Loretta Lynn will celebrate her 87th birthday on April 14, but she will get the party started on April 1 with an All-Star Birthday Celebration Concert at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
The concert will feature performances by Alan Jackson, Brandy Clark, Darius Rucker, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Jack White, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Margo Price, Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, Pistol Annies, Trisha Yearwood and more.
Dave Cobb will serve as musical director. Net proceeds from ticket sales benefit the Opry Trust Fund and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
“I am so excited to celebrate my 87th birthday with all my friends,” says Loretta. “This is the first time I’ve ever had a birthday party! My birthday wish has come true. The only other wish I have is that Keith Urban jumps out of my birthday cake!”
Ticket pre-sale begins on Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets for the general public go on sale on Jan. 18 at 10 a.m. CT.
Loretta released her recent studio album, Wouldn’t It Be Great, in September 2018. Loretta suffered a stroke in May 2017, but she has made a few public appearances since then.
Mark Wills’ musical dream came true on Jan. 11 when he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry. The singer was asked to join the esteemed organization by Vince Gill on Dec. 21.
“I think that the induction was a complete, 100 percent shock, so I was actually kind of proud of myself that I held it together as well as I did,” Mark tells Nash Country Daily. “I’ve thought about what I was going to say in my Opry induction speech for years, and all of that went out the window the moment that I walked on stage.”
Opry legend and longtime member Jeannie Seely welcomed Mark to the stage on Friday night, as she did back in the mid-90s when he stepped into the circle for his very first performance. Mark started his three-song set with his Top 10 debut single, “Jacob’s Ladder,” followed by “Phantom of the Opry,” which pays tribute to Opry members who are no longer with us, including the late George Jones, whose jacket Mark wore for the special occasion.
After Mark’s set, Craig Morgan presented him with his Grand Ole Opry trophy.
“I slept with my ACM Award the night I won it, I’m sleeping with this tonight,” Mark beamed. “I’m honored to stand on this stage as the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.”
Mark went on to recognized his mom and dad in the crowd, along with wife Kelly and daughters Macey and Mally, who proudly watched from the backstage wings. But there was one other person in the crowd Mark praised for getting him where he is today—his junior high choir teacher, who encouraged the young boy to join her class after hearing him sing.
“Junior high is a very formable time in someone’s life. She was one of those people who invested into me and into my confidence of my music ability, and that means a lot,” Mark said. “She is truly one of those very special people in my life where no matter where I went, no matter what I’ve been able to accomplish, that I have always held her in very high regard, very fondly. She was a very young teacher when I was in junior high, probably about 24, but even at her young age, she knew how important it was to invest in the youth. I think that’s the thing about the Grand Ole Opry where I feel like over the next 20, 30, 40, 50 years, I’ll be able to invest in our youth. I will be able to invest in the newer generation of people that will be the flag bearers of country music. I felt that it was very important to thank her publicly and to sort of grab ahold of that banner and begin to wave it almost immediately.”
Mark also asked those in attendance who personally knew him to stand so he could see each of their faces and singled out several, sincerely thanking them.
“I mean, looking out into the crowd and seeing all of the familiar faces that were my friends was the most beautiful thing about that night,” he said. “We had people from all over the country that took time out of their schedules to fly to Nashville, to drive to Nashville to be a part of that. That means a lot. That’s an amazing feeling when that many people will spend money out of their wallets and spend time out of their lives to come support you in something they know is so important to you.”
Mark closed out the night with his seven-week No. 1 hit, “19 Somethin’,” marking his first performance as the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Mark has been no stranger to the Opry stage over the past 19 years of his career. If he wasn’t stepping inside the circle singing his catalog of hit singles in his 256 performances on the stage, he could often be found wandering backstage on Friday and Saturday nights with his daughter, Macey, soaking up the environment and paying his respect to the stars who came before him.
“I think that it’s very important for people to know that the Opry is a tradition,” Mark said. “It is something that is much greater than Roy Acuff, Porter Wagoner, Little Jimmy Dickens, Jim Ed Brown, Vince Gill, John Conlee, Jeannie Seely, Mark Wills . . . It’s a tradition that I greatly look forward to until the end of my life being able to honor and promote and to do my very best to live up to the high standards that those entertainers who have come before us have established.”
Some of Mark’s hits throughout the years include “Don’t Laugh At Me,” “Wish You Were Here,” “Places I’ve Never Been,” “I Do (Cherish You),” “Back at One” and “She’s in Love.”
ATHENS, Ga. – Sophomore point guard Evina Westbrook poured in 10 points in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a third-quarter UT shooting slump and Georgia’s second-half rally as UT fell at Stegeman Coliseum, 66-62.
There were five ties and 10 lead changes in the contest.
Westbrook led Tennessee (12-4, 1-3 SEC) in scoring with a game-high 23 points, logging her eighth 20+ point performance of the season. Rennia Davis had six points and 12 rebounds, while Cheridene also added six points and 10 rebounds.
Caliya Robinson was Georgia’s (12-5, 3-1 SEC) high scorer with 16. Gabby Connally had 13, while Taja Cole and Jenna Staiti each had 12.
Westbrook led Tennessee in scoring with a game-high 23 points, logging her eighth 20+ point performance of the season. Rennia Davis had six points and 12 rebounds, while Cheridene Green added six points and posted her third straight game in double figures on the boards with 10 caroms.
Caliya Robinson was Georgia’s (12-5, 3-1 SEC) high scorer with 15 points. Gabby Connally added 13 points, while Taja Cole and Jenna Staiti each had 12.
Meme Jackson gave Tennessee its first lead of the game, knocking down a three on UT’s first possession to go up 3-2 in the opening minute. The lead changed four times before an Evina Westbrook layup with 5:21 left in the period set off a 15-1 run by the Lady Vols to put them up 22-10 by the end of the first.
The Lady Bulldogs started the second quarter outscoring Tennessee, 6-2, but the Lady Vols answered with an 8-0 run to take a 16-point lead by the 3:13 mark. UT pushed the lead to 17 with 2:20 remaining in the period on a pair of Davis free throws. Robinson and Stephanie Paul combined for seven points for Georgia in the closing minutes of the half, including a Robinson put-back just before the buzzer to pull the Lady Bulldogs within 12, 36-24.
Tennessee’s shooting went cold to start the second half, with the Lady Vols going 0-for-5 from the floor while Georgia cut the lead to six. Zaay Green banked in a 3-pointer with 6:30 to play in the period to put UT back up by nine. UT’s shooting woes continued, however, and Georgia tied the game at 41-all after back-to-back treys by Taja Cole. The teams traded buckets with UT going up 47-46 off a pair of Westbrook free throws. Cole again answered for the Lady Bulldogs, though, hitting her third 3-pointer of the day at the buzzer to give Georgia a 49-47 lead going into the final stanza.
Neither team shot well from the floor to begin the fourth, with Tennessee starting 1-4 and Georgia going 1-8 during the first three and a half minutes. The Lady Bulldogs then hit back-to-back layups to go up 57-50 before Westbrook knocked down a jumper to cut the lead to five. UT followed that up with three defensive stops and Westbrook converted buckets on three straight possessions to pull the Big Orange to within one with 3:37 to play. The Lady Bulldogs answered with four straight points, and Tennessee would cut it back to one once more with just over a minute left in the game. The Lady Vols, however, couldn’t overcome the deficit, falling to UGA, 66-62.
Up Next: The Lady Vols will be back on the road again Thursday evening, playing at Alabama. The game is scheduled to tip at 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. CT) and will be televised on the SEC Network.
Points All Around: Every Lady Vol who entered the game for UT scored at least one point against Georgia, marking the first time in SEC play this season that every player has contributed a point. Fourteen of those points came from Tennessee’s bench.
Big On The Boards: Tennessee out-rebounded Georgia 54-44 and is averaging 47.0 rpg in SEC play while holding opponents to an average of 34.8 rpg. UT has now beaten 14 of 16 opponents on the glass this season.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A drive by Grant Williams followed by a dish to Admiral Schofield for a 3-pointer in the corner was the final blow that gave No. 3 Tennessee a hard-fought road win at Florida. The Vols defeated the Gators, 78-67, in Exactech Arena.
After being a close game throughout, the Vols (14-1, 3-0 SEC) ended the last 44 seconds of the game on a 9-0 run to clinch the 11-point victory. Late in the game, Tennessee was able to thwart the Gators’ offense. Florida (9-6, 1-2 SEC) was held without a field goal over the last 3:35 of the game and scored just four points in the final six minutes of play.
The Vols’ 78 points in the game are the second-most Florida has allowed this season and the most since allowing 81 points in its season-opening loss to Florida State. Williams finished with a game-high 20 points while also leading Tennessee with nine rebounds.
After a 3-pointer by Florida’s KeVaughn Allen made it a 41-35 Gators lead at the 19:08 mark, Tennessee responded with a 15-4 run, which was capped by a one-handed slam from Williams that forced Florida to call a timeout with 14:04 left.
The Allen three was one of just seven made baskets for Florida in the second half, as Tennessee held them to 28 percent shooting. For the game, the Florida offense shot just 35.2 percent from the field.
After having just three points at the midway point, Jordan Bowden helped put Tennessee in front in the second half, scoring 12 consecutive points for the Vols over a 1:49 stretch in the second half. His effort put the team back in front for good with 5:36 to play in the game, as he broke loose on a fast break and threw it down with a right-hand jam.
Bowden finished the game with 17 points, going 6-of-7 from the free-throw line, and led Tennessee with two steals. Jordan Bone tallied a team-high five assists and added eight points and five rebounds.
The Big Orange jumped out to an early 17-11 lead behind a three 3-pointers at the 14:20 mark. UT ended up knocking down six treys in the opening half and shot 48 percent (14-of-29) from the floor.
However, it was the Gators who had the hot hand from deep, hitting nine 3-pointers to take a 38-35 lead into halftime. Of its 29 shots in the period, 22 of Florida’s attempts came from behind the arc.
After trailing by as much as seven points in the first half. Lamonte Turner’s 3-pointer with 38 seconds left in the half cut the deficit to just three points to give Tennessee some momentum heading into the halftime break.
Williams posted a solid half with nine points, four rebounds and three assists, while Turner chipped in eight points behind two threes in the final 2:33 to make it a one-possession game at the break.
Doing it All: Grant Williams filled out the box score Saturday night. The junior finished with a team-high 20 points and nine rebounds to go along with four assists, two blocks and two steals. It marked the fourth time this season Williams shot 70 percent or better from the field and is the third time in the last four games.
Cracking the Code: Florida came into tonight’s game as the No. 6 scoring defense in the country and the best in the SEC. Tennessee finished the game with 78 points, which was 18 points higher than the Gators’ season average of 60.0 points allowed per game. It was the second most points Florida has given up this season and the most since their season-opening loss to Florida State (81 points).
Second Half Run: Tennessee held Florida without a field goal for more than six minutes after a KeVaughn Allen 3-pointer to start the second half. During that stretch, the Vols went on a 15-5 run to take a 50-46 lead at the 14:04 mark of the second half. The run included six points from Grant Williams including a dunk, a layup and two free throws.
Jordan Bow-WOW-den: After having three points at half, Bowden exploded in the second half, scoring 12 straight points for Tennessee over a two-minute stretch from the 7:27 to 5:36 mark. The run ended when Bowden assisted on a post feed to John Fulkerson to make it 67-63 in favor of the Vols with 5:01 to play. Bowden finished the game with 17 points.
Up Next: Tennessee returns home for a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks on Tuesday night. The game will tip at 7 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN2. There are still tickets remaining for the game that can be purchased on AllVols.com.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 13/13 Tennessee (12-3, 1-2 SEC) faces back-to-back road games in a five-day span, beginning with a Sunday matinee at Georgia (11-5, 2-1 SEC) on Jan. 13. Tip-off is slated for 3:02 p.m. ET at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, with the game being carried by ESPN, the Lady Vol Radio Network and SiriusXM.
This marks the 68th meeting between these programs in a series that ranks behind only UT-Vanderbilt (80 games) for most times played by Big Orange women’s hoops. The Lady Vols will try to respond in positive fashion from back-to-back home losses to Missouri (66-64) and #16/16 Kentucky (73-71).
UT has demonstrated an ability to play in tough environments already this season, defeating #12/12 Texas in Austin, 88-82, as well as winning at Oklahoma State (76-63) and Auburn (78-69) to stand 3-0 in true road contests. Counting a 2-0 mark in winning the Junkanoo Division title at the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas, the Lady Vols are 5-0 away from Thompson-Boling Arena this season.
Georgia also will attempt to get back in the win column after falling in Starkville to No. 7/6 Mississippi State on Thursday night, 80-71. The Lady Bulldogs took the lead, 66-63, in the fourth quarter before MSU used a 13-2 run to put the game away and move to 15-1, 3-0 SEC. UGA is 9-0 at home this season with its closest margin there being a 67-60 win over Mercer on Nov. 28.
UT and Georgia both have played Presbyterian, with the Lady Vols opening the season on Nov. 11 with a 97-49 win in Knoxville. The Lady Bulldogs claimed victory over the Blue Hose in Athens on Dec. 28, 83-59.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Pam Ward (play-by-play) and Carolyn Peck (analyst) will describe the action for ESPN.
Mickey Dearstone is handling the call 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-GEORGIA SERIES NOTES
This marks the 67th edition of UT vs. UK, with the Lady Vols leading the series, 55-11.
UT enters Sunday’s contest with a 51-16 advantage in the series, having won 18 of the last 20.
The Lady Vols are 14-9 vs. Georgia in Athens all-time, including a loss there in 2017. UT is 22-4 in Knoxville and 15-3 at neutral sites vs. the Lady Bulldogs.
Tennessee is 1-3 vs. UGA in overtime games.
The Lady Vols have a 14-3 postseason record against Georgia after winning in the 2015 SEC quarterfinals.
Holly Warlick is 7-1 vs. Georgia (2-1 vs. Joni Taylor) as head coach. She was 5-0 vs. Andy Landers, Taylor’s predecessor.
These programs have met 53 times when both teams were ranked and twice with neither team ranked. This is the 12th occasion when only one was ranked.
Tennessee and Georgia rank No. 1 and No. 2 in SEC regular season championships, with the Lady Vols owning 18 and the Lady Bulldogs having seven.
Tennessee and Georgia met in the 1996 NCAA Championship game in Charlotte, with the Lady Vols prevailing, 83-64, in the first of three straight national championship seasons.
Dawn Marsh dished out a Lady Vol record 18 assists vs. Georgia on March 6, 1988.
NOTING THE LADY VOLS
DAVIS ON THE RISE: In three SEC games, sophomore Rennia Davis, a member of the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 has upped her game. During league play, she’s leading UT at 17.0 ppg. and 10.7 rpg. during that span and hitting 54% on FGs, 56% on 3FGs and 80% on FTs. For the season, she’s averaging 15.3 ppg. and 8.4 rpg. while hitting 49% on FGs, 49% on 3FGs and 83% on FTs.
LONDON CALLING: Senior Cheridene Green has found her groove, averaging 11.0 rpg. and nine ppg. while hitting 48% on FGs in three SEC games. She has posted career high carom totals of 14 vs. Mizzou and 15 vs. Kentucky the past two games..
GET YOURSELF 20, E!: Sophomore point guard Evina Westbrook led UT with 20 points vs. Kentucky. It marked her seventh 20+ point performance of the season and the ninth time in the past 10 games a Lady Vol has scored 20+.
POUNDING THE GLASS: UT has won the rebounding battle in 13 of 15 games this season. UT pulled down 50 rebounds vs. UK on Thursday night, marking its fifth 50+ carom game of the season. The Lady Vols tied their season high with 28 offensive rebounds.
FRIENDLY ROAD RIMS: Everyone likes playing in their home gym and having the home crowd behind them, but thus far the Lady Vols actually shoot better on the road in all categories. UT is shooting .433 (FG), .335 (3FG) and .675 (FT) in 10 home games and is shooting .489 (FG), .392 (3FG) and .727 (FT) in three road contests.
GOTTA MAKE THE FREEBIES: UT is doing a great job getting to the free throw line (342 times/No. 11 NCAA/No. 3 SEC) and making them (229/No. 21 NCAA/No. 5 SEC). It just needs to knock down a higher percentage of shots at the charity stripe (67.0/No. 219 NCAA/No. 12 SEC).
WARLICK’S 100TH SEC GAME: Sunday’s match-up marks the 100th conference regular season game for Holly Warlick, who stands 72-27 (.727) in SEC contests.
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE LADY VOLS
The No. 13-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols fell, 73-71, to the 16th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats on Thursday night at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Lady Vols (12-3, 1-2 SEC) overcame a 17-point first-quarter deficit and a 16-point third-quarter deficit to pull within two points after a pair of free throws from Meme Jackson with one minute remaining. A three-pointer from Wildcats guard Jaida Roper, however, put the game out of reach for the Big Orange.
Sophomore point guard Evina Westbrook led the charge offensively for the Lady Vols with 20 points, marking her seventh performance of the season of 20 or more points, and added six rebounds. Sophomore Rennia Davis (12 points) and freshman Mimi Collins (career-high-tying 11 points) were the other Tennessee players with double-digit scoring. Senior Cheridene Green dominated the glass with a career-high 15 rebounds, including eight offensively.
Kentucky (15-2, 2-1 SEC) was propelled by a 27-point night from senior guard Maci Morris, who connected at a 4-of-6 clip from deep range and shot over 60 percent from the field.
NOTING GEORGIA
UGA returned nine letterwinners, including three starters from last season.
Caliyah Robinson, Georgia’s lone senior, leads the team in scoring (13.6 ppg) and rebounding (8.0 rpg).
Sophomore Gabby Connally is averaging 13.3 ppg on the season and is the team’s leading scorer in SEC play at 18.3 ppg, shooting 47 percent from the floor and 56 percent from 3-point range.
Redshirt junior Taja Cole is averaging 11.1 ppg and ranks first in the SEC and seventh nationally with 6.7 assists per game.
Georgia went 26-7 overall and 12-4 in SEC play to finish second in the league in 2017-18.
In the SEC Tournament the Lady Bulldogs defeated Missouri, 55-41, in the quarterfinals before falling in the semifinals to eventual champion South Carolina, 71-49.
Caliya Robinson and Mackenzie Engram each earned All-SEC Second Team honors while Que Morrison made the All-Freshman Team.
Georgia lost in the NCAA Second Round to Duke.
UGA’S LAST GAME
The Georgia Lady Bulldogs (11-5, 2-1 SEC) built a fourth quarter lead but could not withstand a furious No. 6/7 Mississippi State (15-1, 3-0 SEC) comeback in an 80-71 loss late Thursday night at Humphrey Coliseum.
Down by nine at the half, Georgia came out and hit timely shots to grab a 66-63 lead with just over six minutes remaining.
Caliya Robinson led the Lady Bulldogs with a game-high 26 points.
MSU’s Chloe Bibby had a career-best 24 points to lead Mississippi State, while All-America center Teaira McCowan had 18 points and 21 rebounds.
THE LAST TIME WE MET
No. 11/11 Tennessee improved to 21-4 overall and 9-3 in SEC play, defeating No. 18/18 UGA (21-4, 9-3 SEC) 62-46 in Thompson-Boling Arena on Feb. 11, 2018.
Redshirt-senior Mercedes Russell recorded 13 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, collecting her 1,000th career rebound and becoming just the sixth Lady Vol to reach that mark.
Taja Cole and Mackenzie Engram scored 12 each to lead the Lady Bulldogs.
LAST TIME THEY PLAYED IN ATHENS
Despite a season-high 34 points from Diamond DeShields, #RV/25 Tennessee fell short in double overtime against Georgia, 81-78, at Stegeman Coliseum.
Redshirt junior Mercedes Russell posted a double-double with 24 points and a career-high 17 rebounds
Caliya Robinson led the Lady Bulldogs (12-11, 4-6 SEC) with 28 points on 13-of-17 shooting from the field. Mackenzie Engram finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
COMING UP FOR UT AND UGA
UT plays its second road game in five days on Thursday, Jan. 17, as the Lady Vols face Alabama at Coleman Coliseum. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. CT/9 ET with the SEC Network televising.
UGA, meanwhile, travels to Columbia for a Jan. 17 contest at Missouri. Tip time is 6 p.m. CT/7 ET.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A battle between two of the SEC’s top defenses is set to take place Saturday night, as No. 3 Tennessee goes on the road for the second time this week to face Florida in Exactech Arena/O’Connell Center.
The game will tip at 6 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN and can also be viewed online through WatchESPN. Fans can listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp describing the action.
Tennessee (13-1, 2-0 SEC) enters the matchup on the heels of an 87-63 win on the road against Missouri. Kyle Alexander dominated the paint with 14 points, a career-high 17 rebounds and three blocks for his third double-double of the season–and second in a row. During the last four games, the senior forward is shooting 81 percent (25-of-31) from the field during and is averaging 13.3 ppg during span.
Florida (9-5, 1-1 SEC) rebounded from a loss at home last Saturday to South Carolina by going on the road and defeating Arkansas in Bud Walton Arena. The Gators boast one of the best defenses in the country, ranking eighth in scoring defense (60.0 ppg) and coming in at 23rd in field-goal percentage defense (.389). UF has held six opponents to fewer than 60 points already this season, including Arkansas, Stanford and West Virginia.
After Saturday’s showdown, Tennessee returns home for a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks on Tuesday night. The game will tip at 7 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN2. There are still tickets remaining for the game that can be purchased on AllVols.com.
THE SERIES
• Tennessee leads the all-time series with Florida, 74-57 dating to 1927.
• The Gators have a 35-25 edge when the series is played in Gainesville.
• This is the first of two Vols-Gators clashes this season. Tennessee hosts Florida on Feb. 9 (sold out).
A WIN WOULD…
• Extend Tennessee’s win streak to 10 games. The Vols’ last 10-game win streak came during the 2007-08 campaign, when UT reeled off 11 straight victories from Nov. 27 through Jan. 19.
• Give the Vols a five-game win streak in true road games, dating to last season.
• Give Tennessee 18 wins away from home since the start of last season.
STORYLINES
• Per ESPN Stats & Info, Tennessee is the first major-conference team in the last 20 years to have a +70 point differential through its first two league games.
• Tennessee’s SEC margin of victory through those two league games stands at a robust 35 points.
• Tennessee associate head coach Rob Lanier was an assistant coach under Billy Donovan at Florida from 2007-11.
• UT leads the country in assist/turnover ratio (1.82), ranks second in assists per game (20.8 apg) and third in blocks per game (6.2 bpg).
• The Vols have shot 50 percent or better in 11 games this season (and eight of their last nine).
• Tennessee has yet to face a double-digit deficit this season.
• Tennessee is off to its best 14-game start since also starting the season 13-1 in 2007-08.
• With an average attendance of 17,499, Tennessee ranks fourth nationally.
LAYUPS
• Grant Williams leads the SEC in scoring (18.8 ppg), ranks second in field-goal percentage (.572), seventh in assists (3.9 apg) and ninth in rebounding (7.8 rpg).
• Admiral Schofield is the SEC’s second-leading scorer (18.0 ppg), and his .449 3-point percentage ranks second in the league.
• Williams and Schofield both earned a spot on the 25-man Wooden Award Midseason Watch List.
• Kyle Alexander has opened SEC play with consecutive double-doubles. He averages 13.0 points and 15.5 rebounds over the last two games.
• Jordan Bowden is coming off back-to-back 20-point games to open SEC play. In those games, Tennessee is +63 when Bowden is on the floor.
• Junior guard Lamonté Turner, last season’s SEC Co-Sixth Man of the Year, returned from a left shoulder injury just in time for SEC play.
ABOUT FLORIDA
• In his fourth season, Mike White continues to keep Florida (9-5, 1-1 SEC) competing at a high level, entering Saturday’s matchup on the heels of a 57-51 victory in Bud Walton Arena against Arkansas.
• In non-conference play, the Gators boast wins against Butler, Stanford and West Virginia—the latter two on neutral courts.
• UF is one of the most talented teams in the SEC this season. Florida has played one of the toughest schedules in the country with games at Florida State, vs. Oklahoma and Michigan State, who are all currently ranked in the AP Top 25.
• Senior guard KeVaughn Allen (10.9 ppg, 2.6 apg, 1.6 spg) has been the best player for Florida this season, leading the team in scoring and steals while ranking second in assists.
• Noah Locke (10.0 ppg, .424 3fg%) is the team’s other double-digit scorer. The freshman guard is far and away Florida’s most dangerous 3-point shooter, with nearly double the amount of threes as any other Gator. Of his field goals this year, 77 percent (36 of 47) have come from beyond the arc.
• The paint has been dominated by Kevarrius Hayes, who leads the team in rebounding (5.9 rpg) and blocks (2.0 bpg) while averaging 6.7 points per game.
• For the second game in a row, UT will face one of the league’s best defensive teams. The Gators allow a league-best 60 points per game while also holding them to 39-percent shooting from the floor. Florida has held six opponents to fewer than 60 points already this season, including Arkansas, Stanford and West Virginia.
LAST MEETING VS. FLORIDA
• Grant Williams scored 23 points and No. 19 Tennessee outlasted Florida at home on Feb. 21, 2018, at Thompson-Boling Arena, 62-57.
• Williams scored 11 of the Vols’ last 18 points, while Tennessee as a team made eight of its last 11 field-goal attempts to edge out the Gators. Tennessee led by as many as 10 points on two separate occasions in the second half, but Florida fought back each time.
• With the Vols leading 37-36 midway through the second half, Tennessee and Florida exchanged baskets before a Jordan Bowden breakaway dunk sparked a 15-6 Tennessee run to put the Big Orange in front by 10 for a second time in the half, 52-42.
• After starting the game 2-for-18 from 3-point range, Florida then proceeded to made three of its next four from long distance to stay on pace, but the Gators never got closer than three points for the rest of the game.
• Bowden made three of four free throws in the final 30 seconds to seal the game for Tennessee.
• In addition to Williams’ 23 points, junior Admiral Schofield scored 16 points and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds for the Vols.
• Jalen Hudson had 13 points, while Chris Chiozza and Keith Stone had 11 for Florida.
• The Vols held Florida to its lowest first half scoring output of the season, as the Gators’ 18 points at the break were 11 fewer than their previous low of 29.
• With the win over Florida, Tennessee earned its 25th 20-win season in program history and first since 2013-14, when the Vols finished with 24 victories and advanced to their seventh Sweet Sixteen.
MEMORABLE VOL PERFORMANCES AGAINST FLORIDA
• The legendary Bernard King recorded the third-best scoring performance in school history with a 43-point, 20-rebound effort as the Vols topped the Gators 93-84 on January 17, 1976, in Stokely Athletics Center.
• During the 1983-84 season, Willie Burton averaged 16.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and shot .500 (17-of-34) from the floor against the Gators. UT was 3-0 vs. Florida that season.
• Dane Bradshaw’s breakaway layup with 20.1 seconds to play proved to be the winning basket as the Vols upset second-ranked Florida 80-76 in Knoxville on Jan. 21, 2006.
• The Vols upset fifth-ranked Florida 86-76 on Senior Day in Knoxville behind Chris Lofton’s 21 points on Feb. 27, 2007. ESPN College GameDay broadcast live from Rocky Top, Peyton Manning addressed the Vols in the locker room before the game, and Pat Summitt donned cheerleader garb and led the sold-out crowd in a rendition of Rocky Top during a media timeout.
ROAD WARRIORS
• Dating to the start of last season, Tennessee has won 17 games away from home.
• That includes victories this year over Louisville and Gonzaga (both at neutral sites) and at Memphis and Missouri.
SEC MARGIN OF VICTORY GAUDY
• Two games into league play—one home, one road—the Vols have wins over Georgia (by 46 points) and Missouri (by 24 points).
• That gives Tennessee an SEC margin of victory of 35 points.
WINDICATORS
• Tennessee under Rick Barnes is 32-3 when holding its opponent below a .390 field-goal percentage.
• Tennessee under Rick Barnes is 31-3 when it takes a double-digit lead into halftime.
• Tennessee is 10-0 this season when it shoots 50 percent or better as a team.
• UT is 13-3 during Kyle Alexander’s career when he scores 10 or more points.
• The Vols are 10-1 during John Fulkerson’s career when he grabs five or more rebounds.
• Tennessee is 7-1 during Lamonté Turner’s career when he makes four or more 3-pointers.
• Tennessee has won the last six games in which Grant Williams has logged a double-double.
On Dec. 20, Trisha Yearwood released her first full-length studio album in more than 10 years with Let’s Be Frank, a collection of tune made famous by Frank Sinatra.
Trisha recorded 11 Sinatra’s tracks live with a 55 piece orchestra at the iconic Capitol Records building in Hollywood using Sinatra’s microphone and sitting on the same stool where he sat while recording the originals.
With a recording career that spanned more than 50 years—and 59 albums—Sinatra’s catalog of work is formidable, but, as Trisha says, she went with her instincts when creating her collection.
“I went through and kind of highlighted classic Frank songs that you have to do—and then my favorite songs that I have to do,” says Trisha. “And I remember the first sit-down meeting with [producer] Don Was, and he said, ‘Ok, right now, just write down 12 songs. If you had to pick 12, what would they be?’ And, honestly, this album turned out to be 11 of the 12! And the twelfth song ended up being an original song [“For the Last Time”] that I wrote with Garth, which I never intended to be on the record. It just kind of found its way because it seemed to fit.”
Let’s Be Frank is available via Williams-Sonoma now. It will be available everywhere on Feb. 14.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The No. 13-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols fell, 73-71, to the 16th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats on Thursday night at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Lady Vols (12-3, 1-2 SEC) trailed by two points after a pair of free throws from Meme Jackson with one minute remaining, but a three-pointer from Wildcats guard Jaida Roper put the game out of reach for the Big Orange.
Sophomore point guard Evina Westbrook led the charge offensively for the Lady Vols with 20 points, marking her seventh performance of the season of 20 or more points, and added six rebounds. Sophomore Rennia Davis (12 points) and freshman Mimi Collins (career-high-tying 11 points) were the other Tennessee players with double-digit scoring. Senior Cheridene Green dominated the glass with a career-high 15 rebounds.
Kentucky (15-2, 2-1 SEC) was propelled by a 27-point night from senior guard Maci Morris, who connected at a 4-of-6 clip from deep range and shot over 60 percent from the field.
The Lady Vols fought from behind the entire game and cut the Wildcats’ lead to four points six times in the fourth quarter and then shaved the edge to two with 1:43 remaining.
Kentucky kicked off the first quarter on a 7-0 run on 3-of-4 shooting, with Tennessee first getting on the scoreboard at the 7:10 mark with a layup from Westbrook. The Lady Vols started off the game 1-of-6 from the field, as the Wildcats rushed to a 19-5 lead at the halfway point of the quarter. Despite their rough start shooting, Tennessee found some life after holding Kentucky to a two-minute scoring drought. A last-second layup to finish the first quarter cut the Wildcats’ lead to 27-16 after 10 minutes of play.
The Lady Vols defense clamped down to begin the second quarter, and an and-one from Westbrook at the 5:37 mark cut the Tennessee deficit to just eight points. However, the Lady Vols failed to score in the three following minutes, going 0-for-6 from the floor in the span. While dominating the boards by a 29-16 margin in the first half, Tennessee was unable to take advantage of second-chance opportunities. Still, a team-high 11-point first-half performance from Collins helped the Lady Vols trim a 17-point UK lead to a 38-28 deficit at halftime.
The Lady Vols’ shooting woes continued, as Zaay Green provided all but one of Tennessee’s points through six minutes of play in the third quarter. The Lady Vols faced a 53-38 climb with two minutes remaining in the quarter, as only three Tennessee players scored through eight minutes into the second half. The Lady Vols clawed back into the game behind a pair of 3-pointers from Rennia Davis to end the quarter. Davis’ clutch 3-pointers were Tennessee’s first of the game and presented the Lady Vols a 58-46 deficit going into the final quarter.
Tennessee stormed back with a Meme Jackson 3-pointer, followed by a post layup from Cheridene Green that cut the Kentucky lead to just four points with five minutes left in regulation. The Lady Vols held the Wildcats to just 1-of-6 shooting from the floor to start the fourth quarter, while firing in shots at a 5-of-6 clip on the other end.
After cutting the Kentucky lead to just two points with under two minutes remaining, a dagger 3-pointer from Roper extended the Wildcats’ lead to 69-64. Kentucky iced the game at the free throw line, giving the Wildcats a 73-71 victory.
Up Next: The Lady Vols will hit the road, traveling to Georgia on Sunday. The game is scheduled to tip at 3 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN.
Big On The Boards: Tennessee out-rebounded Kentucky 50-32 and is averaging 44.7 rpg. in SEC play while holding opponents to an average of 31.7 rpg. UT has now topped 13 of 15 opponents on the glass this season.
Bench Contributing: In their first two SEC games the Lady Vols’ bench contributed a total of only nine points, all of which were scored by Jazmine Massengill. Tennessee’s bench posted 14 points against Kentucky with Mimi Collins, Rae Burrell, and Kasiyahna Kushkituah all contributing. Collins led the bench is scoring, tying her career high of 11.
Cheridene Rolling:Cheridene Green has led the team in rebounding and set new career highs in back-to-back games, snagging 14 against Missouri and 15 vs. Kentucky. Additionally, she posted a career-high four assists against Kentucky.
20+ Evina:Evina Westbrook recorded her seventh 20+ point performance of the season, setting a new SEC high of 20 points against Kentucky.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee’s award-winning VFL Films leaps back into action this Saturday, beginning a nine-week stretch of Tennessee Basketball highlights and exclusive insight. Viewers in most major Tennessee markets can tune into both “The Rick Barnes Show” and “The Holly Warlick Show” in back-to-back time periods to enjoy a solid hour of Big Orange hoops highlights and features.
Voice of the Vols Bob Kesling returns to co-host the Barnes production, while Voice of the Lady Vols Mickey Dearstone anchors the Warlick show. Both coaches will appear each week to take you inside the huddle and preview upcoming opponents. Additionally, the Vol Network and VFL Films take fans behind the scenes for compelling player profiles and interviews.
Check local listings in your area.
Market // Station // Rick Barnes Show // Holly Warlick Show
