PENSACOLA, Fla. — Tennessee picked up a doubleheader sweep on Saturday to finish the Cox Diamond Invitational with a perfect 3-0 record.
The Vols earned wins over North Florida (10-2) and Western Kentucky (6-3) to improve to 12-0 on the season, tying the program record for the best start in program history, matching the 2014 team’s historic start.
GAME 2: Tennessee 6, Western Kentucky 3 (7 Inn.)
Tennessee scored all six of its runs in the second inning to finish off a perfect weekend with a 6-3 victory over Western Kentucky on Saturday night.
Seven of UT’s starters recorded a hit in the win with Evan Russell leading the way, finishing with two hits, including his team-leading seventh double of the year.
The Hilltoppers struck first with a two-out RBI single by Jackson Swiney in the top of the second. Matt Phipps scored on the play after leading off the inning with a single and stealing second to move into scoring position.
The Vols didn’t waste any time erasing the deficit as Luc Lipcius continued his huge day with a mammoth three-run homer to right-center field to put the Big Orange ahead 3-1. It was the second homer of the day for Lipcius and his third of the year. The junior slugger went 3-for-6 with four runs, two homers and four RBI combined in UT’s two wins on Saturday.
The Orange and White took advantage of two throwing errors by the Hilltoppers’ catcher to score three more runs in the inning and take a commanding 6-1 lead.
WKU chipped away at the lead with a pair of solo home runs by Davis Sims and Jake Sanford in the third and sixth innings but were held at bay for the most part by Vols’ starter Will Neely.
The senior right hander earned his second win of the year and tied a career high with six strikeouts on the night. The Knoxville native allowed three runs on five hits and walked one in six innings of work.
Redshirt sophomore lefty Redmond Walsh worked around a leadoff single in the seventh to earn his third save of the season.
NOTABLE VOLS TIE BEST START IN PROGRAM HISTORY: With Saturday’s doubleheader sweep, Tennessee improved to 12-0 to start the year. That is tied for the best record to start a season in program history, matching the 2014 squad’s 12-0 start.
Tennessee has been dominant during its 12-game winning streak, posting six shutouts and outscoring its opponents 82-12.
LIPCIUS TWINS LEADING THE WAY: Twin brothers Luc and Andre Lipcius have been two of the Vols most productive hitters so far this season. The Lipcius twins are tied for the team lead with 10 RBI apiece while Luc leads the team with three home runs and Andre is tied for second with two four baggers.
After having just three hits and scoring only four runs last season, Luc has been on an absolute tear to start the season. The Williamsburg, Va., native currently leads the team with three homers, 10 RBI and ranks second on the squad with 11 runs and 12 hits with a slash line of .324/.435/.703.
UP NEXT: The Big Orange continue their road trip with another neutral-site game on Tuesday against Troy in Hoover, Ala. The Vols and Trojans will face off at the Hoover Met, which is the site of the SEC Tournament every year. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m. ET.
GAME 1: Tennessee 10, North Florida 2
The Vols came out swinging in Game One of Saturday’s doubleheader against North Florida, plating three runs in the top of the first inning en route to a 10-2 victory.
Justin Ammons and Jay Charleston sparked the offense at the top of the lineup, combining for five hits, three runs and five RBI. Luc Lipcius also had a strong game at the dish, going 2-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored. The junior first baseman also blasted a solo home run in the second.
Zach Linginfelter put forth another dominant performance on the mound with eight strikeouts in seven innings of work. The powerful right hander gave up two runs on four hits and walked just one to improve to 3-0 on the season.
Alerick Soularie doubled to right center to score Ammons and Charleston before Evan Russell scored on a Connor Pavolony sacrifice fly to give UT an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first.
Lipcius made it 4-0 with a towering solo home run over the right-field fence to lead off the second, his second long ball of the season.
The Ospreys answered back with a home run of their own in the bottom of the second. David Maberry sent a 2-1 pitch over the wall in left for a two-run homer to cut the lead in half.
UT continued the back-and-forth with two more runs in the third to extend the lead back to four. After back-to-back two-out walks by Lipcius and Jake Rucker, Ammons came up big with his second hit of the day, a two-run single to center field to make it 6-2.
A sacrifice fly by Ammons and a bases-loaded walk by Charleston helped the Vols put up another two-spot in the fifth and extend their lead to six. The Vols added two more runs in the eighth to cap off the scoring.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – In front of the sellout Thompson-Boling Arena crowd, No. 7 Tennessee powered past No. 4 Kentucky, 71-52, to move into a two-way tie for first place in the SEC.
It was the largest loss for the Wildcats in conference play since Feb. 4, 2017, when they lost by 22 points to Florida.
Backed by a career-high performance from Bob Cousy Award candidate Jordan Bone, the Vols (26-3, 14-2 SEC) maintained a perfect home record against the Wildcats (24-5, 13-3 SEC) in the Rick Barnes era while extending their home winning streak to 25 games.
Bone scored a career-high 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting while knocking down all five of his attempts from behind the arc. He eclipsed his previous high on the final Tennessee shot of the game, hitting a 3-pointer falling away into the student section with 12 seconds left on the clock.
National Player of the Year candidate Grant Williams added 24 points to go along with a game-high seven rebounds. Combined, the duo tallied 52 points, shooting 18-of-28 (64.3 percent) from the field.
Tennessee held the Wildcats to a season-low 52 points and 31.8 percent shooting from the field while limiting them to just 10 points in the paint, outscoring Kentucky by 18 points on the block. It was the fewest points scored by a Kentucky team since March, 13, 2013, and tied the second fewest points it has scored in the John Calipari era.
Within the first four minutes of the second half, Tennessee stretched its 13-point halftime lead to 20 points, getting to the rim on four of its first five field goals. The 10-4 run was capped by a fastbreak up-and-under finish from Lamonte Turner to push it to a 47-27 edge with 16:17 left in the game.
It was the largest lead of the game for UT, and from that point forward, it held a double-digit lead through the rest of the game. In the second half, Kentucky only came within 13 points of Tennessee, as PJ Washington was the only Wildcat player to score in double figures. Washington also had four turnovers in the game as Kentucky’s 17 turnovers in the game were its most in SEC play this season.
Turner finished with a team-high six assists, with five coming in the final 20 minutes of the game.
After trailing 6-0 to start the game, Tennessee, led by seven points from Bone, went on an 11-1 run to put the Vols in front by four at the 14:06 mark of the first half.
UT had the edge the rest of the first half, as it limited Kentucky to just 15.3 percent shooting (4-of-26) in the final 18 minutes of the half. The Vols defense helped them push the lead out to as many as 14 points in the first half.
After the game sat at 23-18 for nearly three minutes, Admiral Schofield got the ball in the left corner. Schofield drove baseline before elevating, throwing down a one-handed slam over Kentucky’s Nick Richards.
On the very next possession with Williams as the last player up the court, the ball found him at the top of the key. He stepped into a three and knocked it down to give Tennessee a 28-18 lead with 4:03 left in the first.
Bone and Williams both ended the half in double figures. Bone led the way with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, while Williams chipped in 11 points, including eight from the free throw line. Behind their 23 combined points, Tennessee took a 37-24 advantage into the halftime break.
Home Streak: Saturday’s victory extends Tennessee’s home win streak to 25 games, which dates to last season and is the second-longest in the nation. It also marks the Vols’ fourth consecutive home win over Kentucky, making head coach Rick Barnes a perfect 4-0 against the Wildcats in Knoxville.
The Big Orange is also 10-0 in regular-season SEC rematch games, dating to the start of last season.
Jordan Bone Dominates UK: With point guard Jordan Bone’s career-high of 27 points, he has averaged 23 points against the Wildcats this season and has led the team in points in both contests this year. The junior also has an average of 4.5 assists per game against UK.
Defense Wins Games: Due to some solid defense on Tennessee’s part, this 19-point loss for Kentucky is its worst SEC loss since Feb. 4, 2017, when it lost to Florida by a margin of 22 points.
Tennessee also stopped Kentucky’s top-three scorers, holding freshman Keldon Johnson (13.6 ppg), freshman Tyler Herro (14.2 ppg) and sophomore PJ Washington (15 ppg) to just 26 points combined. The trio came in averaging 42.8 per game.
Scoring Drought: The Vols held Kentucky without a field goal for 9:32 in the first half, with UK missing 12 field goals during that span. At the start of the scoring drought, the score was 17-16 in favor of UT, and when the Wildcats ended the drought, Tennessee extended its lead to 34-21.
It’s Hard to Score Against UT: Tennessee held Kentucky to its fewest points in a game this season with 52. The previous lowest was 56 points against Vanderbilt on Jan. 12. It also marked the lowest field-goal percentage of the year for the Wildcats, shooting just 31.8 percent. The previous low for Kentucky was against Kansas with a 39.1 shooting percentage.
First Half Woes for the Cats: UT’s defense clamped down on Wildcats in the first 20 minutes, holding them to just 24 points, their lowest of the season. The Wildcats’ previous low was 28 against Vanderbilt (1/12) and Arkansas (2/26). The Big Orange also held Kentucky to a 23 percent field-goal percentage, 6-for-26 from the field.
Up Next: Tennessee plays its final home game of the season in Thompson-Boling Arena Tuesday night against Mississippi State. The Vols will honor Kyle Alexander, Lucas Campbell, Admiral Schofield and Brad Woodson as a part of Senior Night. Tipoff versus the Bulldogs is set for 9 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
FULLERTON, Calif. — Due to heavy rain on Saturday morning, Tennessee’s two remaining games in the Judi Garman Classic have been canceled.
The Lady Vols will be back in action next weekend for the start of SEC play as they travel to Gainesville, Fla., to face the Gators.
With the cancellation of Day 4 of the tournament, Cal State Fullerton’s Athletics Ticket Office will be refunding Single Day 4 passes. For additional ticket questions contact the Ticket Office at 657-278-2783 or email athletictixs@fullerton.edu. Please note that phone calls and emails may not be returned until Monday, March 4.
For the fourth year in a row, Tennessee defeated Kentucky 71-52 in a dominating performance at sold out Thompson-Boling Arena. It’s the first time UT has won four in a row in Knoxville over the Wildcats (24-5, 13-3 SEC) since taking seven in a row from 1979-85.
The seventh-ranked Vols (26-3, 14-2 SEC) are back in position to win consecutive SEC regular-season titles for the first time ever.
They are likely to move ahead of fourth-ranked Kentucky in the polls and in the all-important Joe Lunardi brackets.
And they are back in the conversation for being a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Tennessee has also had back-to-back 25 win seasons for the first time ever and has won 25 in a row at home.
Tennessee whipped Kentucky as bad as the Cats routed the Vols in Rupp Arena Feb. 16 thanks mainly to a suffocating defense. Kentucky, which shot 54% in Rupp, hit only 31.8% — and just 5 of 19 on 3s. Conversely, UT shot 43.5% — 50% in the second half – and canned 8 of 22 on 3s. UT also outscored UK 28-10 in the point and stayed within three in rebounds compared to the 39-26 disadvantage in Rupp.
It wasn’t hard to figure out the 36 point scoring differential in the two games.
“They were the aggressor today and we weren’t,’’ Kentucky coach John Calipari said, “We were the aggressor and they weren’t at our place.’’
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes agreed. He also applauded his team’s defense, physicality and the play of point guard Jordan Bone.
In a game with plenty of NBA prospects, Bone was the best player on the court. He scored a career-high 27 points on 5-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc and 11 of 15 overall. He also had three rebounds, three assists and no turnovers.
And each time Kentucky made a mini-run, Bone hit a clutch shot, whether a 3-pointer or a driving layup.
“He really was (brilliant),’’ Barnes said of Bone.
Bone is playing about 10 more minutes per game this year and Barnes felt the extra minutes Bone accrued in December when teammate Lamonte Turner was out with a shoulder injury has proven beneficial.
Asked if this was his best game in a UT uniform, Bone said, “I don’t know, you tell me.’’
Bone did say it might have been his best offensive outing but he felt he played better defense a few days ago against Ole Miss.
Bone bemoaned the fact that Kentucky was the more physical team in the first matchup and wanted it more than the Vols.
“You don’t ever want to say that after a game,’’ Bone said.
Bone and his teammates don’t have to.
There was one other difference in the two contests between the SEC’s top two ranked teams: Kentucky didn’t have senior transfer Reid Travis, out with an injury. UK missed his toughness and consistency, Calipari said.
“We would have had to play one of our best games in 10 years to win without Reid Travis,’’ Calipari said. “Even if we’d played well, they’d have beaten us the way they played. They fought and battled.’’
Calipari added: “We had some guys intimidated by the situation and they couldn’t make shots. … We played like freshmen. We played like a deer in headlights.’’
Bone wasn’t UT’s only star. Grant Williams, who might have cemented SEC Player of Year honors for the second year in a row, had 24 points and seven rebounds and outplayed UK’s PJ Washington, who was held to 13 points and three rebounds.
Good thing Bone and Williams combined for 51 points because UT didn’t get much out of Admiral Schofield (7 points on 3 of 13 shooting), Lamonte Turner (4 points on 2 of 10 shooting) and Kyle Alexander (0 points, six rebounds and five fouls).
Turner and Schofield were 0 of 10 from 3-point range.
But that didn’t matter, not when the SEC’s best point guard and the reigning SEC player of the year were carrying the Vols.
PARTING SHOT: Calipari, whose team was a No. 1 seed entering the UT game, according to Lunardi, was asked if the loss to Tennessee would hurt Kentucky’s chances of being a No. 1 seed.
“No, because other teams lose and they move up in the polls,’’ Calipari said.
PARTING SHOT 2: Kentucky had what appears to be the smallest following ever at Thompson-Boling Arena, which is more than 30 years old.
It looked like fewer than 100 from the Big Blue Nation were in the stands.
Observers said UT had almost 500 fans in Rupp Arena two weeks ago.
Sponsored by Big Kahuna Wings: The wings that changed it all
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — With major SEC Title implications on the line, seventh-ranked Tennessee is set for another top-10 clash Saturday, hosting No. 4 Kentucky in a sold-out Thompson-Boling Arena.
The game will tip at 2 p.m. ET and will be televised on CBS. Fans can listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp describing the action.
With a chance to repeat as SEC Champions, the Vols (25-3, 13-2 SEC) are currently in a 3-way tie for first place in the league with the Wildcats and LSU. UT clinched a top-4 seed and a double-bye for the conference tournament with a win on Wednesday at Ole Miss. National Player of the Year candidate Grant Williamsknocked down a shot with three seconds left to take the lead over the Rebels, while Admiral Schofield sealed the victory by drawing a charge on the other end of the floor as Ole Miss tried to answer.
Kentucky (24-4, 13-2 SEC) has been on fire recently, winning 14 of its last 15 game. Sophomore forward P.J. Washington (15.0 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.1 bpg) has inserted himself into the National Player of the Year conversation with his impressive play lately, while a trio of freshmen guards in Keldon Johnson, Ashton Hagans and Tyler Herro have been a major presence on both ends of the floor for the Wildcats.
THE SERIES
• Tennessee trails the all-time series with Kentucky, 155-71, dating to 1910.
• The Wildcats have a 52-50 edge when the series is played in Knoxville.
• Tennessee has beaten Kentucky in Knoxville in each of the last three seasons and has never lost at home to the Wildcats under Rick Barnes.
A WIN WOULD…
• Preserve Tennessee’s perfect home record this season.
• Give the Vols four consecutive home wins over Kentucky.
• Make the Vols 2-2 this season against top-five opponents.
• Stretch the Vols’ home win streak to 25 games, dating to last season.
• Make Tennessee 10-0 in regular-season SEC rematch games dating to the start of last season.
STORYLINES
• Tennessee is in a three-way tie for first place in the SEC standings with Kentucky and LSU.
• Two of Tennessee’s three losses this season have come in overtime, and all three were away from home against top-15 opponents and Q1 teams.
• For the second year in a row, the Vols are assured of finishing the season with single-digit losses.
• Saturday’s game is Tennessee’s sixth home sellout of the season. That is a single-season record at Thompson-Boling Arena.
• Tennessee’s average home attendance of 18,771 ranks fourth nationally.
• Three Vols rank among the SEC’s top 10 in field-goal percentage. Grant Williams ranks second (.568), Admiral Schofield ranks fifth (.483) and Jordan Bone ranks seventh (.470). Tennessee’s current starting five has combined to shoot .511 this season.
ABOUT KENTUCKY
• John Calipari’s squad has been playing the best basketball of any team in the country as of late, winning 14 of its last 15 games. In non-conference play, UK logged ranked wins over North Carolina, Louisville and Kansas. Kentucky dropped its first matchup of the SEC slate but responded by winning its next nine.
• Sophomore forward P.J. Washington (15.0 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.1 bpg) has inserted himself into the National Player of the Year conversation with his impressive play lately. As the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, Washington has scored at least 20 points in seven of the last 10 games and has recorded three of his seven double-doubles during that stretch.
• Forward Keldon Johnson (13.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.6 apg) gave the Vols fits in the first matchup with 19 points. He is one of several talented freshmen on the team. The backcourt duo of Ashton Hagans (7.6 ppg, 4.4 apg, 2.2 rpg, 1.9 spg) and Tyler Herro (14.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.0 spg) leads Kentucky in assists and steals per game and has been crucial in the maturation of the team.
• In a freshman class that featured multiple guards, UK needed some depth in the frontcourt and landed graduate transfer forward and All-Pac 12 performer Reid Travis (11.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg, .516 FG%) from Stanford. Travis also brings much-needed experience to the Wildcats, who also returned several pieces from last season’s SEC Tournament Championship squad.
• Kentucky plays a similar style to Tennessee. UT ranks first in the SEC in field-goal percentage and field-goal percentage defense, while UK ranks second (.480 FG%, .402 FG% defense). In scoring defense, the Wildcats are second in the conference, holding opponents to an average of 64.9 points per game.
LAST MEETING VS. KENTUCKY
• After the best run in program history, Tennessee’s 19-game win streak came to an end on Feb. 16, 2019, with an 86-69 loss against No. 5 Kentucky in Rupp Arena.
• The Wildcats opened the second half with a 14-0 run and never looked back, handing the Vols their first loss in conference play.
• Jordan Bone was the leading scorer for UT, finishing with 19 points and six assists. Admiral Schofield added 17 points and six rebounds. Grant Williams was Tennessee’s other double-digit scorer with 16 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals.
• Kentucky was on fire in the first 3:24 of the second half, building a 20-point lead. Tennessee used a 13-0 run to cut the deficit to 11 points, but the swing in momentum was too much for UT to overcome.
• Kentucky sophomore PJ Washington led all scorers with 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting, while freshman Keldon Johnson added 19 points for the Wildcats.
• Tennessee struggled out of the gate, shooting 3-of-10 from the floor compared to Kentucky’s 7-of-12. Overall for the period, the Wildcats outshot the Vols 59 percent to 47 percent. Despite the slow start, UT was able to keep the game within striking distance with several timely shots.
• Kentucky found plenty of success on the glass in the opening half, out-rebounding the Big Orange, 17-11. Washington was a force in the paint for UK, posting 13 points of 6-of-7 shooting to go along with three boards and two blocks. Johnson also had 13 points in the half behind a trio of 3-pointers.
• Williams hit a pair of clutch threes earlier in the half to counter the Wildcats’ momentum. He, along with Bone and Schofield, led the Vols in scoring with eight points each, as Kentucky hit seven of its final eight shots to take a 37-31 lead into halftime.
MEMORABLE VOL PERFORMANCES AGAINST KENTUCKY
• Kevin Punter Jr.’s 27 points were the most scored by a Vol against the Kentucky in 10 years as Tennessee defeated the Wildcats, 84-77, Feb. 2, 2016, in Knoxville. The senior point guard made three 3-pointers and was 11-of-12 at the free-throw line.
• Chris Lofton reeled off 31 points, Major Wingate scored 12 and longtime NBA point guard C.J. Watson added 10 as No. 11 Tennessee beat Kentucky 75-67 at Rupp Arena on Feb. 7, 2006.
• Beating the Wildcats was three times as nice during the 1978-79 season. UT notched program win No. 900 in Lexington on Jan. 20, 66-55, before topping UK 101-84 in Knoxville on Feb. 17. Then the Vols won the 1979 SEC Tournament with a 75-69 win over UK in Birmingham, Alabama, on March 3. Current Vol Network radio analyst Bert Bertelkamp was a junior on that Tennessee team.
• As Bernard King walked off the court at Memorial Gym after a deflating 88-82 loss on Jan. 13, 1975, a Kentucky fan flipped a lit cigarette into the Tennessee legend’s hair. Outraged, King vowed he would never lose to Kentucky again. He vigorously carried out that promise, finishing his career 5-1 against the Wildcats.
BARNES + CALIPARI = 1,300+ WINS
• Saturday’s game features the two winningest coaches (total career Division I wins) in the SEC.
• John Calipari is the league’s active leader in career wins, with 702. Rick Barnes is a close second with 686 victories to his credit.
• Among all active Division I head coaches, Calipari and Barnes rank sixth and seventh, respectively, in total head coaching wins.
• Barnes and Calipari became friends while working a Pitt basketball camp in the late 1970s. The star player at that camp? Current Arizona head coach Sean Miller.
SERIES HISTORY & NOTES
• The Kentucky series is UT’s oldest and most-played among SEC opponents. The Vols and Wildcats first met on Feb. 5, 1910, and have clashed 226 times over the years.
• On 11 different occasions—first in 1950 and most recently in 2017—Tennessee has defeated a Kentucky team ranked in the AP top five.
• No program in college basketball has logged more wins over Kentucky than Tennessee (71).
• Kentucky is one of only two SEC schools (along with Alabama) to lead its all-time series against the Volunteers.
• Four Tennessee All-Americans were Kentucky natives: Allan Houston, Chris Lofton, Danny Schultz and Paul “Lefty” Walther.
• Tennessee has 14 all-time wins over the Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena, including three straight.
CALIPARI AMONG TENNESSEE’S
MOST-FACED ACTIVE COACHES
• On Saturday, John Calipari will coach his 26th career game against the Vols. Among active college coaches, that will tie for the most career meetings against Tennessee.
COACH MEETINGS UT’s RECORD vs.
Tubby Smith 26 7-19 John Calipari 25 9-16
Frank Martin 13 9-4
Mark Gottfried 13 4-9
VOLS HAVE NINE WINS AGAINST CALIPARI 2.0
• Since UK coach John Calipari returned to the college game in 2000-01, Tennessee has dealt him nine losses. No team has more wins over Calipari-coached teams during that span.
TEAM WINS TENNESSEE 9
Florida 8
Louisville 7
Cincinnati 5
Kansas, Ole Miss, Southern Miss 4
TENNESSEE’S WINS TOTAL AMONG PROGRAM’S BEST
• Tennessee has recorded 25 wins for the fifth time in program history. This is the first time the Vols have done so in back-to-back seasons.
RECORD SEASON SEASON RESULT
31-5 2007-08 NCAA Sweet Sixteen
28-9 2009-10 NCAA Elite Eight
26-9 2017-18 NCAA Second Round
26-7 999-2000 NCAA Sweet Sixteen
25-3 2018-19 TBD
SECOND TIME’S A CHARM
• Over the last two seasons, Rick Barnes and his staff have guided the Volunteers to a 9-0 record in regular-season rematch games (SEC Tournament games not included).
• Tennessee was 5-0 when facing SEC foes for a second time last season, and the Vols are 4-0 so far this year (wins over Missouri, Florida, South Carolina and Vanderbilt).
GRANT’S ‘AND-1’s’ ARE AUTOMATIC
• National Player of the Year candidate Grant Williams has dozens of noteworthy statistics and accomplishments this season, but here is one the most impressive…
• Williams has successfully converted on 29 of 30 “and-1” attempts (.967). If he’s fouled on a made basket, the resulting free throw has been almost automatic.
