A man is arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty.
The Cocke County Sheriff’s Office arrested 66 year-old Michael Miller following an animal cruelty complaint Saturday after finding several dogs that were neglected and abused.
The dogs were removed from the property.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) UPDATE: The Knoxville Police Department Monday afternoon shared that a fourth teen, a male, was taken into custody Monday morning.
KPD officials say the teen had a backpack that “officers retained from the scene of the shots fired incident, which upon further investigation contained suspected marijuana and a gun that was reported stolen in Knox County in 2023.”
The department shared that there are additional charges possibly pending for others who were detained at the scene.
The investigation is ongoing.
ORIGINAL STORY: Knoxville Police are investigating after shots were fired near West Town Mall.
KPD says it appears the shots were fired on Gleason Drive near Belk Saturday night.
Three juvenile males were detained by officers, one 15-year-old was found in possession of marijuana and a loaded handgun that was reported stolen in Knox County, he is facing charges.
The other two juveniles, both 16 years old, one was found in possession of a loaded handgun and suspected burglary tools, and the other was charged with evading arrest.
KPD says additional charges may still be pending for other individuals who were detained at the scene.
The only program to appear in every NCAA Tournament, the University of Tennessee women’s basketball team received confirmation that it had earned its 42nd consecutive postseason bid Sunday night when the bracket was revealed on ESPN.
The Lady Vols (19-12) received a No. 6 seed in the Portland 4 Regional and will play in the NCAA First & Second Rounds in Raleigh, N.C. Eleventh-ranked North Carolina State, the No. 3 seed, will serve as the host for games on March 23 and 25 at James T. Valvano Arena at William Neal Reynolds Coliseum.
UT will face No. 11 seed Green Bay (27-6) in the first round on Saturday at noon ET on ESPN. This will mark the third meeting between these programs, with UT defeating the Phoenix in Tempe, Ariz., in the NCAA First Round on March 18, 2016, 59-53, and prevailing, 71-36, on Nov. 26, 1996, in Knoxville.
No. 3 seed NC State (27-6) will meet No. 14 seed Chattanooga (28-4) in the other first-round contest in Raleigh on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU. The winners of the first-round match-ups will face off on Monday in the second round. Time and TV info. for that contest will be announced later as well.
“We are excited for our program to once again be playing in the NCAA Tournament,” fifth-year Lady Vol head coach Kellie Harper said. “We have an experienced group that has grown tremendously as a team throughout the course of this season, and we look forward to taking the next step of our journey together. I’m especially happy for Tamari Key to get an opportunity to play basketball back in her hometown.”
The Lady Vols, who are 130-33 all-time in NCAA play, are the only school to appear in all 42 tournaments, winning eight national championships. They also have recorded the most games played (163) and second most victories (130) in tournament history.
Green Bay, meanwhile, is making its 19th NCAA appearance. The Phoenix, who are coached by Kevin Borseth, earned the Horizon League’s automatic NCAA bid this season by winning the league tournament with a 64-40 victory over Cleveland State in Indianapolis on March 12.
GB finished second behind Cleveland State in the Horizon League in 2023-24 at 17-3 before winning the conference tourney. UT is 6-0 all-time vs. schools currently in the Horizon, defeating Wright State, 96-57, in the most recent match-up on Dec. 11, 2022, in Knoxville.
The Lady Vols are 33-2 in NCAA First-Round games, including 25-0 at home, 0-1 away and 8-1 at neutral sites. The only blemishes are opening-round losses to Ball State (71-55) in Bowling Green, Ky., on March 22, 2009, and to UCLA (89-77) in College Park, Md., on March 23, 2019.
Tennessee is making its fourth NCAA appearance under Harper. The 1999 UT graduate and LVFL is making her ninth trip to the tourney as the leader of a program. She would have added another UT and overall appearance in 2020 had the tournament not been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Harper is one of only two coaches to lead four women’s programs to the NCAA Division I Tournament. She did so at Western Carolina, NC State and Missouri State before checking that box in Knoxville four seasons ago. Harper joined Jim Foster (St. Joseph’s, Vanderbilt, Ohio State, Chattanooga) in that rare company, but she was the first to do so at her alma mater.
Tennessee, which is receiving votes in both polls, tied for fourth in the SEC during the regular season at 10-6 and advanced to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament for the fourth straight season before falling to No. 1/1 South Carolina, 74-73, on March 9 via a buzz-beater. UT has played the nation’s toughest schedule according to at least one rating service, and it did so as injuries to Rickea Jackson, Destinee Wells and Jillian Hollingshead as well as a gradual return by Tamari Key from a medical condition impacted the team’s continuity and success during the early going.
Tennessee wound up playing 18 games vs. teams in the 2024 NCAA Tournament field, including South Carolina (0-3) three times and Alabama (1-1), Texas A&M (1-1) and Vanderbilt (2-0) twice each. It also had single contests vs. Auburn (W), Florida State (L), Indiana (L), LSU (L), Ohio State (L), Oklahoma (W), Ole Miss (L), Middle Tennessee (L) and Notre Dame (L). It has a 6-12 record against those schools, including four with Jackson sidelined, but it has played South Carolina closer than any other squad this season after hitting its stride over the past nine games.
PLAYER REACTION
“I’m really excited. We’re playing in North Carolina, obviously where I’m from, so it’ll be a fun homecoming game. Also, I just think we’re a team in stride now. We’re in a really good spot, and we’re just going to keep peaking at the right moments.”
“I think we’re in a really good spot. We’ve shown a lot of growth over the past few games, and we’re peaking at the right time. This group has experience with the tournament, so we’re just really excited for what’s ahead.”
“I’m super excited to be where we are. I’m excited to get things started in the tournament, and I can’t wait to have fun with these girls.”
“I’m feeling really good about where we’re at right now. I’m super excited to get to Raleigh and play.”
“I’m excited about where we are in the tournament. I’m glad we’re in, and we really just have to take it game by game. I hope Lady Vol Nation will come out and support us over in North Carolina.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – For the 26th time in program history, including the sixth in a row, the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team will compete in the NCAA Tournament.
Fifth-ranked Tennessee (24-8, 14-4 SEC) earned the second seed in the Midwest region, as revealed Sunday night on the NCAA Selection Show, live on CBS. The Volunteers will begin play Thursday at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., versus No. 15-seeded St. Peter’s (19-13, 12-8 MAAC) in the Round of 64.
In the lone prior meeting between the Volunteers and Peacocks, Tennessee registered a 54-40 decision on March 14, 1984, in Knoxville in the opening round of the NIT.
Joining the Volunteers and Peacocks in the pod is seventh-seeded Texas (20-12, 9-9 B12) as well as the “First Four” victor in the matchup between No. 10-seeded Colorado State (24-10, 10-8 MWC) and No. 10-seeded Virginia (23-10, 13-7 ACC). The winner of the Tennessee/St. Peter’s game will face the advancing team between Texas, Colorado State and Virginia at a to-be-determined time Saturday in the Round of 32.
Tennessee is 25-26 all-time in NCAA Tournament action, including 6-5 in its first five appearances under ninth-year head coach Rick Barnes. The No. 2 seed for the Volunteers matches the program record set in 2005-06, 2007-08 and 2018-19, the latter also under Barnes’ guidance.
Additionally, this is the second time Tennessee has reached the NCAA Tournament six times in a row, joining a streak from 2005-06 through 2010-11. In each of its six NCAA Tournament trips during Barnes’ tenure, Tennessee has garnered a seed of fifth or better; it had done so just six times before his arrival, since seeding began in 1978-79.
The Volunteers’ streak of six consecutive NCAA Tournament bids is tied with Houston and Kansas for the fourth-longest active mark in the nation, trailing only Michigan State (26), Gonzaga (25) and Purdue (nine). The only other schools at even five are Baylor and Colgate.
This is the 28th NCAA Tournament selection for Barnes in his 37 seasons as a head coach, tying Bob Knight for fourth-most all-time at the Division I level. Only Mike Krzyzewski (36), Jim Boeheim (35) and Roy Williams (30) amassed more bids.
Game times and TV designations for the first round of the NCAA Tournament will be announced at a later point.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A ninth-inning rally fell just short as No. 5/5 Tennessee dropped a back-and-forth contest at No. 12/14 Alabama, 7-6, in Sunday’s series finale at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
The Volunteers (18-3, 1-2 SEC) were able to manufacture a run in the top of the seventh inning to take a late 5-4 lead, but a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the eighth from Gage Miller proved to be the difference as the Crimson Tide held on for a series-clinching win to open SEC play.
The Vols scored four of their five runs in the third inning after loading the bases with no outs following a single and a pair of walks. After two quick outs, Dylan Dreiling came through with a clutch double to left-center field to clear the bases. The sophomore scored one batter later on an RBI double from Robin Villeneuve to spot UT a 4-1 lead.
Dreiling also drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the ninth inning for his fourth RBI of the day to pull the Big Orange within a run.
Alabama (17-3, 2-1 SEC) responded with two runs in the bottom of the third to cut the deficit to one and tied the game with another run in the fourth to make it 4-4.
AJ Russell made his return to the mound after missing the last two weekends with soreness and looked good in a short starting stint, retiring the side in order in the second inning after giving up a run on a pair of hits in the first. The talented sophomore struck out two batters in his two innings of work, as well.
Sophomore righthander Nate Snead pitched 5.1 innings of relief was suffered his first loss of the season after giving up four runs on eight hits, including Miller’s go-ahead homer in the eighth inning.
Christian Moore posted his second straight multi-hit game with a pair of singles while Billy Amick led the team with three base knocks, including a double.
Braylon Myers tossed three scoreless innings out of the bullpen for the Crimson Tide while Matthew Heilberger earned the win after allowing one run on two hits in two innings of work. Aidan Moza recorded the final two outs in the ninth inning with two strikeouts to strand the bases loaded and earn his first save.
UP NEXT: Tennessee returns to Knoxville to begin another lengthy homestand as they host Xavier on Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. to begin a stretch of eight consecutive games at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
STATS OF THE GAME: A pair of impressive streaks came to an end in Sunday’s loss, as Kavares Tears did not record a hit for the first time since UT’s season-opening win over Texas Tech, ending his 18-game hitting streak.
The Vols’ home run streak also ended after failing to hit a long ball on Sunday, marking the first game this season they’ve been unable to do so.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 8 Tennessee ran its win streak to 14 straight on Sunday afternoon as it shutout No. 11 Missouri at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium, 4-0, to complete the series sweep.
Sophomore Karlyn Pickens had another solid outing against the Tigers as she pitched her second complete-game shutout of the weekend. The right-hander fanned 11, walked one and allowed three hits as she cruised to her 12th victory of the season.
The shutout is Pickens’ eighth of the year and extends her shutout streak to 46 innings without allowing a run. The streak – which dates to March 2 – has seen Pickens collect eight wins, pitch six complete games, and earn six shutouts while striking out 58.
Teams are hitting .099 with 15 hits and nine walks against Pickens since March 2.
Tennessee (22-4, 3-0 SEC) scored all four of its runs on Sunday via the long ball. Junior newcomer Laura Mealer got things started in the bottom of the second with a solo blast – her sixth of the season – to straightaway center field.
In the third, junior McKenna Gibson hit a two-run rocket into the right field porches for her fourth long ball this year. The Santa Clarita, California, native finished the day 2-for-3 to cap off a productive weekend at the plate that saw her hit .625 with a pair of doubles and six runs batted in.
Graduate Kiki Milloy hit her eighth home run of the season – a solo shot – in the fifth inning to provide the Lady Vols with a little insurance.
Missouri (22-6, 2-4 SEC) starter Marissa McCann tossed five innings against Tennessee, allowing four runs on six hits with a walk and a pair of strikeouts. McCann suffered her first loss of the year and is now 2-1.
The Tigers’ Taylor Pannell came on in relief in the sixth, fanning two and walking one.
Alex Hannold, Kara Daly and Katie Chester each had a hit for Mizzou.
STAT OF THE DAY
Tennessee is now 12-0 at home this season and is outscoring its opponents 98-6 inside the friendly confines of Sherri Parker Lee. With a .355 average and 28 home runs, the bats have been hot in Knoxville.
UP NEXT
Tennessee goes on a Carolina road swing Thursday with a trip to Cullowhee, North Carolina, to play Western Carolina before continuing down to Columbia, South Carolina, for a three-game series against the Gamecocks.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No. 5/5 Tennessee’s 17-game winning streak came to an end with a 6-3 loss to No. 12/14 Alabama on Saturday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
The Crimson Tide (16-3, 1-1 SEC) scored all six of their runs in the first three innings, five of which came with two outs, as the Volunteers (18-2, 1-1 SEC) dug themselves into an early hole that they were unable to climb out of despite a comeback effort in the later innings.
Leadoff man Christian Moore rebounded from a hitless night on Friday by going 4-for-5 with two singles, a double and a solo home run in the seventh inning to lead the offense.
Blake Burke was the only other UT player to finish with multiple hits, going 2-for-5 with a single and a double on the night.
Robin Villeneuve got the Vols on the board with a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning and Dylan Dreiling drove in Tennessee’s final run with an RBI fielder’s choice in the top of the eighth to cut the deficit to three.
Starting pitcher Drew Beam was stuck with the loss despite throwing his third career complete game. The junior righthander rebounded incredibly well after a rough start to the game and retired 16 of the last 17 batters he faced, including 13 in a row to end his outing.
Beam allowed six runs (five earned) on eight hits and a pair of walks. The Murfreesboro, Tennessee, native, finished with six strikeouts on the night, as well.
Greg Farone started for Alabama and recorded the win after tossing 5.1 innings, allowing just one run on five hits while striking out four. Lefty reliever Alton Davis II closed the door with two shutout innings to finish the game.
Freshman shortstop Justin Lebron was the star of the game for the Tide, going 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBIs while also making some impressive defensive plays.
UP NEXT: Tennessee and Alabama will square off in a series-deciding rubber game on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.
STAT OF THE GAME: With a pair of solo homers in Saturday’s contest, the Vols extended their long ball streak by going deep in all 20 games this season. UT is the only SEC team to homer in every game this season.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 8 Tennessee ran its win streak to 13 on Saturday afternoon as it knocked off No. 11 Missouri, 8-2, at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium – clinching the series victory.
The turning point came in the fourth inning as the Lady Vols hit their fourth grand slam in as many games to break the game open and take a 6-1 lead.
Tennessee (21-4, 2-0 SEC) loaded the bases for Taylor Pannell thanks to a fielder’s choice, a hit-by-pitch and a walk. The sophomore battled Mizzou’s Cierra Harrison for nine pitches before hitting her first-career grand slam on the 10th pitch of the at-bat.
McKenna Gibson extended the advantage in the sixth as she knocked a two-RBI single to left, scoring Bella Faw and Kiki Milloy. Gibson finished the day 2-for-3 with a run scored.
Milloy was 1-for-2 at the plate, reaching base on a single and a pair of hit-by-pitches. The graduate scored three runs, including the game’s first run on an error in the opening frame.
Freshman Bella Faw tacked on another run in the second as she hit her second home run of the weekend – also her second of the year – off the light pole in left field.
With Tennessee leading 2-0 in the top of the fourth, Missouri’s Maddie Gallagher cut into the lead with a solo home run to center field. Gallagher accounted for both Tiger runs as she roped an RBI double to left center in the seventh inning.
Payton Gottshall got the start in the circle for Tennessee and went the distance, scattering three hits and allowing two runs. The graduate walked seven but struck out 10 on the day and picked up her ninth win of the season.
Missouri (22-5, 2-3 SEC) went with Harrison to start the game. She went 3.2 innings and allowed six runs – five earned – on three hits and five walks. Lilly Whitten came on in relief and tossed two frames – giving up two runs – one earned – on two hits.
Nathalie Touchet pitched for Mizzou for the second day in a row, facing just two batters in the sixth.
STAT OF THE DAY
With Tennessee’s fifth grand slam of the season in the fourth inning, it has already matched last season’s total. Giulia Koutsoyanopulos, Sophia Nugent, Taylor Pannell, Zaida Puni and Rylie West have hit UT’s grand slams this season – four of which have come this week.
UP NEXT
Tennessee and Missouri close out the three-game series on Sunday with a 1:30 p.m. ET first pitch. The game can be streamed on the WatchESPN app or through SEC Network+. Fans can also listen to Voice of the Lady Vols Brian Rice call the action on AM990.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A seven-run first inning sparked the No. 8 Lady Vols as they run-ruled No. 11 Missouri, 9-0, Friday night at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
Tennessee (20-4, 1-0 SEC) opened SEC action in style with its ninth run-rule victory and 11th shutout of the season. The Lady Vols also extended their win streak to 12.
Already leading 3-0 in the first, senior Giulia Koutsoyanopulos broke the game open with a grand slam to straightaway center field – putting UT up 7-0 after one. The home run was her second of the season and marked Tennessee’s fourth grand slam of the year.
Sophomore Taylor Pannell was 2-for-3 on the night with an RBI single in the second to put Tennessee in run-rule territory.
In the third, true freshman Bella Faw hit her first career home run to give Tennessee its 9-0 final score.
The Lady Vols finished with 10 hits on the night, led by Pannell and Kiki Milloy who each had two. Milloy knocked two doubles, while both of Pannell’s were singles.
Sophomore Karlyn Pickens got the ball for Tennessee and tossed her eighth complete game and seventh shutout of the season. The right-hander two-hit the Tigers with five strikeouts and two walks.
The reigning SEC Pitcher of the Week is now 11-2 on the year.
Missouri (22-4, 2-2 SEC) started Laurin Krings in the circle. She surrendered nine runs – seven earned – on 10 hits over 2.1 innings of work. Krings is 8-4 after suffering the loss Friday night.
Nathalie Touchet relieved Krings in the third and pitched the final 1.2 innings. She faced five batters and held the Lady Vols hitless.
Both of Mizzou’s hits were doubles off the bat Julia Crenshaw in the first inning and Kara Daly in the fourth.
STAT OF THE DAY
Over her last 39 innings, Karlyn Pickens has not allowed a run. The righty has also struck out 47 batters, walked only eight and has given up just 12 hits in that span.
UP NEXT
Tennessee and Missouri are back on the diamond Saturday at 2 p.m. ET. The game can be streamed on the WatchESPN app or through SECN+. Voice of the Lady Vols Brian Rice will host an audio broadcast on AM990.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No. 5/5 Tennessee opened Southeastern Conference play in style with an 11-3 victory over No. 12/14 Alabama in Friday night’s series opener at Sewell-Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
The Big Orange blasted three more home runs and finished with six extra-base hits on the night as their potent lineup showed its impressive depth and power once again.
The duo of Blake Burke and Dylan Dreiling provided the early pop for the Vols while combining for five hits, three of them for extra bases, and a pair of two-run homers. Burke finished with a game-high three hits and two RBIs as the junior continued his hot hitting.
Kavares Tears added a third two-run blast for UT, extending his hitting streak to 17 games in the process. Billy Amick and Dalton Bargo also had two hits apiece while Bargo drove in two runs with a double in the fifth inning.
Starting pitcher AJ Causey continued his run of impressive outings, striking out eight batters while allowing just two runs on six hits over 6.2 innings to get the win and improve to 4-0 on the year.
The Alabama native gave up two solo home runs in the bottom of the first and had to work out of a bases-loaded jam in the second before settling in and retiring 15 of the final 17 batters he faced on the night.
With Tennessee trailing 2-1, Dreiling’s two-run homer in the top of the third gave the Vols a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish as they scored multiple runs in third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings to build a 10-2 advantage heading into the bottom of the sixth.
Ben Hess suffered the loss for the Crimson Tide after giving up four runs on two hits and five walks in 3.2 innings of work. TJ McCants and Ian Petrutz led Alabama at the plate with two hits and a solo home run each.
UP NEXT: Tennessee (18-1, 1-0 SEC) will look to keep its 17-game winning streak going and lock up a series win on Saturday when the two teams meet at 8 p.m. ET for game two of the weekend, which will be televised on the SEC Network.
STATS OF THE GAME: Friday’s win marked UT’s first over Alabama in a conference opener (previously 0-6) and helped the Big Orange improve to 13-17 all-time in SEC openers on the road.
The Vols’ 17-game winning steak now stands alone as the second longest in program history, trailing only the 2022 team’s 23-game streak from March 5 through April 10.
