University of Tennessee Athletics
LADY VOL BASKETBALL HOSTS FINAL EXHIBITION
November 15, 2002 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 15, 2002
THE GAME
The Tennessee Lady Vols play the second game of their 2002-03 exhibition season with a match-up against the All-Star Girls Report Premier Players squad. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. in Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Lady Vols come into the contest after a triumphant regular-season lid-lifter, 94-68, against Oklahoma in the State Farm Tip-Off Classic. Tonight's game serves as the final contest of UT's two preseason exhibition tilts.
Premier Players is the exhibition arm of the All-Star Girls Report, which is a women's collegiate basketball recruiting and training service. The team will play 15 collegiate teams during its 19-day U.S. tour.
Tennessee is 20-2 all-time vs. exhibition teams in Knoxville.
TENNESSEE LADY VOLS
The Lady Vols began the 2002-03 regular-season campaign Sunday afternoon at the Thompson-Boling Arena with a 94-68 triumph over No. 22 Oklahoma in the nightcap of the State Farm Women's Tip-Off Classic doubleheader in front of a throng of 11,780 fans that also saw Louisiana Tech upend Texas Tech, 85-76, earlier in the day. Tennessee opened up a 36-28 halftime lead over the Sooners and never looked back as the squad opened the season 1-0 for the 18th time in the past 19 years.
Senior Gwen Jackson made the most of her 2002-03 debut as the Eufaula, Ala., native paced the Lady Vols with 29 points and eight rebounds in 27 minutes while connecting at a .667 clip from the field. The 6-2 forward also knocked down two treys for a 40 percent three point scoring average.
Gwen Jackson was one of four Lady Vols to notch double-digit scoring performances in the contest. Sophomore Brittany Jackson led the Big Orange with a trio of treys en route to 13 points in 27 minutes, while Gwen Jackson's fellow preseason Naismith Award candidate Kara Lawson finished with 12 points as well as dished a team-high seven assists. Sophomore Loree Moore rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points in 25 minutes played.
LADY VOLS COACHING STAFF
Pat Summitt is in her 29th year as head coach of the Lady Vols. Her overall career record stands at 789 wins and 158 losses, and she has led UT to six national championships. Summitt is assisted by Mickie DeMoss, Holly Warlick and Nikki Caldwell.
TENNESSEE LADY VOL TIDBITS
After picking up career win 789 vs. Oklahoma, Summitt now leads Jody Conradt of Texas in the race for the first coach of a women's basketball team to reach 800 triumphs...Against the Premier Players, the Lady Vols will be aiming for their 21st victory over an exhibition team and a seven-game exhibition win streak that dates back to Nov. 22, 1995 when UT dropped a contest to the U.S. National Team in Knoxville...Tonight's game marks the first time that the Big Orange has ever welcomed the Premier Players squad to Thompson-Boling...Since the mammoth structure debuted in 1987-88, UT has posted an 18-2 record in exhibition tilts...After this evening's contest, the orange-clad cagers travel to Raleigh, N.C., for the Jimmy V Classic in a colossal No. 1 versus No. 2 matchup against Duke on Sunday, Nov. 24...Next, the Lady Vols welcome George Washington to TBA Nov. 26 at 7 p.m.
PREMIER PLAYERS
The Premier Players is the collegiate exhibition arm of the All-Star Girls Report, which features former Division I women's college basketball players as well as some former players from the ranks of the WNBA.
The All-Star Girls Report originated in 1995 through the sole efforts of Mike White of Tampa, FL. In addition, Bret McCormick joined the staff in 1998 as managing partner/scouting director.
The current squad features four former Southeastern Conference players, with Arkansas claiming two alums, Amy Wright and Wendi Willits, and Georgia (La'Keshia Frett) and South Carolina (Teresa Geter) producing one each. The Atlantic Coast Conference comes in second on the team with a trio of players, Juana Brown (North Carolina), Marche' Strickland (Maryland) and Tynesha Lewis (N.C. State) claiming past allegiance to ACC member institutions. The Big 10 placed two alums on the Premier Players club with Andrea Garner of Penn State and Cara Conseugra of Iowa joining the team. The BIG EAST, Pacific 10 and Gulf Coast Athletic Conference round out the rest of the squad with Miami's Kym Hope, California's Trisha Stafford-Odom and Mobile's Ed Marie Lumbsley playing for the club.
PREMIER PLAYERS COACHING STAFF
The Premier Players squad is coached by Steve Pratt, and is assisted by Bret McCormick and Mike White.
PREMIER PLAYERS TIDBITS
The Premier Players's contest with the Lady Vols is the squad's 12th stop on its 15-game U.S. tour...The team will next take the court against ACC member Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla., on Nov. 17...A trip to UT's SEC rival Florida awaits the Players, as it will take on the Gators Nov. 18 before concluding its exhibition slate with a tilt at BIG EAST member Miami in Coral Gables, Fla., Nov. 19....Previously, the team accumulated a 5-6 record against Division I competition since it commenced its 2002 season Nov. 1 with a 63-62 victory over South Florida...Over a span of 19 days the team will have challenged 15 opponents, including six out of the 12 member-institutions of the Southeastern Conference...The Premier Players also boast a Big Orange connection with center Teresa Geter previously played for UT from 1997-99.
