KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 15 Tennessee road its hot hitting and dominant pitching to another blowout victory over Iona on a wet Saturday afternoon at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, defeating the Gaels 29-0.
UT’s 29 runs scored are the most since defeating Morehead State 29-1 on Feb. 14, 2004. The Vols finished the day with 20 hits, 11 of which went for extra bases while 12 different players recorded a base knock. Through two games in the series, the Big Orange have totaled 55 runs on 41 base hits.
Vols RHP Chase Dollander / Credit: UT Athletics
Tennessee’s pitching was equally as impressive en route to recording its third shutout of the year after having just three all of last season.
Trey Lipscomb continued his torrid start to the season with another incredible performance at the plate. The senior third baseman nearly hit for the cycle for the second straight game, finishing a double short. Lipscomb went 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs and hit his team-leading fourth homer of the year.
Sophomore pitcher Chase Dollander earned his first victory as a Vol after throwing five shutout innings. The Georgia Southern transfer allowed just two hits and stuck out 10 Iona batters.
After a tough day at the plate on Friday, Jordan Beck bounced back big time on Saturday, going 3-for-4 with three runs and four RBIs while finishing a triple short of the cycle. The Hazel Green, Alabama, native got the scoring started with an RBI double in the first inning before driving in another run with a single in the fourth. The junior slugger capped his day with a two-run blast off the batter’s eye in dead center field in the fifth.
Drew Gilbert also had a big day two hits, two runs and four RBIs. For the series, Gilbert is batting .800 with four runs, a pair of doubles and seven RBIs.
Tennessee (6-0) used four pitchers in relief of Dollander, all of which three one scoreless inning. UT’s bullpen has been lights out this season, allowing just one run while holding opponents to a .132 batting average through six games.
The Vols will look to complete the series sweep on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. Tickets for the game are available at AllVols.com
NOTABLE
LIPSCOMB LIGHTS OUT: After hitting for the cycle on Friday, Trey Lipscomb had another great day at the dish on Saturday, going 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and three RBIs, finishing a double short of the cycle. After his third hit of the day, Lipscomb has recorded a hit in eight straight at-bats with 11 RBIs in that stretch.
DOLLANDER DOMINANT: Through two starts this season, sophomore right hander Chase Dollander has been downright dominant with 21 strikeouts in 10 innings of work. The Evans, Georgia, native picked up his first win at Tennessee on Saturday, tossing five shutout innings with 10 strikeouts and only two hits allowed.
NEW RECORD: With Saturday’s 29-0 victory, the Vols set a new record for margin of victory (29 runs). The previous record was 28 in a 29-1 win over Morehead State on Feb. 14, 2004.
Tennessee Women’s Basketball Head Coach Kellie Harper and Lady Vols Alexus Dye, Rae Burrell, and Keyen Green met with the local media on Saturday via Zoom. The trio of players will be honored prior to Sunday’s home game vs. LSU.
The No. 16/14 Lady Vols (22-6/11-4 SEC) will meet the No. 8/8 Tigers (24-4/12-3 SEC) in a 2:02 p.m. match-up at Thompson-Boling Arena. ESPN2 will televise.
At stake is a tie for second place and the No. 2 seed in the upcoming SEC Tournament in Nashville. UT is currently in third and a game behind LSU but could improve its position for postseason play with a victory in the regular-season finale. The Big Orange enter on a nine-game home winning streak, while the Tigers are on a seven-game overall win streak.
On emotions playing a role in the game on Sunday… “When you’ve coached as long as I have, you’ve done it a while. You go through the highs and lows of emotions. I think one of the things we try and do as a program, as a team, is stay in the moment, whatever that is. We’ll have those opportunities, and then when it comes tip, it’s time to play basketball; it’s time to get focused on the task at hand. We talk a lot about do your job and what your job is in that moment. That’s what we’re going to be asking our team to do.”
On what challenges LSU presents… “LSU has great athleticism on the perimeter in terms of their guards being able to get shots off. Whether that’s drive, jumpers, taking threes, they can really attack and be aggressive. They have great size in the paint and good athleticism there. They do a good job getting to the boards; they can score in the paint as well. So, they have a balance to attack offensively. They are very consistent, very consistent. They play at their own pace. You aren’t going to speed them up, not going to slow them down. They are going to play. Then they do a good job on the boards with their size and athleticism. Defensively, they just don’t give you anything easy. They protect the paint well and guard. When you have a dynamic player like Khayla Pointer, and you have all these pieces around you, it makes them challenging.”
On what seniors have meant… “This is a such a unique senior class, because they all have been here different times. Obviously, Rae (Burrell) has had her entire career here at Tennessee. I coached her for three years. I’ve coached Keyen (Green) for two years, and I’ve coached Alexus Dye for one year. All a very different look for this senior class, I think. I love all of them, and they bring something special and unique to this team. It’s been fun to watch the growth that Rae has had both on the court and off the court. She’s a special talent and a special young woman. She’s going to do great things. (I’m) just proud of her and who she has become. Keyen, you can’t really find players that often that have had the impact that she has had on a program without having played an entire season. It’s just an unusual situation, but it speaks to the type of person she is. She has really helped to establish what leadership looks like with our team and our program, and that’s going to carry on. We have a lot of young players who have learned from her, and I think she’s really carved out what it needs to look like here. Alexus Dye was the exact person that we needed on this team this year. To see her be able to take this step and finish her career as a Lady Vol… She makes you smile, she’s got such a kind heart. I’m really proud of her for what she has done in one year here.”
On potential SEC Tournament seeding implications the game with LSU has… “We haven’t talked about it, because it’s not going to change anything we do. We’re going to go out and play; we’re going to go out and compete. They’re not going to play any harder trying to get a two seed than they are if it’s a different seed. They’re just going to come out and play hard. We don’t really have to get into that. If I felt like I had a team that I had to find motivation for right now, then maybe you start giving them all the info. If they know it they know it, if they don’t they don’t. They are going to come out and play, they’re going to come out and fight, they’re going to come out and compete and battle. That’s the most important thing because at the end of the day, the numbers, the seeding, it’ll take care of itself.”
On Jordan Walker returning… “We’re really excited. Jordan (Walker) and I, we’ve known this for a little while. We’ve talked about it. We wanted to give her an opportunity to tell her teammates before she made the public announcement. Obviously, we had to do it before Senior Day, or people would put two and two together without her getting to tell people. I’m really excited. Jordan’s another player who’s come in and really helped grow our culture to where we want it to be. She’s tough, she’s competitive, she’s very coachable. She brings it every day. (She’s a) lunch pail kid, she brings it every day. (I’m) proud of who she is and excited for her to come back. That’s a veteran that is consistent, that you can really rely on.”
On the strength of the SEC… “I have said it all year, this conference is so good, so good. Anything can happen any night. That’s not because the top teams aren’t good, it’s because everybody is good. There’s a lot of parity. I think the COVID year helped our league in terms of keeping people back and getting some veterans that are really experienced and understand how to win and get through long seasons. There are some dynamic new players. It’s just been a solid league. I felt that it would be going into the season. Going into the season we felt that it would be, and that rang true. A lot of teams, like you said, can move still in the standings, and there are a lot of teams from the SEC that need to be represented at the big dance.”
On Kaiya Wynn… “I thought Kaiya (Wynn) played well. I thought she came in and did some really good things. She had been practicing very well, so it’s just kind of a natural progression from her to come out and do it on the court in the game. I’m excited about the confidence that she was playing with, and that was on both ends of the court. She made some mistakes, but everybody does. We’ll play through those, and hopefully, this will help us moving forward as a team, having another guard that can come out and make some plays.”
On her relationship with Kim Mulkey… “(Our) paths haven’t crossed an awful lot. We played them when I was at Missouri State, played her team at Baylor. Obviously, she’s done a terrific job. She’s a Hall of Fame coach, won a lot of games. There’s no doubt the look of her team is going to be a certain way. I think, again, just talking about them, Florida and Ole Miss, there is just so much talent in the league. That’s why you see all the parity.”
Tennessee Graduate Forward Alexus Dye
On what her emotions will be like on Senior Day… “I’m probably going to be a little sad, because I’m going to miss this team. I know this is going to be my last game in TBA. Playing with my teammates for the last time here, it’s going to be emotional.”
On what she’s enjoyed the most about playing for Tennessee… “I’ve enjoyed the fans, and I really enjoyed my teammates. I really got to meet a group of special people. They’re like my sisters. After I leave here, they’ll be my sisters forever. I’ve enjoyed that.”
On what it meant to be a part of a program like Tennessee’s… “It was an experience of a lifetime. I never thought I would be here at Tennessee calling myself a Lady Vol. Being here this past season, I learned so much and I gained so much. Kellie (Harper) taught me a lot with the program. She was patient with me, and she just really helped me out. My teammates, I’ve enjoyed them every bit of the ride.”
On what will be going through her head on Senior Day… “What will be going through my head is all of the memories that I’ve made here, and all of the people that I’ve met. Overall, just my entire experience here, and how it’s crazy how it’s basically done. These four years I’ve been grateful for the experience that I’ve had here.”
On what Tennessee means to her… “Tennessee means everything. Now I am a part of something special for the rest of my life. I’m a Lady Vol for life. Many great people have come here. I can walk with that legacy now. It’s something that’s very special.”
On how to balance emotions of Senior Day with preparing for a game… “Before the game, you just let it flow through and let it flow out. Then, you get focused for the game. At the end of the day, it’s going to be crunch time when it comes to game time. You can have all of those emotions before the game, but once the clock starts you have to channel it in again.”
On how she’s doing with her ACL rehab and how emotional Senior Day will be… “I’m dealing with it day by day, because that’s really all I can do. My last surgery was Tuesday. It went well, so now I’m just on the road to recovery, taking it one day at a time, being diligent in my rehab. But I don’t think it’s completely dawned on me yet that this is the end, you know? Six years in and less than a month left. It’s kind of crazy to think about, so I actually think it might hit me on the spot. I’m trying not to think about it too much. I’m trying to just stay in the moment and appreciate every moment with these girls.”
On what her time at UT has meant to her… “It’s been amazing. I tell people all the time that I played in four games last season and played in 17 this season, so what is that, 21 over two seasons? And I still have no doubt that I was meant to be here, because it’s so much bigger than basketball. You know, I’ve had amazing opportunities with my education; I’ve gotten to be around so many different people and network and make connections and relationships that are going to last the rest of my life, and none of that would have been possible without being here at the University of Tennessee, so it’s meant the world to me.”
On being a part of the Lady Vol legacy… “It is an absolute honor. I am so excited. It’s just… because the name carries so much weight. We had some of our Lady Vol alums in practice today, and they were just beaming with pride for us, and I just can’t wait to be that person. You know, just always cheering on the girls. I mean, I do that now, but being more of an outsider, when I’m not in the everyday grind with them, just being able to support them any way I can, being able to give them advice from my time here. I can’t wait.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 16/14 Tennessee (22-6/11-4 SEC) will play host to No. 8/8 LSU (24-4/12-3 SEC) on Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena, with tip-off slated for 2:02 p.m. ET.
Senior day festivities and a salute to long-time radio “Voice of the Lady Vols” Mickey Dearstone are scheduled to take place before a game that has major implications involving the upcoming SEC Tournament. The Tigers enter the contest holding on to second place in the league standings, while the Lady Vols are a game back in third place.
Based on the league’s tie-breaker rules, it is believed a UT victory would earn Kellie Harper‘s squad a tie for second place in the SEC and the No. 2 seed for next week’s conference tourney at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. That development would be a pretty remarkable achievement for Harper, whose team has been impacted severely by injury this season. She has lost three players who were returning starters from a year ago (Jordan Horston, Keyen Green, Marta Suárez) and played through a 12-game stretch without preseason All-SEC First-Team pick Rae Burrell.
An LSU win, however, would give Kim Mulkey’s club second place outright, with UT’s ability to earn a top-four finish and double bye dependent on games involving Florida (vs. Missouri) and Ole Miss (vs. South Carolina).
Tennessee and LSU are meeting for the 69th time in series history, with the Lady Vols possessing a 52-16 all-time record, including 23-3 in Knoxville. The Big Orange women bring a nine-game home-court win streak and 14-1 home record into the contest after a 67-percent shooting performance in the second half resulted in an 86-64 UT triumph over Mississippi State on The Summitt Thursday night. LSU enters on a seven-game winning spree and with a 6-2 road mark, holding off Alabama, 58-50, on Thursday night in Baton Rouge.
Lady Vol Seniors / Credit: UT Athletcs
SALUTING SNOOP, KEYEN & RAE
Graduates Alexus “Snoop” Dye and Keyen Green, along with senior Rae Burrell, will be honored in Senior Day festivities before Sunday’s game.
Another graduate, Jordan Walker, announced Friday evening her decision to return for the 2022-23 season, taking advantage of the NCAA’s additional year provided to student-athletes whose 2019-20 season was cut short by to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dye, a 6-0 forward from Birmingham, Ala., transferred to UT from Troy for the 2021-22 season and is one of only three players to start all 28 contests. The Katrina McClain Watch List Top 10 candidate is averaging 8.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, scoring in double figures 12 times and registering three double-doubles.
Green, a 6-1 forward/center from Philadelphia, came to Rocky Top from Liberty and has endured two season-ending injuries as a Lady Vol. She played 42 games in two years, starting and playing only four last season, and has averaged 7.0 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 55 percent from the field as a Lady Vol. The Ph.D. candidate is cited by her teammates as an outstanding leader, on the court and off.
Burrell, a 6-1 guard/forward from Las Vegas, Nev., is the sole four-year UT player being honored. She has averaged 10.0 points and 4.1 rebounds in 104 contests with 41 starts prior to today. She put up 16.8 ppg. and 4.6 rpg. starting all 25 games to earn All-SEC Second Team honors in 2020-21. After missing 12 games this season due to an injury in the opener, she has increased her production to 11.0 ppg. and 3.3 rpg., scoring in double figures 10 times, including the past six and in 10 of the last 12 contests.
All three players surpassed 1,000 points during their careers, with two of them pulling down more than 700 rebounds.
Burrell became the 47th UT woman to score 1,000-plus career points during her four years playing for the Lady Vols.
Dye surpassed 1,000 points and 800 rebounds during a combined career at Troy and Tennessee.
Green had more than 1,300 points and 700 rebounds during a combined career at Liberty and Tennessee.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Courtney Lyle (play-by-play) and Carolyn Peck (analyst) will have the call for the ESPN2 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.
GAME PROMOTIONS
Free long-sleeve shirts to the first 1,000 fans.
Get the “4 for 44” special, with four tickets and four concession vouchers for $44.
Pregame Senior Day salute to Alexus, Keyen and Rae.
Pregame recognition for Voice of the Lady Vols Mickey Dearstone.
Free parking and shuttle service from the Ag Campus (Lot CF near Brehm & Food Science Bldgs.).
For additional details and information, please call 865-974-1734 or visit the Fans tab on UTSports.com and click on the Fan Experience link.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
UT is outscoring opponents 76.3 to 57.1 (+19.1) at home this season and outshooting them from the field 43.3 to 32.3.
Tennessee is out-rebounding foes 51.5 to 33.9 (+17.6).
The Lady Vols block 6.7 shots per game at home, and Tamari Key swats 4.4 per contest on The Summitt.
UT has a 1.1 assist-to-turnover ratio in Knoxville, dishing out 270 dimes vs. 236 miscues over 15 contests thus far.
Jordan Walker leads the way with 59 assists while committing only 28 turnovers in home contests and tops UT in steals with 16.
Rae Burrell is 14 of 15 (93.3) on free throws at home.
Alexus Dye is averaging 10.1 ppg. and 7.3 rpg. while shooting 47.2 from the field at T-BA.
KEY QUICKLY PILING UP RECORD NUMBERS
Tennessee’s Tamari Key has recorded 105 blocks this season and has pushed her career total to 263.
Her season total of 105 ranks No. 2 in school history, just eight behind Kelley Cain’s 113 in 2009-10, and ties her for No. 9 on the SEC’s all-time single-season list with A’ja Wilson of South Carolina (2017-18), Heidi Gillingham of Vanderbilt (1992-93) and Heidi Olsen of LSU (1982-83).
On up the list are 8. Angela Gorsica, Vanderbilt (106, 1994-95), 7. Marita Payne, Auburn (107, 2005-06) and Vanessa Hayden, Florida (107, 2002-03), 5. Kelley Cain, Tennessee (113, 2009-10), 4. Angela Gorsica, Vanderbilt (118, 1996-97), 3. Vanessa Hayden, Florida (126, 2001-02), 2. Heidi Gillingham, Vanderbilt (131, 1991-92) and 1. Marita Payne, Auburn (141, 2004-05).
It took Cain 33 games to get to 113, and Key has needed only 28 to accumulate 105.
Key’s career total of 263 leaves her 12 behind UT record-holder Candace Parker (275, 2005-08).
Parker’s tally of 275 covered 110 games, while Key has amassed 263 in only 84 contests.
Key has record seven marks in UT’s single-game top, including four this season. She is No. 2 (11 vs. Texas A&M, 1-6-22), No. 3 (10 at South Carolina, 2-20-22 / 10 vs. Texas, 11-21-20 / 10 vs. Florida, 1-31-21), No. 6 (9 at South Carolina, 2-2-20) and No. 9 (7 vs. Missouri, 2-10-22 / 7 vs. Kentucky, 3-6-20).
In the SEC record book, Key’s 11 blocks vs. Texas A&M this season rank third all-time, while her three 10-block efforts tie for the fourth-most by a league player.
IT’S NOT EASY BEING (WITHOUT) GREEN
Tennessee’s loss of Keyen Green has had a ripple effect for the Lady Vols. Her absence is reflected in details even more valuable than the 7.0 ppg., 3.2 rpg. and 55.3-percent field goal shooting she provided off the bench. Her presence made her team stronger and everyone around her better.
UT was 18-1 in games played before it was announced she was lost for the season and is 4-5 since then.
The Lady Vols were +17.1 (71.5-54.5) in scoring margin with Green and are -2.8 (70.2-67.4) without her available.
The Big Orange had given up 70 only twice (70-Texas, 74-Stanford) before she was lost and has surrendered 70 five times in the last nine games (including +80 twice). UT is 21-1 when it holds teams to 70 points or fewer this season, holding No. 1/1 South Carolina to 67 but scoring only 53 of its own.
UT was +16.1 (50.4 to 34.3) in rebound margin before her injury and is +8.4 (44.6 to 36.1) after.
Tennessee was shooting 42.4 percent with her and is hitting 39.9 percent with her sidelined.
ABOUT THE LADY VOLS
Tennessee has dealt with way more than its fair share of injuries in 2021-22. While the Lady Vols were able to overcome some of their misfortunes, they are in the process of trying to move past yet another setback and are within one win of earning a tie for a runner-up finish and the No. 2 seed for the SEC Tournament.
Kellie Harper most certainly deserves to be in the conversation for SEC Coach of the Year if UT manages to pull that off.
The most recent misfortune occurred with 1:45 remaining in UT’s contest at Alabama on Feb. 17, when national awards candidate and statistical load-bearer Jordan Horston suffered a fractured dislocation of her left arm while diving for a loose ball.
Horston became the third front-line Tennessee player to suffer a serious injury and the fourth to miss an extended period of action in a season that stood at 18-1 after the road victory over Georgia on Jan. 23.
In the fourth quarter of that contest against UGA, reserve forward/center and team leader Keyen Green (7.0 ppg., 3.2 rpg.) was lost for the year due to a knee injury.
While UT was able to hold on and defeat the Bulldogs in that game, it subsequently dropped three out of their next four games by substantial margins, revealing just how vital Green was to the team. UT was able to finally get back on the winning track vs. Missouri and Vanderbilt before suffering back-to-back defeats at Alabama and No. 1 South Carolina, followed by a resounding win over an upstart Mississippi State team on Feb. 24.
Marta Suárez, a 6-2 guard/forward (4.1 ppg., 3.6 rpg.), another glue-type player for this program, already was sitting out the year due to an injury, so Green’s loss even more severely affected Tennessee’s depth.
UT’s top returnee, preseason All-SEC pick Rae Burrell, suffered a knee injury in game one and missed 12 games before gradually working her way back into the lineup. Her 11.0 ppg., 3.3 rpg. stat line is well shy of last season’s 16.8 ppg., 4.6 rpg. productivity, but she is seemingly recapturing her groove with each game.
All of that said, the Lady Vols still stand at 22-6 overall and 110-4 in SEC play as they prepare to close out the regular season with their final contest.
Tennessee picked up its fifth victory over a ranked team this season on Jan. 23, as the Lady Vols came from nine down to defeat No. 13/13 Georgia in Athens, 63-55. UT recorded four wins over ranked foes the entire 2020-21 campaign and had only one ranked win in 2019-20.
The Big Orange women also have victories over No. 23/22 South Florida (52-49), No. 12/21 Texas (74-70 OT), No. 25/23 Texas A&M (73-45) and No. 19/20 Kentucky (84-58) to their credit and beat RV/RV Virginia Tech (64-58) and RV/RV Ole Miss (70-58) on the road this season.
Prior to her injury, Tennessee was led statistically by Jordan Horston, a dynamic 6-2 junior guard, who paced the team in scoring (16.2 ppg.), rebounding (9.4), assists (4.0 apg.) and steals (1.4) in a breakout season for the five-star player who came out of high school ranked No. 2 overall and the No. 1 guard in the 2019 espnW HoopGurlz 100.
Horston, who made the top 10 list for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award and watch lists for the Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award, leads the Lady Vols with 12 double-doubles and has topped UT in scoring 15 times. She has seven games of 20 or more points.
Senior All-SEC First Team preseason pick Rae Burrell (11.0 ppg., 3.3 rpg.) has seen action the past 15 games after missing the previous 12 contests due to a leg injury suffered in the opener vs. Southern Illinois. She has hit double figures in 10 of the past 12 games, hitting 10+ for the first time since Nov. 10 with 11 at Vanderbilt on Jan. 13 and carding a season-high 21 vs. Arkansas on Jan. 31. Over her last four games, Burrell is producing 13.3 ppg. and 4.3 rpg.
Tamari Key, a 6-6 junior center, is putting up 10.5 ppg. and 8.4 rpg. to go along with 3.8 bpg. She had a triple-double of 10 points, 18 rebounds and 10 blocks in UT’s 74-70 OT victory over No. 12/21 Texas.
Key, rated No. 47 as a prep by espnW, is second on the team with 10 double-doubles thus far and has scored in double figures in 15 games for the Lady Vols. She leads the nation in blocked shots (105) and is second in bpg. (3.75), sitting in UT’s single-season top 10 for the third time at No. 2 with 105 swats in 28 contests. She trails school record-holder Kelley Cain (113) by only eight. The member of the Lisa Leslie Award Top 10 also ranks sixth (86, 2019-20, 31 games) and ninth (72, 2020-21, 25 games) on that list.
Key tied her scoring career high with 23 vs. Mississippi State on Thursday night and is averaging 17.7 points and 11.7 rebounds while shooting .710 from the field over the past three games.
Alexus Dye, a 6-0 forward, is fourth among UT players in scoring at 8.9 ppg. She is third in rebounding at 7.2 rpg and has three double-doubles, including a 13/10 effort vs. Arkansas. The graduate transfer from Troy, who is among the Katrina McClain Award Top 10, has scored in double figures 12 times, including an 13-point, eight-rebound effort vs. Miss. State.
Graduate guard Jordan Walker, who had 11 points vs. South Carolina, is Tennessee’s fifth-highest scorer, putting up 7.7 ppg., while tallying 4.0 rpg. and 3.0 apg. to rank fourth and second for UT in those categories. She is coming off a nine-point, eight-rebound, seven-assist effort vs. Mississippi State.
Freshman guard/forward Sara Puckett is UT’s sixth-leading active scorer. The No. 43 espnW prospect coming out of high school is putting up 6.7 ppg. and is shooting 44.6 percent from the field, 30.9 percent on threes and 69.6 percent on free throws and has scored in double figures six times, including a critical 10-point, 10-rebound double-double in the win over Arkansas on Jan. 31.
Sophomore Tess Darby has emerged this season as Tennessee’s leading long-distance threat, connecting on 42 of 106 attempts (39.6 pct.). Sara Puckett (30.9) and Jordan Walker (29.6) have hit 21 treys each.
TENNESSEE NOTES DURING SEC PLAY
Kellie Harper‘s squad is in third place in the SEC standings at 11-4, standing a game behind LSU.
With Jordan Horston’s 16.3 ppg., 9.5 rpg. and 4.0 apg. averages in SEC play now sidelined by injury, Tennessee is led by Tamari Key (10.9 ppg., 8.1 rpg.), Rae Burrell (10.9 ppg., 3.4 rpg.), Jordan Walker (9.2 ppg., 4.3 rpg., 2.9 apg.) and Alexus Dye (8.3 ppg., 6.6 rpg.).
Tennessee is scoring 69.2 ppg. (5th) and allowing 62.1 ppg. (3rd), while shooting 41.7 percent (7th) from the field and holding opponents to only 35.0 percent (2nd) on field goals in SEC contests.
Tennessee is out-rebounding SEC teams 47.3 (2nd) to 36.1 (5th) for a +11.3 margin (2nd).
The Lady Vols have limited SEC foes to shooting only 25.1 percent (2nd) from the three-point arc.
UT is dishing out 14.3 assists per game (2nd).
Key is shooting 58.8 percent from the floor vs. SEC foes (not enough attempts to qualify for rankings, but No. 1) and has blocked 61 shots for a 4.07 blocks per game average to lead the SEC.
Key is second behind Aliyah Boston in offensive rebounds per game at 3.7.
Also worth noting, Tess Darby (6.4 ppg.) is 26 of 52 on threes (50.0) during league play (No. 1 but not enough attempts to make list) and is 12th at 1.86 makes per game.
UT is 10-1 in SEC games this season in which it holds opponents to 70 points or fewer.
RECAPPING THE LAST GAME
An excellent second half on the offensive end, where the Lady Vols scored 56 points, helped the No. 16/14-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols defeat Mississippi State, 86-64, Thursday night at Thompson-Boling Arena. The win was the Big Orange’s ninth in a row at home.
Tennessee (22-6, 11-4 SEC) connected on 24 of 36 (.667) from the field and seven of 10 from beyond the arc in the second half.
The Big Orange got a career-high 17 points from Tess Darby, who was 5-of-6 from deep and 6-of-7 overall. Tamari Key also had a big night with 23 points, matching a career best.
Key was a force in all aspects of the game as she tallied her 10th double-double of the season, adding 15 boards to her point total. She also blocked six Bulldog shots, passing the century mark for swats this season as she entered the day with 99 and finished with 105.
For the game, the Lady Vols fired in 35 of 65 (.538) from the floor and were eight of 15 (.533) on 3-pointers. The Big Orange shot over 50 percent on 3-pointers for the first time this year.
Graduate student Alexus Dye notched her 1,000th career point in the game, draining a fast-break layup with 6:16 remaining in the third quarter. The veteran forward tallied 13 total points and pulled down eight rebounds.
Jordan Walker also put together a strong game, tying her season-high with eight rebounds and scoring nine points.
Rae Burrell was the fourth Lady Vol to finish in double figures with 11. It was her 11th game this season and 54th of her career notching double-digit points.
NOTABLES FROM OUR LAST CONTEST
KEY MOVES INTO SEC TOP 10 FOR BLOCKS: With her six blocked shots vs. MSU, Tamari Key pushed her season total to 105, leaving her eight shy of the school record of 113 set by Kelley Cain in 2009-10 and moving her into a tie for ninth place on the SEC’s all-time single season blocks list. Key joins A’ja Wilson of South Carolina (2017-18), Heidi Gillingham of Vanderbilt (1992-93) and Heidi Olsen of LSU (1982-83).
FIRST QUARTER LOCKDOWN: Tennessee limited MSU to seven first-quarter points, the fewest UT has surrendered to an SEC opponent in an opening frame this season and second-fewest the Lady Vols allowed to any team during the 2021-22 campaign. It ties for the fewest first-quarter points scored by Mississippi State all season, having also been limited to seven first-quarter points against #13 Georgia.
GROWING THE 1K CLUB: Alexus Dye scored her 1,000th career point against Mississippi State to become the third Lady Vol this season to pass the 1K mark. Jordan Walker was first to join the 1,000-point club, doing so against Texas A&M on Jan. 6, and Rae Burrell followed against Alabama on Jan. 17.
HAVE A DAY, TESS: Tess Darby shot a scorching 85.7 percent on the night, knocking down five treys in six attempts en route to a career-high 17 points.
BALANCED ATTACK: Four Lady Vols were in double figures on the night with Tamari Key (23), Tess Darby (17), Alexus Dye (13) and Rae Burrell (11) all managing 10 or more points. It is the fourth time Tennessee has had four or more players score 10+ points in SEC play this season. Additionally, nine of 10 active UT players contributed at least two points to the win over MSU.
DISHING THEM OUT: Tennessee hit 35 field goals vs. the Bulldogs, with 27 of them coming via assists. That total of 27 dimes was the second-best of the season behind the 30 they dished vs. Chattanooga. Jordan Walker led the Lady Vols with an SEC-high seven.
UT-LSU SERIES NOTES
UT enters the 69th meeting in the series with a 52-16 edge, including a 23-3 record in Knoxville, 16-9 slate in Baton Rouge and a 13-4 mark at neutral sites.
Tennessee has won 15 of the last 20 games between these teams, including four of the past five.
The Lady Vols are 1-1 vs. LSU in overtime games. The last time the two teams went to OT was on March 1, 1997. Tennessee won the game 100-99 to advance to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament.
At least one team has been ranked in this series in 65 of the 68 games that have been played. The only time that didn’t happen was in 2018-19 (twice) and last season.
Kellie Harper is 2-2 overall vs. LSU and 2-1 vs. the Tigers while the head coach at Tennessee.
Harper is 0-1 in head-to-head match-ups with Kim Mulkey, dropping a contest to Baylor on Nov. 23, 2017, when she was head coach at Missouri State.
Kelley Cain set Tennessee’s single-game record and the Thompson-Boling Arena best for blocked shots with 12 swats vs. LSU on Feb. 22, 2010.
ABOUT LSU
The Tigers are led in scoring by the trio of Khayla Pointer (19.0 ppg.), Alexis Morris (15.8 ppg.) and Faustine Aifuwa (10.1 ppg.).
All three are better in SEC play, putting up 20.5, 17.3 and 10.9, respectively.
Pointer and Morris lead LSU in three-pointers, hitting 42 and 30, respectively, on the season.
ABOUT THE HEAD COACH
LSU is directed by Kim Mulkey, who is 24-4 this season in her first year in Baton Rouge and 656-108 all-time.
Mulkey was 632-104 in 21 seasons at Baylor before making the move, leading the Lady Bears to four Final Fours and winning three national titles.
At Baylor, Mulkey’s teams won a combined 23 Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles.
LAST TIME THE TIGERS PLAYED
No. 8 LSU (24-4, 12-3 SEC) shored up at least a share of second place in the SEC with a 58-50 win vs. Alabama (14-12, 5-10 SEC) Thursday night in the Tigers’ regular season home finale.
Faustine Aifuwa, Jailin Cherry, Khayla Pointer, Autumn Newby and Awa Trasi all played their final regular season home game inside the PMAC as LSU celebrated senior night.
Pointer scored 23 and added nine rebounds and eight assists as she moved into the No. 2 spot on LSU career assists list. Aifuwa scored 12 and had three blocks, playing dominantly in the low post.
Megan Abrams led Alabama with 16 points and Brittany Davis grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. LSU limited Alabama to 34-percent shooting and outscored the Crimson Tide, 36-12 in the paint.
WHEN UT AND LSU LAST MET
The Lady Vols held off a scrappy LSU squad in a back-and-forth affair on the road on Jan. 10, 2021, winning 64-63 in Baton Rouge.
It was Tennessee’s first win in Baton Rouge in its last four trips, and Kellie Harper picked up her first career victory in the venue as a head coach and former Lady Vol player.
Junior Rae Burrell led Tennessee (8-1, 2-0 SEC), finishing with 18 points and three rebounds. Sophomore Tamari Key turned in a season-high 12 points and six rebounds, and sophomore Jordan Horston added 11 points.
LSU (4-6, 2-2 SEC) was paced by senior Khayla Pointer with 25 points and Tiara Young with 11.
UP NEXT: SEC TOURNAMENT
UT will begin postseason play next week, heading to Nashville for the SEC Tournament, March 2-6, at Bridgestone Arena.
The Lady Vols will begin play on Thursday or Friday, pending the outcome of Sunday’s match-up with LSU and/or games featuring Florida and Missouri as well as Ole Miss and South Carolina.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 15 Tennessee overwhelmed Iona from start to finish in a 27-1 victory in Friday’s series opener at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Trey Lipscomb finished the game a perfect 5-for-5 with nine RBIs and became the first Vol to hit for the cycle since Jordan Rodgers against Kentucky in 2016.
Ten different Vols drove in runs in the game as UT scored in seven of the eight innings it batted in, including four runs in the first, eight in the second and five in the fourth. The Big Orange blasted five home runs for the second straight game with freshmen Blake Burke and Jared Dickey hitting the first homers of their careers.
Freshman right hander Chase Burns made his second start and put together another impressive performance on the mound, allowing just one unearned run on four hits while striking out four in five innings of work to earn the win and improve to 2-0 on the year.
Vols 3B Trey Lipscomb / Credit: UT Athletics
Tennessee (5-0) jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead thanks to a Drew Gilbert RBI single and a three-run homer by Lipscomb in the bottom of the first. The Vols blew the game wide open with an eight spot in the second. Gilbert, Lipscomb, Jorel Ortega, Evan Russell, Cortland Lawson and Seth Stephenson all drove in runs in the inning to give the Big Orange a 12-0 lead.
Luca Lotito and Phoenix Bowman both had a pair of hits for the Gaels (0-4) while Brad Polinsky drove in Iona’s lone run.
The Vols will look to take the series with a win on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. Tickets for the game are available at AllVols.com
NOTABLE
LIPSCOMB’S CYCLE: Tennessee senior third baseman Trey Lipscomb had a night to remember, becoming just the fourth player in program history to hit for the cycle and the first since 2016. Lipscomb homered in the first inning, doubled in the second, singled in the third and tripled in the fifth to accomplish the rare feat.
The Frederick, Maryland, native finished the day with five hits, two doubles, three runs scored and nine RBIs, all career highs. Lipscomb’s nine RBIs was one away from tying the program record. He is the first Vol to finish with eight or more RBIs in a game since Jordan Rodgers had eight against Kentucky on April 1, 2016, when he also hit for the cycle.
More Long Ball: The Vols cranked five home runs for the second consecutive game to increase their season total to 16 through five complete games. Twelve different players have accounted for those 16 homers with three players hitting multiple long balls this season.
Double Digit Ks: Tennessee’s pitching staff racked up double-digit strikeouts for the second straight game and the third time in five games this season, finishing with 13 punchouts on Friday. Chase Burns led the Vols with four while Camden Sewell, Drew Patterson and Kirby Connell all finished with two apiece before Mark McLaughlin struck out the side in the ninth to end the game.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel and his coaching staff headline the 2022 Tennessee Football Coaches Clinic, which will be held March 31-April 2 at the Anderson Training Center on campus.
The clinic is open to all high school and middle school head and assistant coaches.
The cost of the clinic is $70 per attendee and will feature chalk talk sessions and dinner with the Volunteer staff on Thursday, access to spring practice and speakers on Friday, a Friday night steak dinner and an invitation to the Vols’ spring scrimmage on Saturday.
Heupel, the 2021 FWAA Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach Award winner, guided Tennessee to an immediate resurgence in his first season. Taking over a program coming off a 3-7 campaign and the departure of several players prior to his arrival, Heupel won more regular season games than any Power Five head coach with a new program in 2021.
Under his leadership, Tennessee’s offense enjoyed the most significant improvement of any FBS team. The Vols jumped 99 spots in the FBS rankings in scoring offense, averaging 39.3 points per game, which ranked seventh in the nation and second-best in modern school history.
Tennessee shattered eight team single-season records in 2021, including points (511), total offensive yards (6,174), touchdowns (67), point after touchdowns made (67), total first downs (316), rushing first downs (164), fewest interceptions thrown (3) and passing efficiency (167.10).
The Vols also featured a defense that racked up 102 total tackles for loss, which ranked second in the SEC and eighth nationally. UT accumulated 16 takeaways, good for top-five in the SEC and a significant increase from the season prior.
Heupel and the Volunteers begin spring practice on March 22.
On how important for Uros Plavsic to have success against Walker Kessler… “Well, again, I don’t know to put pressure on just one guy either because I think there are a lot of different ways you can go about it. We need all of our post guys. We need Uros. We need John Fulkerson. We’re going to need Brandon (Huntley-Hatfield), we’re going to need Jonas (Aidoo), we’re going to need them all. Obviously, Josiah (James) goes down there some when we size down, but Walker Kessler is having just a fabulous year. When you think about how he as impacted so many different games on the defensive end. Whether Uros is matched with him, I think all those guys are critical.”
On Santiago Vescovi’s growth in shooting since he arrived at Tennessee… “What really makes it what it is, people will game plan for him every single night. He gets very little space, he works to get it. His teammates do a good job getting him open, he also screens to get them open and hope to get open himself. The fact is, where Santi is so different, his physical conditioning is at an extremely high level where he can just keep going. He plays really hard on the defensive end and plays really hard on the offensive end because he has too. His physical condition and his mental condition are at a very high, elite level.”
Josiah-Jordan James – Vols G-F / Credit: UT Athletics
On the combination of Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler… “It is a great combination to have when you think about the length and skill level they bring. The fact is that they both really understand what they need to do to be successful together. They both affect the game in different ways. Certainly, you can talk about Walker’s shot-blocking ability but offensively he does a lot of things. Jabari is another guy whose versatility creates problems. When you have two guys like that it makes for a good team.”
On the importance of guard play going against Auburn… “Guard play is important regardless of who we are playing. If you don’t have good guard play then it makes the game very difficult for everybody. Whether it is Auburn or anybody else in the country, we all know we need good guard play.”
On the strength of the SEC this season… “I think there’s a lot of things that have changed in the past with our league. Obviously, I have said all along we’ve got terrific coaches in the league, but terrific coaches know that to be good at basketball or anything you have got the recruit well. You go back and look at the last couple of years we’re recruiting in our league at an extremely high level, multiple teams. If you’re going to compete at the highest level, it starts with that. Our league has improved so much in so many areas, but that’s one of the bigger areas. In fact, that not only we had been known for an athletic league but now you’re recruiting not only athletes but skilled players. It just makes our league that much better. I do think regardless of what numbers say, I can’t imagine a better league in the country than what we have right now. Like, I think all the coaches, we want to be well-represented in postseason play and the NCAA Tournament. I know people have to do work to get there, but still, I just think our league is the best. I hope we can eventually get to a point where people talk about us seven, eight teams in the tournament. I hope it happens for our league.”
On Tennessee getting big wins at home this season… “I think we’ve had some good wins on the road too. I think it’s hard to win on the road. Our team, all of our losses have been to top-25 teams. I think our guys have grown and gotten better and that’s what we’ve asked them to do. We know that you can’t stay the same, we can’t stay the same right now. Regardless of what happens here in the regular season, from here until we go to the tournament you have got to continue to get better. Obviously, this time of year I think we all have to get through the nicks and injuries that come with this time of year. You have to really make that a priority that you want to keep your guys as fresh as possible and try to give them as much healing time as you can give them. Yet knowing that every game is going to be a hard-fought game that as long as we’re trying to get better that’s got to be our goal. Here, I don’t think there’s any question that we think that we have one of the great home court environments in all of college basketball. We’ve talked about it; I think our fan base is second to none. You put that with a group of guys that I think that our fan base really enjoys, and I think they appreciate the work ethic. I think they’ve appreciated how they’ve worked to try to get better. There’s been times this year where we’ve had three or four true freshmen on the court and to see how far they’ve come from the beginning is something I think people really appreciate. With all that said and done, I think Vol Nation is as good or better than any, I think it’s the best fan base, in all of athletics. I’m just blessed to have a part of it.”
On Auburn’s guard play… “They are very explosive. They play hard, and obviously they can get going offensively, they can do it from different levels. Defensively, I think they are locked in as a team and they play hard. They are aggressive and combined, they can come at you from different angles.”
On Kennedy Chandler after watching the Missouri game back… “He did do a lot of really good things. We talked to him all year about pace and having command of the game from his position, and he has improved a lot, really in the last two to three weeks. As a team, we have to continue to improve, I think it is a great compliment to individual players when they listen and they understand that the more that they can improve, the better they can get, and the more it will help our team be better and improve. There is no question that over the last three weeks, Kennedy has really improved on the things we have asked him to improve on.”
On what has made Auburn so tough to play over the last couple years… “They are good. Bruce (Pearl) does a really nice job coaching his team and he knows how he wants to play. He has done a terrific job building this program and they are a good basketball team—they have done well. If you go back and look where they’ve been the last couple years and how they are doing things, they have worked hard to get the program where they want it and he has done a terrific job with it.”
On if John Fulkerson’s availability… “Yeah, we hope so. He has not been able to practice very much, but we hope we can get him right.”
On the Auburn and Tennessee rivalry growing… “These two programs have been really solid in the past. We play each other every year and both teams’ fans get up for these kinds of games. I’m still trying to get my first win against them, they’ve won the last couple fair and square and now we’re just trying to level the playing field.”
On matching K.D. Johnson’s intensity on the court… “You must be locked in because he is one of the reasons that they’ve had such a great season so far. We’ve scouted him and know what they like to do; especially because he’s such a big part of the team. You just have to know that he’s a great scorer and leader, and we’re going to have to stop him and match his intensity.”
On Tennessee winning big games at home this season… “I give credit to TBA and our fan base. They give us the energy that we need, they have so far, and I don’t expect it to be any different on Saturday. We feed off the crowd’s energy and they get us going. Credit to them for all the success that we have had at home.”
On how Kennedy Chandler played against Missouri… “Kennedy was great. I see it day in and day out, so I can’t say that was the best I’ve from him, but how he played against Missouri is what we expect to see. He’s an outstanding talent—teams must keep an eye on him and it’s hard to stop him. I know from experience that it’s tough. He’s doing a great job of controlling the flow on offense, and he’s doing a great job on defense as well.”
KNOXVILLE – An excellent second half on the offensive end, where the Lady Vols scored 56 points, helped the No. 16/14-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols defeat Mississippi State, 86-64, Thursday night at Thompson-Boling Arena. The win was the Big Orange’s ninth in a row at home.
It was as if the home team could not miss in the second half, as Tennessee (22-6, 11-4 SEC) connected on 24 of 36 (.667) from the field and seven of 10 from beyond the arc. The Big Orange got a career-high 17 points from Tess Darby, who was 5-of-6 from deep and 6-of-7 overall. Tamari Key also had a big night with 23 points, matching a career best.
Key was a force in all aspects of the game as she tallied her 10th double-double of the season, adding 15 boards to her point total. She also blocked six Bulldog shots, passing the century mark for swats this season as she entered the day with 99 and finished with 105.
For the game, the Lady Vols fired in 35 of 65 (.538) from the floor and were eight of 15 (.533) on 3-pointers. The Big Orange shot over 50 percent on 3-pointers for the first time this year.
Lady Vols G-F Tess Darby / Credit: UT Athletics
Graduate student Alexus Dye notched her 1,000th career point in the game, draining a fast-break layup with 6:16 remaining in the third quarter. The veteran forward tallied 13 total points and pulled down eight rebounds.
Jordan Walker also put together a strong game, tying her season-high with eight rebounds and scoring nine points.
Rae Burrell was the fourth Lady Vol to finish in double figures with 11. It was her 11th game this season and 54th of her career notching double-digit points.
Mississippi State (15-12, 6-9 SEC) was led by Anastasia Hayes who scored 18. It also marked interim head coach Doug Novak’s return to Rocky Top. The VFL was a part of Tennessee’s 1990 men’s tennis SEC Championship team that won both the regular-season title and tournament crown. That 1990 squad advanced to the program’s first NCAA National Championship match before falling to Stanford, 5-2.
Tennessee came out staunch on defense to open the game, only allowing three Mississippi State baskets (3-of-16) in the first period. Tennessee got an early 3-pointer from Tess Darby less than a minute into the contest and used its size advantage to dominate the paint. The Lady Vols held a 15-7 advantage after one quarter of action.
The Bulldogs’ shooting would not stay quiet, as they fired in four of 10 from beyond the arc in the second quarter. Tennessee kept pace with multiple contributors on offense, but only one player, Tamari Key, sank multiple field goals. The Lady Vols dominated on the glass, out-rebounding State, 15-6, and it came from both the front and backcourt as Jordan Walker led the team in rebounds in the quarter with four. State was able to cut into the Big Orange lead a bit late, as Tennessee went into the halftime break leading 30-27.
It was an offensive explosion for the Lady Vols in the third, and it kicked off early as Burrell propelled the Big Orange by spotting up on a fast break 38 seconds into the period. Darby doubled down on the momentum, connecting on a pair of 3-pointers for a 14-2 Lady Vol run in the first four and a half minutes of the third. That wasn’t all, as Tennessee took another run, 10-0 this time, courtesy of 3-pointers from Walker and Darby. Combining the two, Tennessee put together a 24-4 advantage lasting the first seven and a half minutes of the period. All told, UT shot 12 of 17 (.706) in the third period and was an incredible five of six (.833) from beyond the arc, winning the quarter 30-16. Darby was perfect on all three of her attempts from downtown, as the Lady Vols led 60-43 going to the final period of play.
Tennessee didn’t let up in the fourth, making 12 of 19 field goals (.632), as Key logged 10 points in the period and accounted for five of the first six UT buckets. Freshman Sara Puckett tallied three assists in the quarter, which alone tied for her second-highest assist total this season. Ten different Tennessee players checked into the game and seven scored as the Big Orange outscored the Bulldogs, 26-21, and closed out the victory.
UP NEXT:Tennessee closes out its regular season on Rocky Top Sunday, welcoming No. 8 LSU on Senior Day in a 2 p.m. contest at Thompson-Boling Arena. Tip is slated for 2 p.m. ET, with ESPN2 televising.
KEY MOVES INTO SEC TOP 10 FOR BLOCKS: With her six blocked shots vs. MSU, Tamari Key pushed her season total to 105, leaving her eight shy of the school record of 113 set by Kelley Cain in 2009-10 and moving her into a tie for ninth place on the SEC’s all-time single season blocks list. Key joins A’ja Wilson of South Carolina (2017-18), Heidi Gillingham of Vanderbilt (1992-93) and Heidi Olsen of LSU (1982-83).
FIRST QUARTER LOCKDOWN: Tennessee limited MSU to seven first-quarter points, the fewest UT has surrendered to an SEC opponent in an opening frame this season and second-fewest the Lady Vols allowed to any team during the 2021-22 campaign. It ties for the fewest first-quarter points scored by Mississippi State all season, having also been limited to seven first-quarter points against #13 Georgia.
GROWING THE 1K CLUB: Alexus Dye scored her 1,000th career point against Mississippi State to become the third Lady Vol this season to pass the 1K mark. Jordan Walker was first to join the 1,000-point club, doing so against Texas A&M on Jan. 6, and Rae Burrell followed against Alabama on Jan. 17.
HAVE A DAY, TESS: Tess Darby shot a scorching 85.7 percent on the night, knocking down five treys in six attempts en route to a career-high 17 points.
BALANCED ATTACK: Four Lady Vols were in double figures on the night with Tamari Key (23), Tess Darby (17), Alexus Dye (13) and Rae Burrell (11) all managing 10 or more points. It is the fourth time Tennessee has had four or more players score 10+ points in SEC play this season. Additionally, nine of 10 active UT players contributed at least two points to the win over MSU.
DISHING THEM OUT: Tennessee hit 35 field goals vs. the Bulldogs, with 27 of them coming via assists. That total of 27 dimes was the second-best of the season behind the 30 they dished vs. Chattanooga. Jordan Walker led the Lady Vols with an SEC-high seven.
The 17th-ranked Tennessee basketball team returns home for a ranked showdown Saturday afternoon, facing off with the No. 3 Auburn Tigers inside Thompson-Boling Arena at 4 p.m.
Fans can catch Saturday’s game on ESPN and online or on any mobile device through WatchESPN. WatchESPN can be accessed through the ESPN App, or online at espn.com/watch. Karl Ravech (play-by-play), Jimmy Dykes (analysis) and Kris Budden (reporter) will have the call.
Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp calling the action. The broadcast is also available on channel 81 on Sirius, SiriusXM and the SiriusXM app.
Tennessee (20-7, 11-4 SEC) picked up its 20th win of the season Tuesday with an 81-60 win at Missouri. All-SEC candidate Kennedy Chandler led the way for the Vols with 23 points on 9-for-12 shooting with a career-high eight rebounds and six assists.
Joining Chandler in double figures was fellow All-SEC hopeful Santiago Vescovi, who scored 14 points on 4-for-6 shooting from 3-point range, and Victor Bailey Jr., who scored 11 points on 5-for-8 shooting.
The 2021-22 season is the third season of the Rick Barnes era in which the Vols have reached 20 wins, and the first since 2018-19.
Up next, Tennessee heads south for its final road game of the regular season, taking on Georgia on Tuesday in Athens, Georgia. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
Vols G Santiago Vescovi / Credit: UT Athletics
THE SERIES • Tennessee leads its all-time series with Auburn, 78-44, dating to 1927. • The Vols own a 48-9 advantage when the series is contested in Knoxville. Tennessee triumphed in 10 straight home games over Auburn from 2000-16, but the Tigers have won each of the last two clashes at Thompson-Boling Arena. • Over the last two games in this series that took place in Knoxville, Auburn averaged 89.5 points and 11.5 made 3-pointers. • Saturday marks the only regular-season meeting between the Vols and Tigers. • Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl coached the Tennessee program from 2006-11. His son and current Auburn assistant coach, Steven Pearl, lettered for the Vols from 2007-11 and is a UT graduate. • ESPN’s BPI ranks Tennessee’s strength of schedule as the fourth-toughest nationally.
LAYUP LINES – TEAM • Tennessee ranks fifth nationally in average home attendance (17,706) and is riding a 15-game win streak at Thompson-Boling Arena dating to last season. • Tennessee stands at No. 9 in the NCAA’s latest NET ratings. Each of UT’s seven losses are Quad 1. • The Vols have faced nine AP Top 25 opponents so far this season. • Tennessee joins Kentucky and Auburn as the only three SEC teams that have no losses outside Quadrant 1 this season. • According to KenPom, the Vols rank fourth in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing only 87.8 points per 100 possessions. • Tennessee’s scoring defense of 66.1 ppg in SEC play is the second-best in the league. The Vols have held their last six SEC opponents to fewer than 65 points. • Tennessee allows a stingy 62.0 ppg during SEC home games this season, with a scoring margin of +11.3 ppg and an unbeaten record. • The Vols rank eighth among all Division I teams in steals per game (9.6 spg) and ninth nationally in turnover margin (+4.4).
LAYUP LINES – PLAYERS • All-SEC candidate Santiago Vescovi is the league’s top 3-point shooter during SEC play, hitting at a .441 clip from long range. • Vescovi has made more 3-pointers during SEC play (49) than any player in the league. • Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and Bob Cousy Award candidate Kennedy Chandler’s 2.27 steals per game rank 13th in Division I and second nationally among true freshmen. • During SEC play, Vols freshmen Zakai Zeigler (2.40 spg) and Chandler (2.36 spg) rank first and tied for second, respectively, in steals per game. • A leading candidate for the SEC Sixth Man of the Year award, Vols freshman Zakai Zeigler is the team’s third-leading scorer during SEC play (10.2 ppg) while leading the league in steals and free-throw percentage (.904) in conference games. • Freshman forward Jonas Aidoo has a team-high six blocks over Tennessee’s last three games.
ABOUT AUBURN • After having started the season 22-1 (10-0 SEC), Auburn (25-3, 13-2 SEC) has dropped two of its last five games. • The Tigers fell at Arkansas in overtime on Feb. 8, 80-76, and at Florida on Feb. 19, 63-62. • All three of Auburn’s losses this season have come away from home. In SEC wins, the Tigers’ margin of victory is 6.2 points per game on the road as opposed to 15.3 points per game at home. • Auburn has posted a 7-3 record in Quadrant 1 games this season. Ranked No. 9 in the NET rankings as of Feb. 24, Tennessee is the highest ranked team that Auburn will have faced away from home this season. • The Tigers achieved a No. 1 AP poll ranking for the first time this season, holding the top spot for three weeks (Jan. 24 to Feb. 7). • Projected top-five NBA draft pick Jabari Smith leads Auburn in scoring and ranks eighth in the SEC with 16.2 points per game. Smith is also 10th in the SEC in rebounds per game (6.8). • Tigers’ sophomore forward Walker Kessler leads the nation in blocked shots per game with a 4.7 bpg average. Kessler set the Auburn single-season record for blocks on Wednesday. • Kessler also leads the SEC and ranks fourth in the nation in field-goal percentage (.644). He has recorded two triple-doubles this season with points, rebounds and blocks. • Eastern Kentucky transfer guard Wendell Green Jr. comes off the bench for the Tigers, but plays the third-most minutes on the team—averaging 12.5 points and 5.4 assist per game. • According to KenPom.com, Auburn ranks eighth in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency and 16th in adjusted offensive efficiency.
LAST MEETING WITH AUBURN • Tennessee lost the battle on the boards as the 25th-ranked Volunteers suffered a 77-72 setback at Auburn Arena on Feb. 27, 2021. • Tennessee was out-rebounded by Auburn 38-31 overall and gave up 16 offensive boards to the Tigers. • First-round NBA Draft pick Keon Johnson led UT in scoring with 23 points on a 9-of-17 mark from the field. • Fellow NBA Draftee Jaden Springer added 20 points, six assists, five rebounds, two steals and a block. • Senior Yves Pons chipped in with 10 points and a game-high eight rebounds. • The story of the first half was told on the offensive glass, as Auburn racked up 11 offensive boards and took a slim, 34-30 advantage into the halftime break. • Auburn maintained control of proceedings through the duration of the second half, never relinquishing its lead and holding off each Tennessee counter punch to close the afternoon.
MEMORABLE VOL PERFORMANCES AGAINST AUBURN • Carl Widseth made a then-school-record 17 free throws on The Plains against the Tigers en route to another school record, 47 points, on Feb. 25, 1956, in a 91-87 Tennessee triumph. • Dalen Showalter recorded a double-double with 27 points and 13 rebounds as the unranked Vols upset No. 2 Auburn, 56-55, at UT’s Armory Fieldhouse on Feb. 23, 1959. • Playing a team four times in a calendar year is rare. In 1979, UT played a home-and-home series with Auburn. They met again in the 1979 SEC Tournament. The first game of the 1979-80 series was played in December. The Vols were 4-0 vs. Auburn in 1979 (Feb. 2 & 7, March 2, Dec. 12). • Tony White broke UT’s single-game scoring record with 51 points against the Tigers in Stokely Athletics Center on Valentine’s Day 1987. UT won 103-84.
TOP-FIVE WINS NOT UNCOMMON • Only once in program history has Tennessee faced an Auburn team ranked in the top five of the AP poll. In that meeting, on Feb. 23, 1959, the Vols toppled the second-ranked Tigers by a score of 56-55 at Armory-Fieldhouse in Knoxville. • Tennessee has defeated five AP top-five foes during the Rick Barnes era, including one such win earlier this month.
VOLS ONCE AGAIN HIT 20-WIN MARK • Tennessee has now reached the 20-win mark before the month of March 12 times in program history. This is the third time under head coach Rick Barnes. • For Barnes, this is his 22nd 20-win season as a head coach. That ties for the eighth-most 20-win campaigns among active Division I head coaches.
SANTI SEEING A BIG RIM, BUT NOW MORE THAN JUST A SNIPER • With 79 made 3-pointers this season, All-SEC candidate Santiago Vescovi is on pace to finish the season with the seventh-most made threes in program history (90). • Vescovi is averaging 2.9 made threes per game. • It took Vescovi only 18 games this season to surpass his total of 53 3-pointers in 27 games last year. • Vescovi this season is a more balanced scorer as well. While he made just 18 total 2-point field goals last season, he’s made 39 2-point field goals this year—many of them layups.
PURSUING DOUBLE-BYE IN TAMPA • Tennessee is on track to earn a double-bye in the SEC Tournament in Tampa. The top-four seeds earn automatic placement in Friday’s quarterfinal round. • If the tournament started today, the Vols would enter as the No. 4 seed. UT still has two games remaining against teams in the top four of the standings (Auburn and Arkansas, both in Knoxville).
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 15 Tennessee will look to keep its hot start to the season going this weekend as Iona visits Lindsey Nelson Stadium for a three-game series starting on Friday.
The Vols are off to a 4-0 start after a series sweep of Georgia Southern and a midweek victory over UNC Asheville on Wednesday. UT has won its first seven games of the season in each of the past three seasons and has a chance to extend that streak to four years with a sweep this weekend.
Vols INF Jorel Ortega / Credit: UT Athletics
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
For the most updated gameday information related to Tennessee baseball, please visit our Gameday Central page by clicking HERE. The baseball Gameday Central page contains info in regard to tickets, parking, stadium policies and more.
Parking Advisory for Saturday’s Game With Tennessee men’s basketball hosting Auburn at 4 p.m. on Saturday, the G-16 garage will only be available for those with parking passes for the basketball game. All other normal baseball lots will be open.
TICKET INFORMATION
Season tickets for this season are SOLD OUT. However, single-game tickets for all home games through March 15 are still available at AllVols.com or by calling the Tennessee Athletic ticket office at 865-656-1200.
Single-game tickets for SEC games and the remaining midweek contests will go on sale Tuesday, March 1.
In order to keep Lindsey Nelson Stadium as full as possible, we are encouraging season ticket holders who are unable to use their tickets for a game(s) to either transfer your tickets to someone else (Instructions HERE).
BROADCAST INFO
All three games of this weekend’s series will be streamed live online on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app as Andy Brock (PxP) and VFL Cody Hawn (analyst) call the action. 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 live audio call by John Wilkerson and Vince Ferrara on UTSports.com or the UT Gameday App.
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Game 1: RHP Chase Burns (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Paul Sullivan (0-1, 2.08 ERA) Game 2: RHP Chase Dollander (0-0, 5.40 ERA) vs. LHP Blake Helmstetter (0-1, 7.04 ERA) Game 3: TBD vs. RHP Nick Chiaia (0-1, 18.00 ERA)
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: 0-0 (First Meeting) In Knoxville: 0-0 In New Rochelle : 0-0 Neutral Sites: 0-0 Last Meeting: No Prior Meetings
NOTABLE
Another Season-Opening Sweep Tennessee recorded its fourth straight season-opening sweep with three dominant wins over Georgia Southern last weekend. The Vols outscored the Eagles, 33-3, and posted a pair of shutouts. In their four consecutive season-opening series sweeps (12 games), the Big Orange have outscored their opponents 106-16.
Pitching Staff Off to Hot Start The Vols pitching was dominant in its season-opening series against Georgia Southern, holding the Eagles to just three runs on 13 hits over the weekend while posting a pair of shutouts. UT held GSU’s hitters to a .144 batting average and allowed just three hits in each of the two shutouts. Tennessee’s pitching staff has recorded at least two shutouts in their opening series in three of the past four years. UT followed that up with another impressive outing in Wednesday’s win over UNC Asheville, holding the Bulldogs to just one run on four hits while racking up 18 strikeouts.
Newcomers Making an Early Impact Tennessee has received early contributions from a handful of newcomers already this season. In total, 14 players have made their UT debuts through the first four games.
Highly touted freshman pitcher Chase Burns started on Opening Day and threw five shutout innings to earn his first-career victory. Sophomore transfer Chase Dollander was equally as impressive in his start on Saturday, striking out 11 batters in just five innings against his former team. Freshman Drew Beam got the start on Sunday and tossed three shutout innings, as well.
Junior college transfer Seth Stephenson made his presence felt at the plate and on the base paths, hitting .500 with team highs in runs scored (six) and stolen bases (three). He also has a pair of doubles, six RBIs and is tied for the team lead with two home runs.
Four Baggers After finishing last season as one of the national leaders in home runs with 98, the Vols haven’t skipped a beat in 2022, belting 11 homers through four games, which is tied for fourth nationally. Eight different players have already gone deep for the Big Orange this season, led by Jorel Ortega, Trey Lipscomb and Stephenson with two apiece.
OPPONENT SCOUT
Iona Gaels
2021 Record: 3-11 (3-11 MAAC)
2021 MAAC Finish: 11th
2022 MAAC Preseason Poll: 9th
Head Coach: Conor Burke (1st season)
Preseason Honors: N/A
Stat Leaders:
Batting Avg: Jake Field (.500)
Runs: Jake Field (2)
Hits: Jake Field (5)
Home Runs: Jake Field (1)
RBI: Field/Lotito/Pasquale (1)
Stolen Bases: Nick Forney (1)
Wins: N/A
Saves: N/A
ERA (min. 1 IP/G): Paul Sullivan (2.08)
WHIP (min. 1 IP/G): Paul Sullivan (0.92)
Innings Pitched: Blake Helmstetter (7.2)
Strikeouts: Paul Sullivan (8)
GAME PROMOTIONS
Gameday promotions for all Tennessee athletics home events can be found on the UT Fan Experience page by clicking HERE.
Fans are encouraged to download the My All App for their phones and devices this season. The app is available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store and will allow fans to participate in in-game trivia, the custom filter selfie cam and more throughout the year.
NEW TO LINDSEY NELSON STADIUM
With a palpable excitement surrounding the program, Lindsey Nelson Stadium has added some new and improved seating areas and fan amenities to increase capacity and provide a better fan experience this season. One of the first things fans will see upon arriving is an additional deck of porches behind the left-field wall as well as new chair-back bleacher seating down the left-field line.
All porches for the 2022 season are sold out, however, the left-field bleachers will be sold as general admission seating. Additional food and beverage options will be located next to the new bleachers throughout the year. For SEC games, a VolShop location and food trucks will be located in that area, as well.
UT has removed the playground down the right-field line and re-branded the area as “The Deck”, which will feature a standing room only area for UT’s students while also providing additional concessions options to help negate congestion throughout the main concourse. In order to enhance the gameday experience, a Petro’s Chili & Chips, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Gameday Sausage kiosk and a new beer kiosk have been added to the deck area.
Vol fans can look for Coca-Cola, popcorn and beer at kiosks on the Plaza located down the first-base line. The VolShop will have hats and merchandise available on the Plaza, as well. The Fan Experience Hub, your one-stop shop for game programs, posters, schedule cards, contest info and more, will also be located in the Plaza area.
Tennessee’s MVP season-ticket holders will also be greeted with a brand new, completely renovated MVP Room this season.
Friday SEC Fan Fest Starting with the SEC opener on March 18 against South Carolina, an exciting new area will be in place for fans this season. “Friday SEC Fan Fest” will take place for ticketed fans on Pat Head Summitt Street for every Friday SEC contest.
Friday Fan Fests will feature music, giveaways, food/beverage options, VolShop sales locations and Vol Network Sponsor activations. Additionally, VFL Sterl the Pearl will join various SEC weekend games to add to the electricity in Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
ON DECK
The Vols conclude their season-opening homestand with an in-state battle against ETSU on Tuesday, March 1. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. and will feature a live stream on WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app. Tickets for the game can be purchased by visiting AllVols.com.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 15 Tennessee got dominant performances all over the diamond in a 16-1 midweek victory over UNC Asheville on Wednesday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Big Orange (4-0) blasted five home runs and scored in each of the first six innings to race out to a 12-0 lead.
While the bats were doing damage early and often, Tennessee’s pitchers were holding the Bulldogs’ hitters in check as well, finishing the day with 18 strikeouts while allowing just four hits.
Sophomore left hander Zander Sechrist started and got the win after setting a career high with seven strikeouts in just three innings of work.
UT Baseball / Credit: UT Athletics
Five different relievers each pitched one shutout inning for the Vols to secure the shutout, none more impressive than redshirt-junior flame thrower Ben Joyce, who had 10 pitches clocked at 100-plus mph in the fifth inning, including multiple pitches of 103 mph.
Dylan Bacot led the Bulldogs (0-4) with two hits while Kevin Catrine broke up Tennessee’s shutout bid with a solo home run to lead off the ninth inning.
The Vols will be back in action at home this weekend to host Iona for a three-game series at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Friday’s series opener is slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. Tickets for all three games are available at AllVols.com
NOTABLE
LAUNCHING PAD: Tennessee blasted a season-high five home runs on Wednesday night, all by different players. The Big Orange have hit multiple homers in three of their four games this season and already have 11 for the year.
Keepin’ it 100: UT redshirt-junior reliever Ben Joyce wowed everyone in attendance with the sow he put on in the fifth inning. The Knoxville native threw 10 pitches that were clocked at 100-plus mph on the radar gun, including a couple that came in at 103 mph. Joyce allowed one hit but also had two strikeouts in his one inning of work.
Racking Up the Ks: The Vols’ pitching staff finished the game with 18 strikeouts, it’s most this season and most since tying the program record with 21 against Indiana on Feb. 23, 2019. Zander Sechrist led the way with a career-high seven punchouts.
