Fifth-Ranked Vols Swarm Vanderbilt in 58-46 Win

Fifth-Ranked Vols Swarm Vanderbilt in 58-46 Win

Posted on February 20, 2019
Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 5 Tennessee extended its winning streak in Thompson-Boling Arena to 24 games Tuesday night, defeating the Vanderbilt Commodores, 58-46.

The Vols (24-2, 12-1 SEC) held the Commodores to their lowest scoring output of the season, limiting them to just 32 percent shooting from the field. Clevon Brown was the only Vanderbilt (9-17, 0-13 SEC) player to shoot better than 50 percent from the field, and he finished with just two points on 1-of-2 shooting.

After holding a nine-point edge at half, Tennessee continued to harass Vanderbilt defensively. UT limited the Commodores to just 23.5 percent shooting (8-of-34) in the second half. The Vols’ defensive effort helped them to their 14th double-digit home victory of the season and their 10th double-digit win in conference play.

Offensively, National Player of the Year candidate Grant Williams led the way with his sixth double-double of the season, posting a game-high 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Eight of his 11 boards came in the second half, including a key offensive rebound with 1:51 on the clock, helping Tennessee salt away the victory.

The win helped Tennessee secure the season sweep over Vanderbilt. The Big Orange had previously completed home-and-home sweeps over Missouri, Florida and South Carolina.

National Player of the Year candidate Admiral Schofield helped close out the victory, as 10 of his 12 points came in the second half, including a pair of 3-pointers.

Reigning Co-SEC Player of the Year Lamonte Turner finished with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Bob Cousy Award candidate Jordan Boneposted a team-high six assists to go along with nine points.

With Tennessee trailing at 13-12 at the 12:47 mark of the first half, Turner hoisted a three from the right wing and knocked it down while being fouled in the process.

After the junior converted the and-one opportunity, he came back down on the next possession and drilled another from behind the arc to give the Vols a six-point advantage.

That 7-0 run from Turner was a part of a larger 11-0 run, giving Tennessee a 21-13 lead midway through the first half. The run was capped when sophomore Jalen Johnson came flying in to get an offensive rebound, laying it in with 10:20 left in the first.

The Vols grabbed seven offensive rebounds in all in the first 20 minutes. That included a stick-back slam from sophomore John Fulkerson with 7:26 on the clock, which put Tennessee back up by eight points. The Vols’ lead grew to as large as 14 points in the first half before the Big Orange took a 36-27 lead into the locker room.

After hitting his third 3-pointer of the half, Turner led UT with 10 points at the half while also having a team-high five rebounds.

Home Streak: This is the 24th-straight home win for the Vols, which marks the second-longest active home winning streak in Division I. Houston leads the country with 32 consecutive home wins.

Defense Wins Games: The Vols held the Commodores to only 46 points, marking Vanderbilt’s lowest scoring game of the season. Vanderbilt shot 32.1 percent from the field and only 23.5 percent in the second half, its second-lowest mark of the season.

Despite averaging 13 points per game this season and scoring 21 points in the first matchup, Tennessee held Vanderbilt guard Saban Lee to eight points on the night. Lee finished just 3-of-8 from the field.

Double-Double Machine: Grant Williams had another double-double performance with 14 points and 11 rebounds, marking his sixth of the season and 11th of his career. With his 14 points on the night, Williams has now scored in double-digits in 24 games this season.

Domination over the ‘Dores: UT has now won six of the last seven meetings in the series with Vanderbilt. This victory extends Tennessee’s all-time series lead to 122-75, which dates back to 1922. The Vols now have a 72-20 edge when the contest is played in Knoxville.

Up Next: Tennessee travels to Baton Rouge, La., on Saturday in a meeting of the SEC’s top two teams. Tipoff versus the LSU Tigers is scheduled for noon ET on ESPN.

 

UT Athletics

Hoops Preview: Lady Vols at No. 21/22 Texas A&M

Hoops Preview: Lady Vols at No. 21/22 Texas A&M

Posted on February 19, 2019

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee (17-8, 6-6 SEC) is back on the road to take on No. 21/22 Texas A&M (19-6, 8-4 SEC) on Thursday night in College Station, Texas. Tip-off is slated for 8:02 p.m. CT (9:02 ET) at Reed Arena in a contest that is being carried by the SEC Network.

Including this match-up, the Lady Vols have four contests remaining during the regular season. Two are at home (No. 13/13 South Carolina, Vanderbilt) and two are away (No. 21/22 Texas A&M, Ole Miss). UT is closing out a five-game stint where it has played four of those five contests on the road. UT is 2-1 on the road and 1-0 at home during that stretch.

The Lady Vols enter this contest having won five of their past six games, including victories over LSU, Florida, Vanderbilt, Auburn and RV/RV Missouri. The loss was at Mississippi State on Feb. 10. UT notched a season split with Missouri on Sunday in Columbia, 62-60, exacting revenge for a 66-64 Tigers win in Knoxville on Jan. 6.

Texas A&M comes into the game having won eight of its past 10 games, but it also has dropped two of its past three. The Aggies are coming off a 92-64 home loss to No. 5/5 Mississippi State on Sunday and lost at Missouri on Feb. 7, 70-65 in overtime.

UT also lost to MSU by 28, falling on Feb. 10 in Starkville, 91-63, while playing without point guard Evina Westbrook, who sat out the game due to a violation of team rules (she missed a class).

BROADCAST INFORMATION

  • VFL Films product Courtney Lyle (play-by-play) and LVFL Tamika Catchings (analyst) will have the call for the SEC Network broadcast.
  • Mickey Dearstone is behind the microphone for IMG College/Lady Vol Network radio/online broadcasts for the 20th season. A link to the live audio stream can be found on each game’s Hoops Central page or the Lady Vol schedule on UTSports.com.
  • Air time for games on the Lady Vol Radio Network generally occurs 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
  • For UT home games, the Lady Vol Network has a low-power transmitter that makes the game available on the radio at 99.3 FM.
  • The game also can be found on Sirius 94, XM 190 and on SiriusXM app 961.

UT-TAMU SERIES NOTES

  • Tennessee holds an 8-4 all-time record vs. Texas A&M, dating back to Dec. 19, 1997.
  • UT is 3-1 in Knoxville, 1-2 in College Station and 4-1 at neutral sites vs. the Aggies.
  • Holly Warlick and the Big Orange women are 6-4 vs. hall-of-fame coach Gary Blair and A&M since the Aggies joined the Southeastern Conference.
  • A&M is 2-0 in overtime games vs. UT, defeating the Lady Vols in an extra frame the past two times these squads met in College Station.
  • Rennia Davis has an 11.5 ppg. average vs. the Aggies in two career games, scoring 12 in College Station and 11 in Knoxville a year ago.
  • Evina Westbrook averaged 6.5 ppg. and 6.5 apg. vs. A&M last season in two games.
  • Cheridene Green scored 12 at A&M vs. the Aggies, while Meme Jackson tallied 10 at home vs. Gary Blair’s squad.
  • In the initial meeting between these teams in Knoxville, on Feb. 28, 2013, Tennessee defeated A&M, 82-72, on Senior Day to give Holly Warlick an SEC regular-season championship on the Lady Vols’ home court in her first season as head coach. Her squad had been picked to finish as low as fifth and returned no starters.
  • Tennessee made its first-ever women’s basketball appearance in College Station on Jan. 26, 2014, and the (then) #11/12 Lady Vols picked up a key victory over the (then) #17/15 Aggies, 76-55. A&M was the SEC leader at the time of that defeat.
  • UT has met A&M in other tournaments, including one regular-season and one postseason event.
  • After both of those tourney wins over the Aggies, the Lady Vols would advance to, and win, the NCAA Final Four in 1997-98 and 2007-08.
  • In the first meeting, the #1/1 Lady Vols rolled to a 105-81 victory over the Aggies at the Northern Lights Invitational in Alaska in game two of a three-game stay.
  • The famed “Three Meeks” dazzled #8/9 A&M in that contest, as Chamique Holdsclaw tallied 29, Semeka Randall tossed in 23 and Tamika Catchings added a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds for #1/1 UT in the high-scoring affair.
  • In 2008, Candace Parker scored 26 points and Alexis Hornbuckle chipped in 14, as the Lady Vols defeated Texas A&M, 53-45, in the Oklahoma City Regional Final to advance to the Final Four in Tampa.

LADY VOL NOTES

  • Tennessee has turned the tables after a rough start to the league schedule, winning five of its last six games to go from 1-5 in the league to 6-6 entering the Texas A&M game.
  • After bursting to an 8-0 record and standing 12-1 after opening SEC play with a win at Auburn, a youthful Lady Vols team (7 of 10 active players are freshmen and sophomores) went through some harsh growing pains, losing six straight games from Jan. 6 to Jan. 24.
  • Losing four of the games by a combined nine points, UT dropped five consecutive league tilts before bouncing back with wins vs. LSU, Florida and Vandy, a loss at Mississippi State and wins over Auburn and Missouri.
  • UT trailed at No. 6/6 Mississippi State by three in the third quarter before the Bulldogs pulled away.
  • UT also fell to Notre Dame during the midst of the previously-mentioned six-game skid, 77-62, in a game the Lady Vols led at the half by three en route to their sixth straight loss.
  • The Notre Dame game seems to have been a turning point for this team.
  • Keep in mind that UT not only lost All-SEC players Mercedes Russell and Jaime Nared from a year ago, they lost the SEC’s 2018 6th Woman of the Year in 5-7 guard Anastasia Hayes, who was dismissed from the team due to a rules violation, and 6-3 graduate transfer Lou Brown, who started 71 games at Washington State and was expected to play a key role for Tennessee this season before being sidelined by a torn ACL.
  • UT features four players scoring in double figures, including two sophomores and a freshman.
  • Sophomores Evina Westbrook (15.8) and Rennia Davis (14.8) lead the way in scoring average, followed by senior Meme Jackson (11.1) and freshman Zaay Green (10.7).
  • After seeing Davis mired in a four-game slump, she has reemerged as a go-to player, firing in 24, 19, 17, 29, 15 and 16 points in the past six games to average 20.0 ppg. during that span.
  • Tennessee is 11-0 in games where it holds its opponents to 65 or fewer points, and it is 14-2 when limiting foes to 69 or fewer.
  • Tennessee ranks No. 1 in the Southeastern Conference and No. 3 in the NCAA in rebounds per game at 45.04.
  • The Lady Vols are allowing only 61.8 points per contest in their six SEC wins this season, compared to 77.0 in their SEC losses.

LAST TIME OUT FOR THE LADY VOLS

  • Tennessee earned a hard-fought victory over RV/RV Missouri on Sunday, coming from four points down in the final stanza to claim a 62-60 triumph in front of a crowd of 8,559 in Mizzou Arena.
  • Sophomore point guard Evina Westbrook led UT (17-8, 6-6 SEC) with 18 points and six assists, while sophomore forward Rennia Davis logged her 17th career double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Freshman forward Meme Collins also found her way into double digits, tying her career high of 11 points while adding six rebounds.
  • MU (19-8, 8-5 SEC) was led by Amber Smith with 14 points and five rebounds. Sophie Cunningham and Cierra Porter were close behind with 13 apiece.
  • The Tigers led for the first five and a half minutes of the final frame before Davis knocked down a three to put UT up by one at 55-54. Davis again came up clutch, knocking down two free throws with 52 seconds to play to put the Lady Vols up 62-60. Akira Levy got off a 3-pointer that would have given Missouri the lead with two seconds remaining, but it came up short and UT ran out the clock.

TEXAS A&M NOTES

  • Texas A&M returned one starter and five letterwinners from last year’s squad.
  • Chennedy Carter was that player, and the dynamic guard is leading the SEC at 22.1 ppg. in all games and 23.1 ppg. in league contests.
  • Kayla Wells (14.0) and Ciera Johnson (11.7) also score in double figures for the Aggies (19-6, 8-4 SEC).
  • A&M was 26-10 overall/11-5 in the SEC (6th) last year.
  • Carter was the 2018 consensus national freshman of the year, an AP All-American and All-SEC First Team.
  • The Aggies lost 2017-18 starters Anriel Howard (Miss. St.) and Danni Williams (Texas) as grad. transfers.

A&M’S LAST GAME

  • No. 22 Texas A&M fell 92-64 to No. 5 Mississippi State at Reed Arena on Sunday.
  • Texas A&M (19-6, 8-4 SEC) stormed out of the gates, as Chennedy Carter had 16 of her 28 points in the first quarter, jumping out to a 24-20 lead after a frame. Mississippi State only led 43-36 at halftime but extended its lead by making its first four 3-pointers in the second half.
  • In addition to Carter, who had 20+ points for the seventh time in the last eight games, Kayla Wells added 13 and Shambria Washington chipped in 10. Carter tied a Texas A&M record with her 32nd-consecutive game of scoring 10+ points.
  • Mississippi State (23-2, 11-1 SEC) was led by a 3-point barrage from Andra Espinoza-Hunter, who had 24 points on 7-of-9 3-point shooting.

THE LAST TIME WE MET

  • Senior Jaime Nared scored 23 points and No. 12/13 Tennessee allowed just eight points in the fourth quarter in an 82-67 win over No. 14/12 Texas A&M on Feb. 1, 2018, at Thompson-Boling Arena.
  • Five players reached double figures for the Lady Vols (18-4, 6-3 SEC). Mercedes Russell recorded 18 points and 13 rebounds to earn her 40th career double-double, while Anastasia Hayes netted 16 points, Rennia Davis scored 11 and Meme Jackson added 10.
  • UT showed a strong defensive effort in the second half, forcing 12 A&M turnovers and yielding no field goals over the final 3:21 of the game.
  • Chennedy Carter had 25 points for the Aggies (17-7, 6-3 SEC).

LAST TIME IN COLLEGE STATION

  • Danni Williams made three free throws with 7.8 seconds remaining in overtime to put No. 17/16 Texas A&M ahead and help hand No. 6/6 Tennessee its first loss of the season, 79-76, on Jan. 11, 2018, at Reed Arena.
  • Mercedes Russell recorded 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Lady Vols (15-1, 3-1 SEC).
  • Khaalia Hillsman led the Aggies (14-4, 3-1 SEC) with 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the floor and added 11 boards. Williams chipped in 22 of her own while going 3-for-7 from 3-point range.
  • Jaime Nared added 18 points for the Lady Vols, including four 3-pointers. Rennia Davis and Cheridene Green netted 12 each, and Evina Westbrook put up nine points while dishing out seven assists.

COMING UP FOR UT AND A&M

  • After its trip to Aggieland, Tennessee is back at home for its final two regular season home games. UT hosts No. 13/13 South Carolina on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET (ESPN2) and Vanderbilt next Thursday at 7 p.m. (SEC Network) in the Senior Night game for Cheridene Green and Meme Jackson.
  • Texas A&M, meanwhile, plays at Florida on Monday night, Feb. 25, in a 7 p.m. ET contest on the SEC Network.
UT Athletics
Kix Brooks & Ronnie Dunn Say Reba’s Boyfriend Has “Passed the Test, He’s a Great Guy”

Kix Brooks & Ronnie Dunn Say Reba’s Boyfriend Has “Passed the Test, He’s a Great Guy”

Posted on February 19, 2019

Reba McEntire’s boyfriend, Anthony “Skeeter” Lasuzzo, has the seal of approval from two of her longtime friends, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn.

Reba and Skeeter have been together for about 18 months, first making their relationship public at the 2018 Grammys. Since that time, Reba has filled her Instagram page with numerous pics of her beau, from red carpets and industry events to vacations in the U.S. and trips abroad.

In a sit-down interview on The Blair Garner Show, Kix and Ronnie told Blair that they are happy Reba has found a companion after her 26-year marriage to Narvel Blackstock ended in October 2015. Skeeter, a retired geologist and avid photographer, is a “good find.”

“Skeeter’s passed the test,” said Ronnie. “He’s down to earth, he’s an outdoors guy via West Texas and now lives in Jackson Hole, [Wyoming].”

“Skeeter’s the brother of one of my oldest friend’s wives,” added Kix. “My wife’s probably more responsible [for fixing them up] than I am. He’s a great guy. They’re having fun.”

“He’s dragging her out there, taking her beyond her comfort zone in some things—you see her all wrapped up in Jackson Hole in the Tetons chasing elk around. He’s a big photographer. Skeeter’s a good find.”

photo by Scooter, AFF-USA.com

Davis Named SEC WBB Player of The Week

Davis Named SEC WBB Player of The Week

Posted on February 19, 2019
Credit: UT Athletics

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Tennessee’s Rennia Davis has been named the Southeastern Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week, the league office announced on Tuesday.

The SEC Player of the Week award is the first of her career for Davis, who was twice honored last season as the conference’s freshman of the week.

She posted a pair of double-doubles on her way to averaging 15.5 points and 10.5 rebounds, as UT went 2-0 last week with victories over Auburn and Missouri. Davis, who played all 40 minutes in each game, connected on 11 of 25 attempts from the field (.440), two of five from the three-point arc (.400) and six of six from the charity stripe (1.000) for the week.

The 6-foot-2 native of Jacksonville, Fla., made six of 12 field goal attempts, including two of five from long range, to tally 16 points and 11 rebounds in helping UT knock off Mizzou in Columbia on Sunday. Davis hit a pair of free throws with 52 seconds left for what turned out to be the game’s final points in a 62-60 Lady Vol victory over an MU team that beat #5/5 Mississippi State on Thursday night. She is now 25 of 26 on free throws since Jan. 13. Davis also hit a crucial three-pointer with 4:48 remaining in the contest that put Tennessee on top by one after the Big Orange trailed by four on two occasions.

The double-double was Davis’ fourth in her past five games, improving her total to eight this season and 17 for her career. She ranks No. 4 and No. 6, respectively, in those categories among active SEC players.

Against Auburn last Thursday night, Davis supplied 15 points and 10 rebounds during UT’s triumph in what was classified by SEC observers as a must-win game for the Lady Vols. She finished five of 13 from the field, one of one from the arc and four of four from the charity stripe.

In the decisive third quarter, Davis scored six points and grabbed a pair of rebounds as UT blitzed Auburn 22-10 to turn a five-point halftime deficit into a 49-42 advantage en route to victory.

For the season, Davis now is averaging 14.8 ppg., 8.1 rpg., 1.4 spg. and 1.3 apg. while hitting 46 percent from the field and 88 percent from the free throw line. Her elevated play has contributed to Tennessee winning five of its past six games.

Davis and her teammates are preparing for a road trip to College Station, Texas, where UT (17-8, 6-6 SEC) will face No. 21 Texas A&M (19-6, 8-4 SEC) on Thursday at 8 p.m. CT (9 ET). The SEC Network will have the telecast, and the game also will be available on the Lady Vol Radio Network and Sirius 94, XM 190 and on SiriusXM app 961.

 

UT Athletics

Darius Rucker to Receive Humanitarian Award at Music Biz 2019

Darius Rucker to Receive Humanitarian Award at Music Biz 2019

Posted on February 19, 2019

Darius Rucker will be the recipient of the Music Business Association’s Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award for his years of philanthropic support to various charities, including St. Jude Children’s Hospital and MUSC Children’s Hospital in his hometown of Charleston, S.C.

Darius will be honored at the annual Music Biz 2019 Awards & Hall of Fame Dinner on May 7 at the JW Marriott Hotel in Nashville. Since its inception in 1981, the Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award has celebrated the legacy of singer-songwriter Harry Chapin, whose philanthropic work to end world hunger earned him the Congressional Gold Medal.

Previous recipients of the Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award include Martina McBride, Dee Snider, Melissa Etheridge, Annie Lennox, Jackson Browne, Norman Lear, Bonnie Raitt and more.

Since 2010, Darius’ annual benefit concert and golf tournament has raised millions of dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Through the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation, Darius and his bandmates have raised funds for more than 200 charitable causes that support public education and junior golf programs in South Carolina.

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Charley Pride’s “American Masters” Documentary to Air on PBS on Feb. 23 [Watch Trailer]

Charley Pride’s “American Masters” Documentary to Air on PBS on Feb. 23 [Watch Trailer]

Posted on February 19, 2019

After more than 50 years as a recording artist, Charley Pride will be the subject of a new documentary, American Masters—Charley Pride: I’m Just Me, on PBS on Feb. 22.

The film, which is narrated by Tanya Tucker, chronicles Charley’s improbable journey to country stardom, from his humble beginnings as a sharecropper’s son on a cotton farm in Mississippi and his career as a Negro League baseball player. The film includes interviews with Charley, Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson, Darius Rucker, Brad Paisley, Marty Stuart, Whoopi Goldberg and more.

“Charley deserves every accolade he can get,” said Willie Nelson. “And, uh, we’ll make up some new ones if we need to. He’ll deserve them too!”

Charley, a three-time Grammy winner, is considered country music’s first African-American superstar. He signed to RCA Victor in 1967 and earned a string of No. 1 hits, including “All I Have to Offer You (Is Me),” “(I’m So) Afraid of Losing You Again,” “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’,” “Amazing Love” and many more.

Charley won the CMA’s Entertainer of the Year award in 1971 and Top Male Vocalist in 1971 and 1972. Charley was the first African-American to perform on the Grand Ole Opry stage and he became the Opry’s first African-American member in 1993.

American Masters—Charley Pride: I’m Just Me airs on PBS on Feb. 22 at 9 p.m. ET. The film will stream on pbs.org beginning on Feb. 23.

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

How, When & Where to View the Nominations for the ACM Awards on Feb. 20

How, When & Where to View the Nominations for the ACM Awards on Feb. 20

Posted on February 19, 2019

The nominations for the ACM Awards will be announced on Feb. 20 across multiple platforms beginning at 8 a.m. ET.

Here’s how to catch all of the action.

Facebook Live
Reba McEntire will appear on Facebook Live during the 8 a.m. ET hour to reveal nominees for Songwriter of the Year and Song of the Year. The live video will be available on Reba’s Facebook page, Academy of Country Music’s Facebook page and CBS This Morning’s Facebook page.

CBS This Morning
Reba McEntire will announce nominees for Entertainer of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, Duo of the Year, and Group of the Year during the 8:30 am. ET hour block on the CBS Television Network.

ETOnline.com
Nominees for New Male Artist of the Year, New Female Artist of the Year, New Duo/Group of the Year, Album of the Year, Single of the Year, Video of the Year and Music Event of the Year will be revealed on ETOnline.com at 8:50 a.m. ET.

ACM Awards Social Media
Nominees for the ACM Industry Awards and Studio Recording Awards will be revealed across the Academy of Country Music’s social media channels including on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at 8:55 a.m. ET.

ACMCountry.com
The full list of available nominees for the 54th ACM Awards will be revealed immediately following the Entertainment Tonight announcements on ACMcountry.com at 9:10 a.m. ET.

photo by Arroyo/O\’Connor, AFF-USA.com

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