University of Tennessee Athletics
LADY VOLS TAKE ON ARIZONA STATE IN THE DESERT
November 17, 2006 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 17, 2006
 | Arizona State (4-0) |  |
| Nov. 19, 2006 - WELLS FARGO ARENA - 2 p.m. ET | ||
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Radio - Mickey Dearstone
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The #5/4-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols (2-0) play on the road for the first time in the 2006-07 season and travel to #11-ranked Arizona State (4-0) for a high noon (MT) showdown Sun., Nov. 19 on FSN. This contest marks the second of three consecutive games for the Lady Vols versus ranked Pac-10 foes. LADY VOLS AT A GLANCE This is the Lady Vols' 33rd season under Head Coach Pat Summitt...She has compiled a staggering 915-177 overall record... Collected her 900th coaching win with a 80-68 decision over #19-ranked Vanderbilt on Jan. 19, 2006... She passed Dean Smith (879 wins) for most NCAA collegiate basketball wins of all-time with a 75-54 victory over Purdue on Mar. 22, 2005 ...Her 2005-06 squad advanced to the NCAA Elite...Finished with a 31-5 overall record and were the SEC Tournament Champions... This season, UT returned six letterwinners, welcomed a senior manager turned player, two junior college transfers and a pair of rookies...The 2006-07 season marks the Lady Vol debut for former senior manager #10 Elizabeth Curry, JC transfers #00 Shannon Bobbitt and #33 Alberta Auguste...True freshman, #2 Cait McMahan, a 5-4 guard from Maryville, Tenn., and #34 Nicci Moats, a 6-2 forward from Daleville, Va., also see their first action in the Orange and White this season. THE 4-1-1 ON THE SUN DEVILS Eleventh-ranked Arizona State is off to a fast 4-0 start to the season after recording four wins over a six day span. Not only has ASU won its last 13 regular season games dating back to the 2005-06 season, the Sun Devils are riding a 26-game home court winning streak at the Wells Fargo Arena on the Tempe campus. The #5/4-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols better mind their P's and Q's when facing the Sun Devils on Sun., Nov. 19. Since 2004-05, the Sun Devils are 21-3 in their pre-conference regular season games. They have defeated five ranked teams in that span, including No. 11 Georgia and No. 8 UConn in 2004, No. 17 Vanderbilt and No. 18 New Mexico in 2005 and No. 18 New Mexico in 2006. ASU's only losses during that stretch came at No. 3 LSU in 2004 (54-65), at New Mexico in 2004 (45-61) and vs. No. 8 North Carolina in the 2005 Caribbean Classic in Cancun (72-79) last November. OUR SCHEDULE THIS WEEK The Lady Vols open the season playing three games in the first week of action facing Chattanooga (a 102-72 win) and #20/21 UCLA (an 83-60 win) in Knoxville and traveling to #11 Arizona St., Nov. 19. LADY VOLS ON TV A record 21 Lady Vol regular season games are slated for national/regional television this season. Five non-televised games will be available as streaming video with voice-over from Mickey Dearstone on utladyvols.com. ON THIS DAY UT is 7-0 in games played on Nov. 19. The Lady Vols are 4-0 at home, 0-0 on the road and 3-0 on neutral courts. The last time out on Nov. 19, the Lady Vols registered a 68-34 victory over UT-Chattanooga in 2004. LOOKING BACK Last year at this time, the Lady Vols had won both of their exhibition games and were awaiting the season opener on Nov. 20 vs. Stetson. PLAYING 12 RANKED TEAMS Tennessee will play 12 teams in 14 games and six of the nation's top 10 teams ranked in the AP and USA TODAY ESPN polls: 2. North Carolina, 4/10. Stanford, 6/5. Duke, 8/7. Connecticut, 9/8. Georgia, 10/9. LSU, 11. Arizona State, 15. Vanderbilt, 20/21 UCLA 21/24. Kentucky, 25/NR Texas and NR/25. George Washington. UPCOMING OPPONENT -- STANFORD The #4/10-ranked Stanford Cardinal (1-1) play next on Nov.21 entertaining the Missouri Tigers in Palo Alto, Calif. In their last outing, in the second round of the preseason Women's National Invitation Tournament, #24-ranked Brigham Young's Haley Hall banked in a go-ahead three-pointer with 16.5 seconds left (as the shot clock expiried) and Stanford then missed three chances to score from close range, lifting the Cougars (2-0) to a 55-52 upset of the Cardinal on Nov. 13, 2006. The Cardinal opened the season with a WNIT First Round victory over Loyola Marymount, 88-61, on Nov. 9. FIRST MONTH OF THE SEASON: STATE LOVE & PAC-10 EAST In the first month of the 2006-07 season, the Lady Vols will face eight foes. Three teams hail from the state of Tennessee as the Lady Vols will face Chattanooga (a 102-72 win), Middle Tennessee (Nov. 26) and Coach Pat Summitt's alma mater, UT-Martin (Dec. 5). UT will seem like a member of the Pac-10, eastern division, as the Lady Vols face three ranked Pac-10 schools in consecutive games: #20/21 UCLA (an 83-60 win), at #11 Arizona State (Nov. 19) and #4/10 Stanford (Nov. 24). Trips to long-standing rival Louisiana Tech (Nov. 28) and #2-ranked North Carolina (Dec. 3) round out the first month of the season. A FIRST-THREE 100 POINT GAMES In the two preseason exhibition tilts and in the first game of the season, the Tennessee Lady Vols registered at least 100 points in all three contests. It marks the first time in program history that a Lady Vol team had tallied triple digits in back-to-back-to-back contests. Tennessee dropped in 102 points against Chattanooga in the season opener and recorded games of 104 points versus Carson-Newman and 101 points against the Houston Jaguars in a pair of exhibition match-ups. THEY CALL HER "SOMETHING SPECIAL" In her first handful of games in a Lady Vol uniform, 5'2" junior point guard Shannon Bobbitt has quickly become a crowd favorite. The diminutive Bobbitt is so quick with the ball, she has left defenders shaking their heads more than once. Hailing from Manhattan, N.Y., Bobbitt earned her hoops rep on some of the toughest courts in the city. The guys at the famed hoops mecca, Rucker Park, nicknamed her "something special." After watching some of her moves in the first two games, a more accurate nickname might be "the ankle breaker." ARIZONA STATE NOTEBOOK The #11-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils (4-0) returned to action on Nov. 15 and defeated Nicholls State, 91-46 at home. The game marked ASU's fourth contest over the past six days. Last week, the Sun Devils shaped a perfect 3-0 record registering consecutive victories in the Veterans Day Classic in Tempe. In the Classic, the Sun Devils defeated Nebraska (87-60), New Mexico (67-49) and Florida Atlantic (96-60) to take the championship. ASU senior guard Jill Noe and guard Briann January were named to the Veterans Day Classic All-Tournament Team while senior forward Emily Westerberg was selected as the Most Valuable Player. ASU has now won 26-consecutive games at home. ALL-TIME SERIES MEETINGS
THE SERIES This marks the second meeting between the two Universities and the second school Tennessee has faced all-time from the state of Arizona. Tennessee played Arizona State on Dec. 27, 2000, and recorded a 67-63 win at the BankOne Ballpark. The Lady Vols traveled to Tucson on Dec. 7, 1993, and came away with a close, 65-63, decision over the Arizona Wildcats. The following season, UA visited Knoxville on Jan. 2, 1995, and the Lady Vols dispatched the Wildcats with a 109-57 setback. Arizona earned a return trip to Knoxville via the NCAA Tournament in March 2000. Tennessee bounced Arizona out of the second round, 75-60, en route to the Final Four. AVERAGE SCORE The average score of a UT-ASU game finds the Lady Vols leading the Sun Devils - 67.0 to 63.0. FIFTY IS NIFTY With the victory over UCLA, Tennessee has now claimed 50 victories all-time against teams from the Pac-10. Outside of the Southeastern Conference (365 wins), the Lady Vols have recorded 77 wins over teams from the ACC and 66 victories over BIG EAST Conference schools. The Pac-10 ranks as the fourth most defeated conference by Tennessee. VERSUS THE PAC-10 Tennessee has taken on nine teams from the Pacific 10 all-time and sports a 50-12 record. Only three teams have claimed victories over UT - Southern California (seven times), Stanford (four) and UCLA (once). The Lady Vols have not lost to a team that competes in the Pac-10 since Dec. 15, 1996, when Stanford came away from Knoxville with an 82-65 win over UT. Prior to this season's game with UCLA and Arizona State, Tennessee's last meeting with a Pac-10 opponent came on Dec. 4, 2005, against Stanford in Palo Alto. The Lady Vols pulled out a 74-67 win. In NCAA postseason play, the last meeting with a Pac 10 opponent was also the Cardinal on Mar. 30, 2004, in Norman, OK. The #2/3-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols advanced to their then-record-setting 15th NCAA Final Four with a 62-60 victory over sixth-seeded Stanford in the NCAA Midwest Region final. Tennessee has played nine of the 10 basketball playing schools in the Pac-10. UT has yet to face California. OUR LAST MEETING The #2 ranked Tennessee Lady Volunteers participated in a history-making event against Arizona State in Phoenix, Ariz., on Dec. 27, 2000, and came away with a 67-63 win. The game, played outdoors in 40-degree weather in front of 16,782 fans at the Bank One Ballpark, was the first women's game to be held outdoors. Temperature at tip-off was in the low 50s with the wind blowing in from the left field foul pole. UT started with a new line-up inserting Michelle Snow at center and Kristen "Ace" Clement at off-guard. The Lady Vols quickly broke out to a 13-6 lead with 12:47 showing and opened up a 12 point, 24-12 advantage at the 7:22 mark after a Tamika Catchings trey. On her eighth point of the first half, Catchings went over the 2,000 point mark of her career. UT held an 11-point lead with five minutes to go before the half but committed a combination of nine turnovers/fouls to limp into the locker room up 31-27 at the break. ASU quickly cut UT's lead to two points (33-31) but could never pull even as the Lady Vols bolted out to a 48-34 lead with 11 minutes to play. UT still led by 11 with 1:36 to go (63-52) but went into another lapse that could have cost them the game as missed free throws and fouls were more common than points down the stretch. On the chilly night, just two Lady Vols reached double-figure scoring led by Catchings with 24 points and Clement with a dozen. Snow chipped in a game high 14 rebounds in the win as Catchings joined her with a double-double of 10 rebounds. UT shot 43% FG and committed a season high 24 turnovers. UT outrebounded ASU, 41-34. FAMILIAR FACES IN TEMPE There will be a number of familiar faces to the Tennessee group traveling to Tempe. The Tennessee players will more than likely catch-up with former Lady Vol Sybil Dosty, a 6-3 post from Tucson, Ariz. Dosty transferred to ASU following last season after two seasons with the Lady Vols and 62 game appearances where she averaged 2.8 ppg and 2.7 rpg during her Lady Vol career. Jim Beitia, who started the Tennessee softball program, is now the Director of Operations for the Arizona State LADY VOLS VS. BRUINS STAT COMPARISON
EARLY WARNING SYSTEM In her postgame chat with the media following the UCLA game, Tennessee coach Pat Summitt warned that her team had to play a 40-minute game to be successful against Arizona State. "I haven't watched Arizona State yet. I have a policy of not looking ahead of the team that we are playing. (Associate head coach) Holly (Warlick) and (assistant coach) Dean (Lockwood) have watched, though. Holly says that they will be a real challenge for us. They're aggressive defensively; they shoot well, and they space well. Both Holly and Dean were impressed. I didn't want to hear that. At home, they have a 26-game winning streak. This team needs to go into a hostile arena. They will have to be a 40-minute team." TALKING ABOUT UNUSUAL/UNIQUE VENUES Tennessee's game against Arizona State on Dec. 27, 2000, at the former Bank One Ballpark (BOB), may go down as the most unique/unusual venue that the Lady Vols have played in over the years. Here's some other dandy sites for Lady Vol games through the years - Crystal Palace in London, England (Jan. 2-5 1992) - Had an upstairs balcony, chandeliers and a beer garden. Fordham University (the ooooollllldddd gym), Bronx, N.Y. (Mar. 16-17, 1979) - Birds nested in the rafters of the airplane hanger-style-gym. The feathered-flyers would occasionally dive-bomb on players during the AIAW East Regional games. Hawaii Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii (Dec. 20, 1985) - Played on a linoleum/tile floor. No air-conditioning so doors were open and the ball would occasionally roll outside. Kona Tournament in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii (Dec. 1-3) - Views of the Pacific out the back window of the gym barely kept one focused on the game. Doors opened to the blue Pacific. Aix-En-Provence in Istres, France (Aug. 20, 1999) - The doors to the gym were open to allow the Mediterranean breeze to cool the gym. Views of yachts going by were spectacular. What basketball game?? Brazilian Institute of Sport in Sao Paulo, Brazil (June 14-20, 1987)- Smoke-filled gym with over 15,000 fanatic Brazilians. Games were played on a handmade parque floor which felt like cement. Any games over ice - Madison Square Garden, Hartford Civic Center, Springfield (Mass.) Civic Center, First Union Center, San Jose Arena, RBC Center, BI-LO Center. (Various dates). The Lady Vols traditionally don't play well on courts over ice. UCLA WAS 370TH WIN VS. RANKED Tennessee's victory over UCLA improved its record 2-0 on the season and gave the Lady Vols their 370th all-time win over a ranked foe. The Big Orange is 370-145 in games against Top-25 ranked opposition. At halftime, Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt challenged her team to get off to a quick start in the second half and hunker down on defense. Challenge answered. Tennessee opened the second half with a 10-0 run and UCLA did not score a field goal until 3:55 into the second stanza. Individually: Alexis Hornbuckle...Extended her streak of games with at least one steal to 38 straight contests; Sidney Spencer...The first of three Lady Vols to reach double-figures -- it was the 29th double-digit game of her career; Candace Parker...Scored in double-figures for the 35th time in her 38-game career -- it was her 11th career contest of 20 or more points. No dunks against the Bruins. However, her repertoire of shots was simply amazing; Nicky Anosike...Surpassed the 500-point plateau for her career -- she now has 503 career points and Alex Fuller...Scored a career-high 10 points. MTSU TIP-OFF CHANGED The tip-off time has changed for Tennessee's game versus Middle Tennessee on Nov. 26 in Knoxville. To accommodate television, the tip-off has moved to 4:00 p.m. NEW UNIFORM PATCH This year, University of Tennessee student-athletes who achieve a 3.0 GPA or better in the classroom have a "VS" patch on their uniform. The "VS" stands for Vol Scholar. Every Lady Vol basketball player (except for the newcomers -- rookies Cait McMahan and Nicci Moats and junior college transfers Alberta Auguste and Shannon Bobbitt) are proudly displaying the patch on their uniform jerseys this season. CANDACE JAMS Lady Vol sophomore All-American Candace Parker gave Lady Vols fans the dunk they had been waiting to see at Thompson-Boling Arena. On Nov. 12, 2006, with UT leading Chattanooga, 75-43, Parker stole the ball from the Lady Mocs' Brooke Hand near the sideline. The 6-4 forward took off for the other end of the court and slammed the rock in with her right hand with 16:02 left in the game as cheers shook the Arena. Parker elected to finger roll a couple of shots last year but never dunked at home. She finally dunked twice as a rookie in the NCAA First Round game versus Army last season. Prior to Parker's dunking exploits, Michelle Snow dunked three times as a Lady Vol. Unfortunately, the dunks occurred on the road at Maui, South Carolina and Vanderbilt. In Snow's final game at Thompson-Boling Arena, she went in to dunk against Notre Dame in the waning seconds of UT's NCAA Second Round victory over the Irish, but she was fouled instead and the dunk never went down. Parker's dunk against Chattanooga ties Snow for the Lady Vol records for "dunks in a career" with three. FIRST GAME IMPRESSIONS The 102-72 win over Chattanooga improves Tennessee to 68-3 in 100-point games...Tennessee made its first six shots of the game from the field and its first 11 free throws...In the first half, the Lady Vols shot a sizzling 60 percent from beyond the arc, connecting on six of 10 attempts...Every Lady Vols saw playing time in the first half... Chattanooga broke the opponent record for three-pointers in a game with 13...The previous opponent record was 12, by Stanford in Knoxville on Dec. 21, 1992...The Lady Vols reached the century scoring mark when rookie Cait McMahan drove the length of the floor for a lay up with just over five minutes remaining in the game...This was the first 100+ point season-opening game for the Lady Vols since a 112-39 victory over Stetson on Nov. 26, 1989...Shannon Bobbitt was the first of six Lady Vols to reach double-figure scoring...Alex Fuller tied a career high in blocks (2) in the first half and scored a career-high nine points...Cait McMahan's first bucket in a Lady Vol uniform came when she snuck around the defense for her first career lay-up...Alexis Hornbuckle extended her streak of games to 37 with at least one steal and she shattered her own career-best mark with seven steals against UTC...Candace Parker scored in double-figures for the 15th consecutive game dating back to last season and dunked for the first time at home in her 37-game career -- It was the first recorded dunk by a woman in a game in Thompson-Boling Arena history. EXHIBIONISTS I TELL YOU In two 2006-07 preseason exhibition tilts against Carson-Newman and the Houston Jaguars, the Lady Vols averaged 102.5 ppg while giving up 50.0 ppg. UT connected on 49.7 percent from the field and cashed in on 70.2 percent from the line. Tennessee's defense forced 35.5 turnovers per game and came away with 22.0 steals per outing. SIX IN DOUBLE-FIGS Another interesting stat from the exhibition contests found six Lady Vols registering double-digits. Leader of the pack was sophomore forward Alex Fuller who tossed in 15.5 ppg while also grabbing a team leading 11.5 rpg. Fuller was followed in the scoring parade by senior Dominique Redding (15.0 ppg), sophomore Candace Parker (15.0 ppg), junior Alexis Hornbuckle (15.0 ppg), junior Nicky Anosike (12.5 ppg) and senior Sidney Spencer (11.5 ppg). Junior College transfers Shannon Bobbitt and Alberta "Bird" Auguste were impressive in their Lady Vol debut. Bobbitt started at point guard and averaged 9.5 ppg, 6.0 apg and 3.5 spg. Auguste averaged 7.5 ppg, grabbed 5.5 rpg and handed out 4.0 apg. 62 INCHES OF DYNAMITE Lady Vol junior college transfer Shannon Bobbitt is listed at 5'2" and is the shortest player on the roster since Diane Brady donned uniform number 20 for Tennessee during the 1973-75 seasons. A FEW QUESTIONS WITH ALEXIS Junior Alexis Hornbuckle spent a few minutes sharing some answers to these questions: What do you think about the separate athletic departments at UT? Does it benefit women's athletics? "It brings the women's teams closer and it provides more specialized care for us. We are not overshadowed by all the men's teams." How does the fan loyalty and support at UT differ from anywhere else in the country? "We get the most fans for every game, home and away. They create an amazing atmosphere to play in." What is your most memorable experience at Tennessee? "Back-to-back SEC Tournament Championships" What do you want to do when you grow up? "Play in the WNBA and own my own PT clinic." If you could walk in one person's shoes for a day, who would that person be? "Michael Jordan" If you could live in any country in the world, which one would it be? "The Netherlands (Amsterdam)" If you could play any other sport at UT, which would it be? "Soccer" PARKER NAMED TO AP A-A Lady Vols' Candace Parker was named to yet another preseason All-America team earning the nod from the Associated Press on Nov. 9, 2006. Joining Parker (45 votes) on the team was leading vote getter Courtney Paris of Oklahoma (47 votes out of 50). Also named to the team was North Carolina's Ivory Latta (43), Stanford's Candice Wiggins (35) and Maryland's Crystal Langhorne (28). Parker, the 2006 SEC rookie of the year, is returning for her second season at Tennessee after winning a bronze medal with the U.S. national team at the world championships in Brazil. WOODEN AWARD NOMINEES Tennessee Lady Vols Candace Parker and Alexis Hornbuckle were named to the list of 30 preseason candidates for the 2006-07 John R. Wooden Women's Award. Defending national champion and No. 1-ranked Maryland and No. 2-ranked North Carolina placed three athletes each on the list, while Duke, Rutgers and Tennessee each added two players. The 30 candidates are comprised of the top returning players. The award, which is voted on by sports writers and broadcasters, is entering its fourth year. PARKER UP FOR THE WADE Lady Vol basketball star Candace Parker has been named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) preseason "Wade Watch" list for The State Farm Wade Trophy Division I Player of the Year for the 2006-2007 season. The list is comprised of 25 student-athletes who are members of an NCAA Division I institution and are selected based on the following criteria: game and season statistics, leadership, character, effect on their team and overall playing ability. The national awards committee who selects these candidates is comprised of leading basketball coaches, journalists and basketball administrators. In 2006, Parker guided the Lady Vols to a 31-5 record, the SEC Tournament title and an appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight during her rookie season. The Naperville, Ill., native led the team in scoring (17.3 ppg), rebounding (8.3 rpg) and blocks (2.4 bpg) and was named a Kodak/WBCA All-American. Parker became the first female to dunk in an NCAA Tournament game and the only woman to dunk twice in the same contest, when she slammed two home against Army in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on March 19, 2006. She was a first team All-SEC selection, the SEC Freshman of the Year and the conference tournament MVP after hitting the game-winning shot to lift Tennessee past LSU, 63-62. THOMPSON-BOLING ARENA WELCOME TO "THE SUMMITT" The playing court in the Thompson-Boling Arena on the University of Tennessee campus donned a new look for the 2005-06 season. After Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt passed Dean Smith for most NCAA collegiate basketball wins of all-time with a 75-54 win over Purdue on Mar. 22, 2005, UT named the TBA court, "The Summitt." The floor had a complete overhaul with permanent logos of both the Lady Vols and Vols painted directly in front of the scorer's table; the free throw lanes were painted orange with "SEC" reversed out; the giant jump circle/mid-court TENNESSEE was given a new brighter color scheme, and "The Summitt," Coach Summitt's actual signature adorns the sidelines opposite the team benches. ON OUR WAY TO 300 WINS Tennessee recorded its 200th win in Thompson-Boling Arena when the Lady Vols defeated the University of Southern California on Nov. 18, 2001, 106-66. UT has now amassed a 267-16 (.943) record since the Orange and White moved into the Thompson-Boling Arena to start the 1987-88 season 19-years ago. Along the way, the Lady Vols have produced nine 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), 2000-01 (15-0) and 2002-03 (16-0). UT also registered an NCAA record 69-game home court-winning streak from Feb. 1, 1991 thru Jan. 2, 1996. JUST 16 LOSSES The Tennessee Lady Vols rarely lose at home. In fact, since moving to the Thompson-Boling Arena for the 1987-88 campaign, UT has lost two games in one season just six times. UT lost two games in TBA during the inaugural 1987-88 campaign, 1996-97, 1999-00, 2001-02, 2003-04 and the 2005-06 seasons. The 16 all-time losses at Thompson-Boling Arena have come at the hands of just nine teams: Florida (2006), LSU (2006), Duke (2004), Connecticut (2004, 2002, 2000, 1996), Louisiana Tech (1999, 1989), Georgia (1996, 1991), Texas (2003, 2002, 1987), Stanford (1996) and Auburn (1988). HOME SWEET HOME -- 400th HOME WIN The victory over Georgia on Jan. 31, 2005, was the Lady Vols 400th home win since Pat Summitt took over as head coach in 1974. Summitt has won 91.4 percent of all home games in 33 years producing a 420-40 overall record. Home losses (in the Summitt era) include: six in Alumni Gym from 1974-76; 18 in Stokely Athletics Center from 1976-87; and 16 in Thompson-Boling Arena since 1987. 218 OF 231 AT HOME UT has won 218 of their last 231 games in Thompson-Boling Arena dating back to 2-1-91. UT's 13 losses during this time have been to Florida, LSU, Duke, Louisiana Tech, UConn (four times), Stanford, Texas (three times) and Georgia (OT). 500 GAMES VERSUS RANKED Tennessee's game versus #13 Georgia on Feb. 16, 2006 was the Lady Vols' 500th all-time versus a ranked team since the inception of the polls in 1976. UT is an amazing 370-145 (.703) versus ranked teams. Last year, Tennessee was 13-3 versus ranked teams. LADY VOL STREAKS The last time the Lady Vols lost at home was against Florida, 95-93 OT on Feb. 26, 2006 -- since then, UT has won two games at home. The last time UT lost on the road was on Jan. 26, 2006 at Kentucky, since then, UT has won three road games. The last time the Lady Vols lost on a neutral court was against North Carolina, 75-63, in the NCAA Elite 8 game on Mar. 28, 2006 Since then, UT has not played on a neutral court. LAST LOSS TO AN UNRANKED TEAM? Florida became the second unranked team in the 2005-06 season to knock off the Lady Vols, when they won 95-93 OT on Feb. 26, 2006. Exactly one month earlier, unranked Kentucky turned the trick with a 66-63 win over #1/3-ranked Tennessee on Jan. 26, 2006 at Rupp Arena. Previously, it had been four years since an unranked team upset the Lady Vols. So before Florida and Kentucky had their way with UT, when was 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 previous (to the day) losing to Auburn on Mar. 2, 1997 at the SEC Tournament. 100 POINT GAMES Since 1974, the Lady Vols have gone over the century mark 72 times. Last season, UT eclipsed 100 points in two games - Princeton, 107 and #16/18 Texas, 102. The 1987-88 team hit triple digits in seven games to lead the NCAA. IN OVERTIME The Lady Vols are 24-13 all-time in overtime games. The most OT games in a year was tied in 2003-04 with four as the Lady Vols went 3-1 in overtime losing to Georgia, 68-66, and defeating Auburn, 68-61, DePaul, 96-89, and Stanford, 70-66. It tied the mark set in 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. UT's 22 points in the OT against Florida (2-3-05), was the most ever scored by the Lady Vols in a single overtime. UT's most recent OT affair was a 95-93 loss to Florida on 2-26-06. TWO LADY VOLS TO BE INDUCTED The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame announced its ninth group of inductees, the Class of 2007, on Nov. 12, 2006, and former Lady Vol Olympians and All-Americans Bridgette Gordon and Daedra Charles-Furlow were named as two of the six members to be inducted. Joining Gordon and Charles-Furlow are players Andrea Lloyd Curry (University of Texas) and Pam Kelly Flowers (Louisiana Tech); coach Andy Landers (University of Georgia) and sportswriter Mel Greenberg (Philadelphia Inquirer). DAEDRA CHARLES-FURLOW - The Tennessee great was a two-time National Champion (1989, 1991), two-time Kodak All-American and became the first player from the Southeastern Conference to win the Wade Trophy in 1991; Olympic bronze medalist in 1992. BRIDGETTE GORDON - A Tennessee standout helped to lead the Lady Vols to four NCAA Final Four appearances, winning two national championships (1987 and 1989) and earning the Women's Final Four Most Outstanding Player honor in 1989; one of two collegiate members on the gold-medal winning USA Olympic Team in 1988. Charles-Furlow and Gordon join Coach Pat Summitt (1999), Cindy Noble and Patricia Roberts (2000), Holly Warlick (2001) and Cindy Brogdon (2002) as Tennessee Lady Vol members of the WBHOF. The six individuals in the Class of 2007 will be formally inducted as members of the Hall of Fame during a weekend of induction festivities to be held Friday and Saturday, June 8-9, 2007, in Knoxville, Tenn. OPENING DAY RECORD Over the last 33 years on opening day, the Lady Vols have won 30 times and lost just three contests. Coach Pat Summitt lost her very first game as a college head coach -- a heartbreaking one-point decision at home to Mercer, 84-83, on Dec. 7, 1974. The next time UT lost an opening game was in Knoxville on Nov. 21, 1981, to Stephen F. Austin, 80-74. Most recently, UT fell in their first contest of the 1999-2000 campaign dropping a 69-64 decision to Louisiana Tech in Thompson-Boling Arena on Nov. 14, 1999. Until the loss to the Lady Techsters, the Lady Vols had won 18 consecutive season openers. FIRST ACTION FOR "CAITY-MAC" Lady Vol rookie point guard Cait McMahan saw her first career action in an Orange and White uniform against Chattanooga. "Caity-Mac" entered the game midway through the first half to thunderous cheers from the Tennessee crowd. In her debut, she tossed in four points, grabbed three rebounds and dished two assists. A 5-4 point guard, McMahan missed the first two exhibition games of the season. The feisty freshman had arthroscopic surgery on her right knee on Oct. 20, 2006 by Dr. Greg Mathien, UT team orthopaedist. She was cleared to return to the practice floor on Nov. 6. FIVE LADY VOL GAMES TO BE VIDEO STREAMED The 2006-07 University of Tennessee Lady Vol basketball team already has a record 21 regular season games scheduled for television and five home games have been added for video streaming on utladyvols.com. Tennessee fans will have the opportunity to watch Lady Vol games versus Chattanooga (Sun., Nov. 12), Stanford (Fri., Nov. 24), UT-Martin (Tues., Dec. 5), George Washington (Thurs., Dec. 7) and West Virginia (Wed., Dec. 20) via the internet. Listeners will be able to hear Mickey Dearstone's radio play-by-play while watching the live action from Thompson-Boling Arena. The Yahoo! Sports University of Tennessee School Pass costs $4.95 per month and features: UT football, men's and women's basketball, baseball and "Vol Calls" radio broadcasts as well as the Pat Summitt TV Show, the Phillip Fulmer TV Show and the Bruce Pearl TV Show during the season. An additional option is the College Pass subscription, which includes broadcasts for more than 100+ schools, and costs $9.95 per month. SEC COACHES MADE PICKS The Southeastern Conference unveiled its third annual women's basketball preseason All-SEC first and second teams on Oct. 24, 2006. Tennessee led all schools with three selections as sophomore All-American Candace Parker was named to the first team, while Lady Vol juniors Alexis Hornbuckle and Nicky Anosike earned spots on the second team. The preseason All-SEC are voted on by the SEC Head Women's Basketball Coaches. (#-Unanimous Selection) FIRST TEAM ALL-SEC DeWanna Bonner, Auburn G 6-4 So. Sha Brooks, Florida G 5-7 So. Cori Chambers, Georgia G 5-9 Sr. Tasha Humphrey, Georgia# F 6-3 Jr. Sylvia Fowles, LSU# C 6-6 Jr. Armintie Price, Ole Miss# G 5-9 Sr. Candace Parker, Tennessee# F/C/G 6-4 So. Dee Davis, Vanderbilt G 5-7 Sr. SECOND TEAM ALL-SEC Navonda Moore, Alabama G/F 5-10 Sr. Sarah Pfeifer, Arkansas F 6-0 Sr. Samantha Mahoney, Kentucky G 5-10 Jr. Erica White, LSU G 5-3 Jr. Melanie Johnson, South Carolina F 6-1 Sr. Alexis Hornbuckle, Tennessee G 5-11 Jr. Nicky Anosike, Tennessee F/C 6-4 Jr. Carla Thomas, Vanderbilt F/C 6-3 Sr. SEC MEDIA DAY VOTING Tennessee was selected to finish first in the SEC in a unanimous vote by the media on Oct. 26, 2006, at Media Days in Birmingham, Ala. Sophomore hoopster Candace Parker led the way for the Big Orange with a selection as the unanimous choice for SEC Player of the Year while teammate Alexis Hornbuckle was tabbed for the second team. Six-time SEC Coach of the Year Pat Summitt has guided Big Orange to 13 SEC regular season crowns and 12 SEC Tournament Championships. *1. TENNESSEE 19 (all first place votes) 2. Georgia (48), 3. LSU (51), 4. Vanderbilt (85), 5. Kentucky (91), 6. Florida (126), 7. Ole Miss (146), 8. Auburn (150), 9. South Carolina (163), 10. Arkansas (182),11. Alabama (203), 12. Mississippi St. (218). All-SEC First Team (Listed by Vote Total) *Candace Parker, Tennessee *Sylvia Fowles, LSU Tasha Humphrey, Georgia Armintie Price, Ole Miss Sha Brooks, All-SEC Second Team (by Vote Total) Dee Davis, Vanderbilt Cori Chambers, Georgia Carly Ormerod, Kentucky DeWanna Bonner, Auburn Alexis Hornbuckle, Tennessee Carla Thomas, Vanderbilt Angel Robinson, Georgia Player of the Year *Candace Parker, Tennessee (19) *denotes unanimous selection FOUR TOP PLAYERS INK WITH LADY VOL BASKETBALL University of Tennessee Lady Volunteer Basketball Coach Pat Summitt confirmed that she had received all final paperwork from signees Vicki Baugh, Angie Bjorklund, Kelley Cain and Sydney Smallbone. . The NCAA early signing period began on Wed., Nov. 8 and all four players signed that day and faxed their signed letters-of-intent to Tennessee. "We are very excited to have signed this outstanding class of student-athletes to come to the University of Tennessee," said Summitt. "Individually and collectively, they are regarded as some of the top prospects in the nation. All four players will be an excellent fit and complement the players on our roster. Our coaching staff and team are thrilled that these talented young women will be wearing Tennessee Orange and White next season," said Summitt. A number of pollsters who rate signing classes have given Tennessee the nod for the nation's best recruiting class. Ironically, all four players took their official visits to Tennessee on the same weekend. Talented shooters Bjorklund, a 6-0 guard from Spokane Valley, Wash. (University H.S.), and Smallbone, a 5-9 guard from Granger, Ind. (St. Joseph's H.S.) had committed as juniors. Baugh, a 6-4 forward from Sacramento, Calif. (Sacramento H.S.), and Cain, a 6-6 center from Atlanta, Ga. (St. Pius X H.S.) were sought-after as key frontline players to bolster the Lady Vol attack. "As a coaching staff, we talked about the fact that this would be the best recruiting class in the country. Certainly one of the reasons that we felt like we wanted to sign (four) in this class was the quality of the players that were in it," said Summitt. "There were times when I was a little concerned because we only brought six people to campus and obviously we signed four. It just worked out." The Lady Vols lose three seniors after the 2006-07 season, starting forward Sidney Spencer and reserves Dominique Redding and Elizabeth Curry. The incoming class of four signees will shore up most all of the needs on the coaches' wish list. "We identified our needs in the class," Summitt said. "We felt like if we could get two guards and two frontline players that we could obviously put together a very successful recruiting endeavor, and we did. Each of these players are great, skilled athletes who are capable of playing multiple positions. I love the versatility in each of their games and their hunger to become the very best," Summitt concluded. |
