The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help to find an East Tennessee man wanted for questioning in a missing person case.
Investigators are looking for 64 year-old Lee Denton in connection to the March 1 disappearance of a missing Jefferson County man.
He could be driving a black Ford F-150 with a temporary tag Q15E463 or a blue Ford F-150 with TN registration BNG4652 Denton could be in Blount or Knox County. If you know the whereabouts or if you see Lee Denton please contact the Det/Sgt. Jonathan Owens at (865) 471-6000 Ext 1105 or Jefferson County Central Dispatch at (865) 475-6855 or 911.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Playing its first home matchup against a Power Five team in the 2023 season, the second-ranked Tennessee Volunteers are ready for a Tuesday-night battle with Boston College at Lindsey Nelson Stadium at 6:30 p.m.
The Volunteers (11-2) look to continue their 11-game win streak and remain perfect in the homestand after a dominant showing against Gonzaga over the weekend. The series, which Tennessee swept, concluded with an offensive explosion from the Big Orange, culminating in 17 runs on 13 hits, with seven of those knocks being for extra-bases.
The game will mark the Vols’ first midweek against a Power Five opponent since April 16, 2013, when they played Virginia Tech in the Hokie-Smokey Classic in Greenville, Tennessee. It will be the first midweek game against a major conference opponent played on Rocky Top since March 11, 2009, when UT hosted Louisville.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for the games are available in very limited quantities at AllVols.com.
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
LHP Zander Sechrist (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Henry Leake (1-1, 4.22 ERA)
BROADCAST INFO
Tuesday’s game will stream on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app with Andy Brock (PxP) on the call. The online broadcast can be accessed on any mobile device through WatchESPN. WatchESPN can be accessed through the ESPN App, or online at espn.com/watch.
Fans can also listen to the Voice of Tennessee Baseball, John Wilkerson, and Vince Ferrara call the action on the Vol Network (FM 99.1/AM 990) or via a free audio stream on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics Gameday App.
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: 0-0 (First Meeting) in Knoxville: 0-0 in Boston: 0-0 at Neutral Sites: 0-0 Last Meeting: N/A
NOTABLE
ONE STREAK WILL END Both teams enter Tuesday’s contest with impressive win streaks, but one will have to come to an end. The Vols have won 11 straight, while the Eagles enter the contest winners of eight in a row.
CROOKED NUMBERS Tennessee’s offense has proven it can strike for a big inning at any time. In last weekend’s series vs. Gonzaga, the Vols scored five-plus runs in an inning on four different occasions.
MIDWEEK MASTERS Under Tony Vitello, UT has posted an impressive 56-8 record in midweek games. UT is off to a 4-0 start in the midweek this year after two wins apiece over Alabama A&M and Charleston Southern.
OPPONENT SCOUT
Boston College Eagles
2023 Record: 8-1 (0-0 ACC)
2022 Record: 19-34 (5-25 ACC)
2022 Postseason: –
2023 ACC Preseason Poll: 7th Atlantic Division
Head Coach: Mike Gambino (11th season)
Stat Leaders:
Average: Peter Burns (.400)
OBP: Nick Wang (.487)
SLG: Cameron Leary (.774)
Hits: Travis Honeyman (11)
Runs: Cohl Mercado (9)
RBIs: Patrick Roche (9)
Doubles: Travis Honeyman (5)
Triples: Travis Honeyman (1)
Home Runs: Cameron Leary (4)
ERA: Chris Flynn (0.00)
WHIP: Chris Flynn (.88)
BAA: John West (.152)
Innings Pitched: Chris Flynn (17.0)
Strikeouts: Chris Flynn (27)
Wins: Chris Flynn (3)
Saves: 4 tied (1)
ON DECK
No. 2/3 Tennessee rounds out its nonconference weekend schedule, welcoming Morehead State to Rocky Top for a three-game series beginning Friday night at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Tickets for non-conference home games can be purchased at AllVols.com.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Playing its first home matchup against a Power Five team in the 2023 season, the second-ranked Tennessee Volunteers are ready for a Tuesday-night battle with Boston College at Lindsey Nelson Stadium at 6:30 p.m.
The Volunteers (11-2) look to continue their 11-game win streak and remain perfect in the homestand after a dominant showing against Gonzaga over the weekend. The series, which Tennessee swept, concluded with an offensive explosion from the Big Orange, culminating in 17 runs on 13 hits, with seven of those knocks being for extra-bases.
The game will mark the Vols’ first midweek against a Power Five opponent since April 16, 2013, when they played Virginia Tech in the Hokie-Smokey Classic in Greenville, Tennessee. It will be the first midweek game against a major conference opponent played on Rocky Top since March 11, 2009, when UT hosted Louisville.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for the games are available in very limited quantities at AllVols.com.
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
LHP Zander Sechrist (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Henry Leake (1-1, 4.22 ERA)
BROADCAST INFO
Tuesday’s game will stream on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app with Andy Brock (PxP) on the call. The online broadcast can be accessed on any mobile device through WatchESPN. WatchESPN can be accessed through the ESPN App, or online at espn.com/watch.
Fans can also listen to the Voice of Tennessee Baseball, John Wilkerson, and Vince Ferrara call the action on the Vol Network (FM 99.1/AM 990) or via a free audio stream on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics Gameday App.
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: 0-0 (First Meeting) in Knoxville: 0-0 in Boston: 0-0 at Neutral Sites: 0-0 Last Meeting: N/A
NOTABLE
ONE STREAK WILL END Both teams enter Tuesday’s contest with impressive win streaks, but one will have to come to an end. The Vols have won 11 straight, while the Eagles enter the contest winners of eight in a row.
CROOKED NUMBERS Tennessee’s offense has proven it can strike for a big inning at any time. In last weekend’s series vs. Gonzaga, the Vols scored five-plus runs in an inning on four different occasions.
MIDWEEK MASTERS Under Tony Vitello, UT has posted an impressive 56-8 record in midweek games. UT is off to a 4-0 start in the midweek this year after two wins apiece over Alabama A&M and Charleston Southern.
OPPONENT SCOUT
Boston College Eagles
2023 Record: 8-1 (0-0 ACC)
2022 Record: 19-34 (5-25 ACC)
2022 Postseason: –
2023 ACC Preseason Poll: 7th Atlantic Division
Head Coach: Mike Gambino (11th season)
Stat Leaders:
Average: Peter Burns (.400)
OBP: Nick Wang (.487)
SLG: Cameron Leary (.774)
Hits: Travis Honeyman (11)
Runs: Cohl Mercado (9)
RBIs: Patrick Roche (9)
Doubles: Travis Honeyman (5)
Triples: Travis Honeyman (1)
Home Runs: Cameron Leary (4)
ERA: Chris Flynn (0.00)
WHIP: Chris Flynn (.88)
BAA: John West (.152)
Innings Pitched: Chris Flynn (17.0)
Strikeouts: Chris Flynn (27)
Wins: Chris Flynn (3)
Saves: 4 tied (1)
ON DECK
No. 2/3 Tennessee rounds out its nonconference weekend schedule, welcoming Morehead State to Rocky Top for a three-game series beginning Friday night at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Tickets for non-conference home games can be purchased at AllVols.com.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – For the second time in three years, Tennessee football has produced an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient as offensive lineman Parker Ball has been awarded with the prestigious honor, the organization has announced.
Ball is the eighth Vol football student-athlete to earn the award, joining Matthew Butler (2021), Parker Henry (2018), Peyton Manning (1997), Tim Irwin (1980), Mike Mauck (1977), Tim Priest (1971) and Don Dembo (1971).
“I am extremely honored to be awarded the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and represent our great university in such a positive light,” Ball said. “I want to thank everyone at Tennessee football and the Thornton Center for supporting me and pushing me to be the best I can be. I will continue to use my platform to promote hard work on the field, in the classroom and in our community.”
Ball, a native of Douglasville, Georgia, is entering his fifth season with the program in 2023 after serving as a contributor on the offensive line and in special teams units. Ball has played in every game the last two seasons and was part of an offensive line unit that was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award last fall, as the Volunteers led the nation in total offense and scoring offense.
Off the field, Ball is a four-time SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll recipient majoring in therapeutic recreation. He is scheduled to graduate this summer and then begin working on his master’s degree. He is one of the Vols’ avid community service leaders.
The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship was created in 1964 to promote and encourage graduate education by rewarding the Association’s most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship and/or emerging sports. The one-time non-renewable scholarships of $10,000 are awarded three times a year corresponding to each sport season (fall, winter and spring). Each sports season there are 21 scholarships available for men and 21 scholarships available for women for use in an accredited graduate program.
In maintaining the highest broad-based standards in the selection process, the program aims to reward those individuals whose dedication and effort are reflective of those characteristics necessary to succeed and thrive through graduate study.
Three Tennessee basketball players have earned postseason honors from the SEC’s head coaches, the conference announced Monday.
For the second straight year, Santiago Vescovi was a first-team All-SEC selection, while Zakai Zeigler earned second-team acclaim. Zeigler was also included on the All-Defensive team, while Julian Phillips was an All-Freshman team selection.
Pairing this year’s first-team selection with last season’s, Vescovi is just the fifth Vol since 2000 to earn multiple All-SEC first-team selections from the league’s coaches.
Vescovi’s inclusion on this season’s team marks the fifth time that a Vol has been named first-team All-SEC by the league’s coaches during the Rick Barnes era—joining Grant Williams (2018, 2019) and Admiral Schofield (2019).
For the second straight year, Vescovi finished SEC regular-season play as the league leader in 3-point percentage, shooting .387 (46 of 119) from beyond the arc during conference games. He also finished second in the league in 3-point makes per game with 2.71.
On the defensive end, Vescovi finished eighth in the league with 1.7 steals per game during conference play.
Overall in 17 SEC games this season, Vescovi averaged 13.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
Zeigler finished conference play averaging a league-leading 6.5 assists per game with 111 total assists—29 more than the next-highest-ranking assist-maker despite having played just 16 full games. Zeigler also ranked second in assist/turnover ratio with a 2.92 mark.
Defensively, Zeigler ranked sixth in the league with 1.8 steals per game.
Named to the SEC All-Defensive team for the second straight season, Zeigler is just the third Vol to earn multiple All-Defensive team honors—joining Josh Richardson and Yves Pons—and first to do it by his sophomore season.
According to Synergy, opponents shot 21-for-106 (.198) during SEC play when Zeigler was the primary defender.
Phillips’ selection to the All-Freshman team gave the Vols at least one selection on the team for the third straight season, as Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer earned the honor in 2021 and Zeigler and Kennedy Chandler were selected in 2022.
A Battle 4 Atlantis All-Tournament team selection and one-time SEC Freshman of the Week honoree, Phillips has been a steady force for the Vols this season—averaging 9.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.
Phillips’ rebounding average is the best by a Tennessee freshman since Williams in 2017, while his 1.9 offensive rebounds per game rank second on this year’s squad and third amongst SEC freshmen this season.
Phillips also leads the Vols in free throws made (91) and attempted (111) despite missing four games in February due to injury. The freshman has started all but two games in which he has appeared.
James Named to SEC Community Service Team
Josiah-Jordan James was also selected as Tennessee’s representative on the SEC Community Service Team, the league announced.
Since arriving on campus in 2019, James has been active in several different service projects in the Knoxville community, serving at the Emerald Youth Foundation, Beardsley Community Farm and at events with UT’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
This past summer, James participated in a week-long service trip to Rwanda with UT’s VOLeaders Academy—a cultural exchange trip that marked the culmination of a year-long leadership curriculum.
During each of the last two years, James has partnered with Tennessee Donor Services to promote organ donor registration throughout the state—one of the many ways he has ingratiated himself within the Knoxville community, which has also included making frequent public appearances at speaking engagements.
Three Tennessee basketball players have earned postseason honors from the SEC’s head coaches, the conference announced Monday.
For the second straight year, Santiago Vescovi was a first-team All-SEC selection, while Zakai Zeigler earned second-team acclaim. Zeigler was also included on the All-Defensive team, while Julian Phillips was an All-Freshman team selection.
Pairing this year’s first-team selection with last season’s, Vescovi is just the fifth Vol since 2000 to earn multiple All-SEC first-team selections from the league’s coaches.
Vescovi’s inclusion on this season’s team marks the fifth time that a Vol has been named first-team All-SEC by the league’s coaches during the Rick Barnes era—joining Grant Williams (2018, 2019) and Admiral Schofield (2019).
For the second straight year, Vescovi finished SEC regular-season play as the league leader in 3-point percentage, shooting .387 (46 of 119) from beyond the arc during conference games. He also finished second in the league in 3-point makes per game with 2.71.
On the defensive end, Vescovi finished eighth in the league with 1.7 steals per game during conference play.
Overall in 17 SEC games this season, Vescovi averaged 13.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
Zeigler finished conference play averaging a league-leading 6.5 assists per game with 111 total assists—29 more than the next-highest-ranking assist-maker despite having played just 16 full games. Zeigler also ranked second in assist/turnover ratio with a 2.92 mark.
Defensively, Zeigler ranked sixth in the league with 1.8 steals per game.
Named to the SEC All-Defensive team for the second straight season, Zeigler is just the third Vol to earn multiple All-Defensive team honors—joining Josh Richardson and Yves Pons—and first to do it by his sophomore season.
According to Synergy, opponents shot 21-for-106 (.198) during SEC play when Zeigler was the primary defender.
Phillips’ selection to the All-Freshman team gave the Vols at least one selection on the team for the third straight season, as Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer earned the honor in 2021 and Zeigler and Kennedy Chandler were selected in 2022.
A Battle 4 Atlantis All-Tournament team selection and one-time SEC Freshman of the Week honoree, Phillips has been a steady force for the Vols this season—averaging 9.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.
Phillips’ rebounding average is the best by a Tennessee freshman since Williams in 2017, while his 1.9 offensive rebounds per game rank second on this year’s squad and third amongst SEC freshmen this season.
Phillips also leads the Vols in free throws made (91) and attempted (111) despite missing four games in February due to injury. The freshman has started all but two games in which he has appeared.
James Named to SEC Community Service Team
Josiah-Jordan James was also selected as Tennessee’s representative on the SEC Community Service Team, the league announced.
Since arriving on campus in 2019, James has been active in several different service projects in the Knoxville community, serving at the Emerald Youth Foundation, Beardsley Community Farm and at events with UT’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
This past summer, James participated in a week-long service trip to Rwanda with UT’s VOLeaders Academy—a cultural exchange trip that marked the culmination of a year-long leadership curriculum.
During each of the last two years, James has partnered with Tennessee Donor Services to promote organ donor registration throughout the state—one of the many ways he has ingratiated himself within the Knoxville community, which has also included making frequent public appearances at speaking engagements.
INDIANAPOLIS – Seven Tennessee Vols showcased their skills at the 2023 NFL Combine over the weekend in Indianapolis. The players will now turn their attention to Tennessee’s Pro Day on March 30. Below is a breakdown of their NFL Combine numbers:
Hooker did not participate in on-field drills as he continues to make significant progress in his ACL rehab. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Hooker is on track to be ready for the NFL season opener.
Of the 42 wide receivers who participated, Hyatt produced the best broad jump of them all, tallying an 11’3″, which was also the third-best vertical of the entire NFL Combine.
Hyatt’s 40″ vertical jump was the fourth-best of the wide receiver group.
Hyatt put up a solid 40-yard dash time of 4.40, which was top six among the wide receiver group.
Arguably, no offensive lineman at the NFL Combine improved his stock more than Wright, who now finds himself in the first round of several mock NFL Drafts. His testing numbers were outstanding, but he separated himself with his position workout.
Wright’s 5.01 40-yard dash was the third-fastest among offensive linemen weighing at least 330 pounds since 2003. He tied for sixth-fastest 40 time among all offensive linemen this year.
Wright’s 9’6″ broad jump tied for the third-best among offensive linemen this year.
EDGE Byron Young 6-2, 250 lbs 32 1/2″ arm; 9 1/4″ hand
Young’s blazing 4.43 40-yard dash was second-best among defensive lineman at the NFL Combine and the fourth-best at that position in the past 20 years. Perhaps no defensive lineman in Tennessee history ran a faster NFL Combine number than Young.
Young also led all defensive linemen in the broad jump with an 11’0″, and he was second among defensive linemen in the vertical jump with a 38″.
Young’s 7.19 three-cone drill time was the fourth-best among defensive linemen this year.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 4/7-ranked Tennessee softball team pushed its win streak to 11 straight on Sunday as it defeated Jacksonville State 2-0 and Belmont 7-1 on the final day of the Tennessee Classic from Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
Tennessee (16-1) was once again dominant in the pitcher’s circle, surrendering just six hits on the day while amassing 26 strikeouts. The Lady Vols’ pitching staff helped extend UT’s shutout streak to nine consecutive games – the longest such streak since 2006 – with the shutout of Jacksonville State in game one.
In game two, Belmont snapped the streak as it pushed across one unearned run in the sixth. In total, the Lady Vols held their opponents scoreless for 58 consecutive innings.
Game One: #4 Tennessee 2, Jacksonville State 0 Tennessee’s duo of Nicola Simpson and Ashley Rogers stifled the Gamecocks’ offense, shutting them out for the second time this weekend. The game was dominated by each team’s pitching staff as neither side surrendered a run through five and a half innings.
Simpson got the start for Tennessee, throwing three shutout innings and limiting the JSU offense to a pair of hits. Rogers came on in relief and was outstanding, striking out nine over four innings of work. The Athens, Tennessee, native picked up the victory – her fifth of the year.
Tennessee broke the deadlock in the bottom of the sixth as sophomore McKenna Gibson smoked a go-ahead RBI double down the right field line, sending senior Mackenzie Donihoo racing home from first base to score the game’s opening run.
Later in the inning, pinch-runner Brylee Mesusan added an insurance run as she stole home.
JSU’s Jaliyah Holmes threw a complete game, allowing two runs on two hits, walking three and striking out four. She suffered the loss and fell to 4-3 on the year.
Game Two: #4 Tennessee 7, Belmont 1 Tennessee jumped out in front of Belmont early as Donihoo blasted a leadoff homer over the wall in left-center to open the bottom of the first inning. The big fly was her first of the season.
The Lady Vols added to their lead in the third, pushing across four runs on three hits and a Belmont error. After a Donihoo walk and steal, senior Kiki Milloy doubled to left center to push her across the plate.
Gibson then knocked a single through the right side of the infield to score Milloy. UT tacked on two more runs as Jamison Brockenbrough singled up the middle to plate Shakara Goodloe and Rylie West.
Milloy tallied her second RBI of the night in the fourth with a sacrifice fly – scoring Amanda Ahlin from third – extending the lead to 6-0.
After Belmont snapped Tennessee’s shutout streak with a run in the top half of the sixth, Milloy struck again in the home half of the inning with her 10th home run of the season – fourth of the weekend – to secure UT’s final margin of victory at 7-1.
Senior Payton Gottshall got the start versus the Bruins and struck out the first nine hitters she faced. The Massillon, Ohio, native allowed just a pair of hits over four innings, while totaling a season-high 12 strikeouts. The righty earned the win, improving to 5-0 on the year.
True freshman Karlyn Pickens came on in relief of Gottshall and tossed the final three innings of the night. She gave up one hit and one unearned run, while fanning five Belmont batters.
UP NEXT Tennessee continues its homestand Wednesday night as it welcomes Tennessee Tech to SPL for a mid-week showdown. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. ET.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 4/7-ranked Tennessee softball team pushed its win streak to 11 straight on Sunday as it defeated Jacksonville State 2-0 and Belmont 7-1 on the final day of the Tennessee Classic from Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
Tennessee (16-1) was once again dominant in the pitcher’s circle, surrendering just six hits on the day while amassing 26 strikeouts. The Lady Vols’ pitching staff helped extend UT’s shutout streak to nine consecutive games – the longest such streak since 2006 – with the shutout of Jacksonville State in game one.
In game two, Belmont snapped the streak as it pushed across one unearned run in the sixth. In total, the Lady Vols held their opponents scoreless for 58 consecutive innings.
Game One: #4 Tennessee 2, Jacksonville State 0 Tennessee’s duo of Nicola Simpson and Ashley Rogers stifled the Gamecocks’ offense, shutting them out for the second time this weekend. The game was dominated by each team’s pitching staff as neither side surrendered a run through five and a half innings.
Simpson got the start for Tennessee, throwing three shutout innings and limiting the JSU offense to a pair of hits. Rogers came on in relief and was outstanding, striking out nine over four innings of work. The Athens, Tennessee, native picked up the victory – her fifth of the year.
Tennessee broke the deadlock in the bottom of the sixth as sophomore McKenna Gibson smoked a go-ahead RBI double down the right field line, sending senior Mackenzie Donihoo racing home from first base to score the game’s opening run.
Later in the inning, pinch-runner Brylee Mesusan added an insurance run as she stole home.
JSU’s Jaliyah Holmes threw a complete game, allowing two runs on two hits, walking three and striking out four. She suffered the loss and fell to 4-3 on the year.
Game Two: #4 Tennessee 7, Belmont 1 Tennessee jumped out in front of Belmont early as Donihoo blasted a leadoff homer over the wall in left-center to open the bottom of the first inning. The big fly was her first of the season.
The Lady Vols added to their lead in the third, pushing across four runs on three hits and a Belmont error. After a Donihoo walk and steal, senior Kiki Milloy doubled to left center to push her across the plate.
Gibson then knocked a single through the right side of the infield to score Milloy. UT tacked on two more runs as Jamison Brockenbrough singled up the middle to plate Shakara Goodloe and Rylie West.
Milloy tallied her second RBI of the night in the fourth with a sacrifice fly – scoring Amanda Ahlin from third – extending the lead to 6-0.
After Belmont snapped Tennessee’s shutout streak with a run in the top half of the sixth, Milloy struck again in the home half of the inning with her 10th home run of the season – fourth of the weekend – to secure UT’s final margin of victory at 7-1.
Senior Payton Gottshall got the start versus the Bruins and struck out the first nine hitters she faced. The Massillon, Ohio, native allowed just a pair of hits over four innings, while totaling a season-high 12 strikeouts. The righty earned the win, improving to 5-0 on the year.
True freshman Karlyn Pickens came on in relief of Gottshall and tossed the final three innings of the night. She gave up one hit and one unearned run, while fanning five Belmont batters.
UP NEXT Tennessee continues its homestand Wednesday night as it welcomes Tennessee Tech to SPL for a mid-week showdown. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. ET.
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Tennessee fell to No. 1/1 South Carolina, 74-58, in a hard-fought battle in the SEC Championship game on Sunday afternoon at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
Senior Jordan Horston was the high scorer for Tennessee (23-11, 13-3 SEC) with 19 points and nine rebounds. Fellow senior Rickea Jackson was close behind with 17 points, and sophomore Jillian Hollingshead also had another solid showing with nine points.
South Carolina (32-0, 16-0 SEC) was led by Zia Cooke who turned in 24 points, while two-time SEC Player of the Year Aliyah Boston posted 18 and Kamilla Cardoso had 13.
Boston knocked down buckets on USC’s first two possessions to give UT a four-point lead early, but Horston responded with a layup to cut it back to two a minute and a half into play as the game became a back-and-forth affair. The Lady Vols hung within a basket through the duration of the first, primarily off the efforts of Horston and Jackson, who combined for 13 of UT’s 19 first-quarter points. The Gamecocks nearly took a four-point lead into the second, but Horston hit a long-range two falling away at the buzzer to send the game into the second with UT trailing 21-19.
Jackson tied it up at 21-all with a jumper 17 seconds into the second period, but South Carolina bounced back with 12 unanswered points to forge a 33-21 lead with 5:23 to go in the half. Jordan Walker ended the skid on Tennessee’s next possession, draining a 10-foot jumper as the shot clock wound down. Cooke hit a pair of free throws on the other end, but Horston responded by snagging her own rebound in the lane and getting the second-chance layup in the first of three straight buckets by the senior that pulled UT within six by the 1:35 mark at 35-29. Laeticia Amihere hit a layup on USC’s next play, but Sara Puckett scored the last field goal of the half to send the game into halftime with South Carolina on top 37-31.
Jackson trimmed USC’s lead down to four on Tennessee’s first possession of the second half and pulled UT within three off a trey 30 seconds later. South Carolina answered by holding UT without a field goal for 8:37 while stringing together a 16-4 run that had the Gamecocks on top 55-40 heading into the final minute of the third. Jackson broke to the basket on Tennessee’s last play of the quarter and converted on the layup to set the score at 55-42 at the end of three.
An old-fashioned three-point play by Hollingshead to start the fourth quarter pulled UT within 10, but USC strung together six straight points before a jumper by Horston cut the gap to 61-47 with 5:07 to go in the game. The teams swapped buckets over the next 90 seconds with Karoline Striplin cutting USC’s lead back to 14 once again off a 3-pointer, but Cooke countered with a trey of her own on the other end. USC went on to lead by as many as 19 before Hollingshead and Jackson combined for five points to whittle it down to 14 once more with 1:28 on the clock. South Carolina added the last basket with just over a minute to go for a final score of 74-58.
UP NEXT: The Lady Vols will return home to await the results of the NCAA Selection Show on 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 12. The show will be broadcast on ESPN.
ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS: Jordan Horston and Rickea Jackson were both recognized as members of the SEC All-Tournament Team. In the SEC Tournament, Jackson led Tennessee in scoring, averaging 25.7 ppg. and 7.7 rpg. Horston, meanwhile, produced 19.0 ppg., 8.7 rpg. and 3.7 apg. It marks the first time UT has had two All-Tournament Team members since Cierra Burdick and Jordan Reynolds earned that recognition in 2015.
