University of Tennessee Athletics
TENNESSEE VS. CONNECTICUT - GAME NOTES
January 04, 2002 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 4, 2002
TENNESSEE LADY VOLS | vs. | CONNECTICUT HUSKIES |
| Thompson-Boling Arena - Knoxville, Tenn. Jan. 5, 2002 o 4:00 p.m. | ||
TODAY'S GAME REPORT
THE RANKINGS:
UT is 2nd in AP & USA TODAY/ESPN
UConn is 1st in AP & USA TODAY/ESPN
RECENT RESULTS:
1-3-02 #2 UT def. #15/16 Florida, 88-64
1-2-02 #1UConn def. Pittsburgh, 112-43
UPCOMING GAMES
:
1-8 #24 Old Dominion at #2 UT, 7:00 p.m. CSS 1-9 #1 UConn at St. John's
COACHES RECORDS:
UT's Pat Summitt is 770-153 (28 yrs)
UC's Geno Auriemma is 440-98 (17 yrs)
UT vs. Connecticut: UConn leads 7-6
In Knoxville: UT is 2-2
Away: UT is 2-3
Neutral: UT is 2-2
Overtime: UT is 1-0
Postseason: UT is 2-2
LAST MEETING: 2-1-01 in Knoxville
#3 UT def. #2 Connecticut, 92-88
MEDIA COVERAGE
RADIO-WNOX-AM/FM (990/99.1) with Mickey Dearstone and the 28-station Lady Vol Radio Network, utladyvols.com
TELEVISION-CBS, Tim Brando and Marion Jones.
LADY VOL HOTLINE: (865) 974-8700
WEBSITE: utladyvols.com
PROBABLE UT STARTERS
13- GWEN JACKSON, F, 6-2, Jr., 13.1 ppg, 8.7 rpg
43- SHYRA ELY, F, 6-2, Fr., 9.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg
00- MICHELLE SNOW, C, 6-5, Sr., 14.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg
10- APRIL McDIVITT, G, 5-8, Jr., 6.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
20- KARA LAWSON, G, 5-9, Jr., 14.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg
OFF THE BENCH
3- TASHA BUTTS, F, 5-11, So., 4.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg
4- LATOYA DAVIS, F, 6-0, So., 6.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg
11- AMANDA CANON, F, 5-11, Sr., 0.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg
14- MICHELLE MU?OZ, F, 6-1, Fr., 3.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg
21- LOREE MOORE, G, 5-9, Fr., 5.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg
25- BRITTANY JACKSON, G-F, 6-0, Fr., 7.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg
33- ASHLEY ROBINSON, C, 6-5, So., 6.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
42- COURTNEY McDANIEL, F, 6-1, So., 3.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg
50- SHALON PILLOW, C, 6-3, Sr., 2.6 ppg, 1.1 rpg
TODAY'S GAME
The #2 Tennessee Lady Vols will play hostess to a sold-out Thompson-Boling Arena crowd, a CBS national television audience and the #1 ranked Connecticut Huskies in the nation's premier match-up this afternoon. With the end of the home-and-home yearly series between the two teams, this will be the only regular season meeting.
IN OUR LAST GAME
The #2 ranked Tennessee Lady Volunteers opened 2002 Southeastern Conference play traveling to #15/16 ranked Florida where the Lady Vols dismantled the Lady Gators, 88-64 on Jan. 3. The contest was physical from the opening tip as neither team could get into the flow. Florida's only lead of the game was a brief 4-3 advantage with 18:28 showing in the first half. After the first media time-out, UT put a little run together to grab an 11-point lead, 18-7, with 11:08 showing. Constant substitutions and an up-tempo game by the Lady Vols saw UT go on a 18-1 run over five minutes to extend their advantage by 24 points, 36-12 with 3:15 left in the opening stanza. At the break, Tennessee led 38-20 as the Lady Vols controlled the boards, 30-20, behind Gwen Jackson's nine first half rebounds. In the second half, the Lady Gators managed to narrow the gap to 17-points, 44-27 with 17:40 to go but another run by UT -- this time 12-2 in just two minutes - gave the Lady Vols a 56-29 lead. UT's biggest lead of the night came with five minutes remaining when Gwen Jackson connected on a trey to make the score, 75-47. For the first time this season, all 14 Lady Vols saw action on the evening while 13 scored. For the game, four Lady Vols were in double-figures led by a trio with a dozen points -- Michelle Snow, Kara Lawson and LaToya Davis. Brittany Jackson chipped in 10. Gwen Jackson led the Lady Vols on the boards with 11 rebounds. The Lady Vols connected on 47% of their field goals, 50% three-pointers and 61% of all free throws. UT dominated the boards with a 54-34 rebounding advantage including 18 offensive rebounds. The Lady Vols forced 19 Lady Gator turnovers off of 13 steals. Gwen Jackson scored just six points but grabbed 11 boards and claimed a team high five steals.
CONFERENCE CALL
This season, Tennessee will take on teams from 11 different conferences.
LADY VOLS ON TELEVISION
Seventeen Lady Vol regular season games will be on television this year. UT is 6-0 thus far on TV. Upcoming games on TV include UConn (CBS) and Old Dominion (CSS).
ON THIS DAY
On Jan. 5th, the Lady Vols have produced a 3-1 record all-time. The Lady Vols are 3-0 at home, 0-0 away and have a 0-1 slate at a neutral site. UT's most recent game on this day was in 1997 when UT loss to UConn in Hartford, Conn., 72-57.
LOOKING BACK
Last year at this time, the Lady Vols were 13-1 overall, 1-0 in the SEC and had just defeated LSU in the SEC opener, 89-70 in Knoxville.
OUR SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
We finally get to come home and play in Knoxville!!!! After playing eight games on the road over the last 43 days, the Lady Vols are looking forward to some time at home. In fact, beginning with the game against #1 Connecticut, UT will play its next four games at home over the next week.
THE ONE VERSUS TWO MATCH-UP
Today's game marks the 33rd meeting of the nation's number one and number two teams according to the Associated Press. The number one team has won 17 of the previous 32 games. And it is no surprise that the Tennessee Lady Vols (including today's game) have participated in more than one-half - 18 - of those games. The Lady Vols hold a 9-8 record in the No. 1 versus No. 2 encounters. Tennessee is 5-4 as the #1 team and is 4-4 when rated second. In addition, the Big Orange is 4-3 in 1 versus 2 games played in Knoxville
1979 - No. 1 Old Dominion beat No. 2 Louisiana Tech, 75-65, for AIAW title at Greensboro, N.C.
1980 - No. 1 Old Dominion beat No. 2 Texas, 75-45, at Norfolk, Va.
1980 - No. 1 Old Dominion beat No. 2 TENNESSEE, 68-53, for AIAW title at Mount Pleasant, Mich.
1981 - No. 1 Louisiana Tech beat No. 2 Old Dominion, 81-47, at Ruston, La.
1981 - No. 1 Louisiana Tech beat No. 2 TENNESSEE, 79-59, for AIAW title at Eugene, Ore.
1981 - No. 1 Louisiana Tech beat No. 2 Old Dominion, 68-51, at New York.
1982 - No. 1 Louisiana Tech beat No. 2 Cheyney State, 76-62, for NCAA title at Norfolk, Va.
1982 - No. 1 Southern Cal beat No. 2 Louisiana Tech, 64-58, at Ruston, La.
1983 - No. 2 Louisiana Tech beat No. 1 Southern Cal, 58-56, at Los Angeles, Calif.
1983 - No. 2 Southern Cal beat No.1 Louisiana Tech, 69-67, for NCAA title at Norfolk, Va.
1984 - No. 2 Louisiana Tech beat No.1 Southern Cal, 75-66, at Ruston, La.
1984 - No. 2 Louisiana Tech beat No. 1 Texas, 85-60, for NCAA Midwest title at Ruston, La.
1985 - No. 1 Old Dominion beat No. 2 Long Beach State, 84-71, at Norfolk, Va.
1986 - No. 2 Texas beat No. 1 TENNESSEE, 88-74, at Miami, Fla.
1987 - No. 2 Texas beat No. 1 TENNESSEE, 97-78, at Knoxville, Tenn.
1988 - No. 1 TENNESSEE beat No. 2 Long Beach State, 88-74, at Knoxville, Tenn.
1989 - No. 2 TENNESSEE beat No. 1 Auburn, 66-61, for SEC title at Albany, Ga.
1989 - No. 1 TENNESSEE beat No. 2 Auburn, 76-60, for NCAA title at Tacoma, Wash.
1989 - No. 2 Louisiana Tech beat No. 1 TENNESSEE, 59-58, at Knoxville, Tenn.
1992 - No. 2 Virginia beat No.1 Maryland, 75-74, at College Park, Md.
1992 - No. 2 TENNESSEE beat No. 1 Stanford, 74-73 (OT), at Honolulu, Hawaii.
1992 - No. 1 TENNESSEE beat No. 2 Stanford, 84-79, at Knoxville, Tenn.
1993 - No. 2 TENNESSEE beat No. 1 Vanderbilt, 73-68, at Nashville, Tenn.
1994 - No. 1 TENNESSEE beat No. 2 Stanford, 105-69, at Knoxville, Tenn.
1995 - No. 2 Connecticut beat No. 1 TENNESSEE, 77-66, at Storrs, Conn.
1996 - No. 1 Stanford beat No. 2 Alabama, 74-65, at Palo Alto, Calif.
1997 - No. 1 TENNESSEE beat No. 2 Louisiana Tech, 75-61, at Knoxville, Tenn.
1999 - No. 2 TENNESSEE beat No. 1 Connecticut, 92-81, at Storrs, Conn.
2000 - No. 1 Connecticut beat No. 2 TENNESSEE, 74-67, at Knoxville, Tenn.
2000 - No. 1 Connecticut beat No. 2 TENNESSEE, 81-76, at Hartford, Conn.
2001 - No. 2 Connecticut beat No. 1 Notre Dame, 78-76, at Storrs, Conn.
2001 - No. 2 Notre Dame beat No. 1 Connecticut, 90-75, in NCAA Semifinal in St. Louis, Mo.
UT- UCONN
All-Time Series Meetings
UCONN leads 7-6
| DATE | SITE | W/L | SCORE |
| Jan. 16, 1995 | A | L | 66-77 |
| Apr. 2, 1995 | N16 | L | *64-70 |
| Jan. 6, 1996 | H | L | 53-59 |
| Mar. 29, 1996 | N73 | W** | 88-83 OT |
| Jan. 5, 1997 | A(Hartford) | L | 57-72 |
| Mar. 24, 1997 | N48 | W*** | 91-81 |
| Jan. 3, 1998 | H | W | 84-69 |
| Jan.10, 1999 | A | W | 91-82 |
| Jan. 8, 2000 | H | L | 67-74 |
| Feb. 2, 2000 | A | W | 72-71 |
| Apr. 2, 2000 | N95 | L**** | 52-71 |
| Dec. 30, 2000 | A(Hartford) | L | 76-81 |
| Feb. 1, 2001 | H | W | 92-88 |
*(Minneapolis-Final Four title game)
**(Charlotte-Final Four Semifinals)
***(Iowa City-NCAA Midwest Regional Finals)
****(Philadelphia-Final Four title game)
THE UCONN SERIES
Tennessee and Connecticut meet today for the 14th time since 1995, yet you'd think it was the oldest rivalry in collegiate basketball. Although UConn has won five of the nine regular season match-ups, UT has captured two of the four games for the big stakes in the postseason. The Lady Vols defeated the Huskies in the 1996 NCAA Final Four semifinals, 88-83 (OT), en route to NCAA title number four. .UT crunched UConn's perfect 33-0 record and number one ranking while knocking off the Huskies, 91-81, in the NCAA Midwest Regional finals in 1997. A week later, an overachieving Lady Vol team took NCAA title number five. The only Husky wins on a truly neutral floor have resulted in two NCAA titles -- in the 1995 title game in Minneapolis, when Connecticut won its first national championship, 70-64, and April 2000 in Philadelphia, Penn., when UConn captured title number two, 71-52. After starting out 0-3 in the series, UT has won six of the last 10 meetings.
HOW WE'VE FARED VERSUS THE BIG EAST
UT currently holds a 49-9 record versus nine teams from the BIG EAST Conference. Last season, UT recorded a 3-1 record against BIG EAST opponents registering wins over Boston College, Connecticut and Rutgers and losing to the Huskies once. All-time, the Lady Vols have a 3-0 record versus Boston College, are 6-7 versus UConn, 13-0 against Notre Dame, 3-0 versus Pittsburgh, 3-0 against Providence, 9-2 versus Rutgers, 1-0 against St. John's, 7-0 vs. Virginia Tech and 4-0 versus West Virginia. This season, UT is 1-0 over the BIG EAST with a sloppy victory over Boston College.
GAME REPORT 12 - CONNECTICUT
The calendar reads January 5th but today's game between Tennessee and Connecticut will have all the trimmings of a March showdown. The Huskies are off to another typical dominating start to the season and roll into K-town with a 15-0 overall record. Lots of the familiar Husky faces from the last seven meetings have graduated - Shea Ralph, Svetlana Abrosimova and Kelly Schumacher among them, but UConn's reloaded by the likes of rookies Jessica Moore, Ashley Battle and Ashley Valley. Back as seniors for their final go-round in Thompson-Boling Arena are starters Sue Bird, Asjha Jones, Swin Cash and Tamika Williams.
CONNECTICUT'S PROBABLE STARTERS
32-Swin Cash, F, 6-2, Sr., 16.1 ppg, 9.4 rpg
34-Tamika Williams, F, 6-2, Sr., 10.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg
15-Asjha Jones, C, 6-2, Sr., 12.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg
3-Diana Taurasi, G, 6-0, So., 14.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg
10-Sue Bird, G, 5-9, Sr., 14.6 ppg, 6.4 ppg
LADY VOLS VS. HUSKIES STAT COMPARISON
| Tennessee | UConn | |
| OVERALL RECORD | 11-0 | 15-0 |
| SCORING | 87.8 | 90.7 |
| SCORING DEFENSE | 63.9 | 51.1 |
| POINT MARGIN | +23.9 | +39.7 |
| REBOUNDS | 46.8 | 49.7 |
| OPP. REBOUNDS | 36.0 | 31.1 |
| REBOUND MARGIN | +10.8 | +18.7 |
| FG% | .478 | .520 |
| OPPONENT FG% | .369 | .297 |
| THREE POINT FG% | .385 | .422 |
| OPPONENT 3FG% | .284 | .296 |
| FT% | .687 | .695 |
| OPPONENT FT% | .605 | .696 |
| BLOCKS AVERAGE | 3.4 | 5.9 |
| STEALS AVERAGE | 13.4 | 9.9 |
| TURNOVER AVERAGE | 19.7 | 15.1 |
LADY VOL CAREER STATS vs. CONNECTICUT
| NAME | GP/GS | FG | FGA | PCT | 3FG | FGA | PCT | FT | FTA | PCT | RBS | AVG | AS | BK | ST | P/AVG |
| Lawson | 5/5 | 22 | 58 | .379 | 5 | 23 | .217 | 9 | 13 | .692 | 19 | 3.8 | 14 | 2 | 4 | 58/11.6 |
| Snow | 6/6 | 22 | 50 | .440 | 0 | 0 | --- | 16 | 29 | .552 | 36 | 6.0 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 60/10.0 |
| Jackson | 5/2 | 21 | 33 | .636 | 3 | 5 | .600 | 3 | 6 | .500 | 33 | 6.6 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 48/9.6 |
| McDivitt | 5/0 | 6 | 15 | .400 | 5 | 12 | .417 | 6 | 8 | .750 | 3 | 0.6 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 23/4.6 |
| Robinson | 2/0 | 2 | 9 | .222 | 0 | 0 | --- | 4 | 7 | .571 | 5 | 2.5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8/4.0 |
| McDaniel | 1/0 | 1 | 1 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | --- | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2/2.0 |
| Pillow | 4/0 | 2 | 3 | .667 | 0 | 0 | --- | 2 | 2 | 1.000 | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6/1.5 |
| Butts | 2/0 | 0 | 4 | .000 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0 | --- | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0.0 |
| Davis | 1/0 | 0 | 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | --- | 0 | 0 | --- | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0.0 |
AVERAGE SCORE
The average score of all UT-Connecticut games is 73.3 (UT) and 75.2 (Connecticut).
RANKING OUR OPPONENTS IN 2001-02
In the early going this season, both #1 ranked Connecticut and #2 ranked Tennessee have faced a number of ranked opponents. In all, the Lady Vols have played six ranked teams in its first 11 games (54% of its opponents) while UConn has taken on four ranked teams in 15 games (26.7% of its opponents). Five of UT's six games against the ranked have come on the road while UConn has enjoyed three games of the four at home versus the ranked folks. The comparison:
| TENNESSEE vs. ranked | UCONN vs. ranked |
| #5 Louisiana Tech, 90-75, H | #3 Vanderbilt, H, 69-50, H |
| #22/21 George Washington, 88-57, A | #8 Louisiana Tech, 74-50, H |
| #8/9 N.C. State, 93-56, N | #3 Oklahoma, 86-72, H |
| #6/5 Stanford, 68-62, A | #23 Old Dominion, 84-70, A |
| #9 Duke, 89-68, N | |
| #15/16 Florida, 88-64, A |
? Thus far, UT is defeating ranked teams by an average of 22.4 ppg (86.0 to 63.6) while UConn is winning by an average of 17.7 ppg (78.2 to 60.5). ? After today's game, Tennessee faces 11 more ranked opponents this season, while the Huskies have no more currently ranked opponents on its 2001-02 schedule.
2000-01 UT vs. UCONN BOXSCORES
#3 TENNESSEE 92, #2 CONNECTICUT 88
2/1/01 7:06 p.m. at Knoxville, Tenn., Thompson-Boling Arena, Attendance-24,046
#2 CONNECTICUT (17-2)
Taurasi 9-16 0-0 24, Williams 10-13 3-4 23, Abrosimova 7-12 1-2 18, Bird 4-12 4-4 14, Cash 2-7 1-3 5, Ralph 1-6 2-2 4, Johnson 0-1 0-0 0, Jones 0-1 0-0 0, Schumacher 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 33-71 11-15 88.
#3 TENNESSEE (22-1)
Jackson 12-15 3-3 28, Lawson 7-17 7-9 23, Clement 3-9 4-6 10, McDivitt 2-4 4-6 9, Snow 2-4 5-6 9, Randall 3-8 2-5 8, Robinson 1-5 3-5 5, Butts 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 30-65 28-40 92.
3-point goals-Connecticut 11-23 (Taurasi 6-9, Abrosimova 3-4, Bird 2-7, Ralph 0-2, Johnson 0-1), Tennessee 4-13 (Lawson 2-8, McDivitt 1-3, Jackson 1-1, Butts 0-1).
Fouled out- Connecticut- Jones, Taurasi, Tennessee-Randall. Rebounds- Connecticut 47 (Williams 10), Tennessee 38 (Jackson 14).
Assists- Connecticut 19 (Bird 7), Tennessee 12 (Lawson 4,
Clement 4).
Total fouls- Connecticut 29, Tennessee 19.
| #2 Connecticut | 44 | 44 | - | 88 |
| #3 Tennessee | 45 | 47 | - | 92 |
#1 CONNECTICUT 81, #2 TENNESSEE 76
12/30/00 4:05 p.m. at Hartford, Conn., Hartford Civic Center, Attendance-16,294
#2 TENNESSEE (11-1)
CATCHINGS 4-11 8-10 17, LAWSON 6-10 0-0 13, RANDALL 5-17 2-2 12, SNOW 5-9 2-5 12, JACKSON 5-9 0-1 11, McDIVITT 2-2 0-0 6, ROBINSON 1-4 1-2 3, McDANIEL 1-1 0-0 2, ELZY 0-1 0-0 0, BUTTS 0-1 0-0 0, CLEMENT 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 29-69 13-20 76.
#1 CONNECTICUT (9-0)
BIRD 5-9 4-4 15, RALPH 7-9 1-1 15, CASH 6-9 2-2 14, TAURASI 5-11 0-0 12, WILLIAMS 2-2 6-8 10, JONES 2-10 2-4 6, ABROSIMOVA 0-3 4-4 4, JOHNSON 1-4 0-0 3, SCHUMACHER 0-2 2-2 2. Totals 28-59 21-25 81.
3-point goals- Tennessee 5-17 (McDivitt 2-2, Lawson 1-3, Catchings 1-6, Jackson 1-3, Elzy 0-1, Clement 0-1, Randall 0-1), Connecticut 4-13 (Taurasi 2-6, Johnson 1-3, Bird 1-3, Abrosimova 0-1).
Fouled out--Tennessee-Robinson, Connecticut-None.
Rebounds-Tennessee 42 (Randall 8), Connecticut 32 (Williams 7).
Assists-Tennessee 13 (Lawson 5), Connecticut 20 (Bird 6).
Total fouls-Tennessee 19, Connecticut 20.
| #2 Tennessee | 34 | 42 | - | 76 |
| #1 Connecticut | 44 | 37 | - | 81 |
CHARTING SUMMITT'S WINS OVER UCONN
#595--NCAA Semifinal in Charlotte, N.C. on 3/29/96 (88-83) OT
#623--NCAA Midwest Regional in Iowa City, Iowa on 3/24/97 (91-81)
#640--Came before a crowd of 24,597, the largest to watch a women's basketball game, in Knoxville on 1/3/98 (84-69)
#677--In Storrs, Conn. on 1/10/99 (92-81)
#712--In Storrs, Conn. on 2/2/00 (72-71) and was the Huskies' lone defeat en route to the national title.
#750--In Knoxville on 2/1/01 (92-88) without All-American Tamika Catchings
OUR LAST MEETING WITH CONNECTICUT IN 2000-01
The #3 ranked Tennessee Lady Volunteers, in front of the fifth largest home crowd of 24,046, turned back the #2 ranked Connecticut Huskies, 92-88, on Feb. 1, 2001, in Knoxville, Tenn. The victory helped the Lady Vols to avenge an earlier season loss at then-#1 UConn on Dec. 30 by an 81-76 margin. Thompson-Boling Arena was packed with loud-energy as the Lady Vols and Huskies set a furious up-and-down pace in the opening six minutes of play. UConn took the early lead at 18-14 (13:49). UT slipped ahead 22-18 (10:37) after fashioning an 8-0 run behind four different Lady Vol scorers. Tennessee led the rest of the way in the first half (largest, six points at 1:08) before taking a 45-44 lead into the locker room at the break. Two keys to the first half were scoring 19 points off of 12 UConn miscues and tallying 10 fastbreak points. In the second stanza, UT led by as many as nine, 61-52 at 14:12. A UConn 6-0 run gave the Huskies one of their two second half leads at 8:46, 67-63. Big buckets by sophomore Gwen Jackson down the stretch (including a trey) accounted for 11 UT points. In the final four minutes of the game, the Lady Vols converted 14-20 free throws. A technical foul on coach Geno Auriemma and the resulting charity tosses with 1:02 left gave UT an 86-79 lead. UConn charged back with treys but UT converted free throws to ice the win. On the evening, three UT players tossed in double-figures led by Gwen Jackson's career high 28 points. Also in extra digits were Kara Lawson with 23 points and Kristen "Ace" Clement with 10 points. Jackson grabbed 14 rebounds as UT lost the rebounding battle, 47-38. Jackson blocked five shots as UT rejected 11 shots on the night. Key stat for UT - only 11 turnovers. The Lady Vols connected on 46% of its field goals, 30% of its treys and hit 28-40 (70%) from the charity stripe.
OUR FIRST MEETING WITH CONNECTICUT IN 2000-01
The #2 ranked Tennessee Lady Volunteers fell to the top-ranked Connecticut Huskies, 81-76, on a snowy Nor'ester afternoon in Hartford, Conn., on Dec. 30, 2000. The final score indicates a close game, but in reality, the Huskies dominated from the onset before UT clawed back into the contest. The Lady Vols jumped out to a quick 8-4 lead at the 15:47 mark but UConn came out of a time out and outscored UT over the next five minutes 19-2 to take a 23-10 lead with 10 minutes to go in the first half. UConn continued to pour it on and claimed a couple of 17-point leads in the first half (33-16 at 5:20 and 35-18 at 4:39). A trey with a second to go before the half by April McDivitt cut the Huskies lead to 10 points, 44-34 at the break. UT's major first half downfall was 18 miscues and allowing nine UConn steals. UT sliced UConn's lead to single digits in the first 10 minutes of the second half but the Huskies answered each time and led 65-51 with 10:31 to go. UT refused to fold. A three-pointer by Tamika Catchings narrowed UConn' lead to 69-67 with 5:27 left. It was answered by a trey from UConn. A huge clean block by Ashley Robinson was called a foul and UT lost the rookie with 4:19 to go. A jumper by Catchings cut the lead to 77-74 with 1:06 left. A Kara Lawson layup made it a three-point game, 79-76, with 27 ticks left. UT was running a set play for a trey when Catchings was called for an offensive foul with 19 seconds to go. Ball game. On the afternoon, five Lady Vols reached double-figure scoring led by Catchings with 17 points --Lawson 13, Michelle Snow and Semeka Randall 12, and Gwen Jackson with 11. Randall grabbed eight rebounds. UT committed just four turnovers in the second half. UT outrebounded UConn, 42-32.
UCONN TICKETS HOT ITEM
As of 4:00 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2001, the showdown between #1 Connecticut and #2 Tennessee on Jan. 5 in Knoxville, Tenn., was declared an advance sell-out by Dara Worrell, Lady Vol Assistant Athletics Director for Tickets and Business. Capacity is listed at 24,535 for Thompson-Boling Arena.
BIG STAKES GAMES
Anytime these two teams meet the stakes are high -- NCAA titles, top rankings, breaking the nation's longest home court winning streaks, etc. And the tickets have been at a premium. Only three games have not been a sellout -- the game in Iowa City on a neutral court and Knoxville in 1996 and 2000. TV has devoured the match-up with CBS and ESPN each grabbing the 13 meetings for coverage generating all-time ratings for both CBS and ESPN.
IN COMMON
Tennessee and Connecticut share one common opponent this season -Louisiana Tech. Both schools defeated the Lady Techsters as UT prevailed 90-75 on Nov. 23 in Knoxville, while Connecticut defeated them on Dec. 9 by a 74-50 margin in Hartford. The Huskies have defeated the Lady Vols next opponent, #24 Old Dominion, 84-70. Earlier this season, UConn also knocked off SEC foe Vanderbilt, 69-50. The Lady Vols faced BIG EAST opponent Boston College on Dec. 5 in Chestnut Hill and came away with a narrow and un-impressive 75-66 victory.
NATIONAL TITLES FOR ALL
Both Tennessee and Connecticut have the ability to brag about winning it all. The Lady Vols have claimed six national titles over the years, including three consecutive crowns from 1996-98. Connecticut can lay claim to two of its own, winning the 1995 and 2000 NCAA Championships. The Huskies defeated the Lady Vols for both of their titles.
WE LOVE OUR HOME COURTS
In the first game of the UT-UConn series ever contested in Knoxville, the Huskies marched into Thompson-Boling Arena on the UT campus, and hung a 59-53 loss on the Lady Vols. That defeat snapped the NCAA women's hoops collegiate all-time home court winning streak at 69 games. The Lady Vols returned the favor at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs on Jan. 10, 1999, snapping the Huskies 54-game home winning streak.
UT AND UCONN COMPARE & CONTRAST
UT-UCONN MEETINGS & RANKINGS
| Date | Site | UT | UConn | Score |
| 2-1-01 | UT | #3 | #2 | UT, 92-88 |
| 12-30-00 | Neutral | 2 | 1 | UCONN, 81-76 |
| 4-2-00 | Neutral | 2 | 1 | UCONN, 59-71 |
| 2-2-00 | UConn | 4 | 1 | UT, 72-71 |
| 1-8-00 | UT | 2 | 1 | UCONN, 74-67 |
| 1-10-99 | UConn | 2 | 1 | UT, 92-81 |
| 1-3-98 | UT | 1 | 3 | UT, 84-69 |
| 3-24-97 | Neutral | 10 | 1 | UT, 91-81 |
| 1-5-97 | UConn | 8 | 1 | UCONN, 72-57 |
| 3-29-96 | Neutral | 4 | 2 | UT, 88-83 OT |
| 1-6-96 | UT | 4 | 2 | UCONN, 59-53 |
| 4-2-95 | Neutral | 3 | 1 | UCONN, 70-63 |
| 1-16-95 | UConn | 1 | 2 | UCONN, 77-66 |
VITAL STATISTICS
| UT | UCONN | |
| NCAA Titles | 6 | 2 |
| NCAA Tourney Appearances | 20 | 13 |
| Final Four Appearances | 16 | 5 |
| NCAA Wins | 71 | 35 |
| NCAA Losses | 14 | 11 |
| Conference Championships | 20 | 21 |
| Kodak All-Americans | 16 | 7 |
| Olympians | 11 | 3 |
| All-Time Program Wins | 862 | 532 |
| Victories in the 2000s | 65 | 74 |
| 2000s Won-Lost Record | 65-6 | 74-4 |
| 2000s Winning Percentage | .915 | .949 |
| Victories in the 1990s | 334 | 313 |
| 90s Won-Lost Record | 334-39 | 313-48 |
| 90s Winning Percentage | .895 | .867 |
SERIES TEAM AVERAGES (13 GAMES)
| Average | UT | UCONN |
| Score | 73.3 | 75.1 |
| Rebounds | 41.2 | 38.1 |
| Fouls | 18.5 | 20.9 |
| Assists | 11.9 | 16.0 |
| Blocked Shots | 3.5 | 4.9 |
| Steals | 8.6 | 8.4 |
| Turnovers | 18.3 | 18.9 |
| Crowd | 20,653 | 12,176 |
| Neutral Crowd | 18,119 |
SERIES SUPERLATIVES
| Most Points | 92, UT | 2/1/01 and 1/10/99 |
| Fewest Points | 52, UT | 4/2/00 |
| Margin of Victory | 19, UConn | 4/2/00 |
| Smallest Margin of Victory | 1, UT | 2/2/00 |
| Most Rebounds | 51, UT | 1/5/97 |
| Fewest Rebounds | 28, UConn | 1/3/98 |
| Most Fouls | 29, UConn | 2/1/01 |
| Fewest Fouls | 12, UConn | 1/6/96 |
| Most Assists | 21, UConn | 4/2/00 |
| Fewest Assists | 6, UT | 4/2/00 |
| Most Blocked Shots | 11, UT & UConn | 2/1/01 & 4/2/00 |
| Fewest Blocked Shots | 0, UT | 1/16/95 |
| Most Steals | 15, UT | 1/3/98 |
| Fewest Steals | 3, UT | 3/29/96 |
| Most Turnovers | 27, UConn | 1/3/98 |
| Fewest Turnovers | 11, UT | 2/1/01 & 2/2/00 |
| Largest Crowd (Knoxville) | 24,597* | 1/3/98 |
THE TOP 25 POLLS
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AP POLL NOTES
The Associated Press women's Top 25 basketball poll released on Jan. 1, 2001, marked the 400th appearance by the Tennessee Lady Vols. Since the poll was started in 1976, UT has failed to appear in just 14 polls through the years. Currently, UT has been ranked in 290 consecutive polls and since the 1986-87 season, the Lady Vols have been in the top 10 for all but one poll. UT is the only team to have been ranked every year for the last 26 years in the AP poll. UT has appeared at least once per season over the poll's history.
BACK IN THE DAY WE HAD BIG MATCH-UPS ON JAN. 5
The Lady Vols have played a couple of other "big" games in Knoxville on Jan. 5. In 1978, the defending 1977 AIAW National Champions -- Delta State with legendary coach Margaret Wade (The Wade Trophy) rolled into Knoxville and the Lady Vols prevailed 94-74 in front of a boisterous Stokely Athletics Center crowd. A year later, the 1978 AIAW National Champion UCLA Bruins with Hall of Famer Billie Moore at the helm, took an 88-74 beating from the Lady Vols in front of yet another large Stokely crowd. More than 20 years ago, the Lady Vols attracted the biggest crowds in the nation as 6,004 spectators were in the stands for the Delta State contest and 5,957 were on hand to see the Lady Vols and the Bruins.
DO THE MATH
Since the Tennessee versus Connecticut series started in 1995, a total of 209,141 fans have watched in Knoxville, Storrs & Hartford and at a variety of neutral sites. Figure that a ticket runs an average of $20.00 - that means that the economic impact is about $4.2 million dollars in ticket sales.
FLORIDA WAS WIN #770
The victory over Florida was Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt's 770th of her 28-year career. Now with 770 wins, she currently ranks eighth among all coaches (men's or women's) in all-time victories. She has moved ahead of Lefty Driesell and Jerry Tarkanian and the legendary Hank Iba (Oklahoma State) in the last week. The only woman Summitt trails behind is Jody Conradt of the University of Texas who started this season in her 33rd year of coaching with 766 wins. Conradt is off to an 9-2 start on the year and currently has 775 victories.
THE TOP 10 ALL-TIME COACHES BY VICTORIES
| 1. | Dean Smith | North Carolina | 879-254 |
| 2. | Adolph Rupp | Kentucky | 876-190 |
| 3. | Clarence Gaines | Winston-Salem* | 828-447 |
| 4. | Jim Phelan | Mount. St. Mary's | 817-474 |
| (1-10 this season, next 1/10 at Monmouth) | |||
| 5. | Jerry Johnson | LeMoyne-Owen* | 789-376 |
| (4-4 this season, next 1/10 at Lane) | |||
| 6. | Jody Conradt | Texas | 775-250 |
| (9-2 this season, next 1/6 at Colorado) | |||
| 7. | Bob Knight | Texas Tech | 774-291 |
| (11-1 this season, next 1/6 vs. Kansas St.) | |||
| 8. | Pat Summitt | Tennessee | 770-153 |
| (11-0 this season, next 1/5 vs. UConn) | |||
| 9. | Lefty Driesell | Georgia State | 769-381 |
| (7-4 this season, next 1/5 at Fla. Atlantic) | |||
| 10. | Jerry Tarkanian | Fresno State | 769-192 |
| (10-5 this season, next 1/5 vs. Tulsa) | |||
*Division II coaches
GOT OUR 300TH VICTORY AGAINST A RANKED TEAM
The Tennessee Lady Vols recorded their 300th all-time win versus a ranked team with the victory over fifth-ranked Louisiana Tech, 90-75, on Nov. 23. The Lady Vols now stand 305-124 (.710) overall against ranked foes since the polls began in 1976.
ATTENDANCE CHALLENGE
The Lady Vols have picked right up where they left off the last couple of seasons leading the nation in women's basketball attendance. This week (as of Dec. 31), UT is in first place averaging 13,722 while Texas Tech is in second place with 13,081. Rounding out the top five are: 3. Connecticut 12,116, 4. Iowa State 9,872 and 5. Purdue 8,312.
ITS ALL ACADEMIC
Four Lady Vols earned Dean's List honors in the just-completed Fall semester: Amanda Canon - 3.19 - Nursing, Kara Lawson - 3.54 - Finance, Courtney McDaniel - 3.38 - Psychology and April McDivitt - 3.13 - Education
THE NATION'S BEST CONFERENCE CRANKS-UP
The Tennessee Lady Vols, the 2001 Southeastern Conference Champs with a perfect 14-0 record, opened 2002 SEC play with an 88-64 win at Florida on Jan. 3. UT now has a 15-game SEC road-winning streak. The last time UT lost an SEC road game was to Georgia, 78-51, on Jan. 17, 2000. Tennessee currently has won 33 consecutive SEC games at home. The last SEC loss at home was to Georgia on Dec. 8, 1996, 94-93 (OT).
STOP THIEF
Kara Lawson eclipsed 100 career thefts against Florida. She currently has 101.
BEST SHOOTERS VS. UT
Memphis holds the distinction of having the best field goal percentage against the Lady Vols this season connecting on 43% of their shots (25-58).
GOT A LITTLE ROAD STREAK
The last time UT lost a regular season game on the road was on Jan. 17, 2000, at Georgia, 78-51, since then the team has won 23 consecutive road games.
WOW, THE LADY VOLS AT FULL-STRENGTH
The contest versus Duke in the ACC/SEC Shootout marked the first time in the 2001-02 season that the Tennessee Lady Vol basketball team was at full-strength. The game against #15/16 Florida was the first time that the entire 14-woman roster was employed in a game. Thirteen players scored in the win.
"THE BIG CITIES TOUR"
The Tennessee Lady Vols were on the road for eight consecutive games and 43 days traveling to Washington, D.C., Orlando, Chestnut Hill, Mass., Palo Alto, Calif., Chicago, Atlanta, Memphis and Gainesville, Fla., before finally returning home on Jan. 5, 2002, to face top-ranked Connecticut in Thompson-Boling Arena. Tennessee began its month of traveling on the "Big Cities Tour" at the end of November. UT first visited Washington, D.C., where the Lady Vols defeated #21/20 George Washington Univ., 88-57, in a sold-out Charles E. Smith Center on Nov. 27. Tennessee returned home briefly before traveling to Orlando, Fla., for the Honda Elite Four on Dec. 2 at Disney World and hung a 93-56 loss on the #8/9 N.C. State Wolfpack on ESPN. UT then traveled "back east" for a hard-fought 75-66 victory over BIG EAST foe Boston College. After an 11-day break for final exams, the Lady Vols pulled out a big win at #6/5 Stanford, 68-62, in front of a sold-out Maples Pavilion crowd. A sold-out house in Chicago saw the Lady Vols defeat DePaul, 80-66 on stop number five on Dec. 19. On Dec. 27, the Lady Vols faced rival #9 Duke in the ACC/SEC Shootout in the Philips Arena in Atlanta and came away with an impressive 89-68 victory despite 26 miscues. Stop number seven found UT in Memphis where the Lady Vols dropped the University of Memphis, 92-66. The final game of the road trip was the SEC opener in Gainesville that resulted in an 88-64 win over the #15/16 Florida Lady Gators. Tennessee finished with a 8-0 record on the "Big Cities Tour."
JANUARY SUCCESS
Despite the rigors of the early going, the Tennessee Lady Vols have enjoyed a great deal of success in the month of January over the years. UT has produced a 214-43 all-time record during the first and busiest month of the year. The Lady Vols are 115-11 at home, 95-31 away and 4-1 at neutral sites.
JUST THE FIFTH TIME
The Lady Vols will be entering the January portion of their schedule undefeated for only the fifth time in Coach Pat Summitt's 28-years at the helm. With the victory over Memphis on Dec. 29, UT had a 10-0 record. The last time a Lady Vol team began January undefeated was the perfect 1997-98 season when the team went 39-0.
LADY VOLS TOP THE RPI
The latest WBCA/Summerville RPI has the Lady Vols on top with an RPI of .721. Following Tennessee is 2. Stanford .698, 3. Wisconsin .688, 4. Connecticut .688, and 5. Iowa State .683. The other SEC schools rank: 7. South Carolina .662, 11. Georgia .645, 12. Vanderbilt .644, 15. Auburn .636, 20. Florida .622, 32. Miss. State .604, 50. LSU .578, 61. Arkansas .565, 67. Alabama .560, 70. Ole Miss .558, 123. Kentucky .524.
THROUGH DECEMBER: A GRUELING STRETCH
Traditionally, Tennessee teams take most of its losses in the month of December when Coach Pat Summitt loads up on some tough non-conference opposition to prepare the team for the rigors of March and the postseason. Last year, the Lady Vol team carried one blemish into January following its late December loss to Connecticut.
Records over the years including games played through the month of December:
| 2001-02: | 10-0 |
| 2000-01: | 11-1 lost to Connecticut |
| 1999-00: | 9-1 lost to La Tech |
| 1998-99: | 10-1 lost to Purdue |
| 1997-98: | 13-0 undefeated |
| 1996-97: | 9-4 lost to Arkansas, Stanford, Georgia, La Tech |
| 1995-96: | 10-1 lost to Stanford |
| 1994-95: | 11-0 undefeated |
| 1993-94: | 9-0 undefeated |
| 1992-93: | 7-1 lost to Maryland |
| 1991-92: | 6-1 lost to Stanford |
| 1990-91: | 8-2 lost to N.C. State, Vandy |
| 1989-90: | 4-3 lost to La Tech, Stanford, Long Beach |
| 1988-89: | 7-0 undefeated |
| 1987-88: | 7-1 lost to Texas |
| 1986-87: | 8-1 lost to Texas |
| 1985-86: | 8-2 lost to Texas, Southern Cal |
| 1984-85: | 6-4 lost to Texas, Georgia, NE LA, Cincinnati |
| 1983-84: | 6-4 lost to Southern Cal (2x), Texas, Long Beach |
| 1982-83: | 6-4 lost to ODU, Texas, La Tech, Southern Cal |
| 1981-82: | 5-5 lost to SF Austin, ODU, Ohio St., Colorado, Southern Cal |
LOTS 'O RANKED TEAMS IN JANUARY
In the month of January, the Lady Vols will face a stretch of eight ranked opponents out of nine games. Alabama is the only team on the schedule in January who is not ranked. Along the way UT will face #1 UConn, #15/16 Florida (twice), #14/15 South Carolina, #17/21 Auburn (twice), #23/24 LSU and #24 Old Dominion
THE CHALLENGE
The Lady Vols participated in their "first challenge" format with the ACC and recorded an 89-68 win over Duke. Previously, the Lady Vols had appeared as a part of the SEC/Big 10 Challenge. The Lady Vols won games versus Illinois and Purdue in those Challenges.
WELCOME BACK ASHLEY
UT sophomore center Ashley Robinson appeared on the court for the first time this season in the game against DePaul. In 13 minutes of action, she scored eight points, grabbed a rebound and dished out an assist. She did not post a turnover. Robinson suffered a torn ACL on June 30, 2001, and had reconstructive surgery on July 12, 2001.
CONGRATS K-LAW
Junior guard Kara Lawson joined the Lady Vol 1,000 career point club when she hit a lay-up with 5:15 to go in UT's game at DePaul on Dec. 19. Lawson becomes the 26th member of the Lady Vols' 1000-point club.
THE IRON PILLS MUST HAVE WORKED
Prior to UT's win at DePaul, the Lady Vols rebounding had been extremely anemic but particularly so on the offensive end. UT was out-rebounded by both Boston College (37-35) and Stanford (42-33) and managed a scant total of just 15 offensive rebounds out of their 72 missed shots in both games (just 19%). Against DePaul, things picked up as UT ruled the boards, 50-36 and grabbed 13 offensive rebounds. In the Lady Vols most recent games versus Duke and Memphis, the team collected a total of 33 offensive boards.
WHEN THE MUSIC STOPS, WE'LL HAVE 5 STARTERS
Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt has ben mixing the line-up of late after indicating that she might stick with the veteran line-up she has employed in two of the last four games. Juniors April McDivitt and Kara Lawson are in the backcourt, senior Michelle Snow is at center and rookie Shyra Ely and junior Gwen Jackson are at the forward slots. Summitt has started five different line-ups in the 11 games played thus far.
CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME
When the action down the stretch got tight at both Stanford and Boston College, the Lady Vols finally showed some spunk at the free throw line canning 19-27 (71%) against Stanford and 20-23 tosses (.870) versus Boston College. Tennessee has been plagued by charity stripe defense intermittently during the early going - 15 misses against George Washington, 11 vs. Southern Cal, 10 each against Louisiana Tech and N.C. State.
SELL-OUT CITY
Another school has joined the ranks of producing a sold-out arena when the Lady Vols came to call. The game with DePaul attracted an over-capacity crowd of 3,025. Prior to that, Stanford made the announcement on Monday, Dec. 10 that the game with Tennessee was an advance sell-out. UT's game with George Washington (Nov. 27) was also an advance sell-out while the Lady Vols and UT-Chattanooga attracted the largest crowd ever to watch the Mocs play, 9,113. Look for all of UT's all-time sold-out appearances to be a new newsy note real soon.
PRESTO-CHANGE-O
Lady Vol fans might be confused when they see #43 step onto the court this season. Sophomore Ashley Robinson is #43, right? Well, Robinson was #43 as a rookie but switched to her favorite number, 33, after Kristen "Ace" Clement graduated last season. Rookie Shyra Ely will don number 43 this season.
HOW 'BOUT THAT. . .
ROOKIES REPRESENT
Freshman forward Shyra Ely was joined in the starting line-up for the Boston College game by fellow rookie, Loree Moore who started at point guard.
DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE
Junior forward Gwen Jackson turned in the first Lady Vol double-double of the season with a 14-point and 12-rebound performance against #8/9 N.C. State. Fellow junior Kara Lawson followed up with one of her own versus DePaul tossing in 14 points and grabbing 13 rebounds (career high) for her first career double-double. Against Duke, two players doubled-up with Jackson recording a 20-point and 10-rebound night while rookie Shyra Ely turned in an 11-point and 10-rebound outing.
BENCH INTENSITY
UT's bench did not find a match in the N.C. State reserves. UT's bench accounted for 35 points, 12 assists and 14 steals while the NCSU subs added 12 points, 10 rebounds and 12 miscues.
ELITE COMPANY
When Pat Summitt started freshman forward Shyra Ely against Tennessee-Chattanooga on Nov. 16, 2001, it marked only the ninth time in her coaching career that a freshman started her very first game at Tennessee. The list of opening day rookie starters: Ashley Robinson 2000, Gwen Jackson 1999, Semeka Randall 1997, Kyra Elzy 1996, Chamique Holdsclaw 1995, Tiffani Johnson 1994, Bridgette Gordon and Sheila Frost 1985.
151 WINS IN OUR LAST 161 GAMES
The Lady Vols have won an amazing 151 games in their last 161 basketball contests (.939 winning percentage) spanning five seasons (starting with NCAA Tournament play in 1997). UT was 6-0 in the 1997 NCAA Tourney, ran the table with a 39-0 record in 1997-98, turned in a 31-3 worksheet in 1998-99, a 33-4 mark during the 1999-2000 season, a 31-3 mark last season and an 11-0 mark in 2001-02.
LADY VOL STREAKS
The last time the Lady Vols lost at home was against Connecticut, 74-67, on Jan. 8, 2000 -- since then, the team has won 26 consecutive home games. The last time UT lost on the road was on Jan. 17, 2000, at Georgia, 78-51, since then the team has won 23 consecutive road games. The last time the Lady Vols lost on a neutral court was against Xavier, 80-65, in the 2001 NCAA Mideast Regional semifinals on Mar. 24, 2001. Since then, UT has won two games on a neutral court.
UT'S LAST LOSS TO AN UNRANKED TEAM...?
When is the last time Tennessee lost to an unranked team? That would have been to Auburn on Mar. 2, 1997 at the SEC Tournament in Chattanooga, Tenn.
WHO'S THAT LADY (VOL)?
The thousands of Lady Vol fans who were in attendance at The McKenzie Arena on Nov. 16th - opening night of the 2001-02 season - in Chattanooga, witnessed the debut of another outstanding Tennessee rookie class. Shyra Ely became a rare Lady Vol rookie starter playing in place of injured junior Gwen Jackson - Ely scored a team-leading 16 points and grabbed six offensive boards. Point guard Loree Moore logged 24 minutes and added 15 points and snagged five steals. Forward Michelle Munoz calmly nailed a trey for her first bucket and finished with 13 points and six rebounds. Finally, Brittany Jackson scored seven points to go along with three steals. In all, the rookie crew was responsible for 51 of UT's 97 points and 20 of the Lady Vols' 54 rebounds.
THE POLLING PLACE
In the first Associated Press and USA TODAY/ESPN polls of the year on Nov. 5, the Tennessee Lady Vols began the 2001-02 season as the number three (AP) and number two (USA TODAY/ESPN) ranked team in the country. It marked the sixth time that UT has started the season in the second spot in at least one of the polls.
AT SEC MEDIA DAYS
The Lady Vols were declared the top vote getters to nab the SEC crown at SEC Media Days held on Nov.1 in Birmingham, Ala. Additionally, Kara Lawson and Gwen Jackson earned spots on the preseason All-SEC Team. Vanderbilt was predicted to finish second to UT in the SEC this season.
BROGDON TO JOIN WBHOF
Former Lady Vol Olympian and All-American Cindy Brogdon will be inducted into the Class of 2002 in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. Brogdon, who was an All-American and Olympian at Tennessee from 1977-79, will be inducted as a player. She becomes the fifth University of Tennessee product to be enshrined in the WBHOF joining Pat Summitt and former Lady Vol players Trish Roberts, Cindy Noble-Hauserman and Holly Warlick.
ORIGINAL NAISMITH LIST
Tennessee placed senior Michelle Snow and juniors Kara Lawson and Gwen Jackson on the initial ballot for the Naismith Player of the Year Award. players in the nation.
LADY VOL SIGNEES
Tennessee signed two outstanding players during the 2001 early signing period-- Shanna Zolman, a 5-9 guard from Syracuse, Ind. (Wawasee H.S.) and Tye'sha Fluker, a 6-5 center from Pasadena, Calif. (John Muir H.S.). Entering her senior season, Zolman averaged 32.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 4.5 apg and 5.0 spg as a high school All-American. Fluker, also a high school All-America, tossed in over 26 points and grabbed 18.7 rpg as a junior last year.
LOTS O' STAT STUFF
Saturday will mark the Lady Vols' 18th appearance on CBS, with the Orange currently holding an 11-6 (.647) mark.
Michelle Snow's career field goal percentage of .570 (498-873) is now good for 4th all-time.
Over her career, Kara Lawson is 155-366 (.423) from beyond the three-point arc, leaving her second all-time in 3-pt field goal percentage. She was first by percentage points entering the season but has since fallen behind Dena Head's mark of .4255 (40-94).
Lawson's 366 attempts leave her just one shy of first place, held by Nikki Caldwell at 367.
Lawson's current free throw percentage of .872 (34-39) would leaves her second behind Tiffany Woosley's standard of .880 (110-125), set during the 1993-94 campaign.
Shyra Ely's scoring average of 9.6 ppg leaves her just outside of the top 10 Lady Vol freshmen. Lisa McGill had a 10.7 clip as a rookie.
Loree Moore's average of 3.7 assists per game is currently second all-time for rookies. Dawn Marsh had 3.9 apg in her first season at UT.
Gwen Jackson's 8.7 caroms per outing leaves her tied with Daedra Charles to occupy the top spot among Lady Vol juniors.
Kara Lawson's 14.0 points per game would leave her ninth on the juniors' list, tied with Semeka Randall's 14.0 ppg.
Tennessee's streak of 26 consecutive wins at Thompson-Boling Arena ranks fourth all-time.
The Lady Vols' scoring average of 87.8 rates third, 88.9 in 1987-88 is first.
UT's field goal percentage of .478 ranks 13th, .520 in 1982-83 is the standard.
The squad's three-point field goal percentage of .385 is 3rd, behind .409 in 1987-88.
A free throw percentage of .687 is good enough for 16th, the same as last season's clip of .687. The FT record is .743 established by the 1982-83 club.
The war on the glass has yielded 46.8 rebounds per game, which is second all-time. An average of 47.0 in 1992-93 holds down the top spot.
Assuming she starts today, Michelle Snow would have 89 career starts, tying her with Daedra Charles, Kellie Jolly and Cindy Noble for 13th on the all-time list.
April McDivitt's 82 career three-pointers leaves her eighth on the list, with Kellie Jolly's total of 99 above her. Her percentage of .421 (82-95) has her nipping at Lawson's heels for second, just below Dena Head.
Michelle Snow has 1,245 points, good for 18th. (next: Latina Davis - 1,260).
Snow has grabbed 747 rebounds, good for 14th (next: Paula Towns - 758).
Snow's rebound average of 6.48 leaves her 15th, where she started the season.
Snow's 157 blocks rates her second behind Sheila Frost's total of 251.
Kara Lawson has 1,044 points, good for 25th. (next: Peggy Evans - 1,076).
Lawson has 249 assists entering today's game, leaving her tied with Nikki McCray.
Although the cut-off for making the list is 30 career games, Loree Moore's assist average of 3.7 would leave her tied for sixth place with Cindy Brogdon.
200 WINS IN THE BAG
Tennessee recorded its 200th win in Thompson-Boling Arena when the Lady Vols defeated the University of Southern California Women of Troy on Sunday, Nov. 18, 2001, 106-66. UT has now amassed a 201-9 record since the Orange and White moved into the Thompson-Boling Arena to start the 1987-88 season 14-years ago. Along the way, the Lady Vols have produced eight flawless home records in 1988-89 (15-0), 1991-92 (14-0), 1992-93 (13-0), 1993-94 (15-0), 1994-95 (15-0), 1997-98 (16-0), 1998-99 (14-0) and 2000-01 (15-0). UT also registered an NCAA record 69-game home court-winning streak from Feb. 1, 1991thru Jan. 2, 1996.
NOTEWORTHY
The Lady Vols won their 100th game in Thompson-Boling Arena with the victory over Stanford on 12-1-94.
UT suffered two losses the first year in the new arena (12-2 overall), a 97-78 defeat to Texas on Dec. 9, 1987 and a 71-68 loss to Auburn exactly one month later on Jan. 9, 1988.
The Lady Vols enjoyed a flawless home slate in 1988-89 with a 15-0 record. UT almost duplicated the record a year later but dropped a one-point decision to Louisiana Tech, 59-58 (again on Dec. 9), and turned in a 14-1 showing in 1989-90.
In 1990-91, the Lady Vols (15-1 at home) went down in defeat to Georgia, 81-74 on Jan. 28, 1991. From that point, until UT lost to Connecticut on Jan. 6, 1996 (59-53), the Lady Vols won a NCAA record 69 consecutive games.
In 1996-97, the Lady Vols went 13-2 at home after losing back-to-back games to Georgia and Stanford in December. It marked the first time the team had lost consecutive games in the Arena.
In 1999-2000, UT was 13-2 with losses to Louisiana Tech and Connecticut.
152 OF 157 AT HOME
The Lady Vols have won 152 of their last 157 games in Thompson-Boling Arena dating back to Feb. 1, 1991. UT's five losses were to Louisiana Tech, Connecticut (twice), Stanford, and Georgia (OT).
LADY VOL WEEKLY GAMES, RECORD,POLLS
| WEEK OF/GAMES PLAYED | RECORD | AP/USA TODAY |
| OCT. 29/REMUS AUSTRIA POWERBASKET | 0-0 | --- |
| NOV. 5/NO GAMES | 0-0 | 3RD/2ND |
| NOV. 12/UT-CHATTANOOGA, SOUTHERN CAL | 2-0 | 2ND/2ND |
| NOV. 19/#5 LOUISIANA TECH | 3-0 | 2ND/2ND |
| NOV. 26/#21/22 GWU, #8/9 N.C. STATE | 5-0 | 2ND/2ND |
| DEC. 3/BOSTON COLLEGE | 6-0 | 2ND/2ND |
| DEC. 10/#6/5 STANFORD | 7-0 | 2ND/2ND |
| DEC. 17/DEPAUL | 8-0 | 2ND/2ND |
| DEC. 24/#8 DUKE, MEMPHIS | 10-0 | 2ND/2ND |
| DEC. 31/#15/16 FLORIDA, #1 CONNECTICUT | 11-0 | 2ND/2ND |
2001-02 TENNESSEE LADY VOL LINE-UP COMBINATIONS
During the 2001-02 season, Tennessee has used five starting lineups --
| Game | Record | Line-up (F-F-C-G-G) |
| 1-3, 9 | 4-0 | Ely, Butts, Snow, Lawson, McDivitt |
| 4-5 | 2-0 | Ely, Jackson, Snow, Lawson, Butts |
| 6 | 1-0 | Ely, Jackson, Snow, Lawson, Moore |
| 7-8 | 2-0 | Jackson, Butts, Snow, Lawson, McDivitt |
| 10-11 | 2-0 | Ely, Jackson, Snow, Lawson, McDivitt |
UT'S OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER
In all games, this is how Tennessee has shot from the field:
50%FG: Southern Cal (.557), Chattanooga (.528), Memphis (.516), 40%FG: N.C. State (.493), DePaul (.475), Florida (.471), Duke (.465), GWU (.458), Boston College (.444), Stanford (.415), LaTech (.409), 30%FG: none
DEEE ----- FENSE
In all games, this is how the opposition has shot from the field: 50%FG: none, 40%FG: Memphis (.431), Boston College (.406), 30%FG: La Tech (.391), GWU (.388), Stanford (.383), Florida (.368), Chattanooga (.359), DePaul (.353), Duke (.338), Southern Cal (.333), N.C. State (.320), 20%FG: none
2001-02 WON-LOSS DIFFERENTIAL
Wins: +40 (2), +37 (1), +31 (1), +26 (1), +24 (1), +21 (1), +15 (1), +14 (1), +9 (1), +6 (1)
Losses:
TBA STREAK AT 26 GAMES
Tennessee has won 26 consecutive games in Thompson-Boling Arena that ranks as the fourth longest home court-winning streak in Lady Vol history.
IN OVERTIME
The Lady Vols are 20-10 all-time in overtime games. The most OT games in a season was 1996-97, when the Lady Vols were 3-1 in overtime contests losing to Georgia, 94-93, and defeating Texas, 68-65, Vanderbilt, 92-79 and LSU, 100-99. Tennessee's 21 points in the extra stanza against Vanderbilt on Jan.19, 1997, was the most ever scored by the Lady Vols in a single overtime. The previous high-water mark was 18 points versus Colorado on Dec. 20, 1993.
100 POINT GAMES
Since 1974, the Lady Vols have gone over the century mark 67 times - and once so far in the 2001-02 season. Noteworthy: Tennessee went over 100 points in an NCAA playoff game for the first time ever in 1993-94 with the win over North Carolina A&T, 111-37. The 1987-88 team hit triple digits in seven games leading the NCAA.
AT LEAST 5000 IN THE HOUSE
The Lady Vols have played in front of at least 5000 fans in 153 consecutive games at home dating back to March 16, 1991.
HOME SWEET HOME
All-time at home UT is 354-33 (.914) -- since the 1974-75 season. All-time home losses (in the Summitt era) include: six in Alumni Gym from 1974-76, 18 in Stokely Athletics Center from 1976-87, and nine in Thompson-Boling Arena since 1987.
SEC STANDINGS
(as of 1/4/02)
| SEC | Pct. | All | Pct. | |
| Tennessee | 1-0 | 1.000 | 11-0 | 1.000 |
| Georgia | 1-0 | 1.000 | 11-0 | 1.000 |
| South Carolina | 1-0 | 1.000 | 13-1 | .928 |
| Miss. State | 1-0 | 1.000 | 10-4 | .714 |
| Auburn | 0-0 | .000 | 12-1 | .923 |
| Alabama | 0-0 | .000 | 10-3 | .769 |
| Arkansas | 0-0 | .000 | 8-3 | .727 |
| Ole Miss | 0-0 | .000 | 8-5 | .615 |
| Vanderbilt | 0-1 | .000 | 12-3 | .800 |
| Florida | 0-1 | .000 | 10-4 | .714 |
| LSU | 0-1 | .000 | 7-5 | .583 |
| Kentucky | 0-1 | .000 | 7-6 | .538 |
UPCOMING GAMES:
(Jan. 5) Georgia @ Michigan St., Penn State @ Vandy, UConn @ Tennessee, (Jan. 6) Arkansas @ Ole Miss, Florida @ Auburn, Kentucky @ Alabama, South Carolina @ Mississippi State.
LADY VOL SEC INDIVIDUAL
| Scoring | ||
| 14. | Michelle Snow | 14.1 ppg |
| 15. | Kara Lawson | 14.0 ppg |
| 17. | Gwen Jackson | 13.1 ppg |
| Rebounding | ||
| 3. | G. Jackson | 8.7 rpg |
| 15. | Snow | 6.6 rpg |
| Field Goal Percentage | ||
| 6. | Snow | .559 |
| Three point Field Goal Percentage | ||
| 4. | April McDivitt | .455 |
| 8. | Brittany Jackson | .412 |
| Free Throw Percentage | ||
| 2. | Lawson | .872 |
| 4. | G. Jackson | .821 |
| Assists/Turnover Ratio | ||
| 6. | McDivitt | 2.14 |
| Steals | ||
| 5. | Loree Moore | 2.73 |
| Assists | ||
| 9. | Moore | 3.73 |
| Blocked Shots | ||
| 7. | Snow | 1.64 |
LADY VOL SEC TEAM STATS
| Scoring | 1st |
| Scoring Margin | 1st |
| Scoring Defense | 9th |
| Rebound Avg. | 2nd |
| Opp. Rebounds | 5th |
| Rebound Margin | 2nd |
| FG % | 2nd |
| Opp. FG% | 4th |
| 3FG% | 3rd |
| Opp. 3FG | 2nd |
| FT % | 4th |
| Assists | 7th |
| Blocks | 8th |
| Steals | 3rd |
| Turnover Margin | 5th |
| Asst/Turnover Ratio | 10th |
TENNESSEE'S SEC FINISHES THROUGH THE YEARS
| Year | Regular | Season/Finish | Tournament |
| 2002- | 1-0 | In progress | |
| 2001- | 14-0 | First | Lost in semis |
| 2000- | 13-1 | First (tie) | SEC Champs |
| 1999- | 13-1 | First | SEC Champs |
| 1998- | 14-0 | First | SEC Champs |
| 1997- | 8-4 | Fifth | Lost in semis |
| 1996- | 9-2 | First | SEC Champs |
| 1995- | 11-0 | First | Lost in finals |
| 1994- | 11-0 | First | SEC Champs |
| 1993- | 11-0 | First | Lost in quarters |
| 1992- | 10-1 | Second | SEC Champs |
| 1991- | 6-3 | Third | Lost in final |
| 1990- | 8-1 | First | Lost in final |
| 1989- | 8-1 | Second | SEC Champs |
| 1988- | 8-1 | Second | SEC Champs |
| 1987- | 6-3 | Fourth | Lost in semis |
| 1986- | 5-4 | Fifth | Lost in quarters |
| 1985- | 4-4 | Third (E) | SEC Champs |
| 1984- | 7-1 | Second (E) | Lost in quarters |
| 1983- | 7-1 | First (E) | Lost in semis |
| 1982- | no standings | Lost in final | |
| 1981- | no standings | Lost in quarters | |
| 1980- | no standings | SEC Champs |
SEC HOMECOURT WINNING STREAK IS ALIVE
The Lady Vols have won 33 consecutive SEC home games dating back to Jan. 12, 1997. UT's streak started after an OT loss to Georgia, 94-93,on Dec. 8, 1996.
SEC LEAGUE PLAY
The Lady Vols own a league best record of 174-28 against all SEC teams in league play dating back to the 1983 season.
AGAINST THE SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE
Tennessee owns a 289-49 record all-time record vs. 12 teams from the Southeastern Conference. The Lady Vols maintain a winning record against every team in the SEC.
THE SEC REGULAR SEASON STORY
UT's last SEC win at home: Vanderbilt, 70-66, 2-22-01
UT's last SEC win away: Florida, 88-64, 1-3-02
UT's last SEC loss at home: Georgia, 94-93 OT, 12-8-96
UT's last SEC loss away: Georgia, 78-51, 1-17-00
UT's 2001-02 SEC home record: 0-0
UT's 2001-02 SEC away record: 1-0
UT's current SEC home streak: won 33
UT's current SEC away streak: won 15
UT IS AMAZING AT HOME VERSUS THE SEC
Since Tennessee began contesting games with Southeastern Conference opponents, the Lady Vols have produced a 118-9 record in all games played at home. Only four SEC teams have ever managed a victory over the Lady Vols in Knoxville - Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky and Ole Miss. Georgia has won three games on UT's turf while Auburn, Kentucky and Ole Miss have registered two wins each. Georgia is the only team to defeat UT at home in the 1990s - the Lady Bulldogs turned the trick in 1991 and 1996.
EIGHT SEASONS OF 10 SEC VICTORIES
The Lady Vols have registered double-digit victories in conference play eight times. Since the 1991-92 season when SEC play expanded, the Lady Vols have won at least 10 games in the following years: 1992-10 games, 1993-11 games, 1994-11 games, 1995-11 games, 1998-14 games, 1999-13 games, 2000-13 games and 2001- 14 games.
