ATLANTA — Despite a sluggish offensive showing, the Tennessee men’s basketball team rallied in the final minutes to hold off Georgia Tech, 77-70, Sunday at McCamish Pavilion.
Lamonte Turner led the way for the Volunteers (6-1), tying a career-high with 24 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor. He was also crucial in the closing minutes of the game, when Tennessee made 17-of-19 from the charity stripe in the final three minutes of action, burying all seven of his attempts during that stretch.
Grant Williams finished with 11 points and six boards after being limited due to foul trouble. Admiral Schofield and Jordan Bowden both added 10 points each to round out UT’s double-digit scorers.
The Yellow Jackets were led by center Ben Lammers, who tallied 17 points and nine rebounds in the contest, including 15 points in the second half to help Georgia Tech stay within striking distance.
Tech fought back to make things interesting in the second half by using a 7-2 run to make it a one-point game with 2:58 remaining. The Vols answered with an 11-1 run of their own and capped off the change in momentum with a Turner three-point play on an and-one. The swing gave UT an insurmountable 69-58 edge with 51 seconds left.
After a slow start, the Vols’ offense started clicking after the first media timeout, using an 11-4 run to pull ahead of the Yellow Jackets, 15-12. During the stretch, UT was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field and knocked down a trio of 3-pointers.
Tennessee closed out the half by hitting five of its last seven shots and holding Georgia Tech without a basket over the final 2:30 of play. The Volunteers entered halftime with a 35-29 lead. Williams paced the Vols with 10 points, five boards and a pair of blocks before the break.
TURNER FUELS UT OFFENSE: With the Vols struggling to get a basket down the stretch, Lamonte Turner knocked down the only pair of shots from the field for UT during the final nine minutes of play. Turner had 13 points during the final 6:25 of play to prevent Tennessee’s offense from going stagnant.
CLOSING OUT WITH THE FREEBIES: After attempting only two free throws in the first half, the Volunteers made it to the charity stripe 25 times in the second period, converting on 84 percent (21-25) of those trips. Of the second-half attempts, 19 came in the final three minutes of action to help UT seal the victory.
UP NEXT: After Sunday’s win, UT returns home for a three-game home stand that against Lipscomb (Dec. 9), North Carolina (Dec. 17) and Furman (Dec. 20).
Mercedes Russell – Lady Vols C / Credit: UT Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. —No.12/13 Tennessee came alive on offense, with six players scoring in double-digits as the Lady Vols beat Alabama State, 104-51, Sundayafternoon in front of a crowd of 8,004 at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Tennessee (8-0) relied on offense in the paint and winning the turnover battle convincingly to produce the team’s best offensive showing since scoring 110 versus Troy last year. Senior center Mercedes Russell led the charge vs. Alabama State (1-7), scoring 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the floor. She now is hitting 69.3 percent (61-of-88) for the season.
Junior guard Meme Jackson fired in 19, coming up a point shy of her career best. Freshman forward Rennia Davis filled the stat sheet with 18 points, nine rebounds, and five assists. Senior forward Jaime Nared and freshmen guards Anastasia Hayes and Evina Westbrook also hit double figures, contributing 14,13 and 11 points, respectively. Redshirt junior forward Cheridene Green grabbed 10 boards, continuing her strong interior play.
Tennessee relied on suffocating defense to get its offense going at a breakneck pace in the first quarter. A quick steal and score by Westbrook helped get Tennessee off to a 12-0 start. All seven Lady Vols that played during the quarter scored on the way to an impressive 30-12 lead.
The Tennessee offensive explosion continued in the second stanza of the game, as Russell completely took over, scoring 16 of UT’s 31 points. The Lady Vols outscored Alabama State 36-10 in the paint and had zero turnovers to the Hornets’ 14 at the half, taking full advantage of a clear advantage in team length and athleticism. The teams entered the half with the Lady Vols in command, 61-26.
The offense didn’t match the pace in the second half, but the Lady Vols still came away with a satisfying 104-51 win. The 53-point triumph stands as the largest victory margin of the season.
For Alabama State, Mya Milner and Courtney Lee were able to find offensive success despite a pressuring defense from Tennessee, scoring 17 and 15 points, respectively.
Up Next: The Lady Vols play the third game of a four-game home stand with a match-up versus Troy on Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and the contest will be available for streaming online via SECN+.
Dominating The First: Tennessee’s 30 first-quarter points against Alabama State tied for the fourth most points ever scored in any quarter by a Lady Vols team. UT bettered that in the second frame, scoring 31 to improve the fourth-best all-time total. Through eight games UT has outscored opponents in the first quarter 182-99.
Balanced Offense: All five of Tennessee’s starters scored at least one basket by the 7:12 mark, and the Lady Vols finished with six players in double figures. Every player who entered the game for UT scored at least two points.
A Tale of Turnovers: The Lady Vols didn’t have a single turnover in the first half while forcing 14 Alabama State turnovers. Tennessee converted those ASU miscues into 25 points. On the game, UT had only four turnovers while forcing 23. Four turnovers is the fewest managed by any Lady Vols team in recorded history.
ATLANTA — The Tennessee men’s basketball team travels to Georgia Tech for its first true road game of the season Sunday at McCamish Pavilion. The game will tip at 6 p.m. and will be televised live on ESPNU and streamed online via WatchESPN.
Tennessee (5-1) is coming off a strong performance against Mercer, where the Vols downed the Bears, 84-60, at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Yellow Jackets (4-2) enter the contest after a one-point loss on Friday night to Grambling State.
The two teams met in Knoxville last year, with UT coming away with a victory. Tech will be the second ACC team that Tennessee has faced this season, as the Volunteers capped of the Battle 4 Atlantis with a win over NC State.
This season, the Vols have been paced by sophomore forward Grant Williams, who’s averaging 16.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg and 3.0 apg. He’s cracked the 20-point margin three times and has made his presence felt down low.
With teams looking to take away the easy basket for Williams, the Vols have been able to cash in big from deep, ranking second in the SEC in three-point field goal percentage (.430; 55-of-128) and 17th nationally. Sophomore guard Jordan Bowden tops the SEC rankings in the individual category, knocking down 61 percent (14-of-23) of his treys.
After the road trip, UT returns home for a three-game home stand against Lipscomb (Dec. 9), North Carolina (Dec. 17) and Furman (Dec. 20).
THE SERIES
• Overall: Tennessee leads, 43-28
• In Knoxville: UT leads, 26-9
• In Atlanta: GT leads, 19-15
• Neutral Sites: UT leads, 2-0
• Current Streak: Tennessee has won one
• Last Meeting: Tennessee won, 81-58, on Dec. 3, 2016
• Rick Barnes vs. Georgia Tech: 6-3
• Rick Barnes vs. Josh Pastner: 1-0
RIGHT NOW
• Tennessee is in the midst of a 30-day span during which it will play four ACC opponents. The Vols are 1-0 vs. ACC teams so far, having beaten NC State.
• These programs met annually from 1945-68, and Georgia Tech was a member of the SEC from 1932-64.
• At 5-1, the Volunteers are off to their best start since the 2010-11 season, when they opened with seven straight wins.
A WIN WOULD…
• Improve UT’s record vs. current members of the ACC to 108-98
• Make Tennessee 2-0 against ACC teams this season (with two more ACC foes on the schedule later this month).
• Give the Volunteers their second three-game win streak of the season.
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH
• There is plenty of history in this series, as these programs met annually from 1945-68 (Tech was a member of the SEC from 1932-64).
• After spending seven seasons as the head coach at Memphis, Josh Pastner took the Georgia Tech job and earned ACC Coach of the Year honors last year in his first campaign with the Yellow Jackets.
• Senior center Ben Lammers—the reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year—fuels the Yellow Jackets on both sides of the ball. Last season, the 6-10, San Antonio, Texas, native led the conference and ranked third nationally in blocks per game at 3.37. He also averaged 14.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. This year, he’s averaging 16.2 ppg on 63-percent shooting from the floor to go along with 8.0 rbg and 3.2 bpg, all of which are team highs.
• The guard tandem of true freshman Jose Alvarado and senior Tadric Jackson are the other Tech players who average double-digit scoring each game, posting 13.2 and 12.0 ppg, respectively. Jackson has embraced the role of the sixth man for the Yellow Jackets, finishing second in the voting for the award last season in the ACC. After serving a three-game suspension, Jackson has made his presence felt for Georgia Tech, hitting the game-winning layup at the buzzer against Northwestern earlier this week.
• Alvarado has fulfilled the role as the primary point guard by averaging nearly 34 minutes a game at the spot. Along with his 13.2 ppg, he’s posting 5.2 rpg and 4.4 apg.
• After dropping their first game of the season to UCLA, the Yellow Jackets enjoyed a four-game winning streak before suffering a one-point loss to Grambling State on Friday night in Atlanta.
THE LAST TIME vs. GEORGIA TECH
• Grant Williams and Shembari Phillips—now a Yellow Jacket after transferring in the offseason—scored 14 points each to lead Tennessee to an 81-58 victory over Georgia Tech on Dec. 3, 2016, at Thompson-Boling Arena.
• The Vols were efficient, shooting 52.8 percent from the floor and 54.5 percent from 3-point range. UT also made 19 of 24 free throws and out-rebounded Georgia Tech (4-3), 37-31. Tennessee limited Georgia Tech to just 32.7 percent shooting, marking the Vols’ best defensive effort of the season.
• Williams scored 10 of his then-career-best 14 points in the second half, finishing 6-of-11 and adding six rebounds, one assist and two steals. Phillips led the team with a career-best seven assists and also had five rebounds. John Fulkerson thrived on hustle plays and finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. Robert Hubbs III added 10 points, six boards and two steals.
• The Vols took a 42-25 lead into halftime. Tennessee outscored Georgia Tech in the paint in the first half, 18-6, and scored 15 points off of turnovers. Phillips had nine points and Fulkerson had eight points to lead UT offensively.
• Tennessee took command of the game midway through the first half when a jumper by Phillips sparked a 15-4 UT run to give the Vols a 31-16 advantage. The Yellow Jackets shot just 24.1 percent from the floor in the first half while committing 13 turnovers.
• Nearly half of UT’s offense came from freshmen. Williams, Fulkerson, Lamonté Turner and Jordan Bowden combined for 48.1 percent of the scoring with 39 of the Vols’ 81 points.
GEORGIA CONNECTIONS
• Georgia Tech guard Shembari Phillips is an Atlanta native who graduated from Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia, in 2015 and spent the last two seasons playing for the Vols. Phillips transferred at the conclusion of last season and is sitting out this academic year per NCAA transfer guidelines.
• Tennessee also has produced two All-Americans who are Georgia natives: Reggie Johnson (Ellenwood) was a first-team All-American in 1979 and 1980; Dale Ellis (Marietta) was a first-team All-American in 1982 and 1983.
• Third-year Vols assistant coach Desmond Oliver worked as an assistant at Tech rival UGA in Athens, Georgia, from 2004-09. He was on the Bulldogs staff when UGA won the 2008 SEC Tournament in Atlanta.
• During Oliver’s time at UGA, the Bulldogs were 2-3 against the in-state rival Yellow Jackets.
• Georgia Tech standout sophomore guard Josh Okogie, who hails from Snellville, Georgia, was recruited by the Vols and took his official visit to Rocky Top the same weekend as current UT sophomores Jordan Bone and Grant Williams.
FOUR-GAME CONTRACT
• This game marks the third clash of a four-year, four-game contract between the Vols and Yellow Jackets.
• The Volunteers fell to Tech, 69-67, in Atlanta on Nov. 16, 2015. Tennessee then defeated Tech, 81-58, on Dec. 3, 2016, in Knoxville.
• Tennessee will host the Yellow Jackets again next season on a date that has yet to be announced.
VOLS’ SCHEDULE IS ACC HEAVY
• Tennessee’s 2017-18 schedule features four games against ACC opposition: Nov. 24 vs. NC State, Dec. 3 at Georgia Tech, Dec. 17 vs. North Carolina, Dec. 23 at Wake Forest.
• The Vols defeated NC State, 67-58, at the Battle 4 Atlantis.
• Additionally, Tennessee traveled to Clemson for a charity exhibition on Nov. 5. The Vols defeated the Tigers, 71-67.
TENNESSEE’S NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE RIPE WITH OPPORTUNITIES
• A cursory glance at UT’s non-conference schedule reveals a handful of “Power Five” opponents—Purdue, NC State, Georgia Tech, UNC, Wake Forest and Iowa State—that stand as potential RPI boosters. But dig a little deeper and one discovers additional opportunities for resumé-building wins outside of SEC play.
• Two other Tennessee foes appear in the Nov. 13 update of the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, with Mercer and Furman landing at Nos. 16 and 21, respectively. The Vols cruised past Mercer, 84-60, Nov. 29 in Knoxville.
• This article from HeatCheckcbb.com outlines why, based on their schedule, the Vols have more opportunities to log resumé-boosting wins than any other team in the country.
VOLS EARNING VOTES
• Tennessee received 14 votes in this week’s Associated Press top-25 poll and three votes in this week’s coaches poll.
• Prior to this week, the last time UT received votes in the AP poll was Jan. 19, 2015. The last time the Vols received votes in the coaches poll was Nov. 25, 2013.
• The last time Tennessee appeared in the top 25 was Dec. 20, 2010 (19th AP, 18th coaches).
DANIEL A DARN GOOD DISTRIBUTOR
• Graduate transfer James Daniel III is the first Vol to log multiple games of 10 or more assists in a single season in 24 years.
• LaMarcus Golden had two double-digit assist games during the 1993-94 campaign, dishing out 12 vs. UT Martin (11/26/93) and 14 at South Carolina (1/19/94).
• Daniel distributed a career-high 10 assists in the win over High Point on Nov. 14 (his second game as a Vol). He then recorded 10 assists during UT’s victory over Mercer on Nov. 29.
Mercedes Russell – Lady Vols / Credit: UT Athletics
KNOXVILLE, TENN. —No. 12/13 Tennessee (7-0) meets Alabama State (1-6) at 2 p.m. ETon Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The UT-ASU game is the fifth of seven home tilts in UT’s first 10 scheduled contests.It also is the second of a four-game home stand.
The Lady Vols remain undefeated after shutting down Central Arkansas, 77-34, on Thursday night in Knoxville.The triumph was Tennessee’s fourth at home this season and came on the heels of a three-game sweep in the Cancun Challenge Riviera Tournament, Nov. 23-25.
Alabama State, meanwhile, brings a five-game losing streak into Sunday’s contest.
The Lady Hornets fell at home, 59-47, to South Alabama on Tuesday evening.
GAME PROMOTIONS
Sunday is Knox County Schools Day. Donate two school supply items and receive one complimentary ticket. Donations benefit the Knox County School Supply Depot.
It’s also Kids’ Day! Every Sunday home game is Kids’ Day. Check out the fun at the Kids’ Corner at Gate F, featuring a caricature artist!
Post-game lay-ups for kids every Sunday home game!
Post-game autographs with Rennia Davis at Section 116 on concourse
High-five tunnel for the first 50 kids every game! Pick up a wristband for the tunnel at Section 113 on the concourse
Halftime performance by Coulter Grove Intermediate School Unicycles.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Roger Hoover (PxP), Ashley Smith (Analyst) and Maddy Glab(Reporter) will describe the action for the Tennessee-Alabama State online broadcast on SEC Network+ (SECN+) and WatchESPN.
Mickey Dearstone will handle 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 Hoops Central page or the Lady Vol schedule on UTSports.com.
Air time for games on the Lady Vol Radio Network is generally 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
COMING UP FOR UT
Next week, the Lady Vols will welcome Troy on Thursday (7 p.m.) and No. 2/4 Texas on Sunday (3 p.m.) before competing in their first two true road games of the season at Long Beach State on Dec. 17 (5 p.m. ET / 2 PT) and at #16/14 Stanford on Dec. 21 (9 p.m. ET / 6 PT).
The Troy game will be on SECN+, while the Texas contest will be televised by ESPN2. The game at Long Beach State will be streamed on the school’s Beach Vision, while the tilt at Stanford is scheduled for the Pac-12 Networks.
TENNESSEE RESET
Tennessee is one of only three SEC schools and 20 total teams remaining unbeaten this season as of Dec. 1. League schools UT, Georgia and Mississippi State stand at 7-0.
The Lady Vols are off to their best start since the 2013-14 squad began the year 10-0 en route to a 29-6 overall record.
Holly Warlick‘s squad has led at the half of all seven games, including a double-digit margin in five of those.
The squad from Rocky Top has shot a higher percentage than six of seven opponents and stands at 47.6 for the season. That rate ranks Tennessee No. 18 nationally.
The Big Orange women have won the battle of the boards in every game, forging a +10.7 advantage on the glass.
Tennessee leads the SEC and ranks 11th nationally, pulling down 47.3 rebounds per game, with Jaime Nared (9.9), Mercedes Russell (8.9) and Rennia Davis (8.0) leading the way.
The team is fourth nationally in defensive rebounds per game, grabbing 33.
Mercedes Russell continues to shoot at a high percentage, connecting on 67.9 percent of her shots (53 of 78). She leads the SEC with that accuracy and ranks No. 6 nationally.
Russell picked up the third double-double of the season and 33rd of her career Thursday night, tallying 19 points and 10 rebounds vs. UCA. She, Rennia Davis and Jaime Nared all have three double-doubles this season.
Jaime Nared has scored 21 or more points three times this season, including 25 vs. James Madison, 26 vs. Marquette and 21 vs. Oklahoma State.
Nared became the 45th Lady Vol to eclipse the 1,000-point mark, netting 21 vs. Okie State and moving her total to 1,004 in her 100th career game.
The Lady Vols are eighth in the NCAA in free throws attempted (165) and 11th in free throws made (109).
UT is 14th nationally in three-point field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot only 22.3 from long range.
LOCKDOWN DEFENSE
Tennessee set a school record for fewest points allowed in a second half, giving up only 10 to Central Arkansas on Nov. 30.
All 10 of those points came in the third quarter, as the Lady Vols shut out the Sugar Bears in the final stanza, marking the first time UT had “pitched a shutout” in a quarter.
UCA finished with 34 points for the game, marking the 10th-lowest total ever scored by a Tennessee foe.
UT had a season-high 13 steals, forced a season-best 24 turnovers, held UCA to a season-low 23.7 shooting percentage and allowed the Sugar Bears zero points in transition.
On the season, Holly Warlick‘s squad has held opponents to an average of 59.4 per game, with five of seven foes failing to score more than 60.
GETTING OFF TO A GREAT START
Tennessee has made a habit of getting off to great starts lately. A 152-87 first quarter tally over opponents proves it.
The Big Orange posted a 22-8 first quarter vs. Central Arkansas.
UT went up 10-0 to open the Marquette game.
The Lady Vols were up 6-0 on Oklahoma State en route to a 24-10 first quarter lead.
The Big Orange burst out to a 7-0 advantage over South Dakota on the way to a 24-9 first quarter.
Hayes and Davis are UT’s third and fourth-leading scorers at 12.6 and 12.1 points per game, while Davis is the team’s third-leading rebounder.
Hayes has gotten to the free throw line an average of 9.7 times per game, hitting 52 of 68 for 76.5 percent. She ranks third nationally for free throws attempted and made.
Freshman Evina Westbrook has recorded at least six assists in three of seven games and is leading UT with an average of 4.6 dimes per game. while adding 6.6 points and 2.9 rebounds. Hayes is second at 4.1 assists per contest.
The fourth rookie, center Kasiyahna Kushkituah missed the UCA game with a left lower extremity injury, but has played in three games and averages 2.0 points and 3.0 rebounds. She is shooting 50 percent from the floor.
BIG RUNS BY THE LADY VOLS
Tennessee has put together some impressive scoring runs this season, stringing together 17-straight points spanning the first and second quarters vs. East Tennessee State.
A 17-0 run in the fourth quarter vs. Central Arkansas left the Sugar Bears scoreless in the final period.
A 15-0 run in the first quarter vs. UCA flipped a 6-5 Sugar Bears lead into a 20-6 Lady Vols advantage.
Against Marquette, UT opened the game on a 10-0 spurt and later used a 14-0 blitz to erase a seven-point deficit.
UT also added a 12-0 run vs. Wichita State (1Q-2Q) and had an 11-0 spree (3Q) as well.
Tennessee used an 11-0 run vs. Oklahoma State, bridging the first and second quarters, to extend its lead to 25-10 over the Cowgirls.
The Lady Vols had an 11-0 blitz spanning the second and third quarters vs. South Dakota.
Conversely, the biggest run UT has given up in 2017-18 has been a 12-0 run by Marquette spanning the second and third quarters.
UT LAST TIME OUT (UT 69, USD 49)
No. 12/13 Tennessee made history on defense when it held Central Arkansas scoreless in the fourth quarter and to 10 total second-half points in a 77-34 victory on Thursday night in Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Sugar Bears (3-2) came into the game averaging 78.8 points per game on .504 shooting from the field, but the Lady Vols’ best defensive effort since the season-opening ETSU game limited Central Arkansas to only 23.7 percent shooting from the field. The zero points scored by UCA in the final stanza of the game was the first time UT (7-0) has ever held an opponent scoreless in a quarter. The 10 points allowed in the second half also stood as a program best.
The Lady Vols had three players score in the double digits for the game. Coming off being named Sports Madness SEC Player of the Week, Russell collected her 33rd double-double of her career with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Anastasia Hayes continued her early season success, filling the stat sheet with 14 points, three rebounds, four steals and four assists. Meme Jackson broke into double-digit scoring for the first time on the season, adding 11 points.
Halfway through the first quarter, Tennessee found itself down one, as Central Arkansas led 6-5. A 15-0 run that lasted until almost the second quarter, however, broke the game open. Upperclassmen Russell and Jackson provided the offensive spark that saw the Lady Vols pull away for a 22-8 first quarter lead and never look back.
BALANCED OFFENSE
Tennessee has had at least three players score in double figures in every game this season and has had four or more in double digits on four occasions.
THE SERIES VS. ASU
Tennessee and Alabama State have met one time previously, with a No. 4/4 Lady Vol unit taking care of the Lady Hornets in the NCAA Tournament First Round, 95-43, on March, 22, 2003.
Holly Warlick was an assistant coach at UT at the time, while ASU was led by current head coach Freda Freeman-Jackson.
UT is 4-0 all-time vs. schools from the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
The most recent SWAC team to play the Lady Vols was Alcorn State, which Tennessee defeated, 90-37, on Nov. 25, 2012, in Holly Warlick‘s first season as head coach.
LAST MEETING BETWEEN UT & ASU
Shyra Ely led four players in double figures, as the Lady Vols burst out to a 52-28 halftime advantage en route to a 95-43 NCAA Tournament First Round win over Alabama State in Knoxville on March 22, 2003.
Ely finished with 17 points on six-of-11 shooting in 25 minutes of duty. Brittany Jackson added 16 points, followed by Courtney McDaniel with 12 and Gwen Jackson with 11.
Tennessee shot 50.8 percent from the field, including 7-of-16 (43.8) from the three-point arc, and knocked down 26-of-33 from the charity stripe to advance.
ASU struggled to 3-of-21 shooting from three-point land, including 0-for-6 in the second half.
Tennessee would go on to make the Final Four in Atlanta that season, falling in the title game to UConn, 73-68.
ALABAMA STATE RESET
Alabama State comes to Knoxville on a five-game skid and stands 1-6 on the year.
The Lady Hornets were 14-16 overall a year ago but finished 12-6 and third in the SWAC.
ASU has 10 newcomers this season, with only two starters and four letterwinners back.
Six of Alabama State’s newcomers are transfers.
The squad has struggled offensively, averaging only 49.4 points per game while surrendering 74.1 thus far.
ASU lost to #4/2 South Carolina in the season opener on Nov. 10, 99-31, and fell to another team on UT’s schedule, Troy, by a score of 93-63.
Alabama State is coached by Freda Freeman-Jackson, who is 294-290 in her 20th season.
She guided ASU to SWAC regular season titles in 2003, 2004, 2015 and 2016 as well as tourney crowns in 2003, 2015 and 2016, resulting in automatic NCAA bids.
Freeman-Jackson is married to ASU men’s basketball coach Lewis Jackson and is the mother of Bianca Jackson, a highly-touted player who is a freshman at South Carolina and was recruited by many schools, including Tennessee.
ASU LAST TIME OUT (USA 59, ASU 47)
Alabama State fell behind early before battling back in the third quarter, but South Alabama pulled away down the stretch for a 59-47 non-conference victory at the Dunn-Oliver Acadome Tuesday night.
Kenya Pye led Alabama State (1-6) with 11 points off the bench, while hitting on 50 (5-of-10) percent of her shots from the floor. Jordyn Holmes added 10 points and four rebounds, while Shamyiah Smith and Tatyana Calhoun grabbed six rebounds.
Holmes scored the first seven points of the game for the Lady Hornets, before Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga) product Amber Hunt hit a three-pointer in the final minutes of the first quarter to cut the lead to 15-12. However, South Alabama outscored Alabama State 12-4 in the second quarter, to push the halftime lead to 27-16 en route to the win.
Jason Aldean and wife Brittany are the proud parents of a baby boy, Memphis Aldean Williams.
Memphis was born on Friday, Dec. 1, at 1:29 p.m. He weighed 9 lbs., 5 oz.
Both Jason and Brittany posted messages and photos on their Instagram accounts, which you can read below.
Jason said: “So blessed today to see my little man come into the world. In a year that has been a rollercoaster ride, this is what its all about. I cant wait to see what life has in store for this kid. Memphis Aldean… 9lb 5 oz. #mamawasarockstar.”
Brittany said: “Memphis Aldean Williams💙 Born today at 1:29PM weighing 9lbs 5oz 🙈🙌🏼 There are truly no words for the love we feel🙏🏼 Thanks for the amazing support @jasonaldean and enduring all the hand squeezing and nail digging🤗 … HANDS DOWN THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!”
In Phillip Fulmer’s most important press conference in nine years, he tried to do what hasn’t been done in about three decades: Unite the fan base.
Whether he can remains to be seen. But he sure owned the moment.
On a day when Fulmer was named Tennessee’s acting athletic director – we’ll explain the terminology later — Fulmer talked about the need for unity, for the fan base and boosters to come together.
His first task is finding a new football coach.
Few programs in history have bungled a coaching search as deftly as Tennessee did under John Currie. It went from comical to embarrassing.
When Chancellor Beverly Davenport asked Currie to come off the road Thursday – and Currie apparently didn’t, instead interviewing Washington State coach Mike Leach – Davenport had seen enough.
She suspended Currie with pay with the intent to fire him for cause. Davenport made it clear in her appointment letter to Fulmer. It stated Currie was suspended with pay “pending an investigation or decision relation to termination of his Employment Agreement for causes under Article IX.’’
Davenport declined to say if she was calling Currie off the road to fire him or if she fired him because he didn’t immediately return.
On reason she didn’t get specific is because UT plans to fire Currie for cause.
This is like what happened at Louisville, where the school suspended men’s basketball coach Rick Pitino before firing him with cause.
How much does UT owe Currie if UT can’t fire him for cause? I’m unsure.
Currie’s contract calls for $900,000 for five years or until June 28, 2022. It also says UT owes him $100,000 for each month left on the deal. If the latter is true, he’s owed $5.5 million. That amount exceeds the overall value of the contract – so it would seem odd that UT would owe him more than the amount of his contract.
If he is owned the five years minus the five months he has worked past June 28 of this year, his pay would be about $4 million.
Fulmer will be paid $575,000 a year for “no definitive term’’ – there is no mention of a two-year deal — and it is an “at-will’’ agreement. The reason Fulmer is “active’’ is that Currie is still the athletic director, although suspended. A school can’t have two athletic directors at the same time.
Once Currie is fired, Fulmer will have the “active’’ part removed.
Fulmer ruled out a return to coaching.
He didn’t give a timetable for hiring a replacement for Butch Jones as he heads UT’s search. And he said there are “definitely people interested’’ in the Tennessee job.
Fulmer said he would reach out to UT’s current commitments, which number about 18, and that UT might find some recruits that might not have been interested in UT before.
Fulmer said he is “charged with finding the right coach’’ and noted that he was a coordinator before he was promoted to coach Tennessee, helping the Vols win a national championship and two SEC titles.
But he added: “More times than not, you like experience.’’
Saying he is honored to serve as AD, Fulmer said: “It’s time that we all pull together to be part of the solution.’’
He also said: “Let’s go have fun winning championships.’’
Fulmer had been passed over as the AD when Currie was hired Feb. 28.
Currie was instrumental in the firing of Fulmer in 2008 when Currie was associated AD under AD Mike Hamilton.
Regarding Currie, it appears as though the cause would be for insubordination. Would that only be related to not returning when asked by Davenport? She indicated it was more than that.
Did Currie branch out on his own during the coaching search? Or did he say things to candidates during the search that might not have been favorable to his bosses? Or is he a scapegoat?
We might never know.
Meanwhile, Fulmer will comb the country to hire a new coach.
Hopefully his search will be smoother than the one run by Currie.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.— No. 12/13 Tennessee made history on defense when it held Central Arkansas scoreless in the fourth quarter and to 10 total second-half points in a 77-34 victory on Thursday night in Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Sugar Bears (3-2) came into the game averaging 78.8 points per game on .504 shooting from the field, but the Lady Vols’ best defensive effort since the season-opening ETSU game limited Central Arkansas to only 23.7 percent shooting from the field. The zero points scored by UCA in the final stanza of the game was the first time UT (7-0) has ever held an opponent scoreless in a quarter. The 10 points allowed in the second half also stood as a program best.
The Lady Vols had three players score in the double digits for the game. Coming off being named Sports Madness SEC Player of the Week, Russell collected her 33rd double-double of her career with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Anastasia Hayes continued her early season success, filling the stat sheet with 14 points, three rebounds, four steals and four assists. Meme Jackson broke into double-digit scoring for the first time on the season, adding 11 points.
Halfway through the first quarter, Tennessee found itself down one, as Central Arkansas led 6-5. A 15-0 run that lasted until almost the second quarter, however, broke the game open. Upperclassmen Russell and Jackson provided the offensive spark that saw the Lady Vols pull away for a 22-8 first quarter lead.
The Sugar Bears found most of their offensive success in the second stanza, but Tennessee still outpaced them, as the teams went into the break with UT leading 43-24. Russell and Jackson led UT with 11 points each.
In the second half, the Lady Vol offense slowed down, but defensive pressure more than made up for it. Hayes scored nine of her points and combined with Jackson for five steals during the half. The defensive intensity in the second half saw UT finish the game with season bests in steals and turnovers forced, 13 and 24 respectively.
Tennessee used its athletic and length advantages to their full extent on offense, dominating in the paint and on fast breaks where the team led UCA 38-18 and 14-0 respectively. UT also saw a wide margin in points off turnovers, as the team led that category 22-4.
Taylor Baudoin set the pace for Central Arkansas, leading her team with 11 points and seven rebounds.
Up Next: Tennessee plays the second game of its four-game home stand at Knoxville with a matchup versus Alabama State on Sunday. The game is set for a 2 p.m. start time and is available for streaming online via SECN+.
One Year Later: Tennessee’s scoring margin of +43 is the team’s best since exactly one year ago versus Tennessee State when the Lady Vols won by 50. Tonight was also the first time UT has held a team under 40 points since that night.
Hot Shots: After shooting 50% from the field against Central Arkansas, Tennessee has shot better than 45% in five of its seven games to date.
Fast Starts: Tennessee has scored 22 or more points in the first quarter in five of seven games thus far this season. In those games the Lady Vols have outscored opponents 118-64.
Balanced Offense: Tennessee has had at least three players score in double figures in every game this season and has had four or more in double digits on four occasions.
Free Throws On The Way Up: After struggling from the line in the first three games of the season, Tennessee has improved its free throw percentage in its last four games, averaging 71.6% over the three-day Cancun Challenge tournament and improving again to 80% against Central Arkansas.
Big Green Rebounding Machine: In 124 minutes of action, 6-3 redshirt junior Cheridene Green is averaging one rebound every 2:36. That is the highest rebound-to-minute ratio on the team. Jaime Nared is second, averaging one rebound every 3:13.
Super Sub: Freshman guard Anastasia Hayes has come off the bench to score in double figures in six of Tennessee’s seven contests. Only redshirt senior Mercedes Russell has more double-digit games.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Chancellor Beverly Davenport announced the appointment of Phillip Fulmer as director of athletics on Friday.
“Phillip Fulmer will begin serving as athletic director effective immediately,” Davenport said. “I have taken these steps in the best interest of the university.”
“I am confident that Phillip understands the need to support our student-athletes and our commitment to excellence in all athletic programs. I appreciate his willingness to serve during this critical time.”
“No one better understands the storied history of Vol athletics and its deep connection to alumni and fans, and I believe he will be a unifying presence for all of us committed to the university’s success.”
A former Tennessee football student-athlete, assistant coach and national-championship-winning head coach who has dedicated more than 40 years of his life to UT, Fulmer will now lead the continued search for a new head football coach.
Fulmer is the second-winningest coach in Tennessee football history, compiling a 152-52 career record in 17 seasons at the helm of the program.
He led the Vols to the BCS National Championship in 1998 and SEC titles in 1997 and 1998. He was named SEC Coach of the Year and National Coach of the Year in 1998.
A 1972 Tennessee graduate, he starred on the offensive line during his playing career, serving as team captain as a senior. The Vols finished 30-5, and won an SEC Championship and a Sugar Bowl during his playing career from 1969-71.
He returned as an assistant coach in 1980 before being named head coach in 1992.
In 2012, he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Chancellor Beverly Davenport announced the appointment of Phillip Fulmer as director of athletics on Friday.
“Phillip Fulmer will begin serving as athletic director effective immediately,” Davenport said. “I have taken these steps in the best interest of the university.”
“I am confident that Phillip understands the need to support our student-athletes and our commitment to excellence in all athletic programs. I appreciate his willingness to serve during this critical time.”
“No one better understands the storied history of Vol athletics and its deep connection to alumni and fans, and I believe he will be a unifying presence for all of us committed to the university’s success.”
A former Tennessee football student-athlete, assistant coach and national-championship-winning head coach who has dedicated more than 40 years of his life to UT, Fulmer will now lead the continued search for a new head football coach.
Fulmer is the second-winningest coach in Tennessee football history, compiling a 152-52 career record in 17 seasons at the helm of the program.
He led the Vols to the BCS National Championship in 1998 and SEC titles in 1997 and 1998. He was named SEC Coach of the Year and National Coach of the Year in 1998.
A 1972 Tennessee graduate, he starred on the offensive line during his playing career, serving as team captain as a senior. The Vols finished 30-5, and won an SEC Championship and a Sugar Bowl during his playing career from 1969-71.
He returned as an assistant coach in 1980 before being named head coach in 1992.
In 2012, he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
