Rock legend Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac fame will join headliner Keith Urban onstage at Nashville’s annual Music City Midnight performance on New Year’s Eve.
The free event will take place at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park (approximately one mile from the heart of downtown). This will be the fourth year in a row that Keith headlines the show.
Additional performers include Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit, The Struts, Amanda Shires, Bren Joy, Kalie Shorr, DJ Dave Aude and the Fisk Jubilee Singers.
Gates will open at 4 p.m. CT on Dec. 31, followed by the raising of the Music Note (Nashville’s equivalent to NYC’s ball drop) to kick off the live music. The event will include the traditional Music Note Drop and accompanying fireworks display to ring in the New Year against the backdrop of the iconic State Capitol building and unique view of the Nashville skyline.
Portions of the concert will be featured in the holiday coverage on both CNN and NBC.
NCD is closing out the year with our “Play It Forward” segment, which beckons our featured artists to recommend a singer or song that mainstream country fans may not be familiar with.
Today’s recommendation comes from Lindsay Ell.
“I want to give a shout-out to Adam Hambrick,” says Lindsay. “He is such a rock star. He is one of my favorite songwriters in town. He’s a good buddy of mine. He is so talented on songs like ‘Forever Ain’t Long Enough.’ The world needs to discover him.”
Listen to Adam’s “Forever Ain’t Long Enough” below.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee football legends Reggie White and Peyton Manning were named to ESPN’s All-Time All-America first team and second team, respectively, the network revealed on Thursday.
As part of the yearlong ESPN College Football 150 storytelling initiative, the prestigious honor is comprised of a First Team and a Second Team, with 11 players on offense, 11 on defense, a kicker, a punter and an all-purpose player on both teams.
White, who was a standout defensive lineman for the Vols from 1980-83, holds the program’s single-season record with 15 sacks and is tied for second in single-game sacks (four). White jumped into a starting role by the end of his freshman campaign and had an illustrious senior season where he became a consensus All-American, SEC Player of the Year and a Lombardi Award finalist after registering 100 tackles, 15 sacks, nine tackles for loss and an interception.
While with the Vols, the Chattanooga, Tenn., native recorded 293 tackles, 32 sacks (the second most in program history), 19 tackles for loss and four fumble recoveries. White went on to become one of the most decorated players in NFL history as well. He was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 1984 Supplemental Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles after spending two seasons in the United States Football League, and was the NFL’s all-time sacks leader with 198 at the time of his retirement. White was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002, two years before his passing in 2004, and was posthumously elected to the Professional Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 2006.
Manning quarterbacked the Vols from 1994-97 and was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy his senior season after leading Tennessee to an 11-2 record and an appearance in the Orange Bowl. Manning finished the year with 3,819 passing yards and 36 touchdown passes, both single-season program records.
For his career, Manning amassed 11,201 passing yards, 863 completions and 89 touchdown passes, all program bests that still stand. In total, Manning started 45 games, winning 39 and finishing in the top eight in Heisman voting during each of his final three seasons with Tennessee before being selected the No. 1 overall draft pick in the 1998 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts. He was also a consensus All-American in 1997, and earned the Maxwell Award and Campbell Trophy. Manning was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a member of the 2017 class.
Both White and Manning went on to become Super Bowl champions as well (White with the Green Bay Packers and Manning twice, once with the Indianapolis Colts and once with the Denver Broncos). Tennessee has retired White’s No. 92 and Manning’s No. 16 jerseys.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The last time the Tennessee football team played in Jacksonville, sophomore quarterback Joshua Dobbs was the star, accounting for three total touchdowns in a 45-28 victory over Iowa in the 2015 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
Five years later, the Volunteers will return to TIAA Bank Field and face another Big Ten team, Indiana, in the 2020 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Jan. 2.
Dobbs will be back, too.
The Tennessee graduate (‘17) is in his third year in the NFL. He plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars following two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“I’m not sure what I’m doing for New Year’s yet, but on January 2nd, I will be in Jacksonville to support the team and see them play,” Dobbs said. “I’m excited about it. I knew right when it got announced I’d make sure to be in Jacksonville.”
The Jaguars play their final game of the season on Dec. 29, and their home field, TIAA Bank Field, also hosts the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
The 2015 Gator Bowl served as a jumping off point for Dobbs. After starting the 2014 season as the third-string quarterback, Dobbs won the starting job at the midway point of the season and finished 4-1 as a starter, including his MVP performance in Jacksonville.
Dobbs completed his first seven passes against Iowa, leading the Vols to touchdowns on their first four drives to jump out to a 28-0 lead on the Hawkeyes. He finished 16-of-21 for 129 yards and one passing touchdown to go along with 76 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground.
“To get the chance to go to Jacksonville, the bowl experience was amazing,” Dobbs said. “When I look back at it, it helped in my development as a young player to be able to get a chance to ball with my teammates, to get extra reps in the offense, and to continue to grow as a player and those extra opportunities to grow and grind and just be around the guys. Bowl season definitely helped me and my progression as a QB.”
Following his Gator Bowl, Dobbs would go onto to start the next 26 games, leading Tennessee to back-to-back nine-win seasons and two more bowl wins. He wrapped up his career second in UT history behind only Peyton Manning in total offense with 9,936 yards. He ranks fifth in school history in passing yards (7,138), touchdown passes (53) and wins by a starting quarterback (23). His 2,160 yards and 32 touchdowns on the ground are the most-ever by a Vols’ signal-caller. Oh, and he managed to find the time to graduate with a degree in aerospace engineering, as well.
“It was an unreal four years of my life,” the Alpharetta, Ga., native said. “I miss it every day, but I’m thankful I had those four years and they really helped propel me for my life after college, my NFL life, and all my endeavors off the field.”
Dobbs was selected in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft and played in five games with the Steelers before he was traded to the Jaguars right before the 2019 season.
He has followed the Vols closely this season and likes the direction they are headed under head coach Jeremy Pruitt. He still talks to several former teammates and is excited to watch his buddies play in person again, including fellow quarterback, Jarrett Guarantano, and wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who was one of his favorite targets during the 2016 season. Dobbs and Jennings connected on one of the most memorable Tennessee plays of the last decade – a game-winning Hail Mary to beat Georgia in Athens in 2016.
“Obviously, I was tuned in all year,” he said. “Just to see the resolve of the team, the resiliency. We all know how this season started but to see them fight back and compete and play starting with guys like Jauan (Jennings) and Jarrett (Guartantano). Just to see that resolve of the team was amazing. I’m just excited they’re in a bowl game and excited they get a chance to play again, compete, and go out and show the nation what Tennessee is. It is going to be a fun weekend in Jacksonville.”
One of the top memories from the 2015 Gator Bowl for all of the Vols was the incredible amount of fan support. It was a virtual home game for Tennessee with tens of thousands of fans making the trek south to Jacksonville five years ago.
The Big Orange fans even created their own Vol Walk.
“We were driving up to the stadium, I don’t even think we had a Vol Walk planned then, but there were so many fans we had to get off the busses and walk to the stadium,” Dobbs said. “That’s how many people were there.”
He expects more of the same from Vol Nation on Jan. 2.
“I know it’s going to be another big turnout, it is going to be a sea of orange everywhere,” he predicted. “It was a blast to see all the fans. There’s a lot of pictures of the stadium just showing how packed it was with orange.
“Tennessee Volunteer fans are excited, the alumni are excited. I’m definitely excited. I’ve had so many friends, ex-teammates hitting me up saying ‘Hey you’re in Jacksonville can I stay with you?’ It’s going to be a really nice party in Jacksonville.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee men’s basketball team returns from its holiday break, when it takes on Wisconsin on Saturday afternoon inside Thompson-Boling Arena. Tipoff is slated for 1:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
Saturday’s game can be seen on CBS and online through CBS Sports Live. The link to stream Saturday’s game online, through CBS can be found here. Carter Blackburn and Clark Kellogg will have the call.
Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertlekamp describing the action.
Last time out the Vols bounced back from two consecutive defeats to down Jacksonville State, 75-53, at home on Saturday afternoon. The victory was the 700th in the illustrious career of head coach Rick Barnes. The Vols were led by senior Jordan Bowden who poured in a game-high 19 points and junior John Fulkerson who added 16 on 8-of-11 shooting from the field. Senior Lamonte Turner dished out 11 assists, marking the third time the Florence, Alabama native totaled 11 or more assists this season. Turner became just the third Vol to reach that feat joining Rodney Woods (1974-75) and Johnny Darden (1976-77, 1977-78). As a team, Tennessee recorded a season-high 25 assists on 31 made field goals.
After the game, Turner—who has been battling lingering shoulder problems—announced his decision to step away from the court for medical reasons. A redshirt senior from Florence, Alabama, Turner graduated in May. In 106 career games, Turner scored 1,086 points and averaged 10.2 points and 3.3 assists per game.
This will be the fifth meeting all-time between Wisconsin and Tennessee, with the series knotted at two wins apiece. A victory would push Barnes’ win percentage above .500 against current members of the Big Ten.
A win would also give Tennessee a 213-132 record in the 2010s as the decade comes to a close.
Up next, Tennessee opens up conference action, when it hosts LSU in its SEC opener, next Saturday, Jan. 4 at noon inside Thompson-Boling Arena.
THE SERIES
• Having just met four times since 1981, the all-time series between the programs is tied at 2-2.
• Tennessee swept the first two games, earning a win in 1981 and again in 2000, downing a ranked Wisconsin team in Knoxville.
• The Badgers have since won two in a row, including a 65-62 victory over Tennessee in Madison on Dec. 29, 2001, and a more recent triumph at the 2016 Maui Invitational.
• Tennessee owns a 23-35 all-time record against current members of the Big Ten.
• Rick Barnes is 1-4 in his career against Wisconsin and 30-30 against current members of the Big Ten.
A WIN WOULD…
• Give the program a 213-132 record in the 2010s as the decade draws to a close.
STORYLINES
• Saturday’s game has been sold out for several weeks. It is one of five UT home games that has sold out thus far.
• This is the first of two games under the current home-and-home contract. The Vols travel to Madison to face the Badgers on Nov. 11, 2020.
• Tennessee’s last contract with a Big Ten program was a two-game series with Ohio State in 2006-07 and 2007-08. Each team won at home.
• Wisconsin boasts four Final Four appearances and a national championship in 1941.
• Tennessee Director of Men’s Basketball Sports Performance Garrett Medenwald is a native of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and a 2013 graduate of UW-Whitewater.
• Lamonté Turner announced on Dec. 21 that he will no longer suit up for the Vols due to thoracic outlet syndrome.
LAYUP LINES
• Tennessee fell out of the top-25 rankings this week, though it is receiving votes in both polls.
• Tennessee currently ranks third in the country in average home attendance (18,603), trailing only Syracuse and Kentucky.
• Tennessee leads the SEC and ranks ninth nationally in scoring defense, allowing only 57.2 ppg.
• Tennessee is a perfect 23 for 23 at the free-throw line over its last two games.
• Junior John Fulkerson is shooting a team-best .671 from the field while averaging a career-best 11.8 points per game this season.
• Junior forward Yves Pons has blocked at least one shot in every game this season and tied UT’s single-game record with six blocks against Jacksonville State.
• True freshman Josiah-Jordan James leads the Vols and ranks 12th in the SEC with 6.3 rebounds per game. He is the top-rebounding freshman in the league.
• Midyear enrollee Santiago Vescovi is set to arrive in Knoxville Saturday.
ABOUT WISCONSIN
• Wisconsin is currently riding an up-and-down season that sees the Badgers sitting at 6-5 overall and 1-1 in Big Ten play. Wisconsin is coming off an 83-64 win over UW Milwaukee last Saturday.
• Thus far, the Badgers have been led by junior Nate Reuvers who leads the team in scoring (15.2 ppg), rebounding (5.2 rpg) and blocks (2.5 bpg). His 2.5 bpg rank 25th in the country and are fourth in the Big Ten.
• Wisconsin has also seen consistent scoring from redshirt-junior Kobe King (11.5 ppg) who’s seen a 7.2 ppg jump in scoring production from the conclusion of the 2018-19 season.
• Where the Badgers have struggled this season is moving the ball and assisting on made baskets. Wisconsin has just 128 assists to 263 made field goals, which is an assist rate of less than 50 percent. Their 11.6 apg ranks 287th in the country out of 350 Division I programs, as just one Badger, D’Mitrik Trice, averages more than 3.0 assists per contest.
• Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard has continued the storied success of Badgers basketball following the departure of former head man Bo Ryan. Gard became the third coach in the last 20 years to lead his team to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament in his first two years at the helm of his program when he led the Badgers to the round of 16 in both 2016 and 2017. Gard joined Steve Lavin at UCLA (1996-97) and Mark Few at Gonzaga (2000-01) on that list.
• Wisconsin is a public, state-funded institution that was the first public institution founded in Wisconsin (1848) and remains the oldest and largest public university in the state.
LAST TIME VS. WISCONSIN
• Tennessee overcame a 17-point deficit to take a second-half lead against 16th-ranked Wisconsin, but the Badgers’ experience enabled them to hold off the UT charge and hand the Vols a 74-62 loss on Nov. 21, 2016, the opening day of the Maui Invitational.
• Sophomore guard Shembari Phillips (now a fifth-year senior at Georgia Tech) led the Volunteers with 16 points against the Badgers, including 10 in the second half. Senior Robert Hubbs III and junior Detrick Mostella each scored 12. Sophomore forward Kyle Alexander grabbed a team-high six rebounds, while redshirt freshman guard Lamonté Turner totaled five points, three steals and two assists with no turnovers.
• After trailing 40-32 at halftime, the Big Orange opened the second half with a 12-0 run, taking their first lead of the game, 42-40, on a jumper by freshman forward Grant Williams.
• Tennessee held Wisconsin scoreless for the first 4:25 of the second half until preseason All-Big Ten forward Bronson Koenig broke the Badger’s drought with a layup, which keyed a 14-6 run by the Badgers.
• At the under-eight-minute media timeout, Tennessee found itself trailing by eight, 56-48. Koenig and senior teammate Nigel Hayes accounted for 13 of Wisconsin’s final 16 points spanning the final four and a half minutes of the game.
• After missing the first two games of the season with a foot injury, true freshman point guard Kwe Parker made his debut for the Vols, logging six minutes off the bench and handing out one assist.
BARNES BECOMES SEVENTH ACTIVE COACH TO REACH 700 CAREER WINS
• Rick Barnes recorded his 700th career victory as a college head coach when the Vols defeated Jacksonville State on Dec. 21.
• He became the seventh active head coach to log 700 Division I victories and the 22nd all-time.
• He is four victories away from recording his 100th win at Tennessee.
TURNER SHUTS IT DOWN
• After battling through shoulder problems since the 2017-18 season, redshirt senior guard Lamonté Turner announced on Dec. 21 that he was ending his UT playing career due to thoracic outlet syndrome.
• Turner graduated in May of 2019 (Communication Studies). He scored 1,086 career points and ranks tied for 10th in program history with 171 made 3-pointers.
• It is a significant blow to this UT roster, as Turner was the team’s unquestioned leader. Jordan Bowden is now the team’s lone active senior.
VESCOVI’S ARRIVAL IMMENENT
• Given the status of senior guard Lamonté Turner, the arrival of mid-year enrollee Santiago Vescovi is well timed.
• The 18-year-old, Uruguayan guard is set to arrive in Knoxville Saturday. Vescovi comes to Rocky Top from the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia.
• Vescovi must await standard NCAA and SEC clearance protocols before becoming eligible to compete in games, and a decision on whether or not he will compete this season has yet to be made.
• Adjusting to college life is a challenge in itself—and the demands of playing the guard position for Rick Barnes is equally as difficult, if not more so.
PONS RIDING BLOCK STREAK
• Yves Pons, the SEC’s second-leading shot-blocker, has blocked at least one shot in every game this season.
• His streak of 11 straight games with at least one block is the longest such streak by a Vol since Wayne Chism authored a 14-game block streak as a senior in 2009-10.
• Pons has blocked three or more shots in six games this season, highlighted by a program-record-tying six-block effort against Jacksonville State on Dec. 21.
WE LOVE A PACKED HOUSE
• Dating to the start of last season, Tennessee has played 17 games in front of sold-out—and sometimes over-capacity—crowds.
• That includes six home games as well as games at Memphis, Florida, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Auburn, the 2019 Emerald Coast Classic (two games) and Cincinnati.
NCD is closing out the year with our “Play It Forward” segment, which beckons our featured artists to recommend a singer or song that mainstream country fans may not be familiar with.
Today’s recommendation comes from Ashley McBryde.
“When I found Tenille Arts, I was just like, ‘Wow!’” says Ashley. “Her song, ‘I Hate This,’ is a great song. Everyone needs to hear it.”
Nashville police arrested Michael D. Mosley, 23, on Dec. 25 and charged him with two counts of criminal homicide in the stabbing deaths of Clayton Beathard, 22, and Paul Trapeni III, 21, on Dec. 21.
Clayton was the son of country songwriter Casey Beathard and the brother of singer/songwriter Tucker Beathard (pictured in main photo) and NFL quarterback C.J. Beathard.
Mosley was also charged with one count of attempted criminal homicide for wounding a third man. Mosley was captured on Dec. 25 in Cheatham County, Tenn., after a joint task force located him in a vacant house. Mosley is being held without bond on the two criminal homicide charges, and a $5 million bond was set on the attempted criminal homicide charge.
“The fatal stabbings appear to have resulted from an argument over a woman that began inside Dogwood Bar and then turned physical when the parties went outside,” according to a press release from Nashville Police. “Multiple persons were involved in the outdoor fight during which the two men were both fatally stabbed in their sides.”
Metro Nashville PD posted a series of tweets and photos on Dec. 25 to announce Mosley’s capture:
Clayton played football at Long Island University.
“We are thankful that he is off of the streets,” said Clayton’s father, Casey, according to the Tennessean. “We are sad because two incredible young men are missed. The only thing that holds us together is trusting God. We are in awe of all of the good we have already seen him working in and through this tragedy.”
Mosley has previous convictions for robbery, felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor assault.
Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes has announced a midseason addition to the roster, as highly-rated international prospect Santiago Vescovi (pronounced: sahn-tee-AH-go vess-CO-vee) is set to join the team this weekend. Vescovi officially signed with UT on Nov. 22.
A 6-2 guard from Montevideo, Uruguay, Vescovi will begin classes as a freshman on Jan. 8 and plans to major in Business. He must await standard NCAA and SEC clearance protocols before becoming eligible to compete in games, and a decision on whether or not he will compete this season has yet to be made.
Vescovi’s playmaking ability and shooting prowess put him on the international hoops radar and landed him placement at the NBA Academy Latin America in Mexico City, Mexico, when it first opened in the winter of 2018. This past July, he transferred to The NBA Global Academy, an elite basketball training center at Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.
The NBA Academy initiative exposes elite prospects to NBA-level coaching, facilities and competition and provides a global framework for them to maximize their success. Up to twelve elite student-athletes attend The NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia, each year, developing under the supervision of NBA-trained personnel.
Through local partnerships, every NBA Academy prospect is a full-time student-athlete and receives a full scholarship to attend the academy and a local public or private school.
Vescovi, led The NBA Global Academy to a championship at the 2019 NBA Academy Games this past July. Then 17 years old—he turned 18 on Sept. 14—he led the team in scoring in both the semifinal and title game.
He also recently starred at the NBA G League International Challenge in Uruguay and the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp during the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend in Charlotte.
Vescovi earned All-Star honors at the three-day BWB Global Camp while competing against players with NBA experience, such as Greg Monroe, Paul Zipser and Josh Huestis. Vescovi also was named the MVP of the 2019 Skill Factory Tournament of Champions in Atlanta after totaling 29 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the championship game.
Vescovi’s grandfather, Daniel Vanet, was a star basketball player in Uruguay, and Vescovi previously wore jersey No. 9 in his honor.
With the addition of Vescovi, who will wear jersey No. 25, Tennessee now has seven left-handers and four international players on its roster.
PORTLAND, Ore. — The No. 23/24 Lady Vols shot a scorching 51.4 percent from the floor and 46.2 percent from behind the arc on Saturday, defeating Portland State in Viking Pavilion, 88-61.
Sophomore Rae Burrell led Tennessee (9-2) in scoring, narrowly missing a double-double with a career-high 21 points and nine rebounds. Freshman Jordan Horston was close behind, also setting a career high with 20 points. Junior Rennia Davis recorded her tenth rebound of the game just over two minutes into the second half to solidify the 24th double-double of her career. She went on to collect a season-high 13 rebounds while scoring 18 points.
Portland State (6-4) was led in scoring by Kylie Jimenez and Desirae Hansen, who finished with 15 and 10, respectively.
Tennessee came out of the gate hot with Key and Horston combining for nine unanswered points in the first three minutes of play. Jordan Stotler broke the drought for PSU, knocking down a three to set off a 12-3 run that tied that game up at 12-all with 4:31 to play in the quarter. The score remained knotted until Belle Frazier hit a 3-pointer to give Portland State its first lead of the game at 19-16 with 43 seconds to play in the first. Burrell answered on the other end, hitting a layup in the paint at the buzzer to put UT within one heading into the second stanza.
The teams swapped baskets to start the second period until Key knocked down an eight-foot jumper at the 6:47 mark, setting off a 14-0 run that gave UT a 38-24 lead with 25 seconds remaining in the half. Stotler ended the scoring slump for PSU with a 10-foot jumper, but Horston beat the buzzer on the other end, hitting a layup to give Tennessee a 40-26 lead at the half.
Junior Rae Burrell scored five points in the opening minutes of the third quarter, fueling an 11-4 run that put UT up 51-30 by the 5:18 mark. Kamera Harris and Jessie Rennie combined for another five points following the media timeout to extend the streak of unanswered points to 14 before Stotler hit a pair of free throws to put the score at 59-32 with 3:43 remaining in the period. Tennessee kept its foot on the gas, pouring in another nine points while holding the Vikings to three, entering the final stanza up 65-35.
Horston came out hot in the fourth, scoring nine points in the first four and a half minutes. Cassidy Gardner and Labrea Denson gave the Vikings a spark with just under three minutes remaining in the game, knocking down treys on three-straight possessions to cut the deficit to 28, but UT held on to a comfortable margin, winning 88-61.
Up Next: Tennessee will return to action on Dec. 29, hosting Howard in a 2 p.m. contest. It will be available for streaming on SECN+ and broadcast on Lady Vol Network radio stations.
Big On The Boards: UT out-rebounded PSU, 56-26, recording its second-highest rebounding margin of the season. Tennessee now has won the rebounding battle in eight of 11 games and is averaging 51.6 rpg. while holding opponents to 35.5 rpg.
Burrell Heating Up: Sophomore Rae Burrell scored a career-high 21 points at Portland State. She now has scored in double figures in five of the last eight games, increasing her career high in three of those contests.
Jaz Dishing: Sophomore Jazmine Massengill doled out a career-high 10 assists, moving her season average to 4.5 apg. If the season ended today, she would tie with Ariel Massengale for fifth all-time among Lady Vol sophomores.
Hot Hand Horston: Freshman Jordan Horston recorded a career-high 20 points against PSU. Nine of those came during a four-and-a-half-minute flurry at the outset of the fourth quarter.
Balanced Attack: Ten of UT’s 11 active players scored at least two points against the Vikings, while four found their way into double figures (Burrell – 21, Horston – 20, Davis – 18, Key – 11).
Big Time Runs: Tennessee posted two 14-0 runs against Portland State, marking its third-longest run of the season and moving its total of 10+ runs to nine on the year.
Pons ties program record with six blocked shots; Turner shuts it down
Vols F Yves Pons / Credit: UT Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A second-half offensive outburst propelled No. 21 Tennessee to a 75-53 win over Jacksonville State Saturday afternoon at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The win stands as the 700th in Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes‘ stellar 33-year career.
guard Lamonte Turner dished out 11 assists, marking his third game this season with double-digit assists. He became just the third player in program history to dish 11 assists or more in three games in the same season, joining Rodney Woods (1974-75) and Johnny Darden (1976-77 & 1977-78).
After the game, Turner—who has been battling lingering shoulder problems—announced his decision to step away from the court for medical reasons. A redshirt senior from Florence, Alabama, Turner graduated in May. In 106 career games, Turner scored 1,086 points and averaged 10.2 points and 3.3 assists per game.
As a team Saturday, Tennessee totaled 25 assists—its most in a single game this season. James also contributed a season-high six assists.
On the defensive end, Pons tied a program-record with six blocked shots, becoming just the seventh player in program history with six blocks in a game.
After Tennessee (8-3) took a four-point lead into halftime, the teams traded baskets to open the second half before the Vols’ offense came alive with an 11-2 run—capped when Pons blocked a shot the defensive end before draining a 3-pointer on the offensive end.
A brief run by the Gamecocks (4-8) cut the deficit back down to eight, but Tennessee responded with another spurt, this time 10-0, to push the lead to 19 points and take full control. Tennessee scored 45 points in the second half—the most points it has scored in any half this season.
Following an evenly contested first half, the Vols led the Gamecocks 30-26 at halftime. Tennessee opened the game balanced on the offensive end, as each of the Vols’ starters contributed one of the team’s first five field goals.
The Vols used their quick start on the offensive end to jump out to a 13-6 lead early on, before Jacksonville State took advantage of a scoring drought by the Vols that lasted nearly seven minutes and took a 16-13 lead.
Highlighted by back-to-back threes from Bowden, Tennessee responded by rattling off an 8-0 run of its own to give the Vols control of the game heading into the break.
BARNES GETS 700TH: Rick Barnes captured the 700th win of his head coaching career against Jacksonville State, becoming the 22nd head coach to ever record 700 Division I wins and one of seven active coaches to eclipse the mark.
YVES PROTECTING THE RIM: Junior forward Yves Pons recorded a program-record-tying six blocked shots during Saturday’s win,
It marked his sixth game this season with three or more blocks. Pons has blocked at least one shot in 11 consecutive games, a feat never accomplished by recent notable shot-blockers Grant Williams and Kyle Alexander.
FILLING UP TBA: Following Saturday’s home contest, Tennessee is now averaging an attendance of 18,603 per game in its seven home games this season. That ranks third in the nation this season.
UP NEXT: Following a week-long break from action, Tennessee returns to the hardwood next Saturday, Dec. 28, against Wisconsin at Thompson-Boling Arena. The game will tip off at 1:30 p.m. ET and will be televised on CBS.
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