Lady Vols Hit the Road for In-State Matchup with Chattanooga
November 20, 2008 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 20, 2008
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| November. 21, 2008 - 6:30 p.m. ET McKenzie Arena (11,218) - Chattanooga, Tenn. | |||
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GAME 3 - Chattanooga The #5/13-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols, 1-1 overall, hit the road for the fi rst time this season and travels down I-75 South to face sister school UT-Chattanooga, 1-0 overall, on Fri., Nov. 21 at 6:30 p.m. CSS has the telecast from the McKenzie Arena. OUTSIDE THE BOXSCORE Virginia was Tennessee's fi rst ranked opponent of the 2008-09 season...The Cavs were ranked #16/15 when they defeated the #5/6 Lady Vols...Tennessee's 2008-09 slate includes 11 contests against currently ranked opposition...Last season, Tennessee faced a total of 20 ranked opponents in 38 games and produced a 18-2 record... GLORY BE...JOHNSON IS THE SEC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK University of Tennessee rookie hoopster Glory Johnson (Knoxville, Tenn.) was named Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Week (Nov. 10-16) for her performance in the Lady Vols' 68-39 season-opening win over San Francisco. Against the Dons, Johnson became only the 11th freshman to start her fi rst game in the Orange and White for Head Coach Pat Summitt. The Webb School product was 7-of-11, 63 percent, from the fi eld to fi nish with a team-high 17 points. She also hauled in a team-high 12 rebounds, eight of which came on the offensive end, for her fi rst career double-double. LADY VOLS AT A GLANCE This is the Lady Vols' 35th season under Head Coach Pat Summitt...She has compiled a staggering 984-183 overall record... Is just 16 wins away from a remarkable 1,000 career victories...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 2006-07 and 2007-08 squads were crowned as the NCAA Champions producing the program's seventh and eighth titles...Last season, UT fi nished with a 36-2 overall record and were also the SEC Tournament Champions... This season, UT returned fi ve letterwinners, a redshirt freshman and welcomed a talented six-pack rookie class...The 2008-09 season marked the Lady Vol debut for freshmen: #1 Briana Bass, a 5-2 guard from Indianapolis, Ind., #10 Amber Gray, a 6-1 forward/ center from West Chester, Ohio, #15 Alicia Manning, a 6-1 guard/forward from Woodstock, Ga., #25 Glory Johnson, a 6-3 forward from Knoxville, Tenn., #33 Alyssia Brewer, a 6-3 forward from Sapulpa, Okla. and #40 Shekinna Stricklen, a 6-2 guard/forward from Morrilton, Ark. -- all saw their fi rst action in the Orange and White this season. A redshirt freshman, #52 Kelley Cain, a 6-6 center from Atlanta, Ga., will be restarting her rookie season after undergoing surgery last December. OUR SCHEDULE THIS WEEK Really busy! Earlier this week, Tennessee hosted No. 16/15-ranked Virginia and came away with a disappointing 83-82 loss on Nov. 17. The Lady Vols now make the short drive down I-75 to face Chattanooga (1-0) on Nov. 21. Tennessee then returns home to host rival Louisiana Tech (0-1) on Nov. 23 and former Lady Vol coach Kellie Jolly Harper's Western Carolina Catamounts (0-1) on Nov. 25. ON THIS DAY IN LADY VOL BASKETBALL HISTORY UT is 8-0 all-time on November 21st featuring a 4-0 record at home, a 2-0 slate on the road and a 2-0 mark on neutral courts. The last time the Lady Vols were in action on this date, Tennessee came away with a 67-49 victory over West Virginia on a neutral court in Charleston, WV in 2007. It was the Alexis Hornbuckle Homecoming game. LOOKING BACK Last year at this time, the #1-ranked Lady Vols were 4-0 on the campaign having defeated UT-Chattanooga in the season-opener, 76-56, #9-ranked Oklahoma 70-67, #21 Texas, 92-67, and #15 West Virginia, 67-49. LADY VOLS ON TV Currently, 20 Lady Vol regular season games are slated for television this season. Upcoming TV games include: UT-Chattanooga (CSS) and MTSU (FSN South). Last season, UT had a school record 36 television appearances. UT is 1-1 in TV games this year. PREVIEWING CHATTANOOGA The Lady Mocs had several players step up offensively in the preseason. In the Blue-Gold game, sophomore Anelia Murray and junior Jenaya Wade-Fray led their team to victory. Murray went 8-for-8 from the fi eld while Wade-Fray poured in four 3-pointers on a 6-for-7 effort to lead all scorers with 18 points. In Chattanooga's lone exhibition game vs. Lee, Shanara Hollinquest notched a double-double with 24 points and 13 rebounds. She was 9-of-12 from the fi eld and drained her fi rst-ever 3-pointer. Sophomore Bailey Dewart stepped up to give the Lady Mocs a lift in the fi rst half draining a trio of 3-pointers to pull UTC ahead by double-digits. Chattanooga doused the Lady Flames 72-49 in the exhibition. IN THEIR OPENER VS. ETSU Chattanooga overcame a 14-point second half defi cit to defeat East Tennessee State 77-71 in the Lady Mocs season opener on Nov. 17 at the McKenzie Arena. After trailing 41-30 at the half, the Lady Mocs, 1-0, fell further behind as TaRonda Wiles added four points to her game-high 27 to give the visiting Lady Bucs, 0-2, a 48-33 lead at the 18:45 mark of the second half. From there Chattanooga started chipping away at ETSU's lead with a 25-10 run to tie the game 58-58 with 8:10 to play. Tagan Hatchett drained a 3-pointer at the 7:23 mark to give UTC a 61-60 lead and the Lady Mocs would never trail again. Tenisha Townsend backed that up with a "3" to spread the lead to four and Hatchett buried another followed by a Shanara Hollinquest layup to give Chattanooga its biggest lead of the game, 69-61, with 5:49 to play. The nail-biter wasn't over as the Bucs cut the lead to 70-69 with 1:19 to play. The Lady Mocs got a lay-in from Jenaya Wade-Fray and went 5-for-6 from the free throw line down the stretch to get the win. Hollinquest recorded her seventh career double-double, leading the Lady Mocs with 18 points and 15 boards. She was one of fi ve Chattanooga players in doublefi gures that included Erin Ogan's 11 points and eight rebounds, Wade-Fray's 14 and 10 each from LaCondra Mason and Tagan Hatchett. Chattanooga outrebounded the Bucs 47-42 and had 19 assists to ETSU's 12. The Lady Mocs shot just 37.5 percent from the fi eld in the fi rst half, but had a much better second stanza making 16-of-33 for a 48.5 percent effort in the second. VERSUS THE SoCon Tennessee has fashioned a 39-20 record all-time against six schools in the Southern Conference. UT is 3-5 vs. Appalachian St., 1-0 vs. the College of Charleston, 4-0 vs. Furman, 0-2 vs. UNC Greensboro, 22-6 vs. Chattanooga and 9-7 vs. Western Carolina. OUR LAST MEETING WITH UTC Candace Parker was discouraged after an uncharacteristic poor-shooting performance in the fi rst half. With a little encouragement from her coach and teammates she went right back to the basket in the second half and fi nished with 23 points, leading No. 1 Tennessee to a 76-56 victory over Chattanooga in its season opener on Nov. 11. Parker hit eight of 10 shots in the second half, and the defending national champions won their season opener for the eighth straight year and improved to 31-3 in openers under coach Pat Summitt. Freshman Vicki Baugh added 11 points, and freshman Angie Bjorklund became only the 10th Lady Vol to start the fi rst game of her Tennessee career. She fi nished with eight points. Nicky Anosike had 10 rebounds and nine points, falling one tally shy of the sixth double-double of her career. Summitt described the game a good reminder of how opponents will be prepared for the defending champions. Tennessee scored the fi rst fi ve points and never trailed, despite holding only a single digit lead until midway through the second period. Chattanooga (1-1) didn't score until Laura Hall's three-pointer with 16:26 to go and trailed 32-28 at halftime. The Lady Mocs went to the NCAA tournament last season as the Southern Conference tournament champion. Chattanooga stayed close by hitting 8-of-22 from three-point range. The Lady Vols forced Chattanooga into 32 turnovers, which UT turned into 21 points. Parker and Shannon Bobbitt were a large part of that defensive pressure, each pocketing a career-high fi ve steals. Much taller at most positions, the Big Orange scored 42 points in the paint, compared to just 18 by UTC. Hall led Chattanooga with 15 points, and Shanara Hollinquest added 13. The UT-UTC Series Tennessee leads 22-6
THE SERIES This marks the 29th meeting between the two schools dating back to the 1924 season. The Lady Vols dominated the series in the 1920s rolling up a 4-0 record. Chattanooga enjoyed its six-win success over UT in the early 1970 pre-Pat Head (Summitt) Era. Summitt's Lady Vols have won the last 16 consecutive games over the Lady Mocs. AVERAGE SCORE The average score of a UT-UTC game during the Summitt Era is 84.8 (1272 points) for UT and 60.9 (914 points) for UTC. LAST LADY VOL GAME AT UTC The Lady Vols last game at Chattanooga was the season opener on Nov. 19, 2004 when the number one Lady Vols doubled the score on the Lady Mocs, 68-34. Current UT RS-senior Alex Fuller was a sidelined Lady Vol rookie for that game. UT'S "ROUNDHOUSE" RECORD Tennessee is familiar with The McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga. In the six Southeastern Conference Championships contested in Chattanooga beginning in 1993, the Lady Vols produced a 16-3 overall record and claimed four SEC Tournament titles in 1994, 1996, 1999 and 2000. Add in the 2001 and 2004 games vs. UTC, and UT is 18-3 in the McKenzie Arena. Sophomore Vicki Baugh might be cleared for this weekend's games. Jenny Moshak, University of Tennessee Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Medicine, indicated that the strength in Baugh's quad has increased signifi cantly. The super soph had anterior cruciate ligament reconstructive surgery on May 13, 2008. Baugh, a 6-4 forward from Sacramento, Cal., made some key plays in the NCAA title game versus Stanford. With a little more than seven minutes to play, her slashing-through-the-key layup gave the Lady Vols a double-digit lead (55-44) that they would not relinquish down the stretch en route to NCAA Championship number eight. Unfortunately for Baugh, that was the play when the injury occurred to her left knee. Against Stanford, she scored eight points and recorded four rebounds in 13 minutes of action. On April 11, an MRI confi rmed that Baugh had torn her ACL. "As a freshman, Vicki played a signifi cant role for our basketball team," said Tennessee coach Pat Summitt. "Some of her key contributions came in the six games during our national championship run and in the SEC title game - things were really starting to come together for her and it's just so unfortunate that she suffered a torn ACL. "I'm excited about Vicki's future...The knee will be a setback but I know she'll come back stronger and more determined than ever," said Summitt. During her freshman season, Baugh played in all 38 games helping the Lady Vols to a 36-2 record. She averaged 5.3 ppg and 4.0 rpg in 13.1 minutes per contest. She shot a team best 55.2 percent from the fi eld (79-143) and knocked in 77.8 percent of her charity tosses. She recorded six games in double-digits scoring including a season high 12 point effort versus Purdue in the NCAA Tournament. Baugh had a monster game on the boards against Louisiana Tech hauling in 16 rebounds. FIRST LOSS IN SECOND GAME OF THE SEASON The last time Tennessee opened the season with a 1-1 record was during the 2002-03 campaign. The Lady Vols started the year with a win over #22-ranked Oklahoma, 94-68, and then fell to #1-ranked Duke, 76-55, in the Jimmy V Classic at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C. UT met Duke again later that season and handed the Blue Devils a 66-56 loss in the NCAA Final Four semifi - nals. SO THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS The much anticipated countdown to Coach Pat Summitt's 1,000 career victories has begun. Summitt (with 984 wins) now needs just 16 victories to hit the magic mark and with such a young team, it will be awfully hard to predict when that could be in 2008-09. Last year, UT grabbed win number 17 on Jan. 24 vs. Arkansas (98-55) and in 2006-07, win number 17 occurred on Jan. 18 with a victory over Miss. State. Traditionally, Tennessee has reached 17 wins in 20.5 games each season (on average).
TV ADDED AND TIP TIME CHANGED AT UT-C CSS has opted to air the Tennessee at UTChattanooga contest on Nov. 21 at the McKenzie Arena. As a result, the game will be moved up a half-hour with tip-off at 6:30 p.m. On the UTC campus, it's "Pack the House Challenge" as the Lady Mocs look to set a women's basketball attendance record at the "Roundhouse.". SUMMITT RECEIVES AWARD Coach Pat Summitt was selected as an inaugural recipient of the Joe Lapchick Character Award. Also honored at the Nov. 20 ceremony at Madison Square Garden in New York City was Hall of Fame coaches Lou Carnesecca of St. John's and Dean Smith of North Carolina. "It is an honor to have been selected as the fi rst recipient of the Joe Lapchick Character Award. He was a legendary fi gure on both the collegiate and professional level of our game," said Summitt. "I am humbled to accept an award which bears his name." UPCOMING OPPONENTS The Lady Vols return home for three games in the next week -- on Sunday, Nov. 23 Louisiana Tech comes to town for at 3 p.m. game...Tues., Nov. 25 fi nds former Lady Vol three-time NCAA Champ Kellie Jolly Harper returning to Rocky Top with her Western Carolina team for a 7 p.m. tip and DePaul rolls into Knoxville for a Sun., Nov. 30 contest at 3 p.m. at the Arena. BUMPS AND BRUISES Several Lady Vols have been nicked up already this season and qualify for "Moshak's Medical Moments." Most recently, Vicki Baugh, Angie Bjorklund and Kelley Cain have been dinged up. Vicki Baugh-Closer to returning to the court. Rehabbing torn ACL suffered in the 2008 NCAA title game. Angie Bjorklund- Dealing with back spasms. MRI revealed a bulging disc in her back. Conservative treatment underway and she is listed day-to-day. Kelley Cain- Suffered a concussion in practice Nov. 10. Was cleared to play on Nov. 17. Is back listed as day-to-day. Cait McMahan-occasionally resting knees as needed. BETTER BUY A PROGRAM Six Lady Vols made their rookie debut on Sat., Nov. 15 against San Francisco. About the newbies... Shekinna Stricklen and Alyssia Brewer are fi rst-time Lady Vols from their home states, Arkansas and Oklahoma, respectively. Briana Bass, from Indianapolis, Ind., grew up watching Tamika Catchings play for the WNBA's Indiana Fever from a bird-eye view. Bass was a ball girl for the Fever. Glory Johnson is the sixth player from Knoxville to don a Lady Vol jersey. She joins Liza Graves (1975-78), Holly Warlick (1976-80), Pat Hatmaker (1980-84), walk-on Kristie Snyder (1983-84) and Tanika Smith (1993-95) as local products who wore the orange and white. Alicia Manning, from Woodstock, Ga., is sure happy that video streaming and Lady Vol radio broadcasts are available on the internet. Her parents (Virginia and Jeff) currently live in Hawaii where her dad has a job. Amber Gray lives in a long shadow. Her father, Carlton had a seven-year playing career as an NFL defensive back. Her great grandfather, Benjamin Hooks, was a colleague of Martin Luther King and once headed the NAACP. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. KEEP AN EYE ON REBOUNDING For two of the past three seasons, the Lady Vols have reset all-time low rebounding marks. The 2007 NCAA Champs hold the distinction as the worst UT rebounding team of all-time with just 38.4 rpg. The 2008 NCAA Champs collected 40.9 rpg and fi nished as the sixth worst in Lady Vol history last year. The two 2008-09 exhibition tilts found the Lady Vols averaging 63.0 rpg and allowing just 31.5 rpg. GET THIS... It's a fact that Tennessee has produced some of the greatest players ever in women's collegiate basketball. It's a little known fact that there has only been one double-fi gure rebounder in the history of the program -- Olympian and Kodak All- American Patricia Roberts. Roberts hauled in 14.2 rpg (467 total) in her only season as a Lady Vol in 1976-77. She also claimed scoring honors with 29.9 ppg (987 points). In 2006-07, Candace Parker came the closest to a double-fi gure rebounding average but had to settle for 9.8 rpg. TENNESSEE'S SEASON-OPENERS Over the last 35 years on opening day, the Lady Vols have won 32 times and lost just three contests. Coach Pat Summitt lost her very fi rst game as a college head coach -- a heartbreaking onepoint 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 fi rst contest of the 1999-2000 campaign dropping a 69-64 decision to La Tech on Nov. 14, 1999. Until the loss to the Lady Techsters, the Lady Vols had won 18 consecutive openers. BANNER RAISING For the second season in a row, the Lady Vols hoisted a banner to the Thompson-Boling Arena rafters to commemorate another NCAA title. Championship number eight was celebrated on Nov. 15 in pregame ceremonies before the Lady Vols' game with San Francisco. NCAA MVP Candace Parker and Alberta Auguste were on hand representing two of the starting fi ve who completed their eligibility after season's end last year. Quan and Jerome Hornbuckle stood in for their daughter Alexis who is currently playing in Turkey. Also playing professionally overseas and unable to attend were Shannon Bobbitt (playing in Turkey) and Nicky Anosike (playing in Israel). Prior to raising the 2007 Championship last Nov. 18 on the day the Lady Vols defeated #21/22 Texas, 92- 67, nine years and fi ve days had passed since the Tennessee Lady Vols last hung a NCAA Championship banner in Thompson-Boling Arena. On Nov. 13, 1998, UT celebrated the 1998 title with a banner raising against another WCC school, the Portland Pilots with a 94-57 win. JUST AN EXHIBITION The two exhibition games - versus Carson-Newman and Love & Basketball did not count toward UT head coach Pat Summitt's career wins. TOP OF THE LADDER In partnership with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), Werner Ladder, the Offi cial Ladder of the NCAA ®Basketball Championships, presented Coach Pat Summitt and her Tennessee Lady Volunteers with a pair of ladders in honor of their 2008 NCAA® Women's Basketball National Championship. One ladder, used to cut down the championship nets, was given to Coach Summitt while the second was signed by the coach and auctioned off with proceeds going to the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer FundTM. A presentation was made at the beginning of the San Francisco at Tennessee game on November 15. ALWAYS A HOT TICKET Joe Arnone, UT Asst. AD for Tickets, says Lady Vol season ticket sales have been impressive despite the loss of fi ve starters from last year. Going into tonight's exhibition game, 10,491 season tickets have been sold. Last year, the Lady Vols sold 11,484 season ticket packages. POLLSTERS The Tennessee Lady Vols started the season in somewhat unfamiliar territory in the Top 25 Preseason polls. The Associated Press had UT in the seventh position to start the season, while the ESPN/USA TODAY Coaches Poll had UT in the sixth spot receiving one fi rst place vote. Tennessee's start in the AP poll is the lowest since the 1985-86 season when UT started in the number nine spot. HEY! WE LOVE A HAPPY MEAL The Tennessee Lady Vols lead the nation with the number of McDonald's High School All-Americans on their roster in 2008-09 with nine players. Rutgers follows with eight "Mickey D" selections and Duke has seven. Four schools have six McDonald's honorees on their rosters - North Carolina, Maryland, Stanford and Connecticut. Tennessee's McDonald's All-Americans: Vicki Baugh, Angie Bjorklund, Alyssia Brewer, Kelley Cain, Alex Fuller, Amber Gray, Glory Johnson, Alicia Manning and Shekinna Stricklen. GONZAGA GAME IS SOLD-OUT! All of the tickets were snatched up just a couple of hours after single game ducats for the Tennessee Lady Vols' showdown at Gonzaga went on sale on Monday, Oct. 28. Tennessee, the 2007 and 2008 defending NCAA Champions, are slated to play the Bulldogs at the McCarthey Athletic Center on Dec. 30. The game will be televised regionally on FSN. ELITE COMPANY On opening day versus San Francisco, rookies Glory Johnson and Shekinna Stricklen earned starts. Only once before in Lady Vol history have two rookies started on opening night - 23 years ago Bridgette Gordon and Sheila Frost earn starts in their very fi rst offi cial games as Lady Vols. When Pat Summitt started freshman forward Angie Bjorklund against the USA National Team on Nov. 4, 2007, it marked only the 10th time in her coaching career that a freshman started her very fi rst game at Tennessee. The list of opening day rookie starters: Angie Bjorklund 2007, Candace Parker, 2005, Shyra Ely 2001, Ashley Robinson 2000, Gwen Jackson 1999, Kyra Elzy 1996, Chamique Holdsclaw 1995, Tiffani Johnson 1994, Bridgette Gordon and Sheila Frost 1985. THE NOD Last season, Angie Bjorklund became the 52nd alltime Lady Vol to start during her freshman season -she started in 30 of 38 games. Previously, Cait McMahan earned a start at point guard versus Louisiana Tech during her freshman season. Prior to Cait's starting nod, then-redshirt freshman Candace Parker played and started in all 36 games her rookie season in 2005-06. A season earlier, Tennessee coach Pat Summitt liked what she saw out of the 2004-05 rookie class as two players earned starting nods during the season. Nicky Anosike played in all 35 games with 25 starting assignments and Alexis Hornbuckle played in all 35 games with 21 starts. This duo became the 48th and 49th rookies all-time to earn starting assignments at UT as rookies. The 2001-02 rookie class found three players earn a starting nod as Loree Moore, Shyra Ely and Brittany Jackson all started at some point as rookies. 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 fl oor 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 295-19 (.942) record since the Orange and White moved into the Thompson-Boling Arena to start the 1987- 88 season 20-years ago. Along the way, the Lady Vols have produced nine fl awless 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 19 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 19 all-time losses at TBA have come at the hands of just 10 teams: Virginia (2008), Florida (2006), LSU (2006, 2008), Duke (2004, 2007), Connecticut (2004, 2002, 2000, 1996), Louisiana Tech (1999, 1989), Georgia (1996, 1991), Texas (2003, 2002, 1987), Stanford (1996) and Auburn (1988). HOME SWEET HOME -- OVER 400 HOME WINS 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 34 years producing a 444-44 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 19 in Thompson-Boling Arena since 1987. A LOOK AT ATTENDANCE The Tennessee Lady Vols staying power with the home fans is evidenced by the huge numbers who have turned out for games in Knoxville since 1990. Tennessee has won the attendance challenge 13 out of the last 19 years. From 2000-08, the Lady Vols attracted 1,719,694 spectators per game for an average of 14,451 at 119. Texas Tech is second with 1,317,848 attending 108 games in Lubbock for an average of 12,202. Connecticut ranks third with 1,534,673 folks at 128 games for an average of 11,989. 100 POINT GAMES Since 1974, the Lady Vols have gone over the century mark 69 times. Last season, DePaul allowed 102 Tennessee points on Jan. 2, 2008. The 1987-88 team hit triple digits in seven games to lead the NCAA. IN OVERTIME The Lady Vols are 25-14 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 73-69 loss to Stanford on Dec. 22, 2007, on the road. LADY VOL STREAKS The Lady Vols last lost at home was against Virginia, 83-82, on Nov. 17, 2008, since then UT has not played a home game. The last time UT lost on the road was on Dec. 22, 2007 at Stanford, since then, UT is 11-0 in road games. The last time the Lady Vols lost on a neutral court was against LSU, 63-54, in the SEC semis game on Mar. 3, 2007. Since that time, UT is 16-0 on a neutral court. OVER 500 GAMES VS. RANKED Tennessee's game versus #12 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 398-151 (.724) versus ranked teams. The 2007-08 NCAA Champ Lady Vols were 18-2 versus ranked teams. LAST LOSS TO AN UNRANKED TEAM? It was in the 2005-06 season. 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 fi ve years previous (to the day) losing to Auburn on Mar. 2, 1997 at the SEC Tournament. TENNESSEE IN HOME EXHIBITIONS Until the loss to the USA National Team on Nov. 4, 2007, Tennessee had scored 17-consecutive victories against exhibition opponents...The streak began with an 111-54 dismantling of the U.S. Armed Forces on Nov. 4, 1997...UT has now posted a 33-4 record in home exhibition tilts... Losses were to USSR Olympic Team (102-59) in 1979, Athletes in Action (70-68) in 1992 and to the USA National Team (82-58) in 1995 and (83-72) in 2007. SEC COACHES SELECT LADY VOLS AS #2 The Southeastern Conference unveiled its fi fth annual women's basketball preseason All-SEC fi rst and second teams, Wed., Nov. 5, to tip off the 2008-09 season. In addition, the coaches voted on a predicted order of fi nish, overall champion and a preseason Player of the Year. Vanderbilt was predicted to win the SEC women's basketball regular season championship. The Commodores were 25- 9, 11-3 in the SEC last season. Vanderbilt tops the order of fi nish with Tennessee, Auburn, Georgia, LSU and Florida rounding out the top half of the league. Kentucky comes in at seven while Mississippi State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Arkansas and Alabama round out the bottom half of the conference. Auburn senior guard DeWanna Bonner was named SEC Women's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year while three Lady Vols were selected to either the fi rst or second teams.. Joining Bonner, on the All-SEC First Team were Florida's Marshae Dotson and Sha Brooks, Georgia's Ashley Houts, LSU's Allison Hightower, Ole Miss' Shawn Goff, Tennessee's Angie Bjorklund, and Vanderbilt's Christina Wirth. Second team: Auburn's Whitney Boddie and Sherell Hobbs, Georgia's Angel Robinson, Kentucky's Victoria Dunlap, Mississippi State's Marneshia Richard, South Carolina's Demetress Adams, Tennessee's Vicki Baugh and Shekinna Stricklen, and Vanderbilt's Jennifer Risper. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
