University of Tennessee Athletics
LADY VOL BASKETBALL ENDS REGULAR SEASON WITH TRIP TO KENTUCKY
March 01, 2003 | Women's Basketball
March 1, 2003
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| Tennessee (25-3, 13-0) vs. Kentucky (11-14, 4-9)
RADIO TV RANKINGS THE COACHES: Kentucky Wildcats
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| Read Even More with the Complete Game Notes in PDF Format
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PROBABLE UT STARTERS 13- GWEN JACKSON, F, 6-2, Sr., 16.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg UT RESERVES 4- LATOYA DAVIS, F, 6-0, Jr., 2.5 ppg, 1.9 rpg TODAY'S GAME The 2003 SEC Champs and #3-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols (25-3, 13-0 SEC) conclude the 2003 regular season traveling to visit the Kentucky Wildcats (11-14, 4-9 SEC) in a Memorial Coliseum meeting this afternoon. IN OUR LAST GAME On "Senior Night" at the Thompson-Boling Arena on Feb. 27, 2003, the third-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols and 16,342 fans said goodbye to two decorated seniors, Kara Lawson and Gwen Jackson, with a 91-71 win over archrival and 17/18th-ranked Vanderbilt to clinch UT's sixth consecutive SEC regular-season title. In front of their family and friends, the honorees made it a night for the ages by combining for 50 points (55% of Tennessee's offensive output), as Lawson totaled a career-high 31 points and five helpers, and Jackson 19 tallies, five rebounds and three assists. Reserves Shanna Zolman with 16 points and Shyra Ely with 14 points and a team-high six rebounds, completed the listing of four Lady Vols in double-figures. On the night, Tennessee shot a blistering 58.0% from the floor, including hitting at a 76.2% clip in the second half, and a remarkable 10-of-15 from behind the arc (including a perfect 6-of-6 by Lawson), while controlling the boards by a 35-19 margin. Perhaps the most telling stat of the night was not UT's prolific outside shooting, but rather its success from the charity stripe as the Lady Vols connected on 23-of-24 free throw tosses (.958). The game itself was a tight contest early as a Lawson 18-footer, four straight tallies by Gwen Jackson and a Loree Moore trey helped UT to a 10-6 advantage with 14:48 to play in the first stanza. It was all Chantelle Anderson for Vandy, as the senior All-American scored all 14 of the Commodores points in the first 12:17 of the contest. An Abi Ramsey three-pointer with 7:43 to play marked VU's first non-Anderson score. Two Zolman free throws and a Lawson jumper gave UT its largest first half advantage at 25-17, before a late VU spurt closed the gap to 33-32. An Ely jumper with two seconds remaining sent UT to the locker room up 35-32. The second stanza was all UT as the Lady Vols outscored the Commodores 56-39. Two quick buckets by the seniors, Jackson and Lawson, out of the break gave Tennessee a 40-32 lead. Vandy cut the deficit to five at 46-41 on an Anderson lay-in, before a Zolman trey and a Lawson lay-in gave UT a 10-point lead at 51-41 with 15:40 remaining. UT's advantage fluctuated between as few as seven and as many as 13 points over the next several minutes, as VU found itself trailing 68-59 with 7:21 to play. That's when the Lady Vol crowd really got into the contest and UT's offense ignited on a 19-4 run as three-point bombs by Lawson, Zolman and Brittany Jackson closed down any hope of a Vandy comeback as UT lead 87-63 with 2:43 to play. Vandy cut the deficit to 18 points, but Tennessee completed the game flawlessly at the free throw line to set the score at 91-71. NEXT OPPONENT - SEC TOURNAMENT The Lady Vols must wait to find out their next opponent. UT will face the winner of the game between the #8 and #9 seeds in their first game of the SEC Tournament. Going into today's final SEC games, currently #8 is Auburn (17-9, 5-8 SEC) and #9 is Kentucky (11-14, 4-9 SEC). LADY VOLS ON TV Twenty Lady Vol regular season games will be on television this year. Upcoming games on TV in 2002-03 include and Kentucky (CSS). ON THIS DAY Tennessee is 8-3 in their history when playing on March 2. The Lady Vols are 2-0 at home, 0-1 on the road, and 6-2 on neutral courts. Last time out on the 2nd, the Lady Vols bowed out of the 2002 SEC tournament, losing to LSU 81-80. LOOKING BACK Last year at this time, the Lady Vols were 25-4, 13-1 SEC and had just lost to LSU in the SEC Tournament semifinals, 81-80. OUR SCHEDULE THIS WEEK The Lady Vols conclude the regular season today at Kentucky and from here on out, it will be nothing but tournament action. The SEC Tournament cranks up in North Little Rock, Arkansas, Mar.6 -9, followed by the NCAA Tournament. Tennessee is a pre-determined NCAA first/second round site with games slated for Mar. 22 & 24. UT also hosts the 2003 NCAA Mideast Regionals in Thompson-Boling Arena, Mar. 29 & 31. The 2003 Final Four is being held in Atlanta, Ga., April 6 & 8. CLINCHED THE TITLE The Tennessee Lady Vols (13-0 SEC) are the outright SEC Champions by virtue of their win over Vanderbilt on Feb. 27. The Lady Vols 68-65 victory over #4 LSU on Feb. 23 assured UT of at least a share of the crown. It marks the 12th time that the Lady Vols have won a regular season SEC crown and is the sixth consecutive since 1998. NUMBER ONE SEED UT will be the number one seed when the SEC Tournament starts on Thurs., Mar. 6 in North Little Rock, Arkansas. After a first round bye, the Lady Vols will be in action on Fri., Mar. 7 at noon CT taking on the winner of the game between the #8 and #9 seeded teams. SEC TOURNAMENT SEEDS TO BE DETERMINED TODAY Ties are everywhere in the SEC standings. Georgia and Mississippi State both have 9-4 records and are tied for third in the SEC. South Carolina and Vanderbilt are knotted with 8-5 records and tied for fifth place. Finally, Florida and Ole Miss are tied for 11th place with 1-12 slates. What we know for sure is that UT is seeded #1 and LSU is seeded #2. Beyond that, stay tuned. SEC TOURNEY TELECONFERENCE All 12 SEC head women's basketball head coaches will be featured on the pre-SEC tournament teleconference slated for Monday, Mar. 3, from 2-3 p.m. (ET). Each coach will appear on the teleconference for five minutes, according to the following schedule: 1:00 p.m. CT/2:00 p.m. ET Rick Moody, Alabama WHAT A GREAT STAT From 1980-1997, the Lady Vols claimed a total of six SEC regular season titles in 17 years. Since 1998, Tennessee has captured the last six consecutive SEC regular season crowns producing an amazing 80-3 record (includes current 2002-03 record of 13-0). UT's only league losses have been to Vandy, Georgia and LSU during this stretch. 16 IN A ROW Since losing to Connecticut on Jan. 4, 2003, the Lady Vols have won 16 consecutive games. UT- KENTUCKY All-Time Series Meetings
*indicates overtime THE SERIES This marks the 43rd meeting between the two schools dating back to the 1975-76 season. The Lady Vols faced only one other team more times than the Wildcats - Vanderbilt in 46 meetings. Kentucky has managed a total of five wins in the series with three victories coming at UK. Tennessee has won the last 21 meetings with Kentucky dating back to the 1987 season. Kentucky's last victory in the series came on January 24, 1986 when the Wildcats notched a 96-82 win on their home turf in Lexington. TIDBITS IN THE SERIES UT has played four overtime games with UK -- more than any other school -- five schools have played two overtime games with the Lady Vols. The last overtime game in the series came on February 18, 1994, won by Tennessee 95-89. The Lady Vols are 3-1 in overtime contests with Kentucky. GAME REPORT 29 - KENTUCKY Kentucky, 11-14 overall and 4-9 in the SEC, is battling for an 8, 9 or 10 spot in the SEC race. The Wildcats are much improved and have been giving SEC teams fits all season. Before losing at South Carolina on Thursday night, 97-51, UK had won their last two SEC games with wins over Florida (49-47) and Alabama (73-71, 2 OT). KENTUCKY'S PROBABLE STARTERS 3-Sara Potts, G, 6-0, So., 8.8 ppg, 2.2 ppg LADY VOLS VS. WILDCATS STAT COMPARISON
OUR LAST MEETING WITH KENTUCKY The #4-ranked Tennessee Lady Volunteers claimed their 24th victory of the regular season with a decisive 89-64 win over the Kentucky Wildcats on Feb. 24, 2002, in Knoxville, Tenn. The Lady Vols clinched their 11th SEC crown with a 13-1 record. Senior Day pre-game ceremonies honored Amanda Canon, Shalon Pillow and Michelle Snow. The league's last place Kats maintained a lead over UT through the first 20 minutes of the contest. In the first three minutes of the game, UK led 14-6 over UT. The Lady Vols couldn't muster an offense as UK led by 10 (27-17) with 11:27 showing. A four-point surge by freshman Michelle Munoz finally gave UT its first advantage of the game, 32-31 at 4:23. Fellow rookie Shyra Ely tossed in eight points in just 1:48 to send UT to the locker room tied at 42-all at the half. In the second half, UK held the lead just once, 47-46 at 17:14. The Lady Vols then went on a 23-4 run to lead by 18 points (69-51) with 9:36 left in the game. UT would eventually lead by as many as 27 points, 89-62 with 2:47 to play. On an afternoon that saw all 14 Lady Vols play, UT was led in scoring (again) by Kara Lawson's 18 points. Also in extra digits were rookies Brittany Jackson with 11 points and Ely with 10 points. Four players tied for the high rebounding honors grabbing seven each - Snow, Ely, Tasha Butts and Courtney McDaniel. Rookie B. Jackson had an all-around solid game with three treys, three rebounds and a season high four assists to go along with her 11 points. UT connected on 50% of its field goals, 33% three-pointers and 72% from the charity stripe. UT outrebounded Kentucky, 48-32 (including 20 UT offensive boards). The Lady Vols committed 23 turnovers as the two teams combined for a messy 45 turnovers. UT tallied 42 points in the paint as UK managed just 18. COMMON OPPONENTS Outside of the SEC schedule, Tennessee and Kentucky. share no common opponents. AVERAGE SCORE The average score of a Tennessee vs. Kentucky game is UT 82.3 and UK 64.7. CAREER STATS VS. KENTUCKY Three Lady Vols have career double-digit scoring averages against the Wildcats. Kara Lawson leads the way with 15.2 ppg, followed by Brittany Jackson's 11.0 ppg and Shyra Ely with 10.0 ppg. Ely is the rebounding leader with 7.0 rpg, followed by Gwen Jackson with 6.2 rpg and Ashley Robinson with 5.0 rpg.
IN OUR LAST MEETING IN LEXINGTON The #2 ranked Tennessee Lady Volunteers dumped a little more snow in Lexington, Kentucky, on Jan. 21, 2001, as the Kentucky Wildcats were plowed under, 110-38. The 72-point drubbing was the worst in UK history and topped the previous beating of 107-53 also inflicted by the Lady Vols (Nov. 13, 1976). In less than two minutes after the opening tip, Tennessee sprinted out to an 11-0 lead. The lead grew to 28 points, 34-6 with 8:23 to go in the first half. UK got on a mini roll and pulled to within 36-14 after an 8-2 run, but UT answered with a 12-1 run to take a 48-15 advantage with 3:25 to go before the half. Another Lady Vol run, this one 11-2, sent UT into the locker room leading 59-20. In the second stanza, UT's lead ballooned to 68-25 before another 15-0 Lady Vol run made the score 83-25 with 11:47 to go. Rookie LaToya Davis canned a trey with 4:32 left in the game to give UT its 100th point to just 33 for the Cats at that juncture. On the afternoon, every Lady Vol saw playing time as four players tallied double-figures. Michelle Snow enjoyed her "snow day" tossing in 21 points on 8-9 FG. Also in extra digits were rookie LaToya Davis with a career high 14 points, Kara Lawson with a dozen and frosh Tasha Butts with a career high 10 points. Snow and Gwen Jackson tied for high rebounding honors with 11 each. For good measure, Lawson registered six assists. UT connected on 55% of its field goals and 78% from the charity stripe. The Lady Vols out-rebounded Kentucky, 63-29. Perhaps one of the most telling stats of the game was Tennessee's bench play - the Lady Vols outscored Kentucky's reserves, 57-4. UT scored 34 points off of UK's 26 miscues. HAILING FROM THE BLUEGRASS Four Lady Vols have crossed the state line from Kentucky to Tennessee to play for the Lady Vols all-time. Hailing from the Bluegrass State were Kyra Elzy, Lisa Harrison, Kathy Spinks and Mina Todd. UT & UK RANKING OUR OPPONENTS IN 2002-03 The #3 ranked Tennessee Lady Vols have faced 16 ranked teams in 28 games (57% of its opponents) while Kentucky has taken on eight ranked teams in 25 games (28% of its opponents).
LAST TIME FOR UK Kentucky has not defeated a Top 25 opponent since the 1999-2000 season when they knocked off #5 Auburn. LORDY, LORDY, VANDY'S 40 When the Tennessee Lady Vols defeated the Vanderbilt Commodores on Feb. 27, 2003, 91-71, it marked the first opponent that UT has defeated 40 times in the series. THOSE AMAZING LADY VOL SENIORS The Lady Vol Senior Class of 2003 -- All-SEC performers Gwen Jackson and Kara Lawson have enjoyed a great deal of success during their careers. Collectively, over the last four seasons, they have accumulated an overall record of 118-15 - a 90% winning percentage, two trips (so far) to the Final Four, an amazing 53-2 overall record in the SEC regular season and four consecutive SEC crowns!! WHEN THE DUST CLEARED Senior guard Kara Lawson has had a light's out year in the two meetings with Vanderbilt this season. Lawson is a perfect 11-of-11 from three-point range against the Vanderbilt Commodores this year. Additionally, she has averaged 28.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 5.0 apg in the two wins over VU. LOVE THOSE 20-GAME WINNERS Since taking over the starting line-up in game 7 of the season, the quintet of Gwen Jackson, Tasha Butts, Ashley Robinson, Kara Lawson and Loree Moore have rolled up 20 wins while dropping two contests. WE THREE Seniors Kara Lawson and Gwen Jackson and sophomore guard Loree Moore have played and started all 26 games for the Lady Vols this season. REMEMBER THE SEC MEDIA DAY PREDICTION? The Tennessee Lady Vols were predicted to repeat as Southeastern Conference Basketball Champions, according to a preseason vote of media attending the Tipoff 2003, the SEC Basketball Media Day on Oct. 30, 2002.
2002-03 WON-LOSS DIFFERENTIAL Wins: +110 (1), +52 (1), +43 (2), +41 (1), +39 (1), +35 (1), +32 (1), + 28 (1), +27 (1), +26 (1), +25 (1), +22 (1), +20 (1), +19 (2), + 16 (1), +15 (1), +14(3), +13 (1), +9 (1), +3 (2) OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER In all games, this is how Tennessee has shot from the field: 60%: Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (.663), 50%FG: Vanderbilt2 (.580), Saint Louis (.569), ODU (.563), Vandy1 (.558), GWU (.542), Georgia (.541), S.Carolina (.531), Arkansas (.526), Florida1 (.521), 40%FG:Army (.493), USC (.484) DePaul (.471), LSU (.467),Oklahoma (.459), Auburn1 (.456), TCU (.452), Alabama (.438), Florida2 (.433), Stanford (.433), Miss. St. (.429), LaTech (.400), 30%FG: Ole Miss (.392), Texas (.357), Notre Dame and Connecticut (.353), Auburn2 (.352), Duke (.316)
DEEE ----- FENSE In all games, this is how the opposition has shot from the field: 50%FG: South Carolina (.545), Vandy1 (.500) 40%FG: Duke (.453), TCU (.444), Vanderbilt2 (.436), Auburn1 (.433), Arkansas (.422), Connecticut (.418), LSU (.415), DePaul (.415), Texas (.403); 30%FG: Miss. St. (.391), GWU (.375), ODU (.373), Stanford (.367), Auburn2 (.339), Florida1 (.328), Army (.320), Oklahoma (.314), Georgia (.308), Notre Dame (.306), Saint Louis (.302); 20%FG: USC (.286), Alabama (.262), Ole Miss (.259), Florida2 (.213), La Tech (.200), UPRM (.200). LADY VOL STREAKS The last time the Lady Vols lost at home was against Texas, 69-66, on Feb. 12, 2002 -- since then, UT has won 16 games played at home. The last time UT lost on the road was on Jan. 4, 2003, at Connecticut, 62-63, since then the team has won seven road games. The last time the Lady Vols lost on a neutral court was against Duke, 55-76, in the Jimmy V Classic on Nov. 24, 2002. Since then, UT has won four games on a neutral court. 192 WINS IN OUR LAST 210 GAMES The Lady Vols have won an amazing 192 games in their last 210 basketball contests (.913) spanning six 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 in 1999-2000, a 31-3 overall record in 2000-01, 29-5 in 2001-02 and 25-3 in 2002-03 NAISMITH COACH OF THE YEAR FINALISTS Jackie Bradford, President of the Atlanta Tipoff Club, announced the twenty-five finalists for the Naismith College Basketball Coach of the Year Award on Feb. 27, and Tennessee coach Pat Summitt is in the mix. Summitt, a four-time Naismith Coach of the Year (1987, 1989, 1994 and 1998) joins 24 other coaches in the pool for the Naismith Award, the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. The finalists (listed alphabetically) are as follows: Geno Auriemma, UConn; Melanie Balcomb, Vanderbilt; Gary Blair, Arkansas; Joan Bonvicini, Arizona; Kevin Borseth, Wisconsin - Green Bay; Pam Borton, Minnesota; Kurt Budke, LA Tech; Jody Conradt, Texas; Kristy Curry, Purdue; June Daugherty, Washington; Sharon Fanning, Mississippi St.; Mark French, UC - Santa Barbara; Gail Goestenkors, Duke; Sue Gunter, LSU; Sylvia Hatchell, North Carolina; Cathy Inglese, Boston College; Andy Landers, Georgia; Deb Patterson, Kansas State; Harry Perretta, Villanova; Rene Portland, Penn State; Marsha Sharp, Texas Tech; Vivian Stringer, Rutgers; Tara VanDerveer, Stanford, and Susan Walvius, South Carolina. The Coca-Cola Company will be the presenting sponsor of the Naismith College Basketball Awards for 2003. The entitlement complements the Company's new 11-year NCAA partnership as a corporate champion. The winner will be honored in Atlanta on April 11, 2003 at the Georgia World Congress Center. SUMMITT COLLECTS WIN #813 The victory over LSU was UT coach Pat Summitt's 813th of her 29-year career. She currently ranks fifth among all coaches (men's or women's) in all-time victories (as of 2-28-03). Summitt has moved ahead of Jerry Johnson of cross-state college LeMoyne-Owen for fifth place. DIAL 1-800-SUMMITT On Tues., Jan. 14, 2003, University of Tennessee Lady Vol basketball coach Pat Summitt became the first women's coach to join the exclusive 800 victory club with a 76-57 victory over #25/24-ranked DePaul in Knoxville, Tenn. Summitt joined an elite group of three other NCAA Division I coaches who previously achieved the 800 milestone - Dean Smith (North Carolina) 879, 2. Adolph Rupp (Kentucky) 876, 3. Jim Phelan (Mt. St. Mary's) 829. What is so amazing is that Summitt achieved 800 victories in just 29 seasons while Smith finished with 879 wins in 36 seasons, Rupp with 876 victories in 41 seasons and Phelan with 829 w's is still going strong in his 49th season. Additionally, 46% of the 974 total games coached by Summitt have been contested against ranked teams. WOW! JODY JOINS THE 800 CLUB - BOBBY DOES TOO Almost a week to the day that Tennessee coach Pat Summitt became the first women's coach to reach 800 wins, she was joined by Texas coach Jody Conradt who claimed her 800th win an upset victory over #7 Texas Tech, 69-58, in Austin, Texas. What's amazing is how quickly Summitt closed the gap on Conradt who had 680 wins on Dec. 21, 1996, while Summitt had 604 trailing the Texas coach by 76 victories. After UT's undefeated 39-0 season in 1997-98, Summitt closed the gap to 44 games. Last season, Summitt had narrowed the victory gap to just two games 781 (Conradt) and 779 (Summitt) on Feb. 12, 2002, when Texas upset Tennessee in Knoxville. Both coaches sported 788 wins to start the 2002-03 season. Coach Bob Knight of Texas Tech entered the 800 Club on his second try as his Red Raiders defeated Nebraska (75-49) on Wed., Feb. 5, 2003. With Knight's inclusion, three coaches entered the 800 wins club in a 22-day span. What's so amazing is that the 800 Victory Club had just four members entering this season and their ranks have doubled to eight coaches. Summitt, Conradt and Knight joined the ranks from the NCAA Division I ranks while Jerry Johnson of LeMoyne-Owen (NCAA D-II) was first in the 800 Club this season winning number 800 on Nov. 22, 2002 with a 78-73 win over Christian Brothers College in front of 987 fans at home. IF YOU HOLD OUR FG% IN THE 30s . . . Tennessee has shot in the 30 percent range from the field in six games this season netting three losses. The Lady Vols struggled from the field in three losses shooting just 30% - Texas (.357), Connecticut (.353) and Duke (.316). However, UT defeated Auburn in game two connecting on 35%, Notre Dame shooting just 35% and Ole Miss (39%) to defy the odds. The Irish barely shot 30% after notching 22% FG in the first half. IF THE OPPONENTS' FG% IS IN THE 40s . . . Well, typically you'll beat Tennessee. Duke, Texas and Connecticut shot over 40% and all three recorded wins over the Lady Vols as Duke shot 45%, UConn 41% and Texas 40% of its field goal tries. The exceptions are South Carolina who shot a blistering 54.5 (and lost by 19 points), Vandy1 who shot 50% and lost by 14, TCU who shot 44.4%, Vandy2 shot 43.6% and lost by 20 points, Auburn1 who shot 43.3%, Arkansas, who shot 42.2% and DePaul and LSU, who shot 41.5% and all lost to UT. WE'VE PLAYED A TOUGH NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE Out of the top five teams ranked in the AP Top 25 polls this week, the Lady Vols have played the toughest non-conference schedule this season. LATEST RPI Tennessee (.701) is #1 in the latest RPI rankings released Feb. 26. Number two is Connecticut (.690), followed by 3. Duke (.676), 4. LSU (.660), and 5. Villanova (.648), respectively. LATEST STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE Tennessee (.670) is #1 in the latest Strength of Schedule rankings released Feb.26. Following the Lady Vols are: 2. TCU (.636), 3. Southern Cal (.629), 4. Illinois (.627), and 5. Washington St. (.618). UT'S LAST LOSS TO AN UNRANKED TEAM? When is the last time Tennessee lost to an unranked team? That would have been to LSU on Mar. 2, 2002 at the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tenn. LSU had been in and out of the Top 25 polls in late January and February. Prior to that, UT's last loss to an unranked team was five years ago to the day losing to Auburn on Mar. 2, 1997 at the SEC Tournament in Chattanooga, Tenn. BEEN AWHILE SINCE WE'VE HAD OT Before the Jan. 4, 2003, overtime contest with Connecticut, the last time Tennessee was involved in an extra stanza game was during the 1996-97 season when the Lady Vols played a record four overtime affairs Previously, UT's last OT game was a 100-99 win over LSU in the SEC Tournament semifinals on Mar. 1, 1997. IN OVERTIME The Lady Vols are 20-11 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 69 times. 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. THE SEC Tennessee has a 313-50 record all-time versus the SEC. Mississippi State is the only team who has never recorded a win over UT. Florida and Arkansas have the next fewest victories at 1 each. OVER 100,000 . . . AGAIN The Tennessee Lady Vols have gone over the 100,000 mark in home attendance for the ninth consecutive season as UT cleared that mark in the game with Ole Miss. To date, 166,842 fans have been counted at 12 UT games with several post-season home game to play. Last season, Tennessee attracted 200,132 patrons to 14 home games. YOU GO BUTTS Junior forward Tasha Butts was a one-woman rebounding machine against Georgia collecting nine caroms in nine minutes of the first half. Butts registered four offensive and five defensive rebounds in the opening stanza and added four more defensive boards in the second half for a career high 13 rebounds. No one can recall a Lady Vol ever getting as many rebounds as quickly as Butts did against Georgia. SISTERS OF SWAT Tennessee held shot rejection parties against Ole Miss, Florida and TCU in back-to-back-to-back games. A little more than one-sixth of the Lady Rebels and Lady Gators shot attempts were blocked as the Orange and White recorded nine and eight blocks, respectively. Against TCU, UT rejected six of the Frogs 54 shots. Rookie Tye'sha Fluker tallied five swats while junior center Ashley Robinson crushed nine attempts. Senior Gwen Jackson swatted four against Florida and TCU, while sophomore Shyra Ely had back-to-back blocks in one series of shots in the Ole Miss game. Also recording blocks were Tasha Butts, LaToya Davis, Brittany Jackson and Courtney McDaniel (one each). 2003 LADY VOL AWARD WATCH LAWSON NAMED TO VERIZON ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT TEAM Lady Vol senior guard Kara Lawson has been named to the first team of the Verizon Academic All-America Women's Basketball team for District IV. Lawson, who has a 3.77 GPA in Finance, is now on the national ballot for the Verizon Academic All-America team. This marks Lawson's third time on the District IV All-America team. Joining Lawson from District IV and also advancing to the national ballot are Brooke Armistead (Austin Peay, Senior, Guard 3.83, Health & Human Performance), LeeAnn Bies (University of Michigan, Senior, Center, 3.56, Anthropology-Zoology), Kelly Walker (University of Toledo, Junior, Guard, 3.96, Middle Childhood Education) and Jennifer Wilson (U. of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Senior, Forward, 3.93, Math Education). LAWSON SELECTED AS A TOP BALLHANDLER Twelve of the nation's best ballhandlers have been named finalists for the Nancy Lieberman award, which honors the nation's top point guard. Among the finalists are Coretta Brown (UNC), Erin Grant (Texas Tech), Michelle Greco (UCLA), Temeka Johnson (LSU), Kara Lawson (Tennessee), Ashley McElhiney (Vandy), Sara Nord (Louisville), Yolanda Paige (WVU), Cappie Pondexter (Rutgers), Diana Taurasi (UConnn), Amy Waugh (Xavier) and Lindsay Whalen (Minnesota). A national project of the Rotary Club of Detroit, honors the top point guard who displays floor leadership and play-making and ball-handling skills that personified Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman, who was an All-American at Old Dominion. This year's award will be presented at a luncheon at The Detroit Athletic Club on April 9. WADE TROPHY FINALIST The award won't be given away until April 7, but the Women's Basketball Coaches Association has narrowed down its list of Wade Trophy candidates, cutting the group to 13 players. Tennessee senior Kara Lawson is listed as a finalist for the "Heisman" of women's hoops. The group also included Duke's Alana Beard and Iciss Tillis, Vanderbilt's Chantelle Anderson, Drake's Carla Bennett, UCLA's Michelle Greco, Penn State's Kelly Mazzante, Kansas State's Nicole Ohlde, Stanford's Nicole Powell, UConn's Diana Taurasi, Mississippi State's LaToya Thomas, Minnesota's Lindsay Whalen and Purdue's Shereka Wright. The State Farm Wade Trophy is presented annually to the best NCAA Division I women's basketball player. Candidates are selected based on game and season statistics, effect on team, leadership, character and overall playing ability. The Wade Trophy will be presented on April 7 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in conjunction with the Final Four. 2003 SENIOR CLASS FINALISTS The organizers of the Senior CLASS Award have announced the ten finalists for the 2002-03 season and both Lady Vol seniors appear on the list. The award is presented annually to the outstanding male and female senior NCAA Division I basketball player. The list of women's finalists include Chantelle Anderson and Ashley McElhiney of Vanderbilt, Coretta Brown of North Carolina, Courtney Coleman of Ohio State, Cheryl Ford of Louisiana Tech, Gwen Jackson and Kara Lawson of Tennessee, Jocelyn Penn of South Carolina, Plenette Pierson of Texas Tech, and LaToya Thomas of Mississippi State.The Senior CLASS Award - an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School - was launched prior to the 2001-02 college basketball season. The initial idea came from CBS sportscaster Dick Enberg, who now serves as Honorary Chairman of the award. It became reality when the Kansas City Club agreed to present the award and serve as host organization for the culminating event last year. The ten finalists for the second annual award were selected by a national committee of sportswriters and sportscasters who cover Division I college basketball. These players were chosen, based on performance during the current season, from a list of 30 "Players to Watch" for both men and women. The winner will be announced during the NCAA Final Four in April. 2003 NAISMITH FINALISTS Jackie Bradford, President of the Atlanta Tipoff Club, announced the 20 finalists for the Naismith Women's College Basketball Player of the Year Award on Feb. 19, 2003, and two Lady Vol seniors made the list. The finalists for the Naismith College Player of the Year Award (listed alphabetically): Chantelle Anderson/Vanderbilt, Alana Beard/Duke, Kara Braxton/Georgia, Coretta Brown/UNC, Shameka Christon/Arkansas, Gwen Jackson/Tennessee, Kara Lawson/Tennessee, Kelly Mazzante/Penn State, Nicole Ohlde/Kansas St., Jocelyn Penn/South Carolina, Plenette Pierson/Texas Tech, Nicole Powell/Stanford, Aiysha Smith/LSU, Stacy Stephens/Texas, Diana Taurasi/Connecticut, LaToya Thomas/Mississippi St., Iciss Tillis/Duke, Kendra Wecker/Kansas St., Lindsay Whalen/Minnesota and Shereka Wright/Purdue. The winners of the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball, will be honored in Atlanta on Friday, April 11, 2003. CREAMLAND DAIRIES WOMEN'S COLLEGIATE BASKETBALL STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Senior guard Kara Lawson has been selected as a finalist for the inaugural Creamland Dairies Women's Collegiate Basketball Student-Athlete of the year award announced by the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau. This award honors college seniors for their athletic and academic achievement as well as community involvement. "Creamland Dairies is proud to be associated with athletic programs in New Mexico and the Collegiate Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year Award enhances our commitment to student-athletes," said Barry Beaman, General Manager of Creamland. "Sponsoring this program is a natural match for Creamland...working toward the promotion of young people developing healthy bodies so they can achieve both on the playing court and in the classroom," he concluded. The nominees will be narrowed to 10 by March 3, 2003 and three finalists will be named during the NCAA basketball tournaments. The three finalists will be present in Albuquerque, N.M. on April 9, 2003 at an awards dinner held at the Albuquerque Marriott Hotel for the announcement of the Creamland Dairies Men's & Women's Collegiate Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year award. 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 Nov. 18, 2001, 106-66. UT has now amassed a 223-11 record since the Orange and White moved into the Thompson-Boling Arena to start the 1987-88 season 15-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, 1991 thru Jan. 2, 1996. JUST 11 LOSSES The Tennessee Lady Vols rarely lose at home. In fact, since moving to the Thompson-Boling Arena for the 1987-88 season, UT has lost two games in one season just four times. UT lost two games in TBA during the inaugural 1987-88 campaign, 1996-97,1999-00 and the 2001-02 season. The 11 all-time losses at Thompson-Boling Arena have come at the hands of just six teams: Connecticut (2002, 2000, 1996), Louisiana Tech (1999, 1989), Georgia (1996, 1991), Texas (2002, 1987), Stanford (1996) and Auburn (1988). BENCHMARK WINS The PAC 10 Conference has helped Tennessee celebrate milestone wins in Thompson-Boling Arena. The Lady Vols won their 100th game in Thompson-Boling Arena with a victory over Stanford on 12-1-94. Seven years later, win #200 in TBA came at the expense of Southern Cal on 11-18-01. 172 OF 179 AT HOME UT has won 172 of their last 179 games in Thompson-Boling Arena dating back to 2-1-91. UT's seven losses were to Louisiana Tech, UConn (three times), Stanford, Texas and Georgia (OT). HOME SWEET HOME UT is 374-35 (.914) at home since the 1974-75 season. Home losses (in the Summitt era) include: six in Alumni Gym from 1974-76; 18 in Stokely Athletics Center from 1976-87; and 11 in Thompson-Boling Arena since 1987. TBA STREAK BROKEN AT 26 GAMES Tennessee's 26-game home court winning streak in Thompson-Boling Arena was broken on Jan. 5, 2002 by Connecticut. It ranked as the fourth longest home court-winning streak in Lady Vol history. AT LEAST 5000 IN THE HOUSE When an untimely blizzard and single-digit temperatures hit Knoxville on Jan. 23, 2003, the Lady Vols had played in front of at least 5000 turnstile fans in 169 consecutive games at home dating back to 1991. When the Lady Vols defeated #15/14 South Carolina, 97-78, on Jan. 23, 2003 only 4,482 fans braved the treacherous conditions to see the game and the streak was snapped. ONLY 35 LOSSES AT HOME . . . ALL-TIME SINCE 1974 Overall in Knoxville (since 1974): 368-35 (.913); Alumni Gym (1974-77): 16-6 (.727) ATTENDANCE CHALLENGE Tennessee has moved back ahead of the UConn Huskies in the attendance challenge with 13,904 fans per game. UConn is in second place with an average of 13,339 fans per home game. Following UConn and UT are: 3. Texas Tech 11,985, 4. New Mexico 10,280 and 5. Iowa State (9,086).
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