Following her recent No. 1 hit, “I Could Use a Love Song,” Maren Morris is getting ready to ship a “Rich” new song to country radio on Feb. 12.
The twangy tune, which was co-penned by Maren, Laura Veltz and Jessie Jo Dillon, will be the fourth—and feistiest—single from Maren’s award-winning 2016 album, Hero.
“I wrote this song, basically, as a kiss-off to any guy that tries to pull a fast one on you,” says Maren. “And it’s happened so many times that if you had a dollar for every time it happened, you’d be rolling in it.”
But as Miranda recently told American Country Countdown, even she struggles with onstage confidence, despite a career in which she has headlined multiple tours and won more than 30 collective Grammys, CMA Awards and ACM Awards.
“I’m still looking for [confidence],” said Miranda with a laugh to American Country Countdown. “I’m still like every other girl. I also have a slogan I say to myself: ‘Fake it till you make it.’ If I’m not confident and I need to walk out there and be confident, I just pretend to be, and then somehow it just shifts in my mind. Like, it changes me to get confident, you know? But, I have struggles like every other girl. You know, we all go through the same stuff, it’s just a matter of if you’re willing to, like, say it. Even on my records, you know, I just try to be like good, bad and ugly—here it all is! [laughing]. You know? ’Cause I think that’s what people can relate to because it’s real life.”
Miranda’s tour picks back up on Feb. 1 in Tacoma, Wash.
Livin’ Like Hippies Tour
Feb. 1
Tacoma, WA
Jon Pardi and Turnpike Troubadours
Feb. 2
Spokane, WA
Jon Pardi and Turnpike Troubadours
Feb. 3
Eugene, OR
Matthew Knight Arena
Jon Pardi and Turnpike Troubadours
Feb. 8
Sacramento, CA
Golden 1 Center
Jon Pardi and Lucie Silvas
Feb. 9
Fresno, CA
Save Mart Center
Jon Pardi and Lucie Silvas
Feb. 10
Los Angeles, CA
The Forum
Jon Pardi and Lucie Silvas
Feb. 15
San Diego, CA
Viejas Arena
Jon Pardi and Lucie Silvas
Feb. 17
Phoenix, AZ
Talking Stick Resort Arena
Jon Pardi and Lucie Silvas
March 1
Knoxville, TN
Thompson-Boling Arena
Jon Pardi and The Steel Woods
March 2
Lexington, KY
Rupp Arena
Jon Pardi and The Steel Woods
March 3
Cleveland, OH
Wolstein Center
Jon Pardi and The Steel Woods
March 8
Omaha, NE Century
Link Center
Jon Pardi and Sunny Sweeney
March 9
Oklahoma City, OK
Chesapeake Energy Arena
Jon Pardi and Sunny Sweeney
March 10
Little Rock, AR
Verizon Arena
Jon Pardi and Sunny Sweeney
March 15
Des Moines, IA
Wells Fargo Arena
Jon Pardi and Ashley McBryde
March 16
St. Louis, MO
ScotTrade Center
Jon Pardi and Ashley McBryde
March 17
Kansas City, MO
Sprint Center
Jon Pardi and Ashley McBryde
March 22
Newark, NJ Prudential
Center Jon Pardi and Charlie Worsham
March 23
State College, PA
Bryce Jordan Center
Jon Pardi and Charlie Worsham
March 24
Winston Salem, NC
Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Jon Pardi and Charlie Worsham
After 39 weeks at country radio, Russell Dickerson’s “Yours” is the No. 1 song on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.
The tune, which was co-penned by Russell, Casey Brown and Parker Welling, was inspired by Russell’s relationship with his wife, Kailey.
“People just connected to ‘Yours,’ and shared it and it became this wedding song,” says Russell to Nash Country Daily. “We didn’t write it for that. We weren’t like, ‘Hey, what would couples love to hear for their first dance?’ But it’s turned into the perfect first-dance song. It was just writing an honest love song. I wrote it with two people that had seen my relationship with my wife from day one and so it was just this super honest love song and I think that’s what connects with people. It is an honest love song because when you meet that one person, it changes you.”
“Yours” is the lead single from Russell’s self-titled debut album.
Following last week’s release of lead single, “Woman, Amen,” from his upcoming ninth studio album, The Mountain, Dierks Bentley has announcement a new tour.
The 2018 Mountain High Tour will kick off on May 17 and make stops in more than 40 cities, including Philadelphia, Indianapolis, New York City, Austin, Phoenix, San Diego, Los Angles and more.
Brothers Osborne and LANCO will serve as openers.
“I needed the time off to devote all my attention to the new music and making The Mounain album . . . but now I can’t wait to fire up the buses and get back out there,” said Dierks. “I’ve been friends with TJ and John [Osborne] for a long time and I have loved watching their career explode. I’m just getting to know the boys in LANCO, but I love their music and the energy they bring to the stage.”
To help spread the word about the upcoming tour, a new video depicts the tour’s free-spirited openers taking a hallucination-fueled vision quest courtesy of a mysterious shaman.
Take a look at the clip below.
2018 Mountain High Tour (more cities and dates will be announced soon)
Columbia, MD
Holmdel, NJ
Philadelphia, PA
Cincinnati, OH
Clarkston, MI
St. Louis, MO
Kansas City, MO
Pittsburgh, PA
Indianapolis, IN
Bethel, NY
Darien Center, NY
Saratoga Springs, NY
Raleigh, NC
Charlotte, NC
Alpharetta, GA
Salt Lake City, UT
Virginia Beach, VA
Bristow, VA
New York City, NY
Jacksonville, FL
West Palm Beach, FL
Tampa, FL
Austin, TX
Houston, TX
Dallas, TX
Albuquerque, NM
Phoenix, AZ
Mountain View, CA
Sacramento, CA
San Diego, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Mercedes Russell — Lady Vols Forward / Credit: UT Athletics
Knoxville, Tenn. —Mercedes Russell recorded 16 points on 7-for-9 shooting, but No. 6/7 Tennessee was unable to overcome a 13-point halftime deficit in a 71-52 loss to No. 3/3 Mississippi State on Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Jaime Nared added 12 points for the Lady Vols (16-3, 4-2 SEC), who now have dropped three of their last four. Victoria Vivians led the Bulldogs (20-0, 6-0 SEC) with 24 points and nine rebounds, while Teaira McCowan recorded 12 points and 18 boards.
After Anastasia Hayes made it a seven-point game with a free throw early in the fourth quarter, MSU was able to shut down UT offensively, allowing no field goals over the final eight minutes while closing the game on a 14-2 run.
Russell was active early on for the Lady Vols, scoring six of the team’s first eight points. While much of the first quarter was highlighted by a fast pace and five lead changes, the Bulldogs began to chip away in the closing minutes, going on an 11-4 run to take a seven-point advantage heading into the second stanza. Vivians led MSU with nine points in the period.
The Bulldogs’ defense continued to stymie UT in the second quarter, holding the Lady Vols to just 12 points on six shots. MSU dominated the offensive glass throughout the first half, hauling in nine offensive rebounds that led to 14 points off second chance opportunities. With under three minutes remaining, a Roshunda Johnson layup put the Bulldogs ahead by double digits for the first time of the afternoon. Russell continued her strong offensive play for UT, finishing the half with 12 points as the Lady Vols went into the break trailing, 39-26.
Tennessee started to regain momentum on both ends of the floor in the third quarter. After holding the Bulldogs scoreless over a two-minute stretch, a layup by Rennia Davis trimmed the deficit back to 10. With time winding down, Evina Westbrook worked her way into the lane and sunk a mid-range jump shot to bring UT to within nine going into the game’s final quarter.
The Lady Vols cut the lead to seven, 57-50, with 7:19 to go in the contest, but they were met with more offensive struggles the rest of the game and recorded a season-low eight points on 2-for-14 shooting during the period. MSU, meanwhile, shot 47 percent from the floor, and was able to pull away down the stretch thanks to a Tennessee scoring drought that lasted 3:44.
Davis grabbed 10 rebounds in addition to scoring seven points in the losing effort. Johnson netted 16 for MSU, while Blair Schaefer added four 3-pointers for 12 points.
Next Up: Tennessee plays at home for the second straight game, as Ole Miss (11-8, 1-5 SEC) comes to Thompson-Boling Arena on Thursday night. The contest tips at 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast online via SECN+ (WatchESPN).
We Back Pat: Sunday’s game marked UT’s seventh annual observance of We Back Pat Week, a conference-wide initiative dedicated to remembering legendary Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt and bringing awareness to the Pat Summitt Foundation. Before the game the following organizations presented donations to the Pat Summitt Foundation:
– Taste of Turkey Creek ($14,000)
– Forget Me Not 5K ($15,000)
– Salute For The Cure ($60,000)
– Race For The Summitt ($3,600)
– Alzheimer’s Pansy Project ($14,000)
Additionally, the Pat Summitt Foundation presented a check for $500,000 to the Pat Summitt Clinic at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.
Russell From The Floor:Mercedes Russell showed off her range against Mississippi State, scoring 10 of her 16 points off jumpers. In the first half, she was a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor, and she finished the game 7-of-9. Over the last three games Russell has a field goal percentage of .760.
Taking Better Care Of The Basketball: Mississippi State has forced, on average, 20.7 turnovers during SEC play this season. Tennessee committed just 13 on the afternoon and only four in the second half.
Lamonte Turner — Vols Guard / Credit – UT Athletics
COLUMBIA, S.C. — No. 21 Tennessee went on the road for a hard-fought, 70-63 victory against South Carolina at Colonial Life Arena on Saturday night.
The Vols (13-5, 4-3 SEC) never led by more than nine points during the game but were able to hold their lead for nearly 37 minutes. South Carolina stayed within striking distance with its 3-point shooting, draining six of 10 in the second half. UT was able to counter that with a strong presence down low, scoring 39 points in the paint.
During the final stretch of play, Tennessee held South Carolina to just 1-of-11 shooting from the field to spur an 11-3 run, during which UT was 6-of-6 from the free-throw line to seal the victory.
Lamonte Turner posted another strong performance off the bench, dropping 25 points, six boards and a pair of assists in 32 minutes of action. Grant Williams added 14 points and a pair of blocks.
Admiral Schofield chipped in 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals, while ttrue freshman Derrick Walker scored a career-high 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting to help the Vols shoot 57 percent (23-of-40) from the floor in the game.
The Gamecocks (12-7, 3-4 SEC) were led by a pair of 16-point performances by Justin Minaya and Wesley Myers.
Tennessee put together a solid first half on offense, converting on 58 percent (11-of-19) of its shots from the floor. Turner led the way with 14 points on 4-of-4 shooting.
Despite UT hitting seven of its final 10 attempts in the period, the Vols were held without a basket during the final 3:52 of the half. The Tennessee defense stepped up, holding the Gamecocks to just two points during the last four minutes of the frame.
Boosted by 22 points from the bench, Tennessee took a 33-30 lead into halftime. Walker played 10 minutes in the period, chipping in eight points on 4-of-4 shooting.
UP NEXT: The Vols return home for their second meeting with the Vanderbilt Commodores on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. UT then heads to Ames, Iowa, to face Iowa State as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Jan. 27 at 4 p.m. ET. Both games will be televised on ESPNU.
SHUTTING DOWN SILVA: Entering Saturday’s contest, Chris Silva ranked second in the SEC in scoring during conference play with 19.3 ppg. Tennessee’s defense held the junior forward, who dropped 27 points against Kentucky earlier in the week, to just six points on one made field goal.
TURNER TAKING OVER: For the third time this season, Lamonte Turner came off the bench to drop at least 20 points for the Vols. In Saturday’s contest, he finished with career-high-tying 25 points on 6-for-9 shooting to lead all scorers. He also finished a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe, including four in the final 37 seconds of play to ice the game.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 6/7 Tennessee (16-2, 4-1 SEC) is back at home after a three-game road swing and steps back into conference play with a match-up vs. #3/3 Mississippi State (19-0, 5-0 SEC) on Sunday. Tip-off vs. the defending NCAA runner-up Bulldogs is set for 3:02 p.m. ET at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Sunday’s tilt is the Lady Vols’ fourth straight game against a ranked foe, the third consecutive vs. a top-10 team and the second in a row over a top-five squad. This marks the second run of four straight ranked opponents during the Holly Warlick era. UT beat #22/NR North Carolina and #18/20 Texas, then lost to #3/3 Baylor and #1/1 Stanford in 2012-13 (her first year as head coach). This set of foes is the highest ranked quartet UT has played consecutively since UT swept #15/19 Notre Dame, #8/9 Texas A&M, #6/5 LSU and #4/4 Stanford in the 2008 Regional Final and Final Four en route to the Lady Vols’ eighth NCAA title.
This will be the 41st meeting in the series, with UT owning a 37-3 record. With its victory last season in Starkville, the Lady Vols ended a three-game series win streak by the Bulldogs and stand 1-3 in their last four meetings with MSU.
Mississippi State will be the third team from last season’s NCAA Women’s Final Four to face Tennessee this season. The Lady Vols beat #18/24 Stanford on the road on Dec. 21, 83-71, and took care of #9/8 South Carolina in Columbia on Jan. 14, 86-70.
Tennessee is coming off a difficult loss at #5/5 Notre Dame, 84-70, in a game the Lady Vols led by as many as 23 and by 10 entering the fourth quarter on Thursdaynight. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, were idle on Thursday and are coming off back-to-back home victories over Ole Miss (76-45) and Alabama (75-61).
MSU is one of only three remaining undefeated NCAA DI women’s teams (UConn and Louisville) and is hoping to match last year’s team for the best start in school history (20-0).
We Back Pat Week Starts Sunday
Jan. 21 – Jan. 28 marks the seventh annual observance of We Back Pat Week, and the Mississippi State contest is UT’s We Back Pat game.
The initiative began in collaboration with the SEC basketball coaches is dedicated to remembering legendary Tennessee women’s basketball head coach Pat Summitt and bringing awareness to the Pat Summitt Foundation.
The Pat Summitt Foundation was created by Pat and (son) Tyler Summitt in 2011 to support organizations that deliver care to patients with Alzheimer’s disease, provide resources for caregivers and families, and conduct research for treatment and a cure.
You can visit www.patsummitt.org to learn more about the Pat Summitt Foundation.
Broadcast Information
Paul Sunderland (play-by-play) and Kara Lawson (analyst) will describe the action for the Tennessee-Mississippi State TV broadcast on ESPN2.
Mickey Dearstone is handling the call for IMG College/Lady Vol Network radio/online broadcasts for the 19th 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.
10 Million Attendance Mark In Sight
During the past 39 years, 9,858,831 fans attended Lady Vol games, both at home (5,615,310) and outside of Knoxville (4,243,521).
The Lady Vols entered the 2017-18 campaign needing only 141,169 in attendance to reach the 10-million plateau.
UT now stands at 119,503 through 18 games.
In 2016-17, Tennessee finished second among all Division I women’s programs in per game home attendance at 9,184, a mark that would have ranked 49th among all DI men’s programs.
UT has led NCAA Division I women’s basketball attendance 19 times.
Tennessee In SEC Play
UT is 381-65 in SEC regular-season games through the South Carolina game, winning 18 championships and capturing 17 SEC tourney titles through the years.
During the Holly Warlick era, Tennessee is 64-21 in league games, making Warlick the top-ranked active SEC coach in terms of winning percentage in league play at .753 among coaches with at least one season at a school.
South Carolina’s Dawn Staley is the next coach behind Warlick at .682 (101-47), followed by UK’s Matthew Mitchell at .636 (103-59).
In only her sixth year as a head coach, Warlick already ranks fourth in total league wins among active SEC coaches and has won regular season titles in 2013 and 2015, and a tourney crown in 2014.
Warlick is 80-27 in non-conference games.
RPI Watch
Tennessee ranks No. 8 in the NCAA Women’s Basketball RPI, as of the Jan. 18 report.
Below are teams on UT’s schedule this season that are ranked in the top 100. The teams the Lady Vols already have played are underlined.
UT wraps up a four-game gauntlet of ranked foes in the span of 11 days when MSU comes to town.
The last time a Tennessee team beat two top-three ranked opponents during the same season was 2004-05, when UT defeated No. 2 Stanford at home and No. 1 LSU in the SEC Tournament title game.
The last time the Lady Vols beat more than one top-three team on its home court in the same season was 1997-98, when UT defeated No. 2/2 La. Tech, No. 3/3 UConn and No. 3/3 Old Dominion.
Tennessee is at home again on Thursday night, as Ole Miss ventures to Knoxville for a 7 p.m. contest on the SEC Network.
UT will head to LSU next Sunday for a noon CT/1 ET match-up on the SEC Network.
Lady Vols And Alumns In The News
UT was selected as the No. 5 overall seed in the NCAA’s first of three regular season top-16 ranking announcements on Jan. 17. If the season ended today, those top 16 seeds would host NCAA First and Second Round games on March 16-19.
Seniors Jaime Nared and Mercedes Russell, who were on the John R. Wooden Award preseason watch list, have advanced to the midseason list.
Signees Amira “Mimi” Collins, Zarielle “Zay” Green and Jazmine Massengill were chosen to play in the McDonald’s All American Game. UT’s fourth signee, Rae Burrell was nominated from the state of Nevada but was not chosen.
Collins, Green and Massengill are all on the Naismith midseason watch list.
Lady Vol alum Chamique Holdsclaw and former UT assistant coach Mickie DeMoss were recently named as finalists vying for spots in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Class of 2018.
Cindy Brogdon (1977-79) was named as Tennessee’s 2018 SEC Basketball Legend. The three-time All-American and 1976 U.S. Olympian will be honored at the SEC Tournament in Nashville.
Tennessee Notes vs. Mississippi State
This marks the 41st meeting between the Lady Vols and MSU, with UT possessing a 37-3 record in the series.
Tennessee won the first 36 games in the series, dropped three straight to the Bulldogs and bounced back with a win in Starkville last season.
UT is 17-1 vs. Mississippi State in Starkville, 16-1 in Knoxville and 4-1 at neutral sites.
Including this game, MSU has been the higher ranked team in the past five games, entering this one with a 3-1 edge over UT.
The Bulldogs have been ranked in the top four in the last three meetings, including this one.
Holly Warlick is 4-3 vs. the Bulldogs and Vic Schaefer, including 2-1 at home, 2-1 on the road and 0-1 at neutral sites (2016 SEC semifinals).
The Lady Vols were unable to defend their home court last season, falling, 74-64, on Jan. 8.
UT rebounded the next month, however to win on MSU’s 2017 senior day, with Jaime Nared registering a career-high 30 to lead the Big Orange siege.
Tennessee suffered its first-ever loss to the Bulldogs on Jan. 28, 2016, when #13/13 MSU came from 12-down in the fourth quarter to force OT and defeat the #19/23 Lady Vols in Starkville, 65-63.
#15/15 MSU took the second meeting in the SEC semifinals that year, taking a 58-48 triumph over the unranked Lady Vols in Jacksonville on March 5, 2016.
In the 2012 matchup in Starkville, won by Tennessee, 57-41, UT scored its (then) fewest points in the series, while State posted its second-lowest total.
UT 48 points in the 2016 SEC tourney became UT’s lowest scoring total in the series.
Last Meeting Between UT & MSU
Tennessee earned one of the biggest wins of the Holly Warlick era on Feb. 26, 2017, defeating #3/2 Mississippi State, 82-64, at Humphrey Coliseum.
Jaime Nared paved the way for UT’s offense, dropping a career-high 30 points and nine rebounds. Diamond DeShields posted an all-around performance with 20 points, six assists and five rebounds.
The win marked the first victory over a Top-3 opponent on the road for Tennessee (19-10, 10-6 SEC) since the Lady Vols defeated No. 1 Duke, 72-69, on Jan. 24, 2004.
Jordan Reynolds also had a productive game, tying her career high in points with 17 to go along with eight rebounds and three assists.
Victoria Vivians led the Bulldogs (27-3, 13-3 SEC) with 18 points.
The Lady Vols closed out strong, shooting 50 percent in the final quarter to hand Mississippi State its first home loss of the season in front of a sellout crowd of 10,500.
Last Time In Knoxville
Tennessee’s valiant second-half comeback attempt fell just short in a 74-64 loss to No. 4 Mississippi State on Jan. 8, 2017, at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Bulldogs (17-0, 3-0 SEC) ended the Lady Vols’ six-game winning streak while getting their first-ever victory over UT in Knoxville (1-16). MSU now has won three straight games in the series dating back to last season.
Diamond DeShields led all scorers with 25 points and was one of three Lady Vols in double figures. It was the third 20-plus point game of the season for DeShields and the 27th of her career. The Georgia native also finished the game one rebound short of her sixth career double-double, finishing with nine boards.
Mercedes Russell also had another strong performance for Tennessee (10-5, 2-1 SEC), recording her 10th double-double of the season with 17 points and 14 rebounds. The Big Orange were just the second team this season to out-rebound the undefeated Bulldogs, finishing with an 48-39 advantage on the boards.
The Lady Vols were aggressive on both ends of the floor and did the majority of their offensive damage from the charity stripe, going 30-for-35 from the free-throw line on the afternoon. UT also held MSU to just 37 percent shooting from the floor, well below its season average of 48 percent.
The Bulldogs also had three players score in double figures, led by Morgan William who finished with 21 points and four assists. Victoria Vivians finished with 20 points while Teaira McCowan finished with 14 points and nine boards.
Tennessee battled back throughout the second half and cut the deficit to one after DeShields made an incredible block that led to a layup by Jordan Reynolds on the other end with 6:42 to play. UT took its first lead of the second half on a DeShields layup with 3:04 left to play, however, MSU outscored the Lady Vols 13-2 the rest of the way to seal the victory.
Mississippi State Reset
Like Tennessee, Mississippi State has started the same five players every game this season.
Head coach Vic Schaefer has sent out 6-foot-7 center Teaira McCowan (20.9 ppg., 12.9 rpg.) and guards Victoria Vivians (19.3 ppg., 6.0 rpg., 36 3FGs), Roshunda Johnson (11.7 ppg., 38 3FGs), daughter Blair Schaefer (9.0 ppg., 46 3FGs) and Morgan William (7.5 ppg., 4.5 apg.) to the center circle.
McCowan is averaging 23.8 ppg. in league play and pulling down 14 rebounds per game.
Schaefer, 143-51 in his sixth season, led MSU to the Final Four last season, upsetting UConn in the semifinal round before falling to South Carolina in the championship game.
The Bulldogs are averaging 86.4 ppg. and surrendering only 56.3, and they shoot 48.5 percent from the field, 37.7 on threes and 73.5 on free throws.
MSU’s closest game was a three-point win over Oklahoma State (79-76) on Dec. 3. UT beat the Cowgirls, 79-69, at the Cancun Challenge on Nov. 24.
UT (Riviera) and MSU (Mayan) won their respective divisions at the Cancun Challenge with 3-0 records.
No. 4/3 Mississippi State kept pace as one of the final three undefeated teams in women’s basketball with a 75-61 win over Alabama in Southeastern Conference play at Humphrey Coliseum on Sunday night.
MSU improved to 19-0 overall and 5-0 in league play. The Bulldogs are in sole possession of first place in the conference standings, while joining Connecticut and Louisville as the nation’s final trio of undefeated team.
State won its 13th-straight home game dating back to last season, while moving within a win of matching last season’s program-best 20-0 start. Sunday’s contest was played before a coliseum crowd of 9,010 – third largest in the history of the women’s program.
Victoria Vivians led the offensive attack for the Bulldogs with 21 points. Teaira McCowan added 19 points and Roshunda Johnson added 14 points. McCowan recorded her 13th double-double, as she added a game-high 16 rebounds.
Tennessee Last Time Out
Meme Jackson scored 18 points, but it was not enough as No. 5/5 Notre Dame overcame a 23-point, first-half deficit to hand No. 6/7 Tennessee its second loss of the season, 84-70, on Thursday night at Purcell Pavilion.
After taking a 60-50 lead into the fourth quarter, the Lady Vols (16-2, 4-1 SEC) fell into an offensive slump, and were outscored 34-10 to close the game. The Fighting Irish (17-2, 5-1 ACC) were efficient throughout the second half, shooting 66 percent from 3-point range and committing just three turnovers.
Arike Ogunbowale had a strong offensive performance for Notre Dame, leading the way with 27 points and eight rebounds. Marina Mabrey added 20 points, including three 3-pointers in the second half, as well as a game-high seven assists.
Tennessee did feature a balanced scoring effort in the loss, with all five starters reaching double figures. Jaime Nared recorded 14 points and six boards, while Mercedes Russell, Rennia Davis, and Evina Westbrook netted 12 each.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Head Coach Holly Warlick met with members of the media after No. 6/7 Tennessee’s practice on Saturday. The Lady Vols (16-2, 4-1 SEC) are preparing to host defending NCAA runner-up No. 3/3 Mississippi State (19-0, 5-0 SEC) on Sunday.
Answering questions from the media, Warlick discussed the depth of Mississippi State and how she feels senior Mercedes Russell will match up against the Bulldogs’ center Teaira McCowan.
In addition to a top-10 match-up, Sunday’s game also is UT’s We Back Pat game, remembering legendary Tennessee women’s basketball head coach Pat Summitt and bringing awareness to the Pat Summitt Foundation and its fight against Alzheimer’s disease.
The game will tip at 3:02 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN 2.
On learning from the loss to Notre Dame:
“We watched a lot of tape. We asked questions on what they saw and how it affected them. It was a good learning day. I think, when I watched it, that our offense affected our defense. We stopped getting up on the ball and pressuring. They got comfortable, then we got tired. Those are things that this young group is going to learn. I thought Jaime (Nared) and Mercedes (Russell) pressed a little bit, but that’s a part of the process. As long as we learn from it, we will be in great shape.”
On what needs to be corrected to minimize turnovers:
“We are trying to hit a home run when we just need a base hit. Make the easy pass. Now, we are playing against better athletes, and better defenders. We are seeing a gap, and we are trying to thread a needle, and we don’t need that. If there is not an assurance of what we can do, just pull it back out. We have a hard time pulling the ball back out, I don’t know why we think that it is bad. We talked a lot about that today. If you see it, throw it. If not, pull it back out. We don’t need a home run; we need a base hit.”
On minimizing turnovers:
“We think that we have to make something happen all the time. We are running the ball, we are pressing, they are going to have three back. We have to be really mindful to not predetermine what we are doing. We come down, predetermine who we are going to throw it to regardless. We have to see the defense, and (know) there is nothing wrong with pulling the ball back out. We are in attack mode, but sometimes we need to get in attack mode then back off a little bit.”
On if most of the turnovers came when the team was trying to get the ball to Russell:
“On the break we are throwing the ball to kids, and the ball is sailing out of bounds. If it’s not there, don’t force it. We are okay if we don’t have a fast break every time. We are okay with that. Some (turnovers) were to Russell, some were on the wing. It was a variety of everyone trying to make things happen. I get that, I’m going to give that to them because we play fast. Now, we have to find a happy medium here. We have to play fast, and if we don’t have anything, pull out and be deliberate.”
On the team understanding they can’t let up:
“We have to understand. We have to go with what got us here. To use Notre Dame as an example, it was our defensive pressure which led us to easy baskets, which let us get out to a great start. Then we got comfortable, and we didn’t want to defend. We can’t do that. The score is not indicative of the game. People are going to make runs. We have to stay down and do what got us there. That’s being solid on the defensive end and make sure we secure the boards.”
On what she thinks is Tennessee’s best defensive strategy:
“Right now, I think it would be man, but I think that depends on who we are playing and what group is in. I would go with our man first, but for me it depends on the situation and who is hot and who is not.”
On why the team played like it did after such a great start vs. Notre Dame:
“Honestly, maybe a lack of focus. Maybe a concern that the last play we had is affecting our next play. We have been really good at refocusing on the next play. I saw us getting affected by what just happened (at Notre Dame). We really have to get back where we understand that this happened, but now I have to get back and do what I have to do to get a stop.”
On opponents’ strategies when playing the Lady Vols:
“I think teams adjust to it. They are going to make us beat them by not going to Mercedes, as I would. They are more physical on her. She has to move around. They are doubling her; they are putting three people down, but we have to find better ways to give her the opportunity to score. She has to continue to work hard. She has done a great job, but Notre Dame had a great adjustment. We started not hitting from the outside, so they just kept packing it in on Mercedes. Until you make an outside shot, that’s what teams are going to do.”
On potentially pulling Mercedes away from the basket:
“Yes, that is an option. She is very consistent at the elbow jumper and moving around. She is an excellent ball handler for her size. So yes, we can move her around a lot.”
On Mississippi State being as good if not better this year than last:
“Yes, I think they are more efficient. I think each kid on their team is playing her role, and they are doing it really well. I think what has helped is moving Vivians to the four. That allows (Vic Schaefer) to put another quicker guard out and another shooter. They are solid in every position. They are great defenders, and they are smart on the offensive end. They have three-point shooters, penetrators and just an anchor inside. I think its his best team he has had at Mississippi State.”
On the timing (after playing three straight ranked teams on the road) of the Mississippi State game:
“I think it is great timing for us. Coming off the loss we understand that we need to be more focused. We have to tune in. We have to stick to our game plan. I’m okay with the game being now. We understand. We have seen them, and we have watched them. Our kids have watched Mississippi State. We have a tremendous amount of respect for them. I know it’s a challenge, but I can’t think of a better time to play them than after a bad loss for us.”
On playing at home again after playing in some tough environments recently:
“It does help. We were in three tough environments, and I thought Notre Dame got to us. I think (the team is) happy to be home. It’s a learning process for these freshmen. Now we’re going against better athletes, people that know what they do. It’s no longer that Rennia Davis, or any of those kids, is a secret. We have to really be on point, focus in and be a part of this team. But it’s going to do nothing but help these freshmen. That environment, who we’re playing, what they need to do – they’ve had to grow up really quickly this year.”
On learning from Notre Dame and bouncing back from a loss quickly:
“We’ve been a really good team of answering people’s runs. We didn’t at Notre Dame. But win or lose, now we have to focus in on (Mississippi State), and that’s what I think has made this team really special. They haven’t really zoomed in on what happened as far as having a great win and then having to refocus, or having a bad loss and then having to refocus. They’ve really dialed in, and that’s why I think this team has been a special team for us.”
On Meme Jackson‘s status after running into a hard screen against Notre Dame:
“She’s fine. Her pride got hurt a little bit probably, but she’s good. And that was a legal screen. I thought Meme hung tough. I thought she had a tough game, and she got back up. I wanted her to get back up a bit quicker, but I didn’t run into that screen.”
On the team being even-keeled and how that helps after losses:
“After we watched film… I think a lot of them kind of wore their feelings on their sleeve (after the loss at Notre Dame), and I don’t think they realized exactly how we got to the point we did. Once we saw it, they’re like ‘Oh, wow.’ And I actually let them sulk for the day. We had a pretty hard practice yesterday, and some of them struggled a little bit, but today they bounced back. We had a great prep, and that’s what it’s all about. And they have been good at moving on. That one stung. I get it, it stung with me too. I told the group, ‘We’re going to talk about Notre Dame today. We’re going to fix it, and then tomorrow we’re not going to bring it back up.’ And that’s what we’ve done.”
On Mississippi State’s Teaira McCowan and her improvement:
“I think number one, she’s in better shape. Number two, they’re looking for her more. Number three, she’s really, really physical. She’s a tough kid to guard, and she keeps the ball up, and she’s 6’7″, so it’s a difficult guard. Mercedes is going to have to do her job and keep her off the boards. She’s become a really good offensive rebounder. I think she’s an anchor for that group. She allows the guards on the outside to play freely and penetrate and shoot because they know that they have somebody to clean them up inside.”
On Mercedes Russell guarding someone her size:
“I think she plays better when she matches up with people her height, because when they’re smaller, they kind of get up under her and crowd her. If you’re a post player and somebody smaller gets under you, you’re a little hesitant to jump and move. I think Mercedes has had some of her best games when she has gone against someone her size.”
On Mississippi State’s defense forcing the most turnovers in the SEC:
“That’s frightening for us. They get after you. You better protect the ball. They have great on-ball pressure, great denial. So we really have to be sharp and see the whole court and not be predetermined. A lot times our turnovers are predetermined. People scout us and know what we want to do. That’s why you have to play the game, get in your concepts and make your plays. You have to make your plays but also take what they give you.”
On Tennessee’s freshmen getting so much experience this early in their careers:
“In my eyes, they’re not freshmen anymore. They are playing a lot of minutes because we need them to play minutes. That’s how we got these kids. We didn’t promise them they were going to start, but (we said), ‘You’re going to play a lot because we don’t have a lot of guards.’ And if you look across the country, some of the freshmen that are sitting have great players playing in front of them. Take Texas. They have two kids that were No. 2 and No.3 in the country in recruiting, but also playing behind Ariel Atkins, who is unbelievable. And then also Brooke McCarty, who’s unbelievable. Those kids who I’m using as an example, they’re playing behind pro players. WNBA, pro players. They get to learn from them, and that’s what’s great. They can really focus in on sitting and learning. It’s like Kasi (Kasiyahna Kushkituah). She’s sitting and learning behind Mercedes. Because when Mercedes leaves, Kasi’s minutes are going to jump sky high, so she needs to absorb everything she can from Mercedes Russell, as should all of those kids. And it’s not a guarantee. You have to prove yourself, and if you’re ranked high and don’t get it done, you’re not going to play.”
COLUMBIA, S.C. — After a loss on the road Wednesday, 21st-ranked Tennessee looks to bounce back with a win over South Carolina at Colonial Life Arena on Saturday. The game will tip at 6 p.m. ET and will be televised live on ESPN2 and streamed online via WatchESPN.
The Vols (12-5, 3-3 SEC) rallied back from a 10-point deficit with less than seven minutes remaining against Missouri earlier in the week but fell short after a turnover in the finals seconds of the game. Kyle Alexander has stepped up during the past two games, posting back-to-back double-digit scoring performances for the first time in his career, including a career-high 14 points against Texas A&M. At Mizzou, he finished with 12 points on 6-of-6 shooting to go along with four rebounds and three blocks.
South Carolina (12-6, 3-3 SEC) struggled early in the season after returning just two starters from last year’s Final Four team. The Gamecocks fell to Clemson, Illinois State and Temple in non-conference play before dropping three of their first four SEC contests. However, USC enters Saturday’s matchup riding a two-game winning streak, including a 14-point, second-half comeback to defeat No. 18 Kentucky behind the play of forward Chris Silva, who tied a career-high with 27 points and grabbed eight boards.
After Saturday night’s showdown, the Vols return home for their second meeting with the Vanderbilt Commodores on Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. ET. UT then heads to Ames, Iowa, to face Iowa State as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Jan. 27 at 4 p.m. ET. Both games will be televised on ESPNU.
THE SERIES
• Overall: UT leads, 42-27
• In Knoxville: UT leads, 25-9
• In Columbia: SC leads, 16-14
• Neutral Sites: UT leads, 3-2
• Current Streak: SC has won three straight
• Last Meeting: SC won, 82-55, in Columbia, 2/25/17
• Rick Barnes vs. South Carolina: 6-3
• Rick Barnes vs. Frank Martin : Martin leads, 7-4
RIGHT NOW
• In SEC games, reigning SEC Player of the Week Grant Williams is tied for third in the league with a scoring average of 18.8 ppg.
• Junior Kyle Alexander is 11-for-12 from the field over UT’s last two games for 26 total points.
• The Vols are rated No. 14 in the NCAA RPI and own the nation’s fifth-rated SOS, per ESPN.
A WIN WOULD…
• Give Tennessee four true road wins in six tries this season. The Vols totaled four true road wins all of last season.
• Snap South Carolina’s three-game win streak in the series.
• Give the Big Orange seven wins over teams occupying a top-100 spot in the current NCAA RPI.
ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA
• In his sixth season at the helm, Frank Martin has South Carolina (12-6, 3-3 SEC) trending in the right direction, sitting at 47th in the latest RPI standing. Last season, the Gamecocks advanced to their first Final Four and won a program-record 26 games.
• However, USC lost three starters from that team, including SEC Player of the Year Sindarius Thornwell. The two returners are junior forward Chris Silva and sophomore forward Maik Kotsar.
• South Carolina struggled early on in the season, dropping contests against Clemson, Illinois State and Temple during non-conference play. The Gamecocks then lost three of their first four to begin their SEC slate but enter Saturday’smatchup riding a two-game winning streak.
• After going on the road to get a win at Georgia, South Carolina returned home and erased a 14-point, second-half deficit to upset No. 18 Kentucky, 76-68. Silva matched a career-high with 27 points and grabbed eight boards to pace USC.
• On the season, Silva leads the Gamecocks in scoring (14.9 ppg) and rebounding (7.9 rpg). In SEC play, he’s improved his scoring to 19.3 ppg.
• Graduate transfer guard Frank Booker is the team’s other double-digit scorer, tallying 11.3 ppg to go along with 3.3 rpg, 1.2 spg and 1.1 apg in 26 minutes of action a game.
LAST MEETING WITH SOUTH CAROLINA
• Tennessee struggled from the field against the SEC’s top-rated defense, suffering an 82-55 defeat at South Carolina on Feb. 25, 2017. Senior guard Robert Hubbs III was the only Volunteer to finish in double figures, scoring 16 points on the afternoon.
• Statistically, South Carolina entered Saturday’s game allowing its opponents only 64.7 points per game on a 39.8 field goal percentage—both conference-bests. Those figures held true, as Tennessee was limited to 55 points—its lowest scoring output of the season—on just 33.3 percent shooting.
• Looking to get back on track after a home loss to Vanderbilt three days prior, the Vols got off to a rocky start, committing five turnovers over the first four minutes of action. Those miscues allowed South Carolina to race out to an early 8-2 lead—an advantage that would grow to as many as 27-9 after a pair of 8-0 runs.
• The Vols would respond late in the opening frame, though, as Hubbs and freshman Grant Williams led a charge that saw UT pull back to within single digits by intermission. The pair finished with eight points apiece in the opening frame.
• UT looked poised to maintain the momentum after halftime, whittling the deficit to four after a coast-to-coast layup from Hubbs. But not long thereafter, South Carolina got back-to-back 3-pointers from Duane Notice, opening up a 12-3 run that restored the Gamecocks’ lead to double figures and ultimately put the home side out of reach for good.
• Along with his eight points, Williams led UT with eight rebounds to go along with a season-high four steals. Admiral Schofield and Lamonté Turner—who made his fifth career start—finished with seven points apiece. Sophomore Kyle Alexander added five points and a team-high three blocked shots. UT finished with 20 turnovers and just three assists.
MEMORABLE VOL PERFORMANCES AGAINST SOUTH CAROLINA
• On Dec. 6, 1969, unranked Tennessee strolled into Columbia and upset the No. 1-ranked Gamecocks, 55-54, thanks to 20 points from Jimmy England, and double-doubles by Don Johnson (18 pts, 12 rebs) and Bobby Croft (12 pts, 13 rebs).
• A two-overtime thriller in Columbia saw South Carolina pull out a 111-107 win on Feb. 10, 1993, despite 20-point efforts from Allan Houston (29), Lang Wiseman (26) and Corey Allen (22).
• Wayne Chism scored 23 points, JaJuan Smith added 19 and Tyler Smith had 13, but it was Chris Lofton’s 25-footer with 12.0 seconds remaining that lifted the Vols to an 89-87 win over South Carolina in the 2008 SEC Tournament in Atlanta on March 14, 2008.
• 2011 first-team All-SEC guard Scotty Hopson had a bright career against South Carolina, owning a sterling 6-0 record against the Gamecocks. Hopson threw down a posterizing dunk in the 2011 Knoxville win that placed fourth in the CBS Dunk of the Year Contest.
FORMER BIG 12 RIVALS BARNES, MARTIN NOW UNDER SEC BANNER
• Tennessee coach Rick Barnes and South Carolina headman Frank Martin meet for the 12th time as conference rivals Saturday, but just the fifth time under the SEC banner.
• The two squared off seven times as coaches in the Big 12 Conference, when Barnes was with Texas and Martin was at the helm at Kansas State.
• Martin owns a 7-4 edge in head-to-head meetings.
• The 51-year-old Martin went 117-54 in five seasons at Kansas State, taking his 2009-10 squad to the Elite Eight and winning the Big 12 Coach of the Year award that same season. Barnes was one of the top coaches in the Big 12 during his 17-year tenure at Texas, winning four Big 12 Coach of the Year awards.
• Martin accepted the head coaching position at South Carolina in 2012 and owns a 108-80 record with the Gamecocks, who advanced to the Final Four last season.
TRENDING NOW
• In SEC play, Tennessee leads the league in assists per game (15.3) while ranking second in scoring offense (79.2), assist/turnover ratio (1.4) and rebounding defense (32.7 rapg).
• The Vols have 19 steals over their last two games.
• Admiral Schofield has led the Vols in rebounding in each of the last four games (7.8 rpg), and he has 11 offensive rebounds during that span. He has been UT’s leader (or shared the lead) on the boards in seven of the last eight contests.
• Admiral Schofield also leads the team with 20 total steals through 17 games. In his first two seasons combined, he totaled 21 steals in 61 games played.
• In three of Tennessee’s last five games, a Vol has set a new career-high for scoring: 25 for Lamonté Turner vs. Auburn; 37 for Grant Williams at Vanderbilt; and 14 for Kyle Alexander vs. Texas A&M.
ALEXANDER LOCKED IN
• Junior forward Kyle Alexander is coming off back-to-back games with 10 or more points for the first time in his career.
• After a 6-for-6 shooting night at Missouri Wednesday, the Canadian big man is 11-for-12 from the field over UT’s last two games. He is averaging 13.0 ppg over that span.
• In Tennessee’s win over Texas A&M on Jan. 13, Alexander scored a career-high 14 points, and he followed that up with 12 points on perfect shooting at Mizzou.
• The Missouri game Wednesday night marked the first time in Alexander’s career that the Vols lost when he scored in double-figures (4-1).
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