College Station, Texas – 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 in Reed Arena.
UT (17-9, 6-7 SEC) was led in scoring by sophomore guard Evina Westbrook who had 17 points and five assists. Senior forward Cheridene Green posted a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, 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.
Texas native Zaay Green got off to a hot start, scoring UT’s first four points to give the Lady Vols their first lead of the game at 4-2. Both teams struggled from the floor in the opening minutes, combining for just 14 points by the 3:49 mark when UT led 8-6. Tennessee maintained its lead until Carter converted on an old-fashioned three-point play to put the Aggies up by three at 17-14 with just over a minute to play. Cheridene Green, though, knocked down a short jumper in traffic to cut the lead to one by the end of the first.
Wells hit two 3-pointers and Carter knocked down two jumpers to put A&M up 29-23 at the 6:18 mark, but Mimi Collins answered with back-to-back buckets to cut the lead to one with just over three minutes remaining in the half. Wells responded by knocking down her third trey of the quarter to put the Aggies back up by four before Cheridene Green nailed a jumper to cut the deficit to two with 1:45 to play. In the closing seconds Zaay Green narrowly missed a 10-foot jumper that would have tied the game at 32 all, and Washington capitalized, knocking down a three at the buzzer to put Texas A&M up 35-30 at the half.
Davis scored the first bucket of the second half to put the Lady Vols within three, but the Aggies mounted a 6-0 run to lead by nine at the 7:51 mark. Jackson answered by knocking down a jumper on the fast break, but A&M then scored eight unanswered points to go up 49-34 with 4:57 left in the quarter. The Aggies went on to ride a nearly 70-percent shooting percentage in the third quarter to a 62-42 lead entering the final stanza.
After A&M knocked down the initial basket of the fourth, the Lady Vols put together a 6-0 run to pull within 15 with just under eight minutes left in the game. The Aggies responded with Johnson and Carter combining to stretch the lead to 23. Westbrook knocked down eight points in the final five minutes, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tables.
Up Next: Tennessee will return home to host No. 13/13 South Carolina on Sunday at 4 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
Cleaning The Glass: UT out-rebounded A&M 44 to 41 and is averaging 45.0 rpg. in SEC play while holding opponents to an average of 34.6 rpg. UT has now outworked 22 of 26 opponents on the glass this season, including 12 of 13 in SEC play.
Big Green Reounding Machine: Cheridene Green snagged a game-high 12 rebounds while scoring 11 points to post her eighth career double-double and sixth of the season. She has recorded 10+ rebounds in eight of 13 SEC games.
Westbrook Dishin’: Evina Westbrook had five assists against the Aggies, moving her total of games with 5+ assists to 17 on the season.
ATLANTA – The Atlanta Tipoff Club named Tennessee junior Grant Williams a semifinalist for the 2019 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award.
“Defense makes up a huge part of every win in college basketball, and we’re excited to recognize those who defend the hardwood,” Atlanta Tipoff Club Executive Director Eric Oberman said. “These players represent on-court toughness and a defensive tenacity that make them worthy of consideration for this award.”
The reigning SEC Player of the Year, Williams leads the fifth-ranked Volunteers in rebounding (7.6 rpg), steals (30) and charges drawn (7) while ranking second in blocks (39). He is the only player on the team with at least 20 blocks and 20 steals this season.
Tennessee (24-2, 12-1 SEC) is ranked 15th in the country and tops the SEC in field-goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 39 percent from the floor. The Big Orange’s stout defense has held opponents to fewer than 60 points on six occasions.
Williams’ 144 career blocks is the fifth most in program history. The junior forward only needs nine more blocks to rank among the program’s all-time top three. Teammate Kyle Alexander recently moved into sole possession of second place (168 blocks) on the list. The rim-protecting duo is a big reason the Volunteers rank fourth in the country in blocks per game (5.6 bpg).
This season, Williams has logged multiple blocks in 13 games and multiple steals in 10. He has recorded four performances with multiple blocks and steals in the game, including three blocks and two steals to go along with 22 points and 10 rebounds against Wake Forest.
Williams has received other recent accolades, garnering Midseason All-American recognition from Sporting News and Sports Illustrated. He was named to the John R. Wooden Award Player of the Year late season watch list, the Naismith Trophy Men’s Player of the Year Award Midseason Team, the Oscar Robertson Trophy Final Midseason Watch List and a finalist for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award.
For the season, the Charlotte, N.C., native is averaging an SEC-best 19.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals per game, while shooting 58 percent from the field and 83 percent from the free-throw line.
Ashton Hagans from Kentucky joins Williams as the only players from the SEC named to the 10-player list.
On better defensive performance:
“I thought it was a great response effort wise. We had a great practice on Monday, and that effort carried over to the Vanderbilt game. Obviously we didn’t make shots, but the effort was great, and the intensity was there. That is a step in the right direction.”
Credit: UT Athletics
On offensive performance:
“I thought we were a little bit tentative. Our execution wasn’t all the way there. We didn’t look as sharp as we have been, and the pace wasn’t to our liking as we got later in the game. The pace was good early because we were getting stops, and then we weren’t converting in transition enough. Execution wise, we could have been a little bit sharper.”
On not being too selfish/unselfish:
“I think we have an unselfish group. I think we have to remain true to who we are as a team and compete. Selfishness rears its head when you lose perspective a little bit, and the kids have gone through a stretch that was unprecedented for all of us. Sometimes, you lose perspective and that can creep into your play. I think we have the ultimate fisherman to reel them back in, and I thought he did that. It showed in our effort and our collectiveness on Tuesday, but we just weren’t at our best offensively.”
On Tremont Waters:
“He is such a gifted player. He can score at all three levels. For a guy at his size, he has an uncanny ability to finish in traffic at the rim. He can do it at the midrange, and he can shoot it from deep. He plays a fearless brand of basketball, and he is just so good with the ball in his hands. Then, he has the ability to get his teammates involved. He is certainly the guy that makes them go.”
On LSU’s rebounding:
“We thought that West Virginia presented that challenge as well going into that game. Obviously, we thought we were prepared for what we were going to see against Kentucky, but we weren’t. This is as big as a challenge on the glass as anybody. Even if we fight that fight really hard like Florida did last night, you are going to lose some of those battles throughout the game because of their size and talent. If we stay constant in the fight, then maybe we will win enough over the course of the game.”
On LSU’s aggressive nature:
“They have a terrific young coach. It is also recruiting too, because they have some cats that can go do it too. It is rare and something that has always been a part of Coach Barnes program as well, so we can relate to it, even though it isn’t as characteristic of this group as much as we would like it to be. We definitely respect it because we realize the impact it can have on winning.”
On Naz Reid:
“Wow, what a talent that young man is. I’m watching film on him, and I’m saying, ‘how much of this do I want to show the guys?’ He is so unique because he can turn over either shoulder, turn his back to the basket, can face the basket, and step out and shoot the basketball with consistency. When you take that away, he can drive it and he is a great passer. He is checking so many boxes. It is rare you get a guy that young and that big and physically talented who actually plays with a high motor. He is a tremendous talent.”
On playing teams coming off a loss:
“I think we will learn a little bit this week from last week. I think what we have tried to do is to make the focus on ourselves. We know we have a big challenge ahead of us on Saturday. They are a really good team, and they really know how to finish and win close games. It is a great characteristic to have, and it really speaks to their coaching staff that he can have his group playing this well in his second year with young players closing out games. He deserves a lot of credit.”
On bench play:
“That is a point of emphasis for us. We were trending on playing more bench minutes. The game kind of dictated the rotation because we didn’t get the traction that we needed. If you look back to last year’s game, this was a game where Derrick Walker played 14 minutes and John Fulkerson combined for about 20 minutes in the game. Jalen Johnson is really starting to establish himself with some minutes in the rotation, and Yves Pons is working his way back into form.”
On offensive woes:
“I don’t think there is any need for turn around. I think the season always presents challenges and ups and downs. It felt good to have the feeling that we were immune to having ups and downs. We hadn’t lost since Thanksgiving going into that game. We can’t overreact to a couple of games that we weren’t prolific, offensively. We might have overacted that we had so many good games offensively if you really think about it. I think it is the natural course of the season, but we got spoiled there for a little bit. We got brought down to earth, but we are a good offensive team, and we will some good nights and may have bad ones along the way.”
On learning from the Kentucky game:
“Every game this season has been a good experience. Even the Kentucky game was a good experience for us. How do you know what it’s like to be No. 1 unless you get to be No. 1? We got into a situation where we were taking teams best shot. It turns out that Kentucky’s best shot is better than most. We just learned another lesson. The elite programs have a sense of what that is. We have guys on our team that have had 16 win seasons. We have a group of guys that have had a losing season. Most teams who have had a losing season don’t get to experience being No. 1. We chalk it up as an other experience to grow from.”
On having 3 games in a week:
“For this game, we did tweak some stuff in practice. I think if we had Monday back we might of cut about 10 minutes off in that one. We had our best practice of the year Monday in terms of competition. It didn’t totally reflect itself in the game, but it was good to see that. Certainly this week, we have to be mindful of the schedule for sure.”
Tennessee men’s basketball associate head coach Rob Lanier spoke to the media in a group session on Thursday ahead of Tennessee’s game this Saturday at LSU.
Brooks & Dunn are back in the saddle with a new Reboot album that features an all-star cast of artists performing duets with country’s greatest duo.
Artists taking part in the project include Kacey Musgraves, Kane Brown, Thomas Rhett, Brett Young, Lanco, Ashley McBryde, Midland, Luke Combs, Brothers Osborne, Cody Johnson, Jon Pardi and Tyler Booth.
On Feb. 21, Brooks & Dunn revealed the track listing for the new album, which will drop on April 5. In addition to previously released songs “Brand New Man” with Luke Combs and “Believe” with Kane Brown, Brooks and Dunn released their collaboration with Jon Pardi on “My Next Broken Heart.”
“This whole experience has been humbling to say the least,” says Ronnie Dunn. “What a cool rush to hear somebody do one of your tunes in a unique way, and it still holds up. That’s the greatest compliment you can get as an artist. People used to ask us all the time about the legacy we wanted to leave, and it’s honestly just that—you hope the music stands up over time. This is the first opportunity we’ve had to run it up a new flagpole . . . and it really flies.”
“They’re making their own music,” says Kix Brooks about the Reboot guest list. “But just like we did, they still remember and respect the music they grew up with. It makes you feel good that these acts were inspired by us in some small way.”
The new album will be Brooks & Dunn’s first studio album since 2007’s Cowboy Town. Brooks & Dunn have more than a dozen upcoming tour dates scheduled, including six shows in Vegas this summer with Reba McEntire.
Reboot Track List
1. Brand New Man (with Luke Combs)
2. Ain’t Nothing ‘Bout You (with Brett Young)
3. My Next Broken Heart (with Jon Pardi)
4. Neon Moon (with Kacey Musgraves)*
5. Lost and Found (with Tyler Booth)
6. Hard Workin’ Man (with Brothers Osborne)
7. You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone (with Ashley McBryde)
8. My Maria (with Thomas Rhett)
9. Red Dirt Road (with Cody Johnson)
10. Boot Scootin’ Boogie (with Midland)
11. Mama Don’t Get Dressed Up For Nothing (with LANCO)
12. Believe (with Kane Brown)
Produced by Dann Huff
*Produced by Dann Huff and Kacey Musgraves
Following back-to-back No. 1 hits, “Women, Amen” and “Burning Man,” from his 2018 album, The Mountain, Dierks Bentley shipped a new single, “Living,” to country radio on Feb. 19.
The anthemic new track beckons listens to find beauty in everyday moments, as well as to seek adventure. The chorus juxtaposes the difference between being alive and actually living life to the fullest, with lyrics like: “Some days you just breath in / Just try to break even / Sometimes your heart’s poundin’ out of your chest / Sometimes it’s just beatin’ / Some days you just forget / What all you’ve been given.”
While Dierks says his goal in 2019 is to get outdoors more and seek adventure, he noted that he’s also trying to be fully present—and put his smart phone away—in everyday moments, like his son’s jiu-jitsu practice or his daughters’ theater performances.
In a sit-down interview on The Blair Garner Show on Feb. 20, Dierks had been discussing his new single with the titular host when he detailed one of his “heart’s pounding’ out of your chest” moments—first solo flight more than 20 years ago.
“I had 7.7 hours of flying time with an instructor,” says Dierks. “It was a little airfield in Nashville that’s no longer there called Cornelia Fort, and I was in a little Cessna. The instructor was like, ‘You’re good to go.’ I remember taking off and seeing a Southwest plane flying over my head, because it was right over by Nashville’s international airport. There was no GPS, it was all about visual flying, so I’m trying to find certain landmarks that tell me where the airport is. Once you take off and start flying around, it’s easy to get lost. So I was following the Cumberland River past the Dow Chemical factory and the airport was off to the right. I was able to find the airport and put [the plane] back down again. It was an amazing feeling. I wasn’t really scared, but I was nervous about these big planes flying overhead and making sure I knew where to put the plane back down again. That was back when I was 19 years old, so I’ve been flying for a fair amount of time now. It never ceases to amaze me how amazing aviation is and what a game-changer it is for me with kids and a family. It would be very difficult to continue without it.”
Maren Morris revealed the track listing for her upcoming album, Girl, which drops on March 8.
In addition to previously announced lead single, “Girl,” the 14-track offering features collaborations with Brothers Osborne on “All My Favorite People” and Brandi Carlile on “Common.”
“Girl” is currently No. 28 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart after five weeks.
In addition, Maren will release the track “Bones” on Feb. 21 at 11 p.m. CT.
Carrol Thompson, 79, the mother of Thompson Square’s Keifer Thompson, died unexpectedly on Feb. 20 in Miami, Okla.
The husband-and-wife duo cancelled their shows on Feb. 21 in Mayetta, Kan., and on Feb. 23 in Nashville.
Thompson Square is best known for their 2010 hit, “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not.” The tandem won the ACM Award for Vocal Duo of the Year in 2012 and 2013.
NCD will update this post once a statement is released.
[Updated, Feb. 22]
Shawna posted a brief message on Thompson Square’s Facebook page on Feb. 21, noting: “Keifer wanted me to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Here are his Mother’s arrangements. Please continue to pray for our family. With lots of love, Shawna.”
Alice Carrol Thompson of Miami, OK passed from this life Wednesday, February 20, 2019 at her home. She was 79.
Carrol was born September 21, 1939 in Wagner, OK to William Kenneth “Fibber” and Jewel (Hunter) Magee. Carrol graduated from Wyandotte High School class of 1958. She had lived most of her life in Miami. She was a member of Immanuel Baptist Church in Miami and was the church secretary for almost 30 years and the Children’s Department Director for over 50 years. She loved to write in her journals and she loved to read.
Carrol married Darrien L. Thompson October 22, 1960 and he survives of the home. Additional survivors include her son Darrien Keith Thompson and his wife Shawna of Nashville, TN, her daughter Rebecca Sue Grigg and her husband Steve of Daphne, AL and 2 grandchildren Samantha White and Cooper Thompson.
Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, February 23, 2019 at Immanuel Baptist Church in Miami, OK. Rev. Paul Simpson and Rev. Mark A. Nickles will officiate. Interment will follow in G.A.R. Cemetery in Miami, OK. Justin Stilley, Jared Stilley, Kevin Thompson, Kelly Thompson, Alex White and Steve Simpson will serve as pallbearers. The family will receive friends Friday evening from 6-8 p.m. at Immanuel Baptist Church. Services have been placed in the care of the Paul Thomas Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Miami, OK. Online condolences may be made at www.paulthomasfuenralhomes.com
To send flowers or a remembrance gift to the family of Alice Carrol Thompson, please visit our Tribute Store.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Lady Vol head coach Holly Warlick met with the media on Wednesday ahead of Tennessee’s (17-8, 6-6 SEC) matchup with No. 21/22 Texas A&M (19-6, 8-4 SEC) on Thursday night in College Station, Texas.
UT and the Aggies will meet for the first time this season at 8 p.m. CT (9 ET) tomorrow night at Reed Arena. The game will be televised on the SEC Network and broadcast on the Lady Vol Radio Network.
The Lady Vols enter this contest having won five of their past six games, most recently defeating RV/RV Missouri on the road, 62-60. Texas A&M comes into the game having won eight of its past 10 games, but it also dropped two of its past three. In their last game the Aggies suffered a 92-64 loss to No. 5/5 Mississippi State at home on Sunday.
On having fewer turnovers in the last couple of games:
“We talked about it, emphasized it and focused on it. We really talked a lot on taking great shots, and I think that has helped us with moving the ball and getting the defense to move. It has been a great thing for us.”
On the team’s confidence level:
“It’s huge right now. We put together two good games back-to-back. I thought we played solid in the third and fourth quarter against Auburn. We were really focused and really aggressive. Then we went to Missouri and did what we did. We were really tuned in. It was a big crowd. We had to be really solid with each other, and we were.”
On the defense playing a lot harder:
“I totally agree with you. Our defense has gotten a lot stronger. We have worked a lot on it. When you compare from January to where we are now, it is a night and day difference. It’s still not there yet, but we have confidence in it. That has been huge for us.”
On what makes Chennedy Carter so difficult to guard:
“She can shoot the three. She can get to the basket. She is really crafty in going side to side and going forward. She is going to get her points. We can’t foul her, give her uncontested shots or put her at the free-throw line. We have to make sure that no one else gets over their average. They are a great rebounding team. We can’t get caught up with Chennedy, we have to take care of everyone else as well.”
On what else they need to watch out for when facing the Aggies:
“Their inside player is really good. She is second in the conference in rebounding. I think Kayla Wells is playing with a lot of confidence. Their point guard is steady in getting everyone the ball. They don’t go deep into their bench, but the five that play are really solid. Their four player is a great rebounder as well. You have to be aware of Carter, but you have to take care of everyone else.”
On Mimi Collins contributing in recent games:
“Mimi (Collins) is so solid. Her defense has been what has held her back a little bit, but we have worked on it. She has really worked on it. She was so solid against Missouri. Mimi is one of those kids that is always around the ball. We want to play her more and we want to make sure she is efficient on the defensive end. If she plays a solid game like she did at Missouri, she is going to help us so much.”
On how important the win at Missouri is:
“For us, (the win at Missouri) was big. It gave us confidence. It reassured us that we were a solid basketball team and when we stick to the game plan and play with each other and help each other, we are solid. When we limit turnovers and take solid shots, we are a very good basketball team.”
On the struggle of keeping this team focused every game for the NCAA Tournament:
“It is (a struggle). I don’t know if they have really looked that far down the road. We talked in January and explained that these games now will help your seeding in the tournament. They don’t really think about that. Instead, we take it one game at a time, and they have done a great job. We had a good film session. They are focused on Texas A&M. If there’s a good thing that came from those losses, it’s the way we zero-in on our next opponent.”
On the importance of controlling the tempo against A&M:
“Well, it’s big. Coach Blair likes to control the tempo and play slow. We like to play fast and run when we can, similar to Missouri. If we can’t run, we don’t want to force something and turn it over. If we have to go deep in the shot clock on offense, then we want to do that. We are going to have to play solid for 30 seconds on the defensive end. They may run a play and we have to make sure they don’t keep it alive. A lot of times they run a play, and it breaks down, and Carter will just drive to the basket and make her own play. We have to be solid for the whole 30 seconds.”
On when she noticed her team started to turn the corner defensively:
“I think in the Mississippi State game; we were good until we ran out of steam. I think for the first two and a half quarters we were solid. Auburn, we started in a zone for the first two quarters, then we went man and it was some of the best man-to-man defense we have played.”
On this young team maturing throughout the season:
“They have had to grow up. They didn’t have a choice. It’s about a learning process, and what they didn’t know they know now. Each game they continue to learn. They are paying more attention. We just have to keep putting them in spots where they can play and not have to think. For that to happen, we have to keep going over things and understand what to do in certain situations. They are getting much better at that.”
On Zaay Green’s performance’s in big situations:
“What I love about Zaay is that she has played almost every position except the five. We have put her at the four and she makes it work. She is difficult to guard because she can shoot the three and she can go inside. She is a strong rebounder. She plays the game. Zaay knows the game. Whatever position you put her in, you will get the most of her. She is going to figure out how to get into spots, score and get rebounds.”
On this team and the growing process they have been through:
“There is no question about there being a growing process. Most of these young ladies have always had the ball in their hands, and now they are having to learn how to play without the basketball and play with other great players. It was a learning process for Zaay. She has settled in. We have simplified our package for all of these young ladies. We just want her to play the game. Zaay is a great example of just playing basketball.”
On what the team has learned from the losses:
“No coach wants to lose, but if you do lose, you want to learn from it. We did. We understand that we need each other. We have a strong bond right now. It’s growing pains. When you lose, you start pointing fingers and start questioning a lot of things that you do. These kids came together and realized that they needed each other. I think that you can see the proof in the Missouri game. Different people scored and we got big stops down the stretch, and that was team defense.”
On the youth of the team going forward:
“This team is just continuing to get experience. We are going to continue to grow. I feel good about it. We have passed the point of ‘having to get mine,’ not that they did, but there is something about learning to play with each other, and I think that we have learned to play with each other.”
After being nominated in 2016, 2017 and 2018 for ACM Female Vocalist of the Year (now known as Female Artist of the Year), Kelsea Ballerini is noticeably absent from the category in 2019. In fact, Kelsea is noticeably absent from all categories in 2019.
Apparently, Kelsea had an abbreviated reaction to the news.
In a one-word tweet—which was later deleted—Kelsea simply posted: “Wow…”
You can check out a screen shot of the tweet below.
The Female Artist of the Year category takes into account factors such as “success at radio, sales of pre-recorded music, success in digital media, live concert ticket sales and vocal performances.”
Based on the aforementioned criteria, a strong case can be made that Kelsea should have been a shoo-in.
