BlueLine Tennessee has Organized a T-Shirt Fundraiser Benefitting Charities and the KCSO Officer/Employee Assistance Fund for Sheriff Tom Spangler who is Battling Cancer
Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and Blue Line Tennessee has organized a t-shirt fundraiser benefiting the Knox County Sheriff’s Office Officer/Employee Assistance Fund and charities of Spangler’s choosing once he completes his treatment.
Blue Line Tennessee said Spangler’s daughters loved the design, which will be available on a t-shirt and hoodie in sport gray from size small to 3XL.
T-shirts start at $25, and hoodies start at $35 and will take about three to five weeks to ship.
To order yours, please go https://bluelinetennessee.com/blue-line-shop/ols/products/fightlikespanky/v/FGH-HD-SML?fbclid=IwAR3H2mZDQPJjcM7ERqStFQlW_5NOPTt1UvuPeAC1qpl7UdAwp6ldTx3mkoQ
Courtesy / UT Athletics
#4 VOLS CLINCH OUTRIGHT SEC TITLE WITH 66-59 VICTORY AT #17/16 SOUTH CAROLINA
- Box Score
- Season Stats
- SEC Stats
- VIDEO: Rick Barnes Postgame
- VIDEO: Dalton Knecht Postgame
- VIDEO: Jonas Aidoo Postgame`
- VIDEO: South Carolina Postgame
- Highlights
Game Recap: Men’s Basketball | March 06, 2024
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team defeated No. 17/16 South Carolina, 66-59, on its home court Saturday night to lock up the 11th SEC regular season championship in program history, including its sixth outright.
Fifth-year guard Dalton Knecht led all scorers with 26 points for fourth-ranked Tennessee (24-6, 14-3 SEC), which never trailed at a sold-out Colonial Life Arena on the way to, for the first time ever, defeating its third straight AP top-25 foe in as many outings, including its second in a row on the road, also a program first.
The triumph also marked the 100th in SEC play for ninth-year head coach Rick Barnes, who has guided the Volunteers to an SEC regular season crown in two of the last seven seasons, tied for the most of any team in that time.
“My first thoughts are I thank the good Lord for giving me the opportunity to be around a group of guys like this. I truly have enjoyed being with them every day,” Barnes said. “On days when I was probably a little bit upset with them, I realized there is something special about them. Because I felt they had my same feeling, they were disappointed when I was disappointed, they knew that we needed to get better.
“When you have a group of guys, especially Santi [Vescovi] and Josiah [James], who were with us trying to get this thing back on track five years ago, [it makes it special]. Going through the COVID, going through everything, just so much respect for them,” Barnes continued. “Then, Z [Zakai Zeigler] coming in, Jahmai [Mashack] and Jonas [Aidoo], all that group, [they played a big role]. It’s not easy to win a championship, it’s not. For them to do it [is great] and it was something they set their sights on. For them to come and do it the way we had to do it on the road with this finishing schedule, I think it speaks volumes about them.”
The two sides played nearly even basketball through 16-plus minutes, but Knecht then buried three straight 3-pointers in just 2:20, stretching the margin from two to a then-game-best 11, 33-22, with 1:09 left in the frame.
South Carolina (24-6, 12-5 SEC) scored with 13 seconds on the timer to get it back to single digits, but junior guard Zakai Zeigler hit a baseline jumper at the buzzer to make it an 11-point affair, 35-24, at the intermission.
Tennessee shot 5-of-11 (45.5 percent) from 3-point range in the opening 20 minutes, including Knecht hitting his first four attempts, while the Gamecocks went 4-of-17 (23.5 percent) beyond the arc.
Knecht scored the opening points of the second half—that made it an extended 18-5 run after the two sides split the first 38 points—to give the Volunteers a 13-point edge, 37-24, with 17:57 to go. South Carolina countered with a 10-3 burst in 4:47, trimming its deficit to six, 40-34, with 12:50 remaining.
Tennessee, though, answered right back. It scored eight straight points—half on a four-point play by Knecht, his and the team’s second of the year—to go up by a game-best 14 points, 48-34, with 9:40 to play.
The lead did not shrink below eight until the final three minutes. The home team went on a 9-2 spurt in just 81 seconds to get it down to three, 59-56, with 1:14 on the clock. However, Tennessee tallied five of the next six points, regaining a seven-point edge, 64-57, with 14.9 seconds to go on a pair of free throws by Zeigler.
The teams exchanged the final four points, with the last two coming at the line from Charleston, S.C., native Josiah-Jordan James, a fifth-year guard playing the final road game of his career.
Knecht, who scored 25-plus for the ninth time in the last 16 games and the 10th time this season, finished 5-of-11 on 3-pointers and 3-of-3 at the line.
Junior forward Jonas Aidoo finished just shy of a double-double, tallying 14 points and a team-best nine rebounds. Zeigler scored 13 points and paced all players with seven assists in the championship-clinching win.
“There are so many people in our program [who help us],” Barnes said. “So blessed to have an opportunity to work at Tennessee with Randy Boyd, Donde Plowman, certainly Danny White [and what he] has done, Ryan Alpert, our administrator, Mary-Carter [Eggert], Garrett [Medenwald], Chad [Newman]. There are so many people that have played a huge part of this. That’s what I’m thankful for, I really am. I love the fact we’ve accomplished what we set out to do in the regular season, but I’m just proud for everybody associated with our University and our basketball program.”
Junior guard Meechie Johnson paced South Carolina with 18 points, but Tennessee held him without a made 3-pointer on seven attempts. Freshman forward Collin Murray-Boyles logged 11 points and a game-best 11 rebounds, along with a game-high three blocks. Graduate student guard Ta’Lon Cooper had 11 points and eight boards.
Both teams shot under 39 percent from the floor, but Tennessee went 7-of-20 (35.0 percent) from deep and conceded just an 8-of-29 (27.6 percent) mark at the other end. The victors also shot 19-of-22 (86.4 percent) from the stripe compared to a 5-of-10 (50.0 percent) ledger for South Carolina.
The Volunteers wrap up the regular season Saturday at 4 p.m. when they host No. 15/13 Kentucky, their fourth straight top-20 opponent, at Food City Center, live on CBS. The team’s four seniors will be honored in a pregame ceremony.
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.
TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS POSTGAME NOTES
• Barnes now owns 803 victories in his career, two behind Rick Byrd for No. 14 on the all-time wins list (min. 10 years at a Division I school).
• Barnes improved to 100-60 (.625) in SEC play during his nine-year tenure at Tennessee, becoming the 24th coach in league history to register triple-digit conference victories.
• Barnes is the third coach to win 100 SEC games at Tennessee, joining Ray Mears (182 from 1963-77) and Don DeVoe (107 from 1979-89), while John Mauer also reached that mark including his time at Florida.
• The Volunteers improved to 11-2 in their last 13 matchups with South Carolina, including 6-1 over the past seven meetings.
• Wednesday marked just the second AP top-25 matchup between the two schools, with No. 14 Tennessee defeating No. 16 South Carolina, 55-45, on Dec. 2, 1972, in Knoxville, Tenn., in the lone prior occurrence.
• Tennessee now owns 11 SEC regular season championships in program history: 1935-36, 1940-41, 1942-43, 1966-67, 1971-72 (shared), 1976-77 (shared), 1981-82 (shared), 1999-2000 (shared four ways), 2007-08, 2017-18 (shared) and 2023-24.
• The Volunteers now own six outright regular season SEC titles: 1935-36, 1940-41, 1942-43, 1966-67, 2007-08 and 2023-24.
• This is the 13th season in which Tennessee has won at least one SEC title, as it also claimed the SEC Tournament crown after two years in which it did not win the regular season: 1978-79 and 2021-22.
• The Volunteers have now earned at least one of the SEC crowns—regular season or tournament—in three of the last seven seasons (2017-18, 2021-22 and 2023-24), all under Barnes, after notching two in the prior 35 campaigns (1982-2017).
• Over the last seven seasons (2017-24), the only teams with two SEC regular season titles and/or three-plus SEC championships of any kind are Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee.
• As an institution, the University of Tennessee now owns 203 SEC team championships and 207 total (four are in other leagues).
• This is the first time in Tennessee history it has knocked off an AP top-25 foe on the road in back-to-back outings.
• This is the first time in program history Tennessee has defeated an AP top-25 opponent in three consecutive games and, in this case, all were in the top 17.
• In addition, this is just the seventh time in program history—two are in 2023-24—Tennessee has played three straight AP top-25 opponents in a single season, while it also happened once in a multi-season stretch.
• This is also only the sixth time—two are in 2023-24—the Volunteers have faced three consecutive AP top-20 foes in a single campaign, while it also happened once in a multi-season stretch.
• Tennessee improved to 27-20 (.574) in AP top-25 matchups under Barnes, including 21-13 (.618) with both teams in the top 20.
• With a 3-0 ledger this season, the Volunteers are now 4-3 (.571) in AP top-20 road matchups over the last four seasons (2020-24).
• The Volunteers moved to 29-27 (.518) versus AP top-20 opponents during Barnes’ nine-year tenure.
• Over its last 19 games against AP top-20 foes, going back to Jan. 22, 2022, versus Arizona, Tennessee now possesses a 15-4 (.789) record.
• In the last four seasons (2020-24), Tennessee is now 21-14 (.600) against AP top-25 foes, including 19-9 (.760) versus AP top-20 foes, with both win totals leading all SEC programs.
• The opening personal foul of the game came with 13:00 on the first-half clock and the initial defensive foul did not come until 23 seconds after that.
• The first half featured just four total free throws, with Tennessee making all four its shots from the line and South Carolina attempting none.
• James became the 10th player in Tennessee history to reach 800 rebounds, as he now has 803, moving him from No. 10 to ninth on the program’s all-time leaderboard by passing Isiah Victor (1997-2001).
• James also entered the top 35 on the program’s all-time scoring list, as he upped his total to 1,230 to surpass A.W. Davis (1962-65).
• Knecht, on a 3-pointer with 16:02 on the first-half clock, became the 15th Volunteer—24th occurrence—to score 600 points in a season, including the first since Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield both did so in 2018-19.
• Knecht, in just 30 games, already ranks co-No. 19 on the program’s single-season scoring list, including fourth over the last 30 seasons (1994-2024), with 622 points.
• Over last 30 seasons (1994-2024), Knecht is one of six Tennessee players to amass 600 points in a season, joining Admiral Schofield (2018-19), Grant Williams (2018-19), Jordan McRae (2013-14), Chris Lofton (2006-07) and Ron Slay (2002-03).
• Knecht is the third SEC player in the last 15 years (2009-24) to record 13-plus points in at least 16 straight league games in a single season, joining Kentucky’s Antonio Reeves (2023-24) and Vanderbilt’s John Jenkins (2011-12).
• Knecht is the fourth SEC player in the last 15 seasons (2009-24) to tally 13-plus points in at least 11 consecutive road games in a single campaign, alongside LSU’s Antonio Blakeney (2016-17), Kentucky’s Jamal Murray (2015-16) and Vanderbilt’s John Jenkins (2011-12).
• Knecht now has 18 25-point showings in his three-year Division I career, 10 of which have come this season, with nine in the last 16 games.
• Entering Wednesday, just 13 Division I player had double-digit 25-point performances in 2023-24, with Purdue’s Zach Edey the only one in a Power Six league.
• Knecht now owns 34 20-point performances as a Division I player, including 15 in his lone campaign as a Volunteer.
• In 11 of his 30 outings at Tennessee, Knecht has scored double-digit points in both halves, including in nine of the past 15 contests.
Courtesy / UT Athletics
Strong Pitching Performances Pace #7/8 Vols Past Southern Indiana
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Despite a slow night at the plate, No. 7/8 Tennessee found a way to keep its winning streak alive with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Southern Indiana on Wednesday evening at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Pitching carried the night for the Volunteers, who won their 12th straight game to improve to 13-1 on the year. The lefty duo of Zander Sechrist and Kirby Connell was lights out, combining to strikeout 14 batters in 8.2 innings of work while allowing just a single run.
Sechrist got the start and posted career highs in innings pitched (5.2) and strikeouts (10) while holding the Screaming Eagles to one run on five hits before handing the ball off to freshman Derek Schaefer with two outs in the sixth inning.
Schaefer retired the only batter he faced to end the frame and picked up his first-career win as the Big Orange scored a pair of runs in the next half inning to take a 2-1 lead.
It was all Connell from there, as the veteran lefthander did not allow a hit and struck out four batters over three shutout innings to slam the door and record his first save since 2021.
Christian Moore sparked UT’s offense with a solo home run to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth and finished with two hits on the night. Dalton Bargo drove in the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly later in the frame, scoring Blake Burke on the play after he reached on a single earlier in the inning.
Kavares Tears was the only other Vol to finish with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with a pair of singles.
Tucker Ebest was responsible for Southern Indiana’s only run, hitting a solo homer in the top of the sixth inning to give the Screaming Eagles (4-8) a 1-0 lead.
Clayton Weisheit was impressive on the mound in his first-career start, tossing four scoreless inning while allowing just two hits and a walk to go along with four strikeouts for USI.
UP NEXT: Tennessee hosts Illinois at home this weekend in its final non-conference weekend series before opening SEC play at Alabama on March 15. Game one of this weekend’s series is slated to begin at 6 p.m. on Friday and will be streamed on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.
STAT OF THE GAME: Thanks to Moore’s solo shot in the bottom of the sixth inning, UT kept its streak of hitting at least one home run in every game this season alive. The Vols have hit 33 total homers through 14 games and ranked second nationally in long balls entering Wednesday’s contest behind Duke (35).
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee Endorses Trump for President
Nashville, TN (WOKI / WVLT ) Former President Donald Trump wins the GOP’s presidential primary in Tennessee by a landslide Tuesday earning an endorsement from the Volunteer State’s top leader.
In a statement, Governor Bill Lee endorsed Trump for president following his overwhelming victory over challenger Nikki Haley.
Trump earned more than 445,000 votes while fellow Republican candidate Haley had about 112,000 votes.
In his message Tuesday, Lee offered Trump his full support saying, in part, that the United States would be “stronger with President Trump in office.”
“It’s time to unite behind proven, conservative leaders who will revive our economy, secure the border, and restore safety in our communities,” Lee said.
After Haley shut down her campaign Tuesday morning, Trump is now the presumptive Republican nominee and will likely face Biden in a rematch for president.
Oak Ridge Land Bank Requesting Qualifications for Downtown Development Project
Oak Ridge, TN (WOKI) The Oak Ridge Land Bank has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to develop Downtown Oak Ridge.
The Land Bank is interested in selling developable parcels to foster construction of the most desirable project and for continued development.
Oak Ridge was born during the Manhattan Project without a centralized, mixed-use downtown. Over the decades, multiple plans have called for creating such a place where Oak Ridgers can live, work and play.
Submittals must comply with requirements of the D-1 zoning district and are due no later than 3:00 p.m. on May 3, 2024.
For more information and to view the RFQ, visit OakRidgeTN.gov/downtown. To contact the Planning & Development Department, call (865) 425-3531 or email [email protected].
The Trial for a Fountain City Woman Accused of Shooting and Killing Her Five-Year-Old Daughter Continues
Today is day three of the murder trial for Robin Howington who is accused of shooting and killing her five year old daughter at their Fountain City home in 2019.
One of the key witnesses called to the stand yesterday (Tuesday) was a KPD detective who told the court that Howington stories did not add up and he testified he even got frustrated.
During cross examination, the defense questioned one of the responding officers and pointed out the fact that Howington asked the officer the condition of her child and that she was praying for her well-being.
The trial does continue today.(Wednesday)
Knoxville Police Department highlights crime statistics, departmental changes in annual report
The Knoxville Police Department releases its yearly report, outlining crime statistics from 2022 to 2023 and departmental updates.
Chief of Police Paul Noel says Knoxville’s murder count dropped and car burglaries also dropped. This, all compared to 2022 data.
He also says they closed more than 70% of the murder cases that happened in 2023, which is much more than the national average for law enforcement agencies.
Super Tuesday Results for Knox County
Several commission seats were up for grabs in Knox County, the Election Commission says almost 27,000 early voting and absentee ballots were cast ahead of Super Tuesday. Most were for the Republican Party Primary Election.
The District 8 seat on the Knox County Board of Education. The winner of that election, Travis Wright, took the seat immediately because the man who previously had it, Mike McMillan, died at 74 years old.
Wright will likely start his term on Thursday, at the Knox County Schools’ regular meeting.
For complete results, please go to https://www.knoxcounty.org/election/ or https://elections.knoxcounty.org/results/scrolling.php for link to scrolling results.
Courtesy / UT Athletics
Hoops Central: SEC Tournament: Lady Vols vs. Georgia/Kentucky
ennessee (17-11, 10-6 SEC) is the No. 5 seed for the 2024 SEC Tournament and will open play on Thursday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C.
The Lady Vols tied Alabama (23-8, 10-6 SEC) for fourth in the league standings, but the Crimson Tide earned the No. 4 seed after UT fell to No. 1 South Carolina in Columbia on Sunday, 76-68, and Bama prevailed at Texas A&M, 78-71.
Tennessee is scheduled to play the second game on Thursday at approximately 2:15 p.m. ET, following the noon contest between No. 8 Mississippi State and No. 9 Texas A&M. The Lady Vols will face the winner of Wednesday’s tilt between No 12 Kentucky (11-19, 4-12 SEC) and No. 13 Georgia (12-18, 3-13 SEC).
UT went 1-0 vs. UGA in 2023-24, defeating the Lady Bulldogs, 95-73, on Feb. 1 in Athens. The Big Orange women, meanwhile, were 1-0 vs. UK, handling the Wildcats, 87-69, in Knoxville on Jan. 7.
UT is 8-3 vs. the Wildcats and 10-3 vs. the Lady Bulldogs, respectively, in previous SEC Tournament meetings.
MORE INFO
GAMEDAY TIMES & BROADCAST INFO
- Opponent: Georgia/Kentucky
- Date: Thurs., March 7
- Tip-off: 2:15 p.m. ET (approximately)
- Venue: Bon Secours Wellness Arena
- Watch: SEC Network
- Radio: AM 990 The Sports Animal | Lady Vol Network
- Online: Live Audio, Live Stats
RELATED LINKS
Buy Tickets Walk-Through Metal Detectors In Use Clear Bag Policy Gameday Info Follow @LadyVol_Hoops
TENNESSEE
GEORGIA/KENTUCKY
THE LATEST FROM THE LADY VOLS
Lady Vols Take Fight To #1 Gamecocks Before Falling, 76-68 Lady Vols Claim Senior Night Victory Over Texas A&M, 75-66 Darby Repeats SEC Community Service Team Honors Jackson Named To Ann Meyers Drysdale USBWA Player Of The Year Watch List Lady Vols Challenge #13/10 LSU Before Falling Sharp-Shooting Lady Vols Race Past Vanderbilt, 86-61 Lady Vols Push No. 1 Gamecocks To Limit Before Falling Lady Vols To Play In Inaugural Women’s Champions Classic At Barclays Center Jackson Named To Naismith Player Of The Year Midseason Watch List Lady Vols Win Big Over Razorbacks, 81-55 Lady Vols Fall At Alabama, 72-56 Spear Named SEC Women’s Basketball Co-Player of the Week Lady Vols Trounce Lady Bulldogs, 95-73 Lady Vols Fall At Ole Miss, 80-75 Lady Vols’ Jackson Named To Cheryl Miller Award Top 10 Lady Vols Prevail Over Commodores, 73-64 Lady Vols Improve to 4-1 In SEC Play With 75-64 Win Over Bulldogs Lady Vols Fall At Texas A&M, 71-56 Lady Vols Fend Off Gators, 88-81 Jackson Claims Trio Of Player Of The Week Awards Hot-Handed Lady Vols Take Down Kentucky, 87-69 Jackson Double-Double Fuels 75-67 UT Win At Auburn Tamari Key Chosen For NCAA Above The Rim Summit Lady Vols Blow Past Liberty, 90-55 Lady Vols Roll Past Wofford, 85-63 Lady Vols Topple EKU, 72-63 Lady Vols Fall To Middle Tennessee, 73-62
BROADCAST DETAILS
- Eric Frede (PxP), Tamika Catchings (Analyst) and Brooke Weisbrod (Reporter) will have the call for SEC Network.
- All games included in the ESPN package (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU) will be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
- The contest can be heard on Lady Vol Network stations and by audio stream, with Brian Rice providing play-by-play. Jay Lifford is the studio host.
- A link to the live audio stream can be found on the Hoops Central page or the schedule on UTSports.com.
- For a list of Lady Vol Network affiliates, please click on the Fans tab at the top of UTSports.com, select Vol Network and then select the Vol Network Affiliates tab.
- Air time is typically 30 minutes before tip-off.
SEASON RESET
- After functioning without All-America and SEC Player of the Year candidate Rickea Jackson for eight games from Nov. 13 to Dec. 10 and posting a 4-4 record during her absence, Tennessee has been a drastically different team since she was cleared following a lower leg injury.
- The Lady Vols are 13-5 since Jackson returned to action, finished tied for fourth in the SEC standings and sit at No. 33 in the NET after facing one of the nation’s most challenging schedules, including match-ups with No. 1/1 South Carolina twice and vs. No. 9/7 LSU in three of the last five games of the regular season.
- As of March 4, Women’s Bracketology has UT as a No. 8 seed for the NCAA Tournament, facing No. 9 Kansas in the first round in Los Angeles, in the Portland 4 Regional. The winner would play the victor of No. 1 seed UCLA vs. #16 Hawaii.
- A Tennessee appearance would be a record 42nd, standing as the only team to make every tournament.
- Among UT’s triumphs are top-64 NET victories over No. 27 Oklahoma, No. 43 Auburn, No. 45 Texas A&M, No. 46 Mississippi State, No. 56 Vanderbilt (twice) and No. 61 Florida. The win over Oklahoma in November was without Rickea Jackson.
- Tennessee led at the half and was tied after three quarters vs. No. 1/1 South Carolina on Feb. 15 in a game featuring 14 lead changes and 11 ties that USC ultimately won, 66-55, for its second narrowest margin of victory in SEC play this season.
- The Lady Vols also were within three in the last five minutes at undefeated South Carolina on March 3 before limiting the Gamecocks to their closest margin of victory at home all season, 76-68.
- UT also had a 75-60 setback vs. LSU, in which the Lady Vols trailed by one with 7:30 remaining in the game.
- In addition to getting Jackson back in the lineup, Tennessee has been bolstered by the continued improvement of 6-foot-6 center Tamari Key. The school’s all-time leading shot blocker was sidelined after eight games a year ago due to blood clots in her lungs and understandably needed time to reacclimate to the rigors of the game.
- Tennessee also has had to overcome the loss of reserve point guard Destinee Wells, who suffered a lower leg injury just prior to the Wofford game and is out for the season. Fifth-year standout Jasmine Powell impressively picked up more of the load, and junior Kaiya Wynn has stepped up and provided a spark off the bench on both ends of the floor.
- With the players available for the past 18 contests stepping into and accepting their roles, the Lady Vols have competed cohesively as a team, with different players each game emerging to provide valuable contributions in starring and support capacities.
TRENDING TOPICS
- Tennessee enters the tournament playing its best basketball of the season, putting together six consecutive commendable efforts after suffering a disappointing loss at Alabama on Feb. 8.
- The Lady Vols have gotten dominant wins over Arkansas and Vanderbilt and picked up a revenge victory over Texas A&M after the Aggies won the first round in College Station on Jan. 14.
- Even in its three losses to South Carolina (twice) and LSU, UT demonstrated an ability to go toe-to-toe with this year’s favorite and last year’s champion, taking games into the fourth quarter with those squads.
- UT cut the gap to three with under five minutes to go in Columbia on Sunday and fell, 76-68, but limited USC to the narrowest margin of victory on its home court all season long.
- Tennessee’s defense has been part of the late season improvement, holding South Carolina to 40.0 percent shooting in Knoxville and 33.3 percent in Columbia and allowing LSU only 33-percent marksmanship on Rocky Top.
LADY VOL STANDOUT STATS
- Two-time All-SEC First Team selection Rickea Jackson is averaging 23.0 ppg. over her last five games and is coming off a 29-point, eight-rebound effort vs. No. 1 South Carolina on Sunday. She also had a season-high three blocks vs. USC.
- Jackson has scored in double figures in 45 straight games as a Lady Volunteer and in 53 of her 55 contests as part of Tennessee’s program.
- The fifth-year forward now has 25 efforts with 20 or more points in those 55 games in only two seasons at UT. The Lady Vols are 21-4 in those contests.
- Tennessee is 16-1 when it out-rebounds its foes, with the only loss in that scenario coming at #18 Florida State on No. 9.
- Jasmine Powell, who has carded three straight seasons of 100+ dimes, enters Sunday’s game needing three assists to surpass last year’s career best of 116.
- Powell was third in SEC play in 2023-24, dishing out 4.94 assists per contest.
- Jewel Spear, who leads Tennessee with 55 three-pointers, is sixth among SEC players this season at 1.96 threes made per contest.
RECAPPING THE LAST GAME
- Tennessee continued its strong play to close out the regular season, challenging No. 1 South Carolina fiercely in front of a sold-out Senior Day crowd of 18,000 at Colonial Life Arena before falling, 76-68, on Sunday.
- The Lady Vols (17-11, 10-6 SEC), who fell behind by 15 in the third period and entered the fourth down 11, never surrendered and trimmed the deficit to three with 4:58 to go. The Gamecocks, though, managed to stave off the valiant effort by the Big Orange and improve to 29-0 overall on the season and 16-0 in SEC play.
- UT, however, did manage to hold USC to its smallest margin of victory at home all season and the only one by single digits. It also stands as the third-closest win margin of the year behind a six-point triumph at No. 9 LSU on Jan. 25 and a seven-point victory at No. 24 North Carolina on Nov. 30.
- Tennessee, which had played the Gamecocks to an 11-point setback in Knoxville on Feb. 15, was led in scoring by fifth-year forward Rickea Jackson, who shined in the spotlight with 29 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Jewel Spear and Jasmine Powell also were in double figures, each tallying 12 points on the afternoon.
- South Carolina featured five players scoring in double figures, led by the 18-point, 14-rebound effort of 6-foot-7 center Kamilla Cardoso. Te-Hina Paopao tossed in 14, with MiLaysia Fulwiley, Bree Hall and Ashlyn Watkins contributing 13 each.
POSTGAME NOTES VS. SOUTH CAROLINA
- STIFLING THE GAMECOCKS: The Big Orange defense held the Gamecocks to just 33.3 percent from the field, its worst mark of the season. After holding USC to a 40-percent field goal percentage in Knoxville, the Lady Vols have limited South Carolina to two of its four worst shooting games this season. Entering the contest, USC ranked second in the nation in field goal percentage with a rate of 50.9 percent.
- OPENING WITH DEFENSE: For the second time this season, the Lady Vols were able to contain one of the nation’s top offenses in the first half. South Carolina was 35 percent from the field in the first half on Sunday after shooting just 33 percent during the earlier match-up in Knoxville. Outside of its two games against UT, the Gamecocks have been held below 40 percent from the floor in the first half just once in SEC play.
- KEA CONTINUES TO DAZZLE: With 29 points on Sunday afternoon, Rickea Jackson moved to sixth on the all-time Lady Vol scorers list, including transfers, surpassing Candace Parker (2,137, 2005-08). Jackson has tallied 2,150 points in her career and notched her 45th consecutive game in double figures. The senior also has scored 20 or more points in 25 games during just two seasons as a Lady Vol, ranking fifth all-time on Rocky Top.
COMMON THREADS WITH KENTUCKY
- This could mark the eighth time a Lady Vol head coach has faced a former UT teammate leading another program.
- Kellie Harper is 5-2 vs. UK’s Kyra Elzy in the previous seven meetings of that nature.
- UT’s Kellie (Jolly) Harper (1995-99) was teammates from 1996-99 at Tennessee with Kentucky head coach Kyra Elzy (1996-2001) and assistant coach Niya Butts (1996-2000). The trio played together on the second and third of UT’s three consecutive NCAA titles in 1996, 1997 and 1998.
- Elzy served a stint on UT’s staff that included roles as assistant coach and associate head coach from 2012-16.
- Elzy, in her fourth season, took over at UK after Matthew Mitchell retired. He was a G.A. at Tennessee in 1999-2000.
- Kentucky strength and conditioning coach Lee Taylor was a member of the UT women’s basketball staff in the same role from 2013-19.
- Kentucky’s Brooklynn Miles played two years at Tennessee before the Frankfort, Ky, guard transferred to her home state school after the 2022-23 season.
COMMON THREADS WITH UGA
- Kellie Harper and Katie Abrahamson-Henderson share the distinction of each playing in the SEC as well as serving as head coaches at Missouri State.
- Harper played point guard for Pat Summitt and led Tennessee to three NCAA titles during a career spanning from 1995 to 1999 before holding the head coaching job at Missouri State from 2013-19.
- Playing two years at UGA for Andy Landers from 1985-87, Abrahamson-Henderson went on to lead Missouri State from 2002-07.
- University of Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White was the A.D. at UCF from 2015-21 and has guided Tennessee Athletics from 2021 to present. He hired Abrahamson-Henderson and was her boss from 2016-21.
- UGA assistant coach Nykesha Sales played at UConn from 1994-98 and left Storrs as the program’s all-time leading scorer.
- Sales’ and Harper’s playing careers overlapped, with Sales winning an NCAA title at UConn as a freshman in 1995 and Harper claiming three straight from 1996-98 from her freshman through junior seasons. The battles between the schools at that time were epic events in women’s sports that drew in even casual sports fans.
FAMILIAR FACES IN DIFFERENT PLACES
- Tennessee junior Jillian Hollingshead was a member of the Georgia women’s basketball program in 2021-22 before transferring during the offseason to the Lady Vols after her former coach, Joni Taylor, took the head coaching job at Texas A&M.
- UGA’s head coach, Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, may be a familiar face to UT women’s hoops observers.
- “Coach ABE,” as she is known, came to Athens in 2022-23 following six seasons (2016-22) as the head coach at the University of Central Florida (UCF).
- Her Knights lost only four times in 2021-22 en route to American Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles and an NCAA Second Round bid, and one of those setbacks came at the hands of Harper’s Tennessee squad in Orlando, 49-41, on Nov. 12 in the Lady Vols’ third game of the season.
- Prior to that, she was at the University at Albany and brought her sixth and final team from that program to Knoxville on Nov. 27, 2015, when the Lady Vols defeated the Great Danes, 63-55, during a season in which Abrahamson-Henderson also took that school to America East regular-season and tourney titles on its way to an NCAA Second Round showing.
- As a highly-regarded high school recruit from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Katie Abrahamson spent two seasons playing basketball for Andy Landers at Georgia from 1985-87 before finishing in her home state at the University of Iowa and graduating in 1990.
MILESTONE WATCH
- Rickea Jackson, who became the ninth Lady Vol to surpass 2,000 career points on Feb. 4 vs. Missouri, now has 2,150 (combining her time at Mississippi State and Tennessee) and passed Candace Parker (2,137, 2005-08) with 29 points in the South Carolina game on March 3 to move into sixth on UT’s all-time scorers list, including transfers.
- In terms of Jackson’s points tallied at Tennessee, the 49th Lady Vol to reach 1K now has 1,065 and sits in 46th place after passing Taber Spani (1,053, 2009-13) vs. South Carolina.
- Jackson is now six behind No. 45 Isabelle Harrison (1,071, 2011-15), seven behind No. 44 Cierra Burdick (1,072, 2011-15), 11 behind fellow Detroit native No. 43 Peggy Evans (1,076, 1990-93), 23 behind No. 42 Sidney Spencer (1,088, 2003-07), 31 behind No. 41 Tiffany Woosley (1,096, 1991-95) and 34 behind No. 40 Nicky Anosike (1,099, 2004-08).
- Tamari Key became the 50th player to tally 1,000 career points for Tennessee, doing so against Texas A&M and pushing her total to 1,004. She now has 1,006 and has moved past Michelle Marciniak (1,004, 1993-96) into 49th and is 12 points behind Diamond DeShields in 48th (1,018, 2015-17).
- Rickea Jackson’s 19.4 ppg. career average in two seasons at Tennessee is tied for No. 4 in school history with Candace Parker (19.4, 2005-08).
- Tamari Key is in sole possession of sixth on the SEC all-time blocks list after passing South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston (330, 2019-23) with two vs. LSU. Key now has 335 swats and takes aim at Vanessa Hayden of Florida, who stands in fifth place with 357 from 2001-04.
- On the glass, Tamari Key is two away (698) from registering 700 career rebounds and joining Jackson, who eclipsed 700 at Vanderbilt on Feb. 18.
- Against Texas A&M, Tess Darby tied No. 5 Ariel Massengale (164, 2011-15) for three-pointers made in a career at UT. She needs one to claim fifth place for her own.
- Darby currently ranks No. 8 in career three-pointers attempted at 438, standing behind No. 7 Brittany Jackson (443, 2001-05).
- Kellie Harper reached double digits in conference wins for the third straight season, fourth time in five years at Tennessee and ninth occasion in her past 10 campaigns as a head coach.
TENNESSEE IN THE SEC TOURNAMENT
- Tennessee is seeking to capture its league-leading 18th SEC Tournament championship trophy and is 17-6 in title games.
- UT won in 1980, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014.
- The Lady Vols have been runners-up on seven occasions, including 1982, 1990, 1991, 1995, 2003, 2015 and 2023.
- UT last advanced to the title game a year ago as a No. 3 seed, defeating No. 14 seed Kentucky in the quarterfinals, 80-71; and No. 2 LSU in the semifinals, 69-67; before falling to No. 1 seed South Carolina, 74-58, in Greenville.
- Tennessee enters the 2024 event with an 84-27 (.757) all-time mark in the 45th year of the tourney.
- In SEC Tournament play, the Big Orange women are 8-3 vs. the Wildcats and 10-3 vs. the Lady Bulldogs, respectively, in previous SEC Tournament meetings.
- Tennessee picked up its last tourney win vs. UK a year ago, as mentioned above and hasn’t faced UGA in the SEC Tournament since the Lady Vols cruised to a 75-41 in the 2015 quarterfinals in Little Rock.
- The Lady Vols are 39-5 all-time in their opening game of the SEC Tournament and are 27-12 in their second contest of the tourney.
- They have made 36 berths all-time in the semifinals and are 24-12 in those contests after toppling No. 2 seed LSU in 2023, 69-67.
- The Big Orange women are 29-11 in SEC Tournament play since 2007-08.
- Tennessee has had 15 SEC Tournament MVPs through the years.
- Isabelle Harrison (2014), Glory Johnson (2012), Shekinna Stricklen (2011) and Alyssia Brewer (2010) were the past four MVPs from Tennessee.
- The Lady Vols won the very first SEC Tournament title in 1980, defeating Ole Miss, 85-71, at Stokely Athletics Center in Knoxville.
HARPER IN THE LEAGUE TOURNEY
- Kellie Harper is 5-4 in SEC Tournament games as Tennessee’s head coach, including 4-3 in Greenville and 1-1 in Nashville.
- She has taken UT to at least the semifinals the past three seasons, including the title game in 2023.
- The Lady Vols were the No. 6 seed in 2020, No. 3 seed in 2021, 2022 and 2023 and are fifth in 2024.
- Kellie (Jolly) Harper had an 11-1 record at the SEC Tournament during her time as a student-athlete at UT with postseason tournament titles in 1996, 1998 and 1999. The only loss was in the 1997 semifinals.
SEC TOURNAMENT EXPERIENCE
- Tennessee enters the 2023 event with eight active players possessing experience in the SEC Tournament, including Tess Darby, Jillian Hollingshead, Rickea Jackson, Tamari Key, Jasmine Powell, Sara Puckett, Karoline Striplin and Kaiya Wynn.
- Transfer Talaysia Cooper also has experience but is redshirting after playing in two games for South Carolina a year ago.
- This marks the first SEC Tournament trip for two Lady Vols, including Jewel Spear and Avery Strickland, though those two have previous conference tourney experience in the ACC with Wake Forest and Pitt, respectively.
- Two Lady Vols have been to the SEC Tournament with other teams, including Jillian Hollingshead with Georgia and Rickea Jackson with Mississippi State.
- Jackson saw action in the SEC event in 2019-20 and 2020-21, while Hollingshead did not play in the 2022 tourney in Nashville due to injury.
- Jackson made the SEC All-Tournament Team as a freshman in 2020 at MSU and in 2023 at UT.
- A year ago, Jackson averaged 25.7 ppg. and 7.7 rpg. through three contests.
- She poured in a season-high 34 points against Kentucky in the SEC Tournament, going a perfect 14 of 14 from the free-throw line to claim the program record for the highest free-throw percentage (100.0 pct.) with the most made attempts.
- She produced a double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds in UT’s SEC Tournament Semifinal win over No. 4/3 LSU.
- Jackson finished with a 17/9 effort vs. South Carolina in the title game.
BACK IN GREENVILLE
- This marks the seventh time Greenville has played host to the SEC Tournament.
- UT stands at 8-5 in games played in the city after falling to USC during the 2024 final.
- Kellie Harper is 4-3 as a head coach in SEC Tourney games played at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, taking her team to the championship game in 2023.
- No. 2 seed Tennessee defeated #1 seed LSU in the tourney title game, 67-56, on March 6, 2005, the first time the event was held in Greenville.
- Shyra Ely was named the SEC Tournament MVP that year, while Shanna Zolman and Brittany Jackson joined her on the all-tournament team.
- UT beat Auburn in the second round (64-54) and Vanderbilt in the semifinals (76-73) that year.
UT-UK SERIES NOTES
- UT leads the all-time series, 60-16.
- Tennessee has won the past three match-ups and five of the last seven over Kentucky.
- UT is 8-3 in SEC Tournament games vs. the Wildcats and 2-0 in other neutral site match-ups.
- The Lady Vols own a 27-4 mark against UK in Knoxville and are 60-16 in all games.
- UT is 22-9 vs. Kentucky in Lexington, including 21-7 all-time at Memorial Coliseum and 1-2 in Rupp Arena.
- The Big Orange women are 3-1 in overtime games vs. Kentucky, including 3-0 in Lexington and 0-1 in Knoxville, with the last OT contest coming in 1994.
- Tennessee has faced only one other team as many times as the Wildcats – Vanderbilt in 90 meetings.
- Kellie Harper is 5-4 all-time vs. Kentucky, but she is 5-2 head-to-head vs. former Tennessee teammate Kyra Elzy as the Wildcats’ skipper.
KENTUCKY’S MOST RECENT GAME
- Ajae Petty had 13 points and 15 rebounds, her 16th double-double of the season, but it was not enough as the Kentucky women’s basketball team lost at No. 9 LSU 77-56 on Sunday inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center to close out the regular season.
- Kentucky got 14 points from both Amiya Jenkins and Saniah Tyler. However, the Cats committed 23 turnovers that LSU turned into 26 points.
UK IN THE 2024 SEC TOURNAMENT
- Kentucky (11-19, 4-12) earned the No. 12 seed and opens the SEC Tournament on Wednesday vs. No. 13 seed Georgia at 11 a.m.
LAST UT/UK CONTEST
- Tennessee outscored Kentucky, 48-20, in the second half to overcome a 17-point second-quarter deficit and take an 87-69 victory against the Wildcats in front of a season-high crowd of 8,823 in Food City Center on Jan. 7, 2024.
- The Lady Vols, who won their fifth-straight contest and ended UK’s four-game win streak, hit 32 of 60 attempts for a season-best field goal percentage of 53.3 on the day. The Big Orange, meanwhile, held Kentucky to 38.2 percent, including an icy 23.5-percent rate (8-34) in the second half.
- Fifth-year senior Rickea Jackson led UT (9-5, 2-0 SEC) with 27 points, and senior Jewel Spear poured in a season-high 21 points. Fifth-year senior Jasmine Powell also had a productive outing, racking up nine points, seven rebounds and nine assists.
- Kentucky (8-8, 1-1 SEC) was led by Eniya Russell, who finished with 16 points and Ajae Petty who posted a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Maddie Scherr and Saniah Tyler were also in double figures with 13 and 10, respectively.
UT-UGA SERIES NOTES
- UT leads the all-time series, 55-19.
- The Lady Vols are 24-5 in Knoxville, 16-3 at neutral sites and 15-11 in Athens vs. the Lady Bulldogs.
- UT has won three straight and six of the past 10 vs. Georgia.
- Tennessee is 1-3 vs. UGA in overtime games.
- The Lady Vols have a 14-3 postseason record against Georgia after winning in the 2015 SEC quarterfinals. UT is 10-3 in SEC play.
- This is Kellie Harper‘s seventh meeting with UGA as a head coach. She was 6-2 vs. the Lady Bulldogs as a player (1995-99) and is 4-2 as Tennessee’s skipper.
- Tennessee (18) and Georgia (7) rank No. 1 and No. 2 in SEC regular season championships.
- UT beat Georgia, 83-64, in the 1996 NCAA title game in Charlotte to begin a run of three straight crowns.
GEORGIA’S MOST RECENT GAME
- The Georgia women’s basketball team lost to the Vanderbilt Commodores, 72-55, on Sunday in the regular season finale at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville.
- Fifth-year senior forward Javyn Nicholson scored in double figures for the 28th time in 29 games to lead Georgia with 14 points and nine rebounds.
UGA IN THE 2024 SEC TOURNAMENT
- Georgia (12-17, 3-13) earned the No. 13 seed and opens the SEC Tournament on Wednesday vs. No. 12 seed Kentucky at 11 a.m.
LAST UT/UGA CONTEST
- The Lady Vols took a decisive road win on Feb. 1, 2024, defeating Georgia in Stegeman Coliseum, 95-73, the last time these teams met.
- The 95 points marked the highest point total scored by a Tennessee team in SEC play during the Kellie Harper era.
- Senior Jewel Spear had the hot hand for UT (13-7, 6-2 SEC), racking up 25 points on 57.1 percent shooting and five made threes. Fifth-year senior Rickea Jackson stuffed the stat sheet with 21 points, five assists and six rebounds, and fellow fifth-year Tamari Key tied her season high of 10 points and pulled down a game-high and season-best eight rebounds.
- Georgia (10-11, 1-7 SEC) was led by De’Mauri Flournoy with 18 points. Asia Avinger was also in double figures with 15, and Javyn Nicholson and Jordan Cole posted 13 and 11, respectively.
COMING UP
- The winner of the UT vs. UK/UGA game will advance to Friday’s quarterfinals and face Alabama at approximately 2:15 p.m. ET.
- The contest will be televised by SEC Network and broadcast on Lady Vol Network radio stations and via live stream on UTSports.com.
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