This weekend it turns out that Jon Pardi was the cowboy who rode away!
On Saturday, he was in Texas playing the Houston Rodeo and after his show, Jon hopped on a horse for lap around the stadium – check it out in the recap video he shared of the evening…
Jon will have a lot of riding around the country over the next few months before his Ain’t Always The Cowboy tour starts in July…back in Texas!
Jon’s already checked off two of the three things he wanted to announce for 2022…at the beginning of the year…Jon promised a tour – check. New music…”Last Night Lonely” is his new single at country radio – check.
The other thing Jon wanted to announce was a new album…and we think he might be sharing that news sooner rather than later.
But for now we can enjoy Jon Pardi’s new song “Last Night Lonely”
When Cody Johnson agreed to play Rodeo Houston on its opening day this year – he had one goal…sell it out.
Cody was up to the challenge as he knew that only two other artists have sold out the opening night of Rodeo – his musical heroes George Strait and Garth Brooks.
Last Monday night (Feb 28th), Cody added his name to that exclusive list as he drew in nearly 71 thousand people to Rodeo Houston on the first night of the event.
Fans got an amazing show – but for Cody it doesn’t matter if its Rodeo Houston or a club show – he wants you to have the best concert experience ever.
Cody says, “We played the show like the last show we’re ever gonna play. This is the show that we get remembered for and I don’t care whether it’s a club show I don’t care whether it’s rodeo Houston I hit the stage with the exact same mentality in the exact same intensity every single night because we’re not guaranteed tomorrow and I want to leave no doubt…I want to make sure that when you saw a Cody Johnson show you went holy crap – I just saw a Cody Johnson show”
Along with selling out Rodeo Houston this week, Cody was also inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall Of Fame.
Cody will be back on the road at this week, and fans will be looking to here this one from him – it’s his Top-5 (and climbing) single “‘Til You Can’t”
Headline Photo Courtesy of Cody Johnson Rodeo Houston Photo Credit: Jay Trevino Texas Cowboy Hall Of Fame Photo Courtesy of the Texas Cowboy Hall Of Fame
HOUSTON – Freshmen Drew Beam and Christian Moore powered sixth-ranked Tennessee past Oklahoma, 8-0, Sunday at the Shriners Children’s College Classic at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
With Tennessee (10-1) leading 3-0 in the third, Moore extended the Volunteer lead with a two-run inside-the-park home run – UT’s first inside-the-park homer since February 21, 2020. Moore padded the lead in the top half of the fifth as he picked up his third RBI of the day, lifting a single to left that scored Evan Russell from second.
Vols INF Christian Moore / Credit: UT Athletics
Moore finished the game 3-for-4, with two runs scored, three RBIs, a double and a home run. The three-hit outing for the Brooklyn, New York, native is a career-high.
On the mound, Beam made his third-career start Sunday and tossed a gem as he held Oklahoma to a pair of hits through a career-high five innings of work. The Murfreesboro, Tennessee, native struck out a career-best six OU hitters, allowed just four base runners and improved to 2-0 on the year with the win.
Will Mabrey and Mark McLaughlin each threw an inning in relief and held the Sooners to just a single hit, with McLaughlin striking out three batters. Ben Joyce faced two batters before being replaced by Redmond Walsh. Walsh polished off the shutout as he threw the final 1.2 innings, recording three strikeouts.
The offense continued to click as Jordan Beck and Blake Burke homered for the Vols on Sunday. Beck opened the scoring in the first inning with a solo shot high off the foul pole in left field, while Burke hit a solo pinch-hit home run in the eighth into the Crawford Boxes to give UT its final margin of victory at 8-0.
Junior Seth Stephenson recorded his third two-hit outing of the year and drove in UT’s seventh run of the game in the eighth inning off a double down the left-field line. In all, eight Vols recorded a hit in Sunday’s win.
Oklahoma (5-5) started Chazz Martinez on the mound, who gave up five runs on five hits in 3.2 innings of work. Martinez suffered the loss and is 1-1 on the year. The Sooners managed just five hits against the Vols pitching staff led by Tanner Tredaway’s two-hit performance.
UP NEXT: Tennessee returns home to Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Tuesday, March 8 as it opens a two-game series against James Madison. First pitch Tuesday is slated for 6:30 p.m.
NOTABLES
MOORE’S INSIDE-THE-PARKER: Freshman Christian Moore’s two-run inside-the-park home run in the top of the third was Tennessee’s first since Zach Daniels’ inside-the-park homer against No. 1 Texas Tech at the Round Rock Classic on February 21, 2020. The homer was Moore’s third of the season.
GOING DEEP: Tennessee hit three home runs against Oklahoma and now has seven multi-home run games in 2022.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Lady Vol graduate pitcher Erin Edmoundson spun a complete game shutout as No. 17 Tennessee blanked Virginia on Sunday, 5-0, in the weekend finale of the Tennessee Invitational. UT wrapped up its home tournament with an unblemished 5-0 record against the field.
A lefty from Deer Park, Texas, Edmoundson tallied seven strikeouts in seven innings on 110 total pitches. The performance went down as her second shutout of the season and 16th of her career while lowering her season ERA to a team-best 1.15.
Lady Vols Softball / Credit: UT Athletics
Lady Vol freshman Lair Beautae launched her first career home run to highlight Tennessee (15-6) offensively with a three-run shot in the bottom of the fourth, while junior outfielder Kiki Milloy knocked her UT-leading ninth homer of the season on the next at-bat. Kaitlin Parsons (2-for-2, R) and Rylie West (2-for-4, 2B) each notched multi-hit outings to round out UT’s top performers at the plate on Sunday.
After turning a double play to end the top of the second, super senior shortstop Ivy Davis put the Lady Vols on the board in the bottom half with an RBI single. The Huntington Beach, California, native plugged a hit through the left side that allowed freshman DP McKenna Gibson to score from second and provide a 1-0 lead for the Big Orange through two frames.
The Cavaliers threatened in the top of the third after loading the bases with a fielding error and two singles out to left field. With three runners aboard and one out, Edmoundson dealt back-to-back strikeouts to escape the jam and keep the shutout intact.
UT piled on four runs in the fourth to gain a comfortable lead over the Cavaliers. After Ashley Morgan walked and Parsons roped a single to left, Beautae stepped to the plate and delivered a three-run blast to left center that landed just beneath the Sherri Parker Lee Stadium lettering underneath the venue’s jumbotron. On the very next pitch, Milloy tattooed a ball off the scoreboard to put the Lady Vols on top 5-0 through four.
After giving up a leadoff single in the top of the seventh, Edmoundson retired three consecutive Cavalier batters to end the game. She dealt a swinging strikeout and a flyout to left before recording the final out on a groundout to the circle.
UP NEXT: Tennessee completes a seven-game homestand on Tuesday afternoon, welcoming the Austin Peay Governors for an in-state midweek bout at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. ET, and the game will be carried on SEC Network+.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Graduate Alexus Dye put up a game-high 26 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a Kentucky team that hit six first-quarter treys as No. 18/15 Tennessee fell Saturday night in the semifinals of the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena, 83-74.
Dye managed her second straight double-double with a season-high 26 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Rae Burrell also was in double figures for third-seeded Tennessee (23-8) with 16 points on the day.
Rhyne Howard led sixth-seeded Kentucky (18-11) in scoring with 24 points, while Robyn Benton and Jada Walker each turned in 16.
Alexus Dye – Lady Vols / Credit: UT Athletics
Kentucky came out hot, opening the game with four straight threes to lead 14-3 by the media timeout. Following the break, Kaiya Wynn drew a charge and Dye turned it into two points on the other end to give UT some momentum, as the Lady Vols went on to outscore UK 8-3 over the next four and a half minutes and pull within six. Howard responded with five points in the last 35 seconds of the quarter, while UK held the Lady Vols to two, making the score 22-13 at the end of one.
Burrell knocked down a short jumper on the first play of the second quarter, and the teams traded baskets during the next minute and a half until Burrell and Dye combined for five points on back-to-back plays to pull UT within four with 7:31 left in the half. Two minutes later a turnaround jumper in the paint by Karoline Striplin cut the deficit to three at 31-28. That margin would hold until Benton hit a trey to put Kentucky up by six at the 3:09 mark, but Tennessee responded with two quick baskets by Striplin and Brooklynn Miles to creep within two a minute later. Kentucky finished the half strong, closing it out with a 9-3 run to lead 44-37 at intermission.
Dye hit a free throw to start the second half, and UT steadily chipped away at the lead, pulling within three by the 7:27 mark off a 3-pointer by Burrell. The Lady Vols narrowed it to one 30 seconds later when Dye hit a jumper in the paint, but a 10-2 run gave the Wildcats a 56-47 lead with four minutes to go in the third. The teams traded buckets through the end of the period, with UK taking a 61-53 lead into the fourth.
The first points of the final quarter came from a pair of Howard free throws, but Tennessee responded with an 8-0 run capped off by a 10-foot jumper by Jordan Walker that had UT back within two a minute and a half into the period. Treasure Hunt answered with a three for the Wildcats to shift the momentum back in UK’s favor, as they went on to lead by 10 with 4:37 left in the contest. Tennessee continued to fight, putting up six quick points to pull within four 40 seconds later, but that was as close as the Lady Vols would get. Howard and Walker combined for 10 points over the closing minutes, securing the 83-74 win for UK.
UP NEXT: The Lady Vols will await the results of the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday, March 13. The NCAA Tournament is set to start on Wed., Mar. 16.
KEY IS QUEEN: Tamari Key took sole possession of Tennessee’s single-season blocks record, swatting two shots against Kentucky to move her season total to 115. She trails Candace Parker (275), UT’s leader in career blocks, by only two at 273.
HAVE A DAY, DYE: Graduate Alexus Dye put up a season-high 26 points against UK while grabbing 10 boards to turn in her second straight double-double.
WALKER DISHING: Graduate Jordan Walker doled out a career-high 10 assists against the Wildcats. Her previous high of nine came at Western Michigan against Akron on Jan. 25, 2020. Prior to tonight, her high against an SEC opponent was seven, set against MSU on Feb. 24.
DYE PICKING UP THE SLACK: In the five contests since Tennessee lost Jordan Horston, its leading rebounder, Dye has picked up her activity on the boards, averaging 10.0 rpg. over that stretch.
HOUSTON – No. 6 Tennessee bounced back from its first loss of the year in a big way on Saturday afternoon, defeating Baylor 10-5 at the Shriners Children’s College Classic at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
After falling behind 4-0 in the top of the first, the Vols’ explosive offense stole the show, scoring 10 unanswered runs in what turned out to be a comfortable victory.
Redshirt freshman Jared Dickey moved into the leadoff spot and was excellent throughout the game, finishing the day 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored. Jorel Ortega, who hit right behind Dickey in the two-hole, was equally as impressive, finishing with two doubles of his own and two RBIs.
Vols 1B Luc Lipcius / Credit UT Athletics
Evan Russell and Christian Scott both drove in a pair of runs, as well. Russell doubled high off the wall in left center to plate two runs before Scott hit his third home run of the year one batter later to give UT a 9-4 lead in the third inning.
Drew Gilbert and Luc Lipcius added two hits apiece and combined to score three runs and drive in a pair as the Big Orange (9-1) got production from up and down the lineup.
Vols’ starting pitcher Chase Dollander settled in after a rough first inning in which he allowed four runs on two hits, a walk and a hit batter. The sophomore right hander let just one runner to reach base over the next two innings before being lifted due to a high pitch count.
Junior lefty Kirby Connell was fantastic in relief, striking out four batters and allowing just one run over 4.2 innings of work to pick up the win. Ben Joyce and Redmond Walsh pitched the final 1.1 innings to close things out. Walsh had a pair of punchouts in a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
Baylor (5-5) starter Jake Jackson fell to 1-2 on the year after allowing nine runs on eight hits in just 2.2 innings. Antonio Valdez led the Bears at the plate with two hits, a run and two RBIs.
UP NEXT: The Vols wrap up their weekend at the Shriners Children’s College Classic on Sunday with a high noon showdown against Oklahoma.
Fans can watch the game on the MLB Network or stream the game on Astros.com, the Astros Twitter, Facebook and YouTube accounts, and the MLB app. Tickets for the games can be purchased by clicking HERE.
NOTABLE
THE STACHE: Junior lefty Kirby Connell continued his stellar start to the season with a career high 4.2 innings of relief to earn his first win of the year. The South Carolina native had four strikeouts and gave up just one run on four hits. For the season, Connell has posted a 0.96 ERA, allowing just one run on five hits in 9.1 innings pitched.
BATS COME ALIVE: After struggling in Friday’s loss to No. 1 Texas, the Vols’ potent offense was back to its normal ways on Saturday against Baylor, tagging Bears’ pitchers for 10 runs on 12 hits. Seven different players record a hit and four finished with multiple base knocks on the day. After falling behind 4-0 in the top of the first, Tennessee answered right back with four runs of its own in the bottom of the first and never looked back, scoring 10 unanswered to take a 10-4 lead at one point.
KNOXVILLE – Using a furious first-half offense, the No. 13 Tennessee men’s basketball team defeated No. 14 Arkansas, 78-74, in front of the third-straight capacity crowd of 21,678 at Thompson-Boling Arena.
With the victory, head coach Rick Barnes earned the 750th win of his head coaching career. With that total, Barnes ranks seventh among active Division I head coaches.
Tennessee (23-7, 14-4 SEC) wrapped up a perfect 16-0 regular season at home with a terrific 3-point shooting performance. The Big Orange connected on 12-of-18 (.667) from deep and made 23-of-50 (.460) from the floor.
All-SEC candidate Kennedy Chandler was a big part of UT’s 3-point shooting success, sinking 5-of-6 (.833) from beyond the arc. Those five baskets from downtown were a new career-high for the true freshman from Memphis.
Vols G Kennedy Chandler / Credit: UT Athletics
Josiah-Jordan James put together yet another strong overall performance for Tennessee. The 6-6 guard tallied 12 points on 2-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc and 4-of-8 shooting from the floor. He was powerful around the rim, pulling down seven rebounds and blocking a shot, but he also made a meaningful impact on the defensive end, where he swiped a team-high three steals.
All-SEC candidate Santiago Vescovi was a dependable presence as well for the Vols, playing 37 minutes in the regular-season finale. Vescovi was 3-of-4 on 3-pointers and finished conference play shooting .445 from beyond the arc. He made both of his free throws Saturday and logged two steals.
SEC Sixth Man of the Year candidate Zakai Zeigler yet again was a spark off the bench for the Big Orange. He tallied 13 points, dished out a career-high six assists and collected five rebounds.
Arkansas (24-7, 13-5 SEC) made a furious comeback in the second half and was propelled by 16 offensive rebounds. JD Notae led the Razorback offense with 20 points, five rebounds and four assists.
The Vols owned the first half, recording 50 points, their most in a first half this season. Tennessee finished the period 9-of-12 on 3-pointers, led by Chandler, who made all four of his tries from deep. The first-half defensive prowess was on full display as the Vols grabbed five steals.
Tennessee shot out of the gates, taking the lead 13 seconds into the game and never surrendering it. UT scored 13 points before the first media timeout. The Vols shot 6-of-7 from 3-point range in the first 15 minutes of the half. Overall, the Big Orange connected on 50 percent of their field goals in the half, going into the locker room with a 50-29 lead.
Arkansas found its mojo in the second period, wrestling down 24 rebounds, 12 on both the offensive and defensive ends. Tennessee’s defense did not make it easy on the Razorbacks, holding them to 6-of-19 on 3-pointers. Arkansas was lights out from the charity stripe, however, making 11-of-12.
Tennessee did what it needed to do to finish the victory, making late free throws in high-pressure spots. While the Vols last field goal came on a Brandon Huntley-Hatfield dunk with six minutes left in the game, UT only turned it over once in the final four minutes while constantly putting offensive pressure on the Arkansas defense.
Saturday marked the first time in Thompson-Boling Arena history that Tennessee hosted three consecutive sellouts.
UP NEXT: The Volunteers secured the No. 2 seed in nect week’s SEC Tournament in Tampa, Florida. Tennessee earned a double-bye and will wait to find out its Friday quarterfinal-round opponent.
VOLS FINISH SEASON UNDEFEATED AT TBA: Saturday’s win capped a perfect 16-0 season for Tennessee at Thompson-Boling Arena. It marks the fourth time since Thompson-Boling Arena opened in 1987 that Tennessee has gone unbeaten at home, and the first time since 2018-19.
ANOTHER RANKED WIN: Saturday’s win over No. 14 Arkansas marked Tennessee’s sixth win over a ranked opponent this season—the most by a Tennessee team in a single season since 2006-07, when the Vols also notched six ranked wins.
No. 18/15 Tennessee (23-7/11-5 SEC), which earned a No. 3 seed by virtue of its outright third-place regular-season finish, will meet No. 7 seed Kentucky (17-11/8-8 SEC) in the semifinal round on Saturday evening at the SEC Tournament in Nashville.
The Lady Vols, who are a No. 3 seed for the second year in a row and have earned at least a share of third place in the standings all three seasons under Kellie Harper, will tip off 25 minutes after the conclusion of game 11 at Bridgestone Arena (approximately 6:30 p.m. CT/7:30 p.m. ET).
The winner of the UT-UK contest will face the winner of Saturday’s earlier semifinal contest between No. 1 seed South Carolina (28-1/15-1 SEC) and No. 4 Ole Miss (23-7/10-6 SEC).
Alexus Dye – Lady Vols / Credit: UT Athletics
This will mark the 73rd meeting between these border rivals, with UT holding a 57-15 advantage in the all-time series and winning the past two match-ups. UT and UK met on Jan. 16, 2022, with the (then) No. 5/6 Lady Vols coming out on top vs. the (then) No. 19/20 Wildcats, 84-58.
Tennessee advanced on Friday night by outscoring Alabama 11-5 in the opening stanza and holding the Crimson Tide to 31.7 percent shooting for the game in a 74-59 Lady Vol victory.
Kentucky, meanwhile, moved on to the semifinal round by upending No. 6/6 LSU, 78-63.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Courtney Lyle (play-by-play), Carolyn Peck (analyst) and Steffi Sorensen (reporter) will have the call for the ESPNU telecast.
All of the 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 also can be heard on Lady Vol Network radio stations and by audio stream, with Mickey Dearstone behind the microphone for his final regular-season home game. He will be joined by studio host Bobby Rader.
A link to the live audio stream can be found on each game’s Hoops Central page or the Lady Vol schedule on UTSports.com.
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 click on Vol Network Affiliates.
Air time for games on the Lady Vol Radio Network generally occurs 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
TENNESSEE IN THE SEC TOURNAMENT
Tennessee is seeking to capture its league-leading 18th SEC Tournament championship trophy. UT was victorious in 1980, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014.
The Lady Vols were runners-up on six occasions, including 1982, 1990, 1991, 1995, 2003 and 2015.
UT last advanced to the title game in 2014 and 2015, winning in 2014 as a #2 seed, 71-70, over #4 Kentucky and falling as a #2 seed to #1 South Carolina, 62-46, in 2015.
Tennessee enters Saturday night’s game with an 82-25 (.766) all-time record in the 43rd year of the SEC Tournament.
The Lady Vols are now 38-5 all-time in their opening game of the SEC Tournament and are 26-11 in their second contest of the tourney.
They will be making their 35th appearance all-time in the semifinals.
UT is 23-11 in SEC Semifinal games and 17-6 in SEC Championship games.
The Big Orange women are 27-9 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.
All five contributed significantly on Friday night in the win over Alabama.
This is the third SEC Tournament for Kellie Harper and her coaching staff while at Tennessee. UT was 1-1 in both 2019-20 and 2020-21 and 1-0 thus far in 2021-22 for a 3-2 mark.
Kellie 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.
Rae Burrell has played in seven SEC Tournament games, averaging 18.3 ppg. in her opening games during the 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.
BACK IN NASHVILLE
This marks the seventh time the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament has occurred in Nashville, including 2002, 2004, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2018 and 2022.
Tennessee claimed championships in three of those seasons (2008, 2011, 2012).
Candace Parker, Shekinna Stricklen and Glory Johnson were the SEC Tournament MVPs for each of those Lady Vol title teams.
UT has a 12-3 record in SEC Tournament games played in Music City entering the 2022 event.
This will mark Kellie Harper‘s first game leading UT as a head coach at Bridgestone Arena and her first appearance ever representing the Big Orange at an SEC tourney in Nashville, as the women’s tourney didn’t make its first visit to the city until 2002.
The last time the Lady Vols played at Bridgestone Arena in 2018, they were a No. 7 seed and defeated No. 10 seed Auburn, 64-61, in the second round before falling to No. 2 seed South Carolina, 73-62, in the quarterfinals.
RECAPPING THE LAST GAME
No. 18/15 Tennessee advanced to the semifinals at the SEC Tournament, defeating 13th-seeded Alabama in Bridgestone Arena on Friday night, 74-59.
Senior Rae Burrell led third-seeded Tennessee (23-7) in scoring with 21 points and a career-high-tying seven assists. Graduate Alexus Dye turned in a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds, and sophomore Tess Darby managed 12 points on 50 percent shooting.
Alabama (20-9) was led in scoring by Megan Abrams with 17 and Allie Craig Cruce with 12.
NOTABLES FROM OUR LAST CONTEST
TK TIES IT UP: Junior Tamari Key blocked five shots against UA to tie Kelley Cain for the single-season school record of 113. She made it to 113 faster than Cain, reaching that total in 30 games as opposed to Cain’s 33.
SNOOP HOOPIN’: Alexus Dye turned in her fourth double-double of the season and 36th of her career with 16 points and a game-high 14 rebounds against Alabama. It marks her third straight game with double-digit scoring.
DISHIN’ AND SWISHIN’: Rae Burrell scored a game-high and season-high-tying 21 points against Alabama, leading UT in scoring for the third time this season and logging her second game of 20+ points. She also dished out a career-high-tying seven assists. Burrell has scored in double figures in eight straight games and in 12 of her last 14 contests since her return from injury.
FRESHMEN CONTRIBUTING: All four of Tennessee’s freshmen saw considerable playing time against Alabama, combining for 71 minutes and 14 points with each rookie contributing at least two points.
BIG-TIME BOARDS: Alexus Dye pulled down 14 boards for a new season high. Since Tennessee lost its leading rebounder, Jordan Horston, to injury, Dye has stepped up on the glass, averaging 10.0 rpg. over the last four contests.
LOTS OF UT/UK CONNECTIONS
Saturday’s game, and this will mark the fourth time a Lady Vol head coach has squared off against a former UT teammate leading another program.
The initial times occurred last season on Jan. 24 in Knoxville and on Feb. 11 in Lexington, with each team holding serve in its respective arena, and on Jan. 17, 2022, with UT prevailing in Knoxville.
UT’s Kellie 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.
Last season, Elzy took over at UK following the retirement of former head coach Matthew Mitchell, who was a graduate assistant at UT in 1999-2000.
UK assistant Amber Smith was a G.A. at Tennessee in 2013-14.
Strength and conditioning coach Lee Taylor was a member of the UT women’s basketball staff in the same role from 2013-19.
Wildcat starter Jazmine Massengill played at Tennessee from 2018-20 before transferring to UK after the 2019-20 season. Massengill is one of three Tennessee residents on the 2021-22 Kentucky roster.
UT features last year’s Miss Kentucky Basketball in and the state’s 2021 Gatorade Player of the Year in Brooklynn Miles of Franklin County High School in Frankfort, Ky.
Tennessee senior Rae Burrell and Kentucky redshirt junior Dre’Una Edwards are former teammates and graduates of Liberty High School in Las Vegas, Nev.
UT-UK SERIES NOTES
This marks the 73rd edition of Tennessee vs. Kentucky, with the Lady Vols leading the series, 57-15.
The Lady Vols own a 26-4 mark against UK in games played in Knoxville, with the Wildcats winning on Rocky Top in 1983, 1985, 2014 and 2019.
Tennessee is 21-10 vs. Kentucky in Lexington and 10-1 at neutral sites. The Lady Vols are 9-1 in postseason tournament games.
UT has faced only one other team as many times as the Wildcats – Vanderbilt in 86 meetings through 2022.
The Lady Vols have won eight of the last 13 games in the series.
Tennessee is 20-8 all-time at Memorial Coliseum and 1-2 in Rupp Arena (RA), where the teams met last on Feb. 11, 2021.
UT is 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.
Kellie Harper is 2-3 all-time vs. Kentucky, but she is 2-1 head-to-head vs. Kyra Elzy.
RECAPPING UK’S LAST GAME
All-American Rhyne Howard scored 32 points as the seventh-seeded Kentucky women’s basketball team topped second-seeded LSU 78-63 on Friday night in the quarterfinals of the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena. The win was Kentucky’s eighth in a row.
Howard hit 11 of 18 from the floor, including six of eight from behind the arc, and made all four of her free throws on her way to 32 points. It was the 10th time in her career that Howard has scored at least 30 points. In addition, she had three rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
Dre’una Edwards had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Treasure Hunt had 13 points for the Cats.
Long-range shooting was one of the big keys to Friday’s win for UK. The Cats hit nine of 19 (47.4 percent) from behind the arc, while LSU made just three of 10 (30.0 percent) of its long-range shots.
LAST TIME UT & UK MET
Scoring 73 points in the final three quarters, the No. 5/6 Tennessee women’s basketball team used a balanced offensive effort to down No. 19/20 Kentucky, 84-58, on Jan. 17 at Thompson-Boling Arena in the annual We Back Pat game.
With the win, the Lady Vols improved to 17-1 overall and 6-0 in SEC play. It’s the best season-opening overall record since UT started the 2007-08 campaign at 22-1. The 6-0 league beginning is the program’s best since going 13-0 in 2014-15.
Rae Burrell and Keyen Green tied for the team lead in scoring, dropping 14 points apiece. Burrell was hot beyond the arc, going 4-of-4. It also was a huge game for Green at Tennessee, as she tied her UT high in points and rebounds, pulling down seven. She added three assists, her most since joining the Big Orange in 2020.
In total, 10 of 13 Lady Vols taking the court scored. Four players finished with double-figure scoring, as Jordan Horston (11) and Jordan Walker (10) joined Burrell and Green.
The balance showed in the stat sheet, as Tennessee was 10-of-20 from beyond the arc. The Lady Vols also outscored UK in the paint, 40-28. UT pulled down 21 offensive boards, its fifth game this season with more than 20. That translated to a 22-8 advantage in second-chance points. Led by Burrell and Green’s contributions, Tennessee recorded 39 bench points to Kentucky’s nine.
HOUSTON – No. 6 Tennessee dropped its first game of the season, falling 7-2 to No. 1 Texas on Friday night at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
The Vols (8-1) got a great performance on the mound from freshman right hander Chase Burns, but the bullpen was unable to hold the Longhorns lineup in check in the second half of the ballgame, giving up a combined six runs in the sixth and seventh innings.
Burns was phenomenal for the Big Orange, striking out a career-high 10 batters on the night. The Gallatin, Tennessee, native allowed just one run on two hits before being lifted after five innings.
Vols RHP Chase Burns / Credit: UT Athletics
Texas starter Pete Hansen was impressive as well, holding UT’s dangerous lineup in check despite giving up some hard-hit balls. The veteran lefty scattered five hits and gave up just one run while striking out five in six innings to earn the win and improve to 2-0.
It was the bottom of Tennessee’s order that had the most success at the plate, combining for five of the team’s seven hits on the night. Evan Russell and Cortland Lawson both went 2-for-4 with an RBI while Jared Dickey also recorded a base knock to extend his hit streak to seven games.
Drew Gilbert had a solid game for the Vols, as well, reaching base in all four of his plate appearances after getting hit by two pitches, drawing a walk and recording a single.
After four scoreless innings and some dominant pitching on both sides, it was Russell who opened the scoring with a solo shot in the top of the fifth to put the Vols ahead 1-0. The Lexington, Tennessee, native ripped the first pitch he saw into the box seating in left field for his third homer of the year.
The Longhorns (10-0) answered right back with a solo home run of their own in the bottom of the inning, as Trey Faltine tied the game at one with his second long ball of the year. Texas took its first lead of the game with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to pull ahead 4-1.
The Vols cut the deficit to two on an RBI double by Lawson in the top of the seventh but left two runners stranded in scoring position to end the inning. UT left nine runners on base for the game. The Longhorns all but iced the game away with another three-spot in the bottom of the seventh to take a 7-2 lead.
Aaron Nixon recorded the final six outs for Texas to finish the game. The sophomore right hander had a pair of strikeouts to strand the bases loaded in the top of the eighth and allowed just one base runner while striking out four.
UP NEXT: The Vols continue their weekend at the Shriners Children’s College Classic on Saturday against Baylor. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the game on the MLB Network or stream the game on Astros.com, the Astros Twitter, Facebook and YouTube accounts, and the MLB app. Tickets for the games can be purchased by clicking HERE.
NOTABLE
FRESHMAN PHENOM: Tennessee freshman Chase Burns showed why he was one of the most coveted recruits in his signing class. The true freshman set a career high with 10 strikeouts on Friday night against the Longhorns and allowed just one run on two hits and one walk in five innings of work. Burns struck out the side three times and recorded seven straight outs via strikeout at one point.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – No. 18/15 Tennessee advanced to the semifinals at the SEC Tournament, defeating 13th-seeded Alabama in Bridgestone Arena on Friday night, 74-59.
Senior Rae Burrell led third-seeded Tennessee (23-7) in scoring with 21 points and a career-high-tying seven assists. Graduate Alexus Dye turned in a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds, and sophomore Tess Darby managed 12 points on 50 percent shooting.
Alabama (20-9) was led in scoring by Megan Abrams with 17 and Allie Craig Cruce with 12.
Rae Burrell – Lady Vols / Credit: UT Athletics
Tennessee won the tip and Dye wasted no time getting UT on the board, scoring the first of her 10 first-quarter points on a short jumper. Tamari Key and Dye combined to put the Lady Vols ahead 6-2 by the 7:17 mark, and a jumper by Sara Puckett made it 8-3 at the media timeout. UT switched into a full court press following the break, outscoring Alabama 7-2 to close out the period with a score of 15-5.
Darby extended Tennessee’s lead to 13 with a trey to start the second quarter, and a long two by Jordan Walker made the score 20-5 with 8:18 left in the half. Hannah Barber hit a three for the Crimson Tide three minutes into the period to give Alabama some momentum, but Darby answered with another trey on UT’s next possession. Abrams hit the first of eight straight UA points to cut the deficit to 14 with 6:16 to go in the half, and that deficit would hold through halftime as the Lady Vols took a 34-20 lead into the locker room.
Alabama was the first to score in the second half, pulling within 12 off a pair of free throws by Abrams. Darby responded with a 10-foot jumper for Tennessee, setting off an 8-2 run capped off by six straight points by Burrell to put UT up by 18 less than two minutes into the third. The Crimson Tide bounced back with five quick points by JaMya Mingo-Young and Cruce, but Brooklynn Miles found Darby on the fast break, and Dye followed it up with another layup, putting UT ahead 46-29 by the 6:22 mark. UA reeled off five straight points to whittle Tennessee’s lead down to 12 two minutes later, but back-to-back buckets by Burrell fueled a 9-0 run that saw the Lady Vols up by 21 with 1:53 left in the quarter. Both teams’ last points of the period came at the free-throw line, sending the game into the fourth with the Big Orange up 56-37.
Mingo-Young and Abrams pulled UA within 13 at the beginning of the fourth, but the Lady Vols bounced back by knocking down free throws to go back up by 17 with seven minutes to play. Tennessee cleared the bench during the closing minutes, leading by as many as 20 in the final five minutes before Alabama scored the last five points of the game for a final score of 74-59.
UP NEXT: The Lady Vols will face seventh-seeded Kentucky in the semifinals of the SEC Tournament Saturday at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. CT). The game will be televised on ESPNU.
TK TIES IT UP: Junior Tamari Key blocked five shots against UA to tie Kelley Cain for the single-season school record of 113. She made it to 113 faster than Cain, reaching that total in 30 games as opposed to Cain’s 33.
SNOOP HOOPIN’: Alexus Dye turned in her fourth double-double of the season with 16 points and a game-high 14 rebounds against Alabama. It marks her third straight game with double-digit scoring.
DISHIN’ AND SWISHIN’: Rae Burrell scored a game-high and season-high-tying 21 points against Alabama, leading UT in scoring for the third time this season and logging her second game of 20+ points. She also dished out a career-high-tying seven assists.
FRESHMEN CONTRIBUTING: All four of Tennessee’s freshmen saw considerable playing time against Alabama, combining for 71 minutes and 14 points with each rookie contributing at least two points to the win.
BIG-TIME BOARDS: Alexus Dye pulled down 14 boards for a new SEC high. Since Tennessee lost its leading rebounder, Jordan Horston, to injury, Dye has stepped up on the glass, averaging 10.0 rpg. over the last four contests.
