Highlights/Photos/Postgame/Stats/Story: Second-Half Offensive Explosion Helps #16/14 Lady Vols Beat MSU, 86-64

Highlights/Photos/Postgame/Stats/Story: Second-Half Offensive Explosion Helps #16/14 Lady Vols Beat MSU, 86-64

Posted on February 25, 2022

Box Score (PDF | Postgame Quotes | Highlights | Harper Presser | Darby/Walker/Key Presser | Photo Gallery 

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.

-UT Athletics

Hoops Preview: #17 Tennessee vs. #3 Auburn

Hoops Preview: #17 Tennessee vs. #3 Auburn

Posted on February 24, 2022

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.
 
DATE                    OPPONENT         SITE                 SCORE
Jan. 24, 2017       #4 Kentucky          Knoxville           W, 82-80
Dec. 9, 2018        #1 Gonzaga          Phoenix             W, 76-73
March 2, 2019     #4 Kentucky          Knoxville            W, 71-52
March 16, 2019   #4 Kentucky          Nashville            W, 82-78
Feb. 15, 2022      #4 Kentucky          Knoxville            W, 76-63
 
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).

-UT Athletics

Baseball Preview: #15 Vols Look to Keep Hot Start Going Against Iona

Baseball Preview: #15 Vols Look to Keep Hot Start Going Against Iona

Posted on February 24, 2022

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.

-UT Athletics

Photos/Stats/Story: Complete Performance Leads #15 Vols to 16-1 Win Over UNC Asheville

Photos/Stats/Story: Complete Performance Leads #15 Vols to 16-1 Win Over UNC Asheville

Posted on February 24, 2022

Box Score (PDF) | Photo Gallery

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.

Jordan Beck, Christian Moore, Trey Lipscomb, Luc Lipcius and Seth Stephenson all homered for UT as the Vols racked up nine extra-base hits for the game.

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.

Freshmen pitchers Wyatt Evans, Gavin Brasosky and Grant Cherry all threw scoreless innings in their collegiate debuts and combined to strike out five batters. Returners Jake Fitzgibbons and Mark McLaughlin threw the other two innings.

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.

-UT Athletics

UT Softball Preview: Mary Nutter Classic in California This Weekend

UT Softball Preview: Mary Nutter Classic in California This Weekend

Posted on February 24, 2022

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. — The No. 17 Tennessee softball team is set to wrap up the month of February on the West Coast this week, playing six games in three days at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. The tournament runs Thursday through Sunday at the Big League Dreams complex in Cathedral City, California, with 27 teams playing 67 games over the course of the weekend.
 
The Lady Vols will play six games total with two apiece on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Tennessee opens the event with a doubleheader Thursday, taking on BYU at 4 p.m. ET before facing UC Davis at approximately 6:30 p.m. Friday’s action pits UT against UC San Diego (1 p.m.) and Oregon State (6:30 p.m.), and a lofty twin bill awaits the Big Orange on Saturday. The Lady Vols wrap up the weekend facing back-to-back top-10 teams, going up against No. 1 Oklahoma at 3:30 p.m. before battling No. 6 UCLA at 6 p.m.

Lady Vols Softball / Credit: UT Athletics

FOLLOW LIVE: The 2022 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic will be carried entirely online by FloSoftball. Subscribers can visit this link to access streams for each contest. A free audio broadcast for each Tennessee game will be available at UTSports.com, with voice of the Lady Vol softball team Brian Rice on the call to describe the action. Links to each broadcast are available on the Tennessee softball schedule page.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Tennessee closed out the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational with a ranked win over No. 24 UCF last Saturday. With the game tied 2-2 through five, the Lady Vols scored four runs over the final two frames to ice the victory.
 
MASHING IT: With six home runs last week in Clearwater, the Lady Vols have combined for 12 homers in the first nine games of the season. UT’s 1.33 home runs per game rank fifth in the SEC and are tied for 25th in the country through the first two weeks of the 2022 season.
 
STEADY EDDY: Graduate pitcher Erin Edmoundson stood out in the circle for the Big Orange last week, making three appearances with 17.0 innings pitched and 17 strikeouts. The lefty notably tossed 8.2 frames as Tennessee went to extra innings against No. 12 Clemson, tallying a season-high 11 Ks.
 
LADY VOLS IN THE POLLS: Tennessee checks in at No. 17 in both the USA Today/NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball collegiate top 25 national rankings. Additionally, Softball America tabbed the Lady Vols No. 19 while D1Softball slotted UT 20th in its national top 25.
 
NOTING THE OPPOSITION: The Lady Vols will face four teams from the West Coast in addition to the top-ranked Sooners and the BYU Cougars. Four of the six opponents set to face Tennessee this weekend last played the Lady Vols at the Mary Nutter Classic in a previous season.
 
BYU (8-1)

  • Head Coach: Gordon Eakin (Record at BYU: 731-346)
  • Ranking: No. 24 (D1Softball)
  • Series Record: UT leads, 9-1
  • Last Meeting: The Lady Vols defeated the Cougars 5-1 in Knoxville on March 16, 2019. Ashley Rogers threw a complete game with 11 strikeouts.

UC Davis (5-2)

  • Head Coach: Erin Thrope (Record at UCD: 174-150-1)
  • Series Record: UT leads, 5-0
  • Last Meeting: A 7-0 victory for the Lady Vols at the 2018 Mary Nutter Classic. Ashley Morgan and Amanda Ayala both notched RBI hits in the victory as freshmen.

UC San Diego (5-5)

  • Head Coach: Patti Gerckens (Record at UCSD: 800-635)
  • Series Record: First meeting

Oregon State (7-3)

  • Head Coach: Laura Berg (Record at ORST: 236-213-1)
  • Series Record: UT leads, 7-4
  • Last Meeting: The Lady Vols defeated the Beavers 9-3 at the 2018 Mary Nutter Classic. Ashley Morgan had an RBI single up the middle for the Big Orange.

Oklahoma (10-0)

  • Head Coach: Patty Gasso (Record at OU: 1346-341-2)
  • Ranking (USASB/NFCA): No. 1/1
  • Series Record: Tied at 5-5
  • Last Meeting: A 2-1 win for the Big Orange at the 2017 Mary Nutter Classic. Chelsea Seggern provided the scoring with a two-RBI single in the second inning.

UCLA (7-3)

  • Head Coach: Kelly Inouye-Perez (Record at UCLA: 679-183-1)
  • Ranking (USASB/NFCA): No. 6/6
  • Series Record: UCLA leads, 7-4
  • Last Meeting: The 16th-ranked Bruins took down No. 4 Tennessee 2-0 at the 2017 Mary Nutter Classic. UCLA took a 2-0 lead in the first and did not surrender a run for the rest of the game.

UP NEXT: The Lady Vols will return to Knoxville for their home opener on Wednesday, March 2, against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. from Sherri Parker Lee Stadium, and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.

-UT Athletics

Quotes: Kellie Harper Previews Miss State; Mickey Dearstone Reflects On Career Before Retirement

Quotes: Kellie Harper Previews Miss State; Mickey Dearstone Reflects On Career Before Retirement

Posted on February 23, 2022

Tennessee Women’s Basketball Head Coach Kellie Harper and Voice of the Lady Vols Mickey Dearstone met with the local media on Wednesday in the media room at Thompson-Boling Arena.

Harper previewed Thursday’s 6:30 p.m. ET home contest between No. 16/14 UT (12-6/10-4 SEC) and Mississippi State (15-11/6-8 SEC). The game will be streamed on SECN+, and tickets are available at AllVols.com.

Dearstone, who will be honored before Sunday’s LSU game, talked about his 23 seasons as the radio play-by-play voice of Lady Vol Basketball, where he worked alongside Harper, Holly Warlick and Pat Summitt. The Greeneville, Tenn., native also served as host of weekly TV coaches shows during his run from 1999-2022. Prior to 1999, Dearstone had worked with the Lady Vol Radio Network filling in behind the microphone for Bob Kesling when there were broadcasting conflicts. 
 

Tennessee Head Coach Kellie Harper

On the challenges Mississippi State presents…
“I think the biggest challenge is they’re low with their personnel, which causes them to play four or five guards at a time. To me, the biggest challenge is the matchup and how we’re going to guard them. They play hard. They’re quick, they can get to the basket and shoot the three, which is not always easy to guard.”
 
On preparing for the SEC Tournament…
“Well, I’m always happy to be in Thompson-Boling Arena. It’s great to be back home, and we’re looking forward to finishing the season out here. Hopefully, we can play with great energy and find some confidence as we head over to the tournament.”
 
On what Mickey Dearstone means to her…
“Mickey was a familiar face and a familiar voice for me when I came back. He’s been terrific. He’s been a consistent fan and a consistent part of our program. He’s the voice. When I think of Lady Vols games and plays, I hear his voice. He’s such a wonderful person. We’ve loved being around him. (I) hate to see this time come for him, but also, I’m happy for him. He’s been able to do what he wants to do.”
 
On the response she has seen from her team after multiple injuries…
“I think we have players that have wanted to step up, and they are really fighting and trying. They’ve kept a pretty good attitude through some trying times. They come out every day in practice and give us everything they’ve got. I’m proud of them. I told them that we’re going to keep pushing them to be better.”
 
On if Jordan Horston’s absence has inspired the team…
“Yes, for sure. With Jordan (Horston) going out, you have to find some rallying, motivation, and inspiration. I think they’ve found that in each other. They talk about it, and they want to play for each other. When you know the person sitting to your right and to your left is giving everything they’ve got, it gives you confidence to go out and do the same.”

On Alexus Dye coming back aggressively following a slump…
 “I think we have to stay on her and give her exactly what we want her to do. Jordan Horston was not in there to steal any of her boards, so Alexus is going to have plenty of opportunities to get in the mix. She has to stay aggressive for us. She is going to have opportunities. She has to continue to be a huge presence both in transition and on the boards. Also, although they play different positions, I still think defensively she can help us fill in some of the areas we are losing with Jordan.”
 
Alexus Dye adjusting to SEC play and finding success…
“For her, just playing this size and speed every single night sometimes is very challenging, but I think she continues to fight. She is out on the court working right now. It is good to see her still trying to grow and make plays. She wants to be good; she really does. She wants to find success and help this team in any way she can. I think right now, she feels really confident that she can do that.”
 
On how the environment will be on campus this weekend with men’s and women’s home games…  
“This is going to be a huge weekend. For fans, what a great opportunity to come in and watch some really talented basketball and pull for the orange teams and just enjoy what is going on our campus. There is so much excitement right now, and it’s a great time to be a Vol.  
 
On how Tamari Key has grown since she came to Rocky Top…  
“She has improved tremendously each and every year, and even during each season. I think a lot of that is from her confidence, her maturity, and what she has been able to do. She was thrown out there as a freshman and had to learn on the fly. And since then, she has polished her game, gotten better, expanded her game, and she has become a force. She has confidence defensively when she is blocking shots. She has had that for a while, but now we see her even more confidently rebounding and looking for her shots and opportunities on the offensive end. A lot of that is the mental aspect of the game. The other thing, this is a long season. These seasons are extremely long, players get tired, and it is tough for them mentally, and I think she has handled this season really well, and I think she has grown into that.
 
 On what she has seen from Rae Burrell after overcoming her injury earlier in the year…
“This has been a really difficult time for Rae. You’re this talented player and have an idea of how this year is going to go, and with that injury, it just didn’t go that way. Unfortunately, that’s life. Honestly, it’s kind of life lessons she’s had to learn and had to endure. I hope when she walks away from this experience that it’s made her better -a better basketball player, more equipped to handle adversity. She’s one of these players that hasn’t been hurt a lot. It’s not easy to deal with, especially with a late time in your career. So, I’ve been proud of her. She’s hung in there when it hasn’t been easy.”
 
On Rae Burrell’s increased productivity and how important she is during the last stretch of the season…
 “We’re going to need her. She and I watched film together yesterday, just trying to figure out where we can help, where she can do things, and where she can do more things. She’s really excited going down the stretch and to what she can do. I don’t know if she’s quite back where she was, because she had such an explosiveness about her in early November. In terms of what she can bring to the team, there is still so much she can bring. I think she knows that and the team knows it.”
 

Mickey Dearstone, Voice of Lady Vol Basketball  

On his decision to retire…
“I actually started thinking about it, maybe when there was a coaching transition between Holly (Warlick) and Kellie (Harper). Then I thought about it, knowing Kellie from her playing days. I thought I’d do it for a few more years to give her a chance to get her feet on the floor solid. So I decided to do it. So then, this July, I started thinking about it, and I told the Vol Network that I’d been thinking about it. They said don’t tell us now and wait until we get closer to the season. In October, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and that kind of sealed the deal cause I knew I was going to have surgery in January and miss some games. I missed two games last year because of COVID and three games this year. I’ve always been the kind of person that if I couldn’t do them all, I don’t want to do any. I never really liked somebody to do my job for me.”

On the relationships he made along the way…
“It’s coaches, particularly Pat (Summitt), Holly (Warlick), and Kellie (Harper), and assistant coaches, the administration here back when the athletic departments were split. (It’s) Joan Cronan, her staff, and then all the players and then all the fans too, because one thing I always tried to do is to be cordial with the fans. Like at the SEC Tournament when they just dominated the attendance at SEC Tournaments, if I was leaving and somebody hollered, I’d stop and talk to them, and we talked about Lady Vol Basketball. Those are the thing that I’ll always cherish because there are hundreds and hundreds of them that I’ve been able to form in my 20-30 years.”

On how he tries to connect with his listeners…
“I always tried to do one thing. I was trained by one of the best, my father. He was the best play-by-play guy people that people don’t know about. He always told me, ‘The only thing you have to do to be successful is help people with three things. Those three things are time, score, and where the ball is.’ I can remember when I started and I would say ‘right side’ or ‘left side.’ I remember he called me in the office, and he goes, ‘Do you have any idea of how big a college court is?’ I told him that I had no idea. He said, ‘It’s 94 feet long, 50 feet wide. The right side in the front-court is 47 by 25. That’s a lot of area that a basketball could be in. It means a lot more if it’s in the corner than if it’s in the half-court line.’ I tried to do those three things. At the same time, I tried to be a Lady Vol fan like they were sitting in the arena. People talk a lot about how I criticize officiating, but fans criticize them too. If you’re in Thompson-Boling Arena and the fans think the officials made a bad call, they moan, groan, boo and everything else. I always try to be a Lady Vol fan with a microphone. I try to bring the game to the people that are listening to it so they can see it like they are there. It means a lot to me. I had a guy when I was in sports radio that called one morning and thanked me for doing the games. He appreciated it and he said, ‘When you do the games, I can see the game. By the way, I’m blind.’ That said it all right there.”

On if there was a particular memory that sticks out to him…
“Of course, all the Final Fours, all the national championship games, but there’s one in particular. In ’96-97 when the team was struggling and after an early exit in the semifinals against Auburn in the SEC Tournament… it was our 10th loss. I remember that they were just spiraling downhill. And I remember that after they got back to Knoxville – I heard this story from multiple people – that Pat (Summitt) told them that if you get us to the Final Four, I promise you we’ll win it. Now, earlier that year, we lost in Norfolk, Va., to Old Dominion. And it just so happened that we made it to the Final Four, and in the championship game we played Old Dominion. I don’t think Pat slept for two nights. That game, I saw Tennessee as the most prepared basketball team that I have ever seen in my entire career. They knew exactly what they wanted to do. They knew who was going to throw it, who was going to catch it, and who was going to handle it. They knew everything before Old Dominion did it, and we ended up winning the National Championship. It showed how Pat outworked everybody. She made that promise, and she kept her promise by winning a championship.”

On the call-in show…
“It all started with Pat (Summitt) when, I think it was Kevin O’Neal that started the call-in show for postgame after home games, and Pat decided she wanted to do that. It was more lighthearted. I enjoyed doing it, because it showed a lighter side of her. She had a great sense of humor, and she loved to gig me. I remember there was one time there was a lady that called up from the northeast somewhere. She said I really enjoy listening to you, and blah-blah this and blah-blah that, and when I said thanks and she hung up and Pat said, ‘I didn’t think we were supposed to have family members call in.’ Just stuff like that. So it kind of was a banter back and forth. A lot of times she’d say, ‘You stick with the radio, I’ll do the coaching,’ and things like that. Well, Holly (Warlick) was the same way. Holly and I were friends. Holly was going through a little tougher time; she wasn’t in as good of a mood as a lot of times what Pat was. And then, Kellie (Harper), it basically started from the day she arrived and held her press conference. I was across the street, and she comes in and sees me, and she comes over and gives me a hug and says, ‘I knew you’d still be here.’ When you form friendships and not just working relationships with incredible women like that, it can’t help but come across whenever we’re doing shows and stuff.”

-UT Athletics

Hoops Preview: #16/14 Lady Vols vs. Mississippi State

Hoops Preview: #16/14 Lady Vols vs. Mississippi State

Posted on February 22, 2022

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 16/14 Tennessee (21-6/10-4 SEC) and Mississippi State (15-11/6-8 SEC) will meet on Thursday at 6:32 p.m. ET at Thompson-Boling Arena, marking the first contest between the programs since Feb. 6, 2020.

The teams were slated to play on Feb. 16, 2021, in Starkville, but a winter storm that stranded the Lady Vols in Houston following a contest at Texas A&M also hit the Magnolia State and prevented the Bulldogs from hosting and UT from even traveling to the MSU campus. The game was never made up.

Thursday night’s affair is the front end of a two-game Big Orange run at home to end the regular season. UT is 13-1 on The Summitt in 2021-22, including 6-0 in league games. The Lady Vols enter the MSU game on an eight-game home win streak, with their only loss coming on Dec. 18 to No. 3/3 Stanford, 74-63.

Rae Burrell – Lady Vols / Credit: UT Athletics

Tennessee enters the week tied for third in the SEC standings with Florida at 10-4, with LSU a game better in second place at 11-3. At stake for the Big Orange is a top-four seed and double-bye to Friday at the SEC Tournament in Nashville on March 2-6.

Kellie Harper‘s squad, which has been impacted severely by injury this season, 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. Horston’s return is to be determined.
 
The short-handed Lady Vols are coming off a valiant effort at No. 1/1 South Carolina on Sunday, battling the Gamecocks and cutting the deficit to eight in the fourth quarter before falling, 67-53. Despite the reduced roster, UT held USC to 4.4 points below its season scoring average and tallied two points more than Gamecocks opponents were producing.

Mississippi State is dealing with a limited roster of its own, utilizing only seven players in a 76-66 loss at Missouri on Sunday. The Bulldogs knocked off a talented Ole Miss squad at home on Feb. 13, 70-59, but they have lost the last three contests by 10 or more points in a brutal four-game stretch over seven calendar days.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

  • Bob Kesling (play-by-play), Madison Blevins Hock (analyst) and Kasey Funderburg (reporter) will have the call for the SECN+ live stream.
  • 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. 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

  • Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Title IX.
  • 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.

WHERE TENNESSEE STANDS

  • After opening the year ranked No. 15/12, the Lady Vols climbed to No. 4 in the Jan. 24 AP Poll and hit a best of No. 5 in the Jan. 25 USA TODAY/WBCA Coaches Poll. This week, they stand at No. 16 in the AP Poll and No. 14 in the Coaches Poll.
  • In his Bracketology update on Feb. 22, ESPN’s Charlie Creme has Tennessee as a No. 4 seed in the Bridgeport Region. The Lady Vols are shown hosting No. 13 Belmont in the first round with No. 5 Iowa or either No. 12 DePaul or Boston College serving as a potential Second Round foe.
  • The NCAA NET Rankings show UT ranked No. 17 through Feb. 21, while the NCAA Toughest Schedule report had the Lady Vols at No. 10 (cumulative opposition).
  • RealTimeRPI.com has UT at No. 4 in RPI as of Feb. 22 with a calculation of .6678 and No. 5 in strength of schedule.

HOME SWEET HOME

  • This is the 35th season that the Tennessee women’s and men’s basketball teams have called Thompson-Boling Arena their home, and the Lady Vols own a remarkable 489-51 record (.906) in the venue.
    The Lady Vols have built a combined 642-75 (.895) home mark in contests played at Thompson-Boling Arena, Stokely Athletics Center and Alumni Gym.
    Kellie Harper is 37-6 overall, 19-3 vs. non-conference foes and 18-3 in SEC play in games played on The Summitt through the match-up with Vanderbilt.
    Tennessee ranks No. 7 nationally in average home attendance through 14 contests at 7,502.

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.
  • 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.
  • 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., 3.1 rpg. stat line is well shy of last season’s 16.8 ppg., 4.6 rpg. productivity, but she is seemingly recapturing her groove.
  • All of that said, the Lady Vols still stand at 21-6 overall and 10-4 in SEC play as they prepare to close out the regular season with their final two contests.
  • 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., 3.1 rpg.) has seen action the past 14 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 nine of the past 11 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 three games, Burrell is producing 14.0 ppg. and 3.7 rpg.
  • Tamari Key, a 6-6 junior center, is putting up 10.0 ppg. and 8.1 rpg. to go along with 3.7 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 nine double-doubles thus far and has scored in double figures in 14 games for the Lady Vols. She leads the nation in blocked shots (99) and is second in bpg. (3.67), sitting in UT’s single-season top 10 for the third time at No. 2 (tied with Candace Parker) with 99 swats in 27 contests. 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.
  • Alexus Dye, a 6-0 forward, is fourth among UT players in scoring at 8.7 ppg. She is third in rebounding at 7.1 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 11 times, including an 11-point effort vs. Missouri.
  • Graduate guard Jordan Walker, who had 11 points vs. South Carolina, is Tennessee’s fifth-highest scorer, putting up 7.9 ppg., while tallying 3.9 rpg. and 2.8 apg. to rank fourth and second for UT in those categories.
  • 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 6.8 ppg. and is shooting 45.3 percent from the field, 31.8 percent on threes and 76.2 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 37 of 100 attempts (37 pct.). Sara Puckett (31.8) and Jordan Walker (29.0) have hit 21 and 20 treys, respectively.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

  • UT is outscoring opponents 75.6 to 56.6 (+18.9) at home this season and outshooting them from the field 42.6 to 32.0.
  • Tennessee is out-rebounding foes 51.6 to 34.4 (+17.2).
  • The Lady Vols block 6.7 shots per game at home, and Tamari Key swats 4.3 per contest on The Summitt.
  • UT has a 1.1 assist-to-turnover ratio in Knoxville, dishing out 243 dimes vs. 217 miscues over 14 contests thus far.
  • Jordan Walker leads the way with 52 assists while committing only 26 turnovers in home contests and tops UT in steals with 16.
  • Rae Burrell is 12 of 13 (92.3) on free throws at home.
  • Alexus Dye is averaging 9.9 ppg. and 7.2 rpg. while shooting 46.3 from the field at T-BA.

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 3-5 since then.
  • The Lady Vols were +17.1 (71.5-54.5) in scoring margin with Green and are -14.8 (74.2-59.3) 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 eight games (including +80 twice). UT is 20-1 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 -1.7 (41.7 to 40.0) after.
  • Tennessee was shooting 42.4 percent with her and is hitting 34.9 percent with her sidelined.

TENNESSEE NOTES DURING SEC PLAY

  • Kellie Harper‘s squad is tied for third place in the SEC standings with Florida at 10-4.
  • 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 Rae Burrell (10.9 ppg., 3.2 rpg.), Tamari Key (10.1 ppg., 7.6 rpg.) and Jordan Walker (9.2 ppg., 4.1 rpg. and 2.8 apg.).
  • Tennessee is scoring 68.0 ppg. (5th) and allowing 61.9 ppg. (3rd), while shooting 40.8 percent (7th) from the field and holding opponents to only 34.9 percent (2nd) on field goals in SEC contests.
  • Tennessee is out-rebounding SEC teams 47.1 (2nd) to 36.7 (6th) for a +10.4 margin (2nd).
  • The Lady Vols have limited SEC foes to shooting only 25.1 percent (2nd) from the three-point arc.
  • Key is shooting 58.8 percent from the floor vs. SEC foes (not enough attempts to qualify for rankings) and has blocked 55 shots for a 3.93 blocks per game average to lead the SEC.
  • Key is second behind Aliyah Boston in offensive rebounds per game at 3.6.
  • Also worth noting, Tess Darby (5.6 ppg.) is 21 of 46 on threes (45.7) during league play and is 12th at 1.62 makes per game.
  • Alexus Dye (78.9) and Jordan Walker (73.7) have been much improved at the charity stripe during league play.
  • UT is 9-1 in SEC games this season in which it holds opponents to 70 points or fewer.

RECAPPING THE LAST GAME

  • Junior Tamari Key turned in a double-double with 10 points and 10 blocks and two other Lady Vols scored in double figures against No. 1/1 South Carolina, but despite a gutsy effort No. 12/8 Tennessee fell in Colonial Life Arena on Sunday, 67-53. 
  • Senior Rae Burrell was the high scorer for UT (21-6, 10-4 SEC) with 14, and graduate Jordan Walker was also in double figures with 11 points while leading the team in steals with four.
  • South Carolina (25-1, 13-1 SEC) was led by Aliyah Boston with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Destanni Henderson and Brea Beal also added double-digit efforts with 12 and 11, respectively.

NOTABLES FROM OUR LAST CONTEST

  • KEY MAKING MOVES: Tamari Key blocked 10 shots against the Gamecocks, moving her career total to 257 and season total to 99. She passes Sheila Frost to rank second all-time in career blocks at Tennessee, trailing Candace Parker by 18. She also moves into a tie for second place in the single-season records with Candace Parker (99) and creeps within 14 of No. 1 Kellie Cain. Key’s block total marked the seventh time during her career she has had seven or more.
  • DYE PICKING UP THE SLACK: In the absence of UT’s leading rebounder, Jordan Horston, Alexus Dye pulled down a team-high 11 boards against USC, leading UT in rebounding for the fifth time this season and setting a new personal SEC high.

UT-MSU SERIES NOTES

  • This marks the 45th meeting between the Lady Vols and Mississippi State, with UT possessing a 37-7 record in the series.
  • Tennessee won the first 36 games in the series, dropped three straight to the Bulldogs and then won one in Starkville before dropping the last four contests.
  • UT is 16-3 vs. MSU in Knoxville, 17-2 vs. the Bulldogs in Starkville and 4-2 at neutral sites.
  • State has a 1-0 record in overtime games between these programs, winning a 65-63 affair in Starkville on Jan. 29, 2016.
  • UT and MSU have met six times in the SEC Tournament, with the Lady Vols owning a 4-2 record.
  • Until this season, MSU has been the higher ranked team in the past eight games, with a 7-1 edge over UT in those contests.
  • This will mark Kellie Harper‘s second meeting with Mississippi State as a head coach, and she stands 0-1.
  • Harper was 5-0 as a Lady Vol player vs. MSU from 1995-96 to 1998-99
  • Tennessee’s last victory over the Bulldogs came when unranked UT triumphed on #3/2 MSU’s 2017 senior day, 82-64, with Jaime Nared registering a career-high 30 points to lead the Big Orange siege.
  • Tennessee suffered its first-ever loss to the Bulldogs on Jan. 28, 2016, when #13/13 MSU came from 12-down in the fourth quarter to force OT and defeat the #19/23 Lady Vols in Starkville, 65-63.

ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE

  • Mississippi State is led in scoring by former UT and Middle Tennessee standout Anastasia Hayes (18.8 ppg.) and JerKaila Jordan (13.6 ppg.).
  • Hayes scored 26 points for Middle Tennessee in the 2021 NCAA First Round vs. Tennessee in Austin, Texas, but the Lady Vols defeated MT, 87-62.
  • Only seven MSU players competed vs. Missouri.

ABOUT THE HEAD COACH

  • MSU is led by interim head coach Doug Novak, who was elevated to the top role after former head coach Nikki McCray-Penson stepped down.
  • He spent eight seasons as head coach of the men’s hoops program at Bethel University (Minn.).
  • A 1990 graduate of UT and a four-year member of the tennis team, Novak helped the Vols to a No. 1 ranking and runner-up NCAA finish in 1990.

LAST TIME THE BULLDOGS PLAYED

  • Mississippi State, playing its fourth game of the week, fell on the road to Missouri, 76-66, on Sunday afternoon at Mizzou Arena.
  • The Bulldogs made it close late, tying the game at 55 with 6:10 to play before Missouri went on an 8-0 run to take control of the contest.
  • The Bulldogs were led offensively by Caterrion Thompson, who scored a team-high 21 on 9-of-14 shooting. She was 3-of-6 from behind-the-arc. Anastasia Hayes was the only other Bulldog in double figures, adding 14.
  • All seven Bulldogs who played scored on Sunday after Ashley Jones found the bottom of the net in the final frame.

WHEN UT AND MSU LAST MET

  • The No. 23/25 Lady Vols took a lead into the second quarter but couldn’t hang on, falling to No. 8/8 Mississippi State on Feb. 6, 2020, in Thompson-Boling Arena, 72-55.
  • Sophomore Rae Burrell led Tennessee (17-6, 7-3 SEC), scoring 20 points and pulling down 10 boards to record a double-double in her first career start. Freshman Jordan Horston and sophomore Jazmine Massengill were also in double digits with 12 and 11, respectively, as the Lady Vols played without leading scorer Rennia Davis (18.1 ppg.), who was recovering from a bout with the flu.
  • Rickea Jackson was Mississippi State’s (21-3, 9-1 SEC) high scorer, tallying 14 points and nine rebounds. Chloe Bibby added 13.

UP NEXT: SENIOR DAY VS. LSU / SALUTE TO MICKEY

  • UT will play its final contest of the regular season at Thompson-Boling Arena on Sunday.
  • Tennessee welcomes LSU to town for a Senior Day matinee at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2
  • Big Orange Nation also will have a chance to salute Voice of the Lady Vols Mickey Dearstone, who announced on Feb. 22 he will retire at the end of the season after 23 seasons as the program’s featured radio announcer.

-UT

Highlights/Postgame/Stats/Story: Hot-shooting, Chandler Help #17 Vols Cruise to Road Win Over Missouri, 80-61

Highlights/Postgame/Stats/Story: Hot-shooting, Chandler Help #17 Vols Cruise to Road Win Over Missouri, 80-61

Posted on February 22, 2022

BOX SCORE (PDF) | HIGHLIGHTS | VIDEO: BARNES POSTGAME | VIDEO: CHANDLER POSTGAME | VIDEO: BAILEY JR. POSTGAME

COLUMBIA, Mo. – A hot-shooting night led 17th-ranked Tennessee to a definitive road win Tuesday night at Missouri, 80-61.
 
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 had 11 points on 5-for-8 shooting.
 
Javon Pickett had 16 points to lead Missouri.

Vols team / Credit: UT Athletics

Carrying a nine-point lead into the start of the second half, Tennessee (20-7, 11-4 SEC) opened the final period by hitting just one of its first six shots, but quickly regained its shooting stroke.
 
The Vols and Tigers played back-and-forth for the first four minutes of the final period before a Jonas Aidoo and-one fast-break dunk on a feed from Chandler kicked off a 16-3 Tennessee run that gave the Vols a 21-point lead at 57-36 with 10:44 remaining.
 
Missouri responded with a 14-5 run to cut the Tennessee lead to 12 at 62-50 with 6:37 left, but never was able to draw any closer, as Vescovi’s three 3-pointers in the final six minutes helped the Vols maintain distance.
 
Tennessee led Missouri at halftime, 36-27, after shooting 50 percent (15-for-30) from the field during the first half.
 
Despite its high shooting percentage for the first half as a whole, the Vols hit just two of their first seven shots from the field to start the game. Trailing 17-15 just under nine minutes into the opening period, Tennessee took control by rattling off a 13-0 run spanning nearly five minutes—bookended by contested midrange jumpers from Bailey Jr.
 
After it made seven of 12 shots to start the game, Missouri made just four of its last 16 to end the half.
 
Chandler led all scorers with 14 first-half points on 6-for-8 shooting.
 
UP NEXT: Tennessee is back at Thompson-Boling Arena on Saturday for a ranked showdown with No. 3 Auburn. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. ET on ESPN. Although Saturday’s game is sold out, fans can still purchase tickets through VividSeats.com.
 
VOLS REACH 20 WINS: Tuesday’s win marked Tennessee’s 20th of the season, with the 2021-22 season standing as the third season of the Rick Barnes era in which the Vols have reached 20 wins, and the first since 2018-19.

-UT Athletics

Vescovi Named CoSIDA Academic All-District

Vescovi Named CoSIDA Academic All-District

Posted on February 22, 2022

Tennessee junior guard Santiago Vescovi has been selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team, the organization announced.
 
The Academic All‐District Men’s Basketball Team, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), recognizes the nation’s top student‐athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. As a first-team Academic All-District honoree, Vescovi advances to the CoSIDA Academic All‐America ballot.
 
Through four full semesters in the classroom at UT, Vescovi has posted a 3.37 GPA in the Business Management major.

Vols G Santiago Vescovi / Credit: UT Athletics

On the court, Vescovi has compiled his best season yet as a Volunteer—posting career-high averages in scoring (13.5 ppg), rebounds (4.7 rpg), steals (1.7 spg) and 3-point percentage (.385).
 
The All-SEC candidate is averaging 14.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assist per game while shooting 43 percent from 3-point range in conference play.

-UT Athletics

Mickey Dearstone Announces Retirement As “Voice Of The Lady Vols”

Mickey Dearstone Announces Retirement As “Voice Of The Lady Vols”

Posted on February 22, 2022

Mickey Dearstone, the longtime radio play-by-play voice of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team has announced his retirement following the conclusion of the current 2021-22 season. Dearstone has been the exclusive voice of Lady Vols basketball for the past 23 seasons and his association with the program spans 30 years and over 800 games. His crisp, vivid descriptions, matter-of-fact delivery and humorous dry wit have made him a popular favorite with Tennessee fans for three decades.
 
“When anyone asked me how long I was going to do Lady Vols basketball, I had the same response,” said Dearstone. “I wanted to do it as long as I can without one person thinking that maybe I stuck around too long. After missing two games last year and three this year, I decided to turn the mic over to someone else.”

Mickey Dearstone / Credit: UT Athletics

“I’m a lucky man. I have worked with three incredible coaches in Pat Summitt, Holly Warlick and Kellie Harper.  I want to thank Joan Cronan and her staff, Edwin Huster, Steve Early and Glenn Thackston for allowing me to do it my way.  It’s the only way I know how. I will always cherish the hundreds of friendships I have made with administrators, coaches, players and especially Lady Vols fans everywhere.”

Dearstone called his first Lady Vols basketball game back in 1991, filling in when then Lady Vols play-by-play announcer Bob Kesling had regional TV broadcasting conflicts. He substituted part time in the role for eight years, doing more games in later years. When Kesling was named UT’s director of athletic broadcasting and assumed radio play-by-play duties for UT football and men’s basketball in 1999, Dearstone took over the Lady Vols position full-time.  

During his time as the “Voice of the Lady Vols”, Dearstone was a part of five Lady Vols NCAA national championships (1996, 1997, 1998, 2007 and 2008), 10 Final Fours, 17 Elite Eights, 25 NCAA Tournaments, 12 SEC regular season championships and 11 SEC Tournament championships. During his career, the Lady Vol Radio Network grew from just a few local area radio stations to over 20 across the state, becoming the largest women’s collegiate basketball network in the country. 

“When you hear the voice of Mickey Dearstone you immediately think of Lady Vols basketball,” said Steve Early, General Manager of Learfield / Vol Network. “His voice is synonymous with championships and great moments in our history.”

“Mickey’s retirement signals the end of an era for Lady Vols listeners everywhere and his contributions to the University of Tennessee will forever be appreciated.  Mickey is an original and a true radio personality who brought both passion and professionalism to every game he broadcast…And combining both of those great qualities into one play-by-play voice is not the easiest thing to do,” said Early. 

Dearstone was also the original radio voice of Tennessee softball and served in that role from 2005 to 2012 calling five College World Series appearances including a runner-up national finish in 2007. In addition to his radio duties, he has also served as the television host of the Pat Summitt, Holly Warlick and Kellie Harper TV Shows.  

A native of Greeneville, Dearstone was a long-time popular on-air personality at WIVK and then WNML radio stations in Knoxville. He worked for the Cumulus Media group in Knoxville for 36 years including a long stint as the program director and drive-time, morning show host on WNML. 

Dearstone is a 2021 inductee into the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame. He is also an honorary member of the UT Athletics Letterman’s T Club for his years of service to University of Tennessee athletics. A standout baseball player as a youth, he was a member of the Atlanta Braves farm system, playing for the Kingsport Braves, before launching his radio career. 

Fans will have the opportunity to show their appreciation for Dearstone at the LSU vs. Tennessee basketball game on Sunday, February 27, as the University of Tennessee will honor him in pregame festivities. 

-UT Athletics

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