cuonzo Martin since his tenure at UT ended.
ROAD WARRIORS
• Dating to the start of the 2017-18 season, Tennessee is 15-8 in true road games.
• That includes victories at Kentucky, Iowa State, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Memphis, Florida and Missouri.
VESCOVI’S ARRIVAL WELL-TIMED
• Given the status of senior guard Lamonté Turner, the arrival of mid-year enrollee point guard Santiago Vescovi was well timed.
• The 18-year-old, Uruguayan guard arrived in Knoxville Dec. 28. Vescovi came to Rocky Top from the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia. After only four practices with his new teammates, he earned a starting nod in his debut Jan. 4 vs. LSU.
• Vescovi scored 18 points on six 3-pointers in that debut and also had a team-high six rebounds.
• Attendance for his debut vs. LSU was 18,653. After the game, Vescovi stated that he had never previously played in front of a crowd larger than 7,000 in his life.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southeastern Conference office announced its 2020 class of Women’s Legends on Monday, and Lady Vol basketball icon Candace Parker is the University of Tennessee’s representative.
The class includes former student-athletes and coaches from all 14 SEC member institutions. On Mondays and Thursdays during women’s basketball season, one individual will be highlighted on the SEC’s website and via social media.
Parker was a three-time WBCA and Naismith All-American and All-SEC First Team selection at Tennessee from 2005-08, leading the Lady Vols to NCAA national championships in 2007 and 2008, an SEC regular season trophy in 2007 and SEC Tournament crowns in 2006 and 2008. She is one of six women’s players at Tennessee to have her jersey banner hanging from the rafters in Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Lady Vol legend still holds nine UT all-time records, including most slam dunks in a career (7), season (4) and game (2). Parker was the first woman to dunk in an NCAA Tournament contest and the first to throw it down twice in a single game, doing so on March 19, 2006, vs. Army in the NCAA First Round at Norfolk, Va. Despite playing only three seasons at UT before heading to the WNBA, she remains No. 3 in points (2,137) and No. 8 in rebounds (972) among a bevy of other impressive UT career rankings.
Parker was the State Farm Wade Trophy winner in 2007, the ESPN.com and Naismith National Player of the Year in 2008, and the John R. Wooden and U.S. Basketball Writers Association Player of the Year in 2007 and 2008, as well as winning the Honda Sports Award and Honda-Broderick Cup Athlete of the Year honors those seasons as well. She also won ESPYs for Female Athlete of the Year and Female Collegiate Athlete of the Year in 2008 and was SEC Female Athlete of the Year in 2008, Player of the Year in 2007 and SEC Tournament MVP in 2006 and 2008.
Before going on to win gold medals with two U.S. Olympic Teams (2008, 2012) and becoming a league and Finals MVP, a five-time all-star and a league champion with the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, Parker was a four-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection, a 2007 and 2008 CoSIDA Academic All-American and the 2008 CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year. Most recently, she was inducted into the University of Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame in October.
Parker became the third Lady Vol to be selected first in the WNBA Draft, hearing the Los Angeles Sparks call her name in April of 2008. She went on to earn league MVP and Rookie of the Year honors that season and is preparing for her 13th WNBA season.
During the offseason, she continues to shine in the sports broadcast industry, serving as an integral part of TNT’s NBA coverage, primarily as a studio analyst for the network’s Tuesday night telecasts. She also contributes analysis for NBA TV studio shows, while continuing her role as studio analyst for Turner Sports and CBS Sports’ NCAA Tournament coverage.
The newest class of legends will be honored at the 2020 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament, March 4-8, in Greenville, S.C. Each legend will be honored during half‐time of their team’s first game of the tournament, all 14 individuals will also be honored as a group, as well as participate in an autograph session during the tournament. Complimentary posters of the Legends will be available at the session.
In addition to performing during halftime of the Liberty Bowl in Memphis on Dec. 31, Scotty McCreery was presented with the AutoZone Liberty Bowl Outstanding Achievement Award for his continued service to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
photo by Scott Stem
Scotty was recognized with the award during the President’s Gala on Dec. 30 at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis. Past recipients of the award include Elvis Presley, Alabama, Clint Black, LeAnn Rimes and more.
“Both my wife Gabi and I have visited St. Jude and have seen firsthand the amazing work that goes on there,” said Scotty. “I’m always glad to help St. Jude and spread the word about what they do.”
Over the past two years, Scotty has helped raise $50,000 for Jude through his participation on Celebrity Family Feud ($25,000 in 2018) and via a social media promotion with Bumble ($25,000 in 2019). Scotty has also participated in St. Jude’s “This Shirt Saves Lives” campaigns for several years.
Ronnie Dunn will release a new country/rock cover album, Re-Dunn, on Jan. 10.
The 24-track album features popular tunes originally recorded by Bob Seger, Tom Petty, Van Morrison, Hank Williams, Eric Clapton, George Strait, Tom T. Hall, Eddy Arnold and more.
In the lead-up to the album’s release, Ronnie has dropped a handful of tracks, including “Showdown,” “I Won’t Back Down,” “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” “That’s the Way Love Goes” and more.
Recently, Ronnie shared his cover of Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight,” a tune Eric wrote and scored a Top 20 hit with in the late ’70s.
Listen to Ronnie’s rendition of “Wonderful Tonight” below.
Re-Dunn Track List
1.“Amarillo by Morning” — (originally recorded by Terry Stafford)
2. “Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)” — (originally recorded by The Hollies)
3. “That’s How I Got to Memphis” — (originally recorded by Tom T. Hall)
4. “It Never Rains In Southern California” — (originally recorded by Albert Hammond)
5. “How Long” — (originally recorded by Paul Carrack)
6. “Drinkin’ Thing” — (originally recorded by Gary Stewart)
7. “Together Again” — (originally recorded by Buck Owens)
8. “Peaceful Easy Feeling” — (originally recorded by the Eagles)
9. “Against The Wind” — (originally recorded by Bob Seger)
10. “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” — (originally recorded by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes)
11. “I Won’t Back Down” — (originally recorded by Tom Petty)
12. “Cowboy Rides Away” — (originally recorded by George Strait)
13. “Showdown” — (originally recorded by Electric Light Orchestra)
14. “Wonderful Tonight” — (originally recorded by Eric Clapton)
15. “Ashes By Now” — (originally recorded by Rodney Crowell)
16. “That’s The Way Love Goes” — (originally recorded by Johnny Rodriguez)
17. “I’m Not In Love” — (originally recorded by 10cc)
18. “Brown Eyed Girl” — (originally recorded by Van Morrison)
19. “You Don’t Know Me” — (originally recorded by Eddy Arnold)
20. “Ridin’ My Thumb To Mexico” — (originally recorded by Johnny Rodriguez)
21. “A Showman’s Life” — (originally recorded by Jesse Winchester)
22. “Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues” — (originally recorded by Danny O’Keefe)
23. “Amie” — (originally recorded by Pure Prairie League)
24. “I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still In Love With You)” — (originally recorded by Hank Williams)
Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman are donating $500,000 to help fight the devastating bushfires in Australia.
“Our family’s support, thoughts, and prayers are with everyone affected by the fires all over Australia,” said Keith via Twitter. “We are donating $500,000 to the Rural Fire Services who are all doing and giving so much right now.”
According to the Associated Press, at least 25 people have been killed and 2,000 homes destroyed by the blazes, which have so far scorched an area twice the size of the U.S. state of Maryland.
Keith, who was born in New Zealand, moved to Australia with his family as a toddler, while Nicole is an Aussie native.
Our family’s support, thoughts, and prayers are with everyone affected by the fires all over Australia. We are donating $500,000 to the Rural Fire Services who are all doing and giving so much right now. – KU pic.twitter.com/9dLtNrFAne
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Rennia Davis turned in a 27-point performance, but it wasn’t enough to pull off the upset bid over No. 13/13 Kentucky as the No. 22/23 Lady Vols fell in Memorial Gymnasium on Sunday, 80-76.
Also in double figures for Tennessee (11-3, 1-1 SEC) were sophomore Rae Burrell,who finished with 16 points and six rebounds, and freshman Jordan Horston, who posted 13 points and a career-high nine assists.
UK (12-2, 1-1 SEC) was led by Rhyne Howard with 37 points and nine rebounds, while Sabrina Haines added 11.
The game started out as a back-and-forth affair with three lead changes in the first five minutes of the game. The Lady Vols struck first, winning the tip and scoring on their first possession off a Tamari Key put-back. Kentucky quickly heated up, nailing shots from behind the arc on three-straight possessions to lead 9-6 by the 7:00 mark. Davis and Horston combined to reclaim the lead for UT at 10-9, but Kentucky scored on back-to-back possessions to lead 13-10 at the first media timeout. The Wildcats closed out the quarter with an 8-4 run, fueled by two more treys, to lead 21-14 heading into the second stanza.
The Lady Vols struggled to connect offensively at the start of the second quarter, remaining scoreless for the first three minutes while Kentucky stretched its lead to 13. Following a UT timeout, Burrell answered with a baseline three to set off an 8-0 run that put the Lady Vols within five at 27-22 with just over five minutes remaining in the half. The teams traded free throws to keep the deficit at five until Kasiyahna Kushkituah hit a pair of free throws followed by a Davis fast-break layup off a steal by Burrell to pull UT within one with 3:11 remaining. Howard answered with a bucket on the other end, but Burrell struck from long distance again to tie the game at 31-all a minute later. Horston then knocked down a pair of free throws to put UT up 33-31, and Kentucky answered with a basket on the other end. Massengill had the final say, however, knocking down a buzzer beater to reclaim the lead for the Lady Vols at the half, 35-33.
Kentucky came out hot in the third, taking the lead off a Haines three-pointer at 37-35 and extending that into an 11-0 run that put the Wildcats up 44-35 by the 6:33 mark. Davis ended the drought for UT, hitting a layup to cut the lead to seven with just over five minutes remaining in the period. Howard knocked down two more threes following the media timeout to put Kentucky ahead, 50-37, before Kamera Harris found Key under the basket to set off a 9-0 run for UT to close out the quarter down five at 51-46.
UK opened the final stanza with an old fashioned three-point play by Howard, but Key answered for UT with a layup on the other end. The teams traded buckets until a Haines 3-pointer with 6:15 remaining in the game gave the Wildcats a double-digit lead at 63-53. The teams again traded baskets until four quick points by Burrell cut the deficit to eight with 3:20 to play. Kushkituah then hit two free throws to whittle the lead down to six, and a Horston layup following a UK timeout pulled the Lady Vols within four at 72-68 with 2:22 remaining. UT played scrappy defense in the closing minutes but ultimately couldn’t pull out the victory, falling in Lexington, 80-76.
Big Time Blocking: UT blocked 12 shots against Kentucky, tying for fourth in Lady Vol single-game records. Freshman Tamari Key fueled that effort, recording five blocked shots on the day. The team also managed 12 blocks against Notre Dame earlier this season.
The Davis Factor:Rennia Davis led Tennessee with a 27-point performance against Kentucky, marking the 23rd time she has led UT in scoring. It was her third game of the season with 20 or more points and the 10th of her career. She is now tied for 10th in all-time 20+ point performances by Lady Vols.
Horston Heating Up: Freshman Jordan Horston narrowly missed a double-double against UK, posting 13 points and a career-high nine assists. She has now scored in double figures in four straight contests and in five of the last six. If the season ended today, her 4.8 apg. would rank second all-time among Lady Vol freshmen.
Burrell’s Ballin’: Sophomore Rae Burrell set a new SEC high of 16 points against Kentucky, marking the third time in the last four contests she has scored 10 or more points. She is now the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 10.9 points per game.
Strong At The Free Throw LIne: The Lady Vols hit their second-most free throws and knocked them down at the second-highest percentage all season vs. Kentucky. Tennessee finished the day 17 of 21 at the charity stripe for 81 percent. The team had entered the contest shooting 61.9 percent for the year.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Despite 18 points from Yves Pons and an impressive debut from freshman point guard Santiago Vescovi, Tennessee fell to LSU in its conference opener Saturday at Thompson-Boling Arena, 78-64.
After arriving in the United States and joining the team just seven days ago, Vescovi started and scored 18 points on six 3-pointers, grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists. Pons also had 18 points, one shy of his career-high. Josiah-Jordan James had a career-high 15 points.
As a team, Tennessee (8-5, 0-1 SEC) made a season-high 13 3-pointers.
LSU (9-4, 1-0 SEC) took a one-point lead into halftime and controlled the game out the gates in the second half. The Tigers scored 21 points in the first eight minutes of the half to Tennessee’s 12, extending their lead to 59-49.
Tennessee cut that lead to seven points, but never drew any closer the rest of the way. A trio of scorers – Javonte Smart (21), Skylar Mays (17) and Trendon Watford (15) – paced LSU in its win.
After trailing for the majority of the opening 20 minutes, LSU regained the lead just before halftime and took a 38-37 advantage into the break.
To start the game, the Tigers claimed a quick 7-2 lead, but Tennessee responded with a 18-4 run that put the Vols in front by nine. After making the start at point guard, Vescovi drained his first two shots – both from beyond the arc. John Fulkerson, making his first career SEC start, had two fast-break alley-oop dunks, while James had eight points during the run.
In the first half as a whole, Tennessee shot 9-for-13 from 3-point range – its most makes in any half this season.
James and Pons both reached double-figure scoring in the first half for the Vols with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Vescovi chipped in nine points behind three made 3-pointers. Jordan Bowden dished out six assists, all in the first 12 minutes of action.
PONS BLOCKS STREAK: Yves Pons blocked three shots, extending his streak to 13 games of recording at least one block. It’s the longest such streak by a Vol since Wayne Chism authored a 14-game streak in 2009-10.
UP NEXT: Tennessee travels west for its first SEC road game of the season, facing Missouri on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on SEC Network.
Santiago Vescovi, who arrived in Knoxville Dec. 28 and was cleared to play Friday, hit six of nine 3-point attempts and scored a team-high-tying 18 points to provide Tennessee with a much-needed spark in the backcourt.
But it wasn’t enough to overcome the offensive onslaught of LSU, which hit 10 of 21 3-pointers and opened SEC play Saturday with a 78-64 victory at Thompson- Boling Arena before 18,653 fans.
Vescovi went from “unlikely to play’’ to “unlikely star’’ as he made a surprising start in his college debut after signing with Tennessee from the NBA Global Academy in Australia.
The product of Uruguay – the fourth International player on the team and the seventh left-hander – gave offensive punch to a team that lost Lamonte Turner for the season Dec. 21 due to a left shoulder condition.
After the Vols shot less than 35% and scored just 48 points in a Dec. 28 loss to Wisconsin, you wondered where UT’s offensive firepower would come from. Vescovi helped answer that question.
The 6-2 guard hit two 3s in the first few minutes against LSU, giving him a boost of confidence. He kept up the pace by making six from beyond the arc. And he had a team-high six rebounds.
But he also had a team-high nine turnovers and he doesn’t play defense as well as Turner.
He can, however, shoot and pass.
And he wasn’t overwhelmed by the moment. Before Saturday, he said the largest crowd he’d played before was about 7,000. He was welcomed during player introductions to a huge ovation, then he heard a loud roar when he dove to the floor to make a save.
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said he first thought about starting Vescovi the “first day on the (practice) floor. I was taken aback by what he knew of our offense. … Santiago earned the respect of his teammates the first day.’’
Barnes said he ran some plays Vescovi was familiar with.
“Our mindset after a couple of days was, it’s inevitable he’d be a starter,’’ Barnes said. “Why not do that now?’’
Barnes blamed himself for some of Vescovi’s turnovers, saying the newcomer played too many minutes (32) and was fatigued.
“He’s going to make some mistakes,’’ Barnes said. “And we’re going to have to live with them.’’
Vescovi said some of his mistakes were due to the length and athleticism of the LSU players.
Vescovi said he picked up some of the UT offense from tape sent to him by Vol.
Barnes said if Vescovi learns even more from game tape, “he’s going to be a good basketball player.’’
Led by Vescovi, Tennessee opened the game on fire, jumping to a 20-11 lead on 8 of 10 shooting from the field and 4 of 5 from three.
But LSU scrambled back, getting hot from outside and hammering the offensive boards. The Tigers eventually cut the gap and actually led at halftime 38-37 thanks to 6 of 13 shooting from beyond the arc.
Trailing at the break was not a good sign for Tennessee, which shot 9 of 13 from 3-point range in the first half.
Tennessee, which was hitting only 29.7 percent from 3-point range and averaging 5.7 made threes per game, couldn’t continue the long-range pace in the second half. UT was 4 of 13 from beyond the arc in the final 20 minutes and finished at 50 percent (13 of 26).
Meanwhile, in the second half, LSU hit 4 of 8 from outside, made 10 of 21 treys for the game and pulled away.
On defense we must learn to play every possession,” Barnes said.
Vescovi wasn’t UT’s only hot shooter. Yves Pons had 18 points and Josiah-Jordan James 15. Both were 3 of 5 on 3s.
But the disappearance of senior Jordan Bowden was a concern. UT’s leading scorer (12.9 per game) had 3 points and was 1 of 12 from the field.
How do you get Bowden back on track?
“That’s a great question,’’ Barnes said. “He was terrific in practice yesterday (Friday). Terrific. We’re not asking him to do anything he hasn’t done in the past.’’
Barnes also wants James to have more of a “scoring mentality. Every time he’s gotten into trouble, he’s turned down a shot.’’
Without Turner, Barnes needs high level performance from at least four players every game. If so, UT could have a winning record in the next five games, against Missouri, South Carolina, Georgia, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss.
Vescovi can certainly help. But he can’t do it alone.
As Barnes said: “I still think we’ve got a chance to be a good basketball team, but we don’t have room for errors.’’
