Music, movies, TV, books, amusement parks, and now…add baking to the worlds that Dolly Parton has conquered!
Starting Wednesday January 26th 2022 you can now order and bake from Dolly’s Southern Favorites from Duncan Hines!
Dolly shares, “I’ve always loved to cook. Growing up in the South exposed me to that authentic Mom & Pop kind of cooking. Baking was no different. I had plenty of people to show me what’s what in the kitchen… my Mama, my grandmothers and my aunts were all wonderful bakers.”
Dolly adds, “They taught me everything I know, from biscuits and gravy to chocolate cake. Now I am proud to share some of those favorites with all of you.”
Dolly and Duncan Hines are collaborating on a line of baking mixes and frostings inspired by Dolly’s Famous Southern Recipes.
Starting Wednesday January 26th, you can now order at Duncan Hines the limited-edition collection that includes
1 Southern Style Coconut Flavored Cake Mix
1 Southern Style Banana Flavored Cake Mix
1 Creamy Buttercream Frosting
1 Creamy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1 Dolly-Inspired Spatula
1 Dolly-Inspired Tea Towel
Coming soon, you’ll also be able to head to the store to get the Southern Style Banana Cake Mix, or the Southern Style Coconut Cake Mix along with either the Creamy Buttercream Frosting, or the Creamy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.
The last two years has allowed artists to explore their creative spirits in various ways.
With the time on their hands singers-songwriters have had to a chance to not only take their sound in new directions, but also revisit the music that inspired them in the first place.
Eli “Paperboy” Reed has made a career in the Blues, Soul, R&B genre with 7 albums since his 2005 debut Sings Walkin’ And Talkin’ (And Other Smash Hits) – but now he’s returning to his roots with his new album, Down Every Road – an homage to the music of Merle Haggard.
The 12-track project was first born in his youth when Reed discovered country music thanks to his dad’s collection of George Jones, Waylon Jennings and Haggard.
Eli recalls what first drew him to the music of Merle, “It was so aggressively honest and edgy. He could get to the heart of these extraordinarily complicated emotional sentiments in two-and-a-half minutes, and that was something that really stuck with me.”
During his time in quarantine Reed melded the lyrics and structure of Haggard’s songs with his own Pops Staples-owing guitar, Muscle Shoals production trademarks.
Reed says, “Doing an album of Merle Haggard songs has been something I’ve been thinking about for more than a decade. As a songwriter, though, I think you have to get a lot of original music under your belt before you can start thinking about interpretations. Now that I’m about 15 years and 7 albums into my career, I think that time has come. I’ve always loved Merle Haggard from every angle: His songwriting, his singing, his performance and his own interpretations are profoundly unique. That unique quality is what made me feel that his songs were open to radical reworking. The songs have such strong character that they can withstand aggressive changes and still emerge unscathed. I’ve had some of these arrangements percolating in my head for almost 10 years, so to see them finally emerge fully formed is really an indescribable thrill.”
Down Every Road track list
01) “Mama Tried” 02) “I’m Bringing Home Good News” 03) “Somewhere Between” 04) “Teach Me To Forget” 05) “It’s Not Love But It’s Not Bad” 06) “If We Make It Through December” 07) “Silver Wings” 08) “Break Every Heart I Can” 09) “I’m A Lonesome Fugitive” 10) “One Sweet Hello” 11) “Working Man Blues” 12) “Today I Started Loving You Again”
Talking about Down Every Road, Reed shares, “Making this album something is not just an itch that I finally get to scratch, but one that I must scratch before I can move on to the next thing. Recording these songs is part of the mental reorganization I need to undergo to start working on the next batch of music, some of which I’ve already started writing. I think that as a songwriter, once you learn to internalize someone else’s craft, it makes you stronger and more deliberate in defining your own. That’s certainly what’s happening to me at least while working on the music of Merle Haggard. I hope to emerge from this process not only with a fitting and individual tribute to one of my favorite artists, but with a renewed sense of who I am as an artist, singer and songwriter myself.”
The new album, Down Every Road, from Eli “Paperboy” Reed comes out April 29th – with the first single “Mama Tried” available now.
Tennessee’s Tamari Key has been named to the 15-player Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year Watch List, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Tuesday.
Key, a 6-foot-6 center from Cary, N.C., leads the nation in blocked shots with 73 and in blocks per game at 3.842. Her total this season in only 19 games is already the eighth-highest in school history and marks her third appearance on the UT single-season list along with the No. 5 tally of 86 as a freshman and the No. 9 sum of 72 as a sophomore.
Tamari Key – Lady Vols / Credit: UT Athletics
Her 3.892 season average for blocks per game currently ranks No. 1 in Lady Vol history. Her career average of 3.08 also ranks No. 1 in school annals, and she currently has the third-most swats ever by a UT woman, accumulating 231 thus far and standing 18 behind second-place Sheila Frost (249) and 44 behind career record-holder Candace Parker (275).
Key is a central figure in a Lady Vol defense that ranks No. 1 in field goal percentage defense (30.7) and 17th in scoring defense (54.5 ppg.). She has helped Tennessee hold all but one opponent to 36-percent shooting or lower, and 16 of 19 foes to 60 points or fewer.
She averages 9.9 points per game and shoots 62 percent from the field, and her 8.4 rebound average also contributes heavily on both ends, with UT out-rebounding every opponent but one this season and doing so by double digits on 15 occasions. UT continues to rank No. 1 nationally in rebounds per game (50.37) and defensive rebounds per game (33.2), thanks to her efforts.
In terms of team results, Key’s play has been instrumental in helping Kellie Harper‘s squad to an 18-1 overall record, 7-0 SEC mark and a No. 4 ranking in the Associated Press Top 25. The Lady Vols also are currently tracking toward a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Cody Johnson is hearing from fans that his current single “’Til You Can’t” is touching them in a special way.
Cody can understand why people who listen to “’Til You Can’t” have a special connection with the track…because it’s hit him in the same way too, “Everybody’s kind of come up, that has mentioned it, and been like ‘That song changed my perspective on life,’ and it’s not a rehearsed line – I can genuinely honestly looked those people in the eye and say ‘Me too!’ You know it changed my perspective on my own life and my own career and my own time with my kids and my wife and the things that are important to me. You know, the real things – not money, not fame, not notoriety…the real things that actually matter.”
Along with the song – the music video for “‘Til You Can’t” is also having a big impact on fans, watch it here…
Chris Janson is climbing the country airplay chart with his current single “Bye Mom.”
After recently releasing the dates for his Halfway To Crazy tour, Chris also shared some more news with his fans…a new album is on the way!
The project’s title track is also available now – “All In.”
Talking about the song Chris says “Fittingly, the title track is an inside look at the history of my relationship with Kelly. I was ‘All In’ from the moment I met her. Every piece of this song is a snapshot of our real life.”
When it comes to the album, Chris shares, “There are all kind of songs on this project, but they all flow together because they are genuine to me. I went all in on every part of the process, from writing to singing to playing to producing. I feel like it’s my best, most true-to-myself album to date.”
He adds, “The title All In epitomizes this album.”
Fans can look for Chris Janson’s new album, All In, to arrive this Spring – but next month they can plan to catch him live in concert as the Halfway To Crazy tour kicks off.
Fans will be looking for this one live – “Bye Mom.”
On what John Fulkerson needs to do to increase his minutes and if he is better suited to come off the bench… “Consistency. I think he knows that we need him to bring the energy, which he will. I still think he is getting back from getting COVID over Christmas. What we need out of this time of the year is going to be based on production and the guys that are getting it done at that point and time will be the guys that play. He is working hard to play the role he has to be, and John has always been a terrific teammate. Uros (Plavsic) has gone in and brought a lot of energy to it and we’re hoping that John will continue to do it. I thought John the other night did a good job, but we’re going to play the guys that are getting it done at that point and time.”
Vols HC Rick Barnes / Credit: UT Athletics
On what has been impressive on Zakai Zeigler… “His toughness. He’s resilient, has a short memory, and is very competitive. He’s extremely competitive and not going to back away from a challenge. He’s a good teammate, aggressive on both ends, and is probably a guy that has had to buck up his whole life. He’s thinking to himself ‘I’m going to play and get in this game.’ He’s probably not going to be the first guy you pick on your team based on looks, but after you see him play one time, he will be that guy you’d pick first. He’s always been a fighter and that is how he plays the game.”
On how Josiah-Jordan James has shot the ball better from the 3-point line the past few games… “He’s a little more selective on where he shoots shots. As a team, we’re better when we play inside out because that’s the way we practice. We’ve seen him shoot the ball extremely well and as long as he takes the shots that he practices and at the speed and tempo, he’ll be fine shooting the ball.”
On how well the defense has played since playing Kentucky… “For the most part, we’ve been a sound defensive team. We’ve had some breakdowns but had a terrific game against LSU. Later in the game, we gave up three straight layups late in the game which was a communication breakdown. Overall, our defense has been good, and excited that we picked up some charges the other night. If you look around the country and the SEC, there’s a lot of teams playing great defense and if you don’t play any, then you won’t give yourself much of a chance to win. If you play defense on a night where you struggle to score which I see a lot of teams that are struggling to score, it makes for long nights.”
On Uros Plavsic’s presence… “He definitely brings a high level of physicality to our team, he does. I think he helps guys. People would not expect this, but when you really watch Santi on tape, Santi is a very physical player. People probably don’t realize it as much unless they watch him and how hard he works, get through his screens and dribble handoffs. He really works hard to get through them, but Uros brings that to us, he does. We need more of that really from Olivier (Nkamhoua) and Brandon (Huntley-Hatfield) because those guys have the bodies to do it. I’m hoping that will be something they can learn from Uros that they can add and do that will help us.”
On Justin Powell’s playing rhythm… “I think what Justin has done the last couple of games is something that I think helps you shoot the ball better—he’s done a much better job on the defensive end. You can tell he has been much more locked in on that end of the court really trying to stick with our game plan and what we’re doing. I say this all the time, if you just play the game and let the offense come to you if you’re a good shooter, you’re going to be a good shooter. If you’re a good driver, you’re going to be a good driver. If you’re a good offensive rebounder, you’re going to be a good offensive rebounder. It’s when guys start concentrating or getting anxious on the offensive end where I think that really affects everything else. If you’ll just go into the game, I tell them all the time I think one of the hardest things to do is they have to make shots. You need to make shots, but you’re not going to make them all. Really in college, very few guys make over half of them when they shoot, especially perimeter players. With that said, get lost in the game, play the game, play it on both ends, and impact the game when you’re not making shots. If you get that mindset, the guys that we recruit, they’ll be fine in all the other things, I think, if they buy into that.”
On finding a rotation that sticks… “Well it’s important and again, separation is what gives you a chance to get some kind of rotation. If you can get guys where you know from night to night what they’re going to produce and the reliability of what they’re going to be able to do on both ends of the court, it helps you a lot. I think it helps them. The last couple games I do think we have been able to get a little bit more rotation in our mind in terms of what we’re trying to do. Different games can change it dictated by foul trouble and things like that. The last two games we’ve played started out with Uros and Olivier together and we have gone with John and Brandon together. Some youth and experience and Brandon obviously being a bigger body and can bang against certain guys better than John possibly inside. Then foul trouble can change that around. Then we obviously feel on the front line when we need to get Josiah at the four. We get better in some areas there offensively and the way he’s rebounding the ball. When he’s rebounding the ball the way he’s capable of that’s when we become quicker, faster on our transition game. Because he can come out of there with it quicker. Again, it’s consistency in terms of what we know we’re going to get and it does help players know about what time of the game they’re going to go into it.”
On Kennedy Chandler playing with more consistency… “He’s done it consistently. When he’s done it consistently, he’s been very effective with it. But it’s different angles you’re trying to get him to come in from. Teams knows he’s going to bring it from the middle part of the floor all the time. And then they break the court down into thirds, they know he’s attacking from here, and they can sit on it—that’s why we try to get him to move more. I think a big thing we’re helping him with is introducing him to the fact that you have to learn to move without the ball and by getting to the sides, it gives a chance now to come in from a different angle. A really nice play the other night, Santi (Vescovi) came off the baseline, took one dribble to the middle, Kennedy was up top, and he made a great cut down, he showed his explosiveness moving without the ball. The more he grasps moving without the ball and getting himself in different areas of the court, the more effective he’s going to become without the ball. And because he is so fast, you know when he gets running, and he can catch it on the run and somebody gets him a pass, he’s been doing a nice job getting it where he needs to get it. But that’s the fun part about it, coaching guys that when they come in you hope to expand their game. Again, once he grasps that part of it consistently…Santi does a good job of that, you know moving, giving it up, moving and it’s just going to add to his game. And I would say the same thing about Zakai. Zakai needs to pass it some and get moving and get away like he got lost the other night, that was a big three he hit. But he got lost, he passed, moved. The more movement we get, the better we’re going to be. And I would say that for any team, I just think you get movement, you get ball movement and player movement, it’s hard to guard.”
On Kennedy Chandler struggling from the free throw line… “Yeah, he falls back, and he has to get up there and stay on the line and shoot the ball. He’s a good shooter, but you know what, it’s concentration. You know, he stays every after practice every day and he’ll make 94/95 out of 100 but he gets in a game and he doesn’t concentrate. People think that’s an easy shot, it’s not as easy as everybody thinks. You’re running up and down the floor, you’re playing hard, you’re playing defense and you’re cutting off screens and then all at once the game just comes to a total stop. And you have to be able to really get your concentration, get your breathing right and get into where you’re really concentrating as opposed to just throwing it up there. But all his shots this year, you look at them from the free throw line, he’s backing up even before the ball is even halfway to the rim, he’s already dropped his arms down to his side and walking backwards and he’s just got to go toward the rim and follow through. I mean, he can make shots, he’s a shooter. It’s just concentration.”
On Florida… “Well, Florida, Mike White, what can you say? I mean, again, he’s lost a valuable player (Colin Castleton) and won a big game at home against Mississippi State. A key guy went down, and they got another tough win Saturday, they had a tough week. They have Mississippi tonight, then they’re here. Mike’s back to doing the things that I always remember his teams doing. Changing defenses, a lot like what we faced here Saturday, you know 2-2-1, can fall back, can run and double at any time or throw a 1-3-1 at you, can mix up some zones in there with man and he’s doing that. As you would expect the last two games they’ve shot a few more threes since they don’t have their post guy, they normally throw it in to. Obviously playing through their guards even more. But Mike, he does a great job, he’s taken what he’s gotten, it’s a testament to him, hasn’t complained about any of it. I do think his team has great confidence in him because they have followed his lead to the hilt and they can put numbers on you if you don’t guard them, they can turn you over if you don’t take care of the basketball.”
On if he is still working his way back from COVID… “I think all of last year really took a toll on everybody. It just takes a while to get back, really with your conditioning, timing, and rhythm, coming back from something like that.”
On having a different mindset coming off the bench as opposed to starting… “Not really, but it has been a while. It is different, I like it, but definitely different. I think I still have the same mindset with just doing whatever I can to help my team. I think our roles as everyone is still the same, just doing what coach asks us to do.”
On how important it was to bounce back defensively against Vanderbilt and LSU following the loss to Kentucky… “I think that’s something that we have to do every single night. Something that we really have to hang our hats on is defense because regardless of if we are making shots or not, it has to be something that we are able to travel with and have at every home game. Something that we have every single game is our defense because that does not really take skill, just takes effort and energy. This helps us on the offensive end when our defense is clicking when it’s really good which definitely translates to the offensive end.”
On why he likes coming off bench and if it helps him see what the opponent is doing better… “It does yes, the way I look at it is I told my teammates that are out there to go as hard as they can and that makes the opponents go hard as they can, then they get tired. So when I come in, I’m fresh and they are tired, so that is kind of the way I look at it. Hopefully when I come in, I’m ready to go with energy and hopefully the other team is a little winded from the first group.”
On the conversation with coach Barnes about coming off the bench… “I think it was something that needed to be done. Coach has been doing this a long time and he knows what is best for his team and his players. He is going to put us all in the right position and in the best position to win. I trust whatever coach is doing, in whatever he says and whatever he wants us to do. I trust him in everything, whatever he wants from any of us we are all willing to do it.”
On why the move to the bench needed to be done… “Just to switch things up and try to get some different lineups in there. Different looks from teams and just trusting coach Barnes’ game plan to whatever he thinks will be most successful.”
On if was easy for you making the transition from starting to bench… “I mean it was different for sure, I can’t say I was expecting it. But I think you just have to trust coach with whatever he has for us. I trust coach that he knows what is best for me and our team which will put us in the best position to win.”
On Uros Plavsic’s physicality in games and how he has personally evolved his physicality over the years… “I would say I have definitely become more physical over my time here. If you guys watched the last game, you definitely saw that Uros can be physical. He can bring a lot to our team and really being that glue guy for him. Bringing us together and being that energetic guy. He has done a great job while he has been in there.”
On coach Barnes bringing him and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield off the bench together, matching an experienced player with an inexperienced player… “I think that we play well together. I want to say that I play well with all of my teammates. No offense to anyone, no good or bad feelings toward my teammates. I like playing with them all but I think that is a great way to look at that. I can use my experience to help a freshman player like Brandon. And that we can both be in there at the same time and be productive.”
On Uros Plavsic showing emotions on the floor and rewatching tape back… “It is actually pretty funny. Our game was showing on SEC Network just now and seeing the pregame and halftime stuff and everything in the game, you aren’t lacking for words when you say he shows emotion, but that is great for our team. We need that, we need all of the energy. We all can feed off of that.”
The Volunteers’ #eVOLution22 recruiting class is currently ranked No. 11 by Rivals.com, No. 15 by 247Sports.com and No. 15 by On3.com with next week’s regular signing period on deck.
Tennessee is coming off a 7-6 mark in head coach Josh Heupel‘s debut campaign that saw the Vols shatter eight single-season team records and improve their win total by four games from the previous year. Heupel was tabbed the FWAA Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach Award co-winner. He won more regular season games that any new Power Five coach from last year’s hiring cycle.
The Vols open the 2022 season on Sept. 3 against Ball State in Neyland Stadium.
Existing season ticket holders can renew their tickets for the 2022 campaign now by visiting AllVols.com. Fans wishing to purchase new season tickets can do so as well at AllVols.com or by contacting the UT Athletic Ticket Office at (865) 946-7000.
Three of the four former Tennessee Volunteers on NFL active rosters this past weekend advanced to their respective conference championships after victories by the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs.
49er’s Emmanuel Moseley / Credit: UT Athletics
In a bitterly cold contest at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the 49ers battled through a defensive struggle with the Packers, winning 13-10 on a last second field goal in the snow. Former Vol Emmanuel Moseley made five tackles for the Scarlet and Gold and now owns 17 in the 2022 postseason, tied for the second-most in the playoffs. He was also lockdown in coverage, the fifth-year defensive back was only targeted once for two yards.
Jauan Jennings made one catch in the victory for six yards. He has now made a reception in San Francisco’s last 11 games.
Trey Smith and the Chiefs won an incredible contest against the Buffalo Bills that saw Kansas City march down the field to tie the game with 13 seconds remaining. Smith and the Chief offense tallied 552 yards of total offense, passing for 370 yards. The Chiefs overtime drive led them to a 42-36 win in primetime on Sunday.
Morgan Cox and the Tennessee Titans finished their season in a 19-16 defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday. Cox completed the season with the fourth-highest long snapper grade (79.7), according to Pro Football Focus. He tallied 146 downs in total, snapping 65 punts and 81 field goals or extra points during the year. He also made one tackle against the New England Patriots in week 12.
Smith and the Chiefs will be back in action Sunday, Jan. 30, to take on Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on CBS. Jennings and Moseley will follow as the 49ers travel to SoFi Stadium to face the Los Angeles Rams at 6:30 p.m. on FOX.
Morgan Cox – LS – Titans Completed seven snaps (four punts, two extra points and one field goal) in a 19-16 loss to the Bengals Saturday
Jauan Jennings – WR – 49ers Made one reception for six yards in a 13-10 victory for the 49ers over Green Bay
Josh Malone – WR – Packers Practice Squad
Emmanuel Moseley – CB – 49ers Made four tackles in a win over Green Bay where the defense only allowed 10 points and 263 yards of total offense. He was only targeted once, allowing a mere 2-yard reception
Trey Smith – OL – Chiefs Totaled 76 snaps in a thrilling overtime victory over the Bills, 42-36. He has played 1,335 snaps this season, the most of any lineman in the NFL
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee baseball earned its third and highest preseason top 25 ranking on Monday as Baseball America slotted the Vols at No. 17 to start the 2022 season.
Vols Baseball / Credit: UT Athletics
UT is also ranked among the top 25 in the D1Baseball.com Preseason Poll (No. 19) and the Perfect Game Preseason Poll (No. 21). Preseason polls from USA Today and the NCBWA have yet to be released.
The Southeastern Conference led all leagues with eight teams ranked in the preseason top 25, including six in the top 10. The Vols are slated to play five of the top 10 teams in Baseball America’s rankings, including a College World Series rematch with No. 1 Texas at the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic at Minute Maid Park in Houston on March 4.
The full Baseball America Preseason Poll can be seen HERE.
UT is coming off one of its best seasons in program history, posting a 50-18 record and advancing to the College World Series for the first time since 2005. Tennessee was ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation in 2021 – its highest ranking in program history – and finished the season ranked as high as No. 5 in the polls. The Big Orange finished the year ranked eighth in the final Baseball America rankings.
The Vols hosted a regional for the first time since 2005 and hosted a super regional for the first time ever, posting a perfect 5-0 record in the NCAA tournament’s first two rounds before making the program’s fifth trip to Omaha. UT reached the 50-win mark for just the third time in program history and finished the season tied for the most wins in Division I college baseball.
Tennessee also posted its best finish in conference play since 1995, going 20-10 in league games to win the SEC Eastern Division for the first time since 1997. UT carried that success into the postseason, advancing to the SEC Tournament Championship game for the first time since 1995. The Vols also had a program record five players earn postseason All-America honors in 2021.
Tennessee returns 24 letterwinners from last season’s Omaha team, including “Super Seniors” in Evan Russell, Luc Lipcius and Redmond Walsh. The Big Orange also added a handful of marquee transfers and welcomed the nation’s No. 5 ranked signing class according to Baseball America and Perfect Game. Russell, sophomore pitcher Blade Tidwell and junior outfielder Jordan Beck have already garnered preseason All-America honors for this coming year.
UT begins its 2022 campaign at home on the weekend of Feb. 18-20 against Georgia Southern. The Vols’ home slate features 37 home games, including SEC series against South Carolina (March 18-20), Missouri (April 8-10), Alabama (April 15-17), Auburn (April 29-May 1) and Georgia (May 13-15). UT’s full 2022 schedule can be seen HERE.
For season ticket information, visit AllVols.com or call the Tennessee Athletics ticket office at (865) 656-1200 or 1 (800) 332-VOLS. Information on single-game tickets will be released in the near future.
ATHENS, Ga. – The No. 5/6 Lady Vols picked up their fifth AP Top-25 win of the season on Sunday afternoon, defeating No. 13/13 Georgia in Stegeman Coliseum, 63-55.
Lady Vols G Jordan Horston / Credit: UT Athletics
Tennessee, the only team undefeated in conference play, is enjoying its best start to a season since the 2007-08 campaign when the squad started 22-1 en route to SEC and NCAA championships. The Big Orange women have now reeled off nine straight wins and nine straight conference wins, dating back to last season. They also won their seventh straight SEC road contest, with their last setback coming last season at Georgia.
Junior Jordan Horston turned in her ninth double-double of the season and fourth in five games to lead Tennessee (18-1, 7-0 SEC) with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Senior Rae Burrell was also in double digits with 13.
Jenna Staiti was the high scorer for UGA (15-4, 4-3 SEC) with 16, while Que Morrison was close behind with 14.
Alexus Dye put UT up early with back-to-back buckets before Staiti knocked down a trey to get UGA on the board two minutes and 45 seconds into play. Horston responded with a layup, but Morrison scored on the fast break to set off a 10-3 run that put the Bulldogs ahead 13-9 with 2:35 left in the first. Key ended the skid with a layup, and Staiti scored three straight points before Burrell added a layup just ahead of the buzzer to send the game into the second with Tennessee trailing 16-13.
Morrison stretched Georgia’s lead to six with a 3-pointer on the first possession of the second quarter. Horston made a layup on the other end, but Malury Bates and Reigan Richardson combined for five quick points to put the Bulldogs up 24-15 with 7:00 left in the half. UGA maintained a comfortable lead until Dye hit a jumper at the 1:37 mark, and the Lady Vols closed out the half with an 8-0 run to pull within one at 32-31.
The Bulldogs went back up by three after Jordan Isaacs hit a jumper, but Tennessee reclaimed the lead just over a minute into the second half off back-to-back buckets by Burrell. A basket by Dye stretched the lead to 37-34 at the 8:25 mark, but Georgia reclaimed the lead a minute later. Horston responded with a layup, and Jordan Walker followed it up with another to put UT back on top and set in motion an 11-2 run that gave the Lady Vols a 48-40 lead with 3:53 left in the third. The Bulldogs clawed back within three a minute and a half later, but a jumper in the closing seconds by Sara Puckett gave UT a five-point lead entering the final stanza.
A pair of free throws by Key stretched UT’s lead to 52-47 at the start of the fourth, but Staiti answered with a pair of layups to cut UGA’s deficit to three with seven minutes left in the game. Brooklynn Miles countered by scoring her first points of the contest in the form of a trey to put the Lady Vols back ahead by six. Javyn Nicholson answered with her first points on Georgia’s next possession, converting on an old-fashioned three-point play. Morrison then cut it to 57-55 with a free throw at the 4:10 mark, but Horston followed it up with a jumper a minute later. Both teams hit a scoring drought over the next two minutes until Key hit a pair of free throws with 49 seconds remaining. Horston and Walker each added a free throw in the final seconds to close out the 63-55 victory on the road.
UP NEXT: The Lady Vols continue SEC play, traveling to Auburn for an 8 p.m. ET (7 CT) match-up on Thursday. The game will be streamed on SECN+.
HORSTON GONNA HOOP: Jordan Horston continues to have her best games in the biggest moments, averaging 19.8 ppg. and 11.2 rpg. over Tennessee’s six contests against opponents ranked in the Top 25.
TK MAKING MOVES: With five blocks against Georgia, Tamari Key moves her career total to 231 and season total to 73. She has now surpassed Kellie Cain to rank third in career blocks and makes her third appearance in UT’s single-season records, checking in at eighth. She already owns fifth with 86 blocks as a freshman and ninth with 72 blocks as a sophomore.
SHE’S BAAAACK: After missing 12 games due to injury, Rae Burrell re-entered the starting lineup against Georgia and finished with 13 points to wind up as UT’s second leading scorer. She has now logged three straight double-digit games, having turned in 14 points against Kentucky and 11 at Vanderbilt.
COMEBACK KIDS: Tennessee overcame a nine-point deficit against Georgia, tying for its second largest comeback of the season (South Florida). UT has now trailed before pulling off the win in 17 of 19 contests.
