No. 5 Lady Vols Look to Rebound Against No. 21/20 Vanderbilt

THE GAME

The #5/5-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols (18-4, 8-1 SEC) will try to bounce back from their first regular season SEC loss in three years taking on the #21/20 Vanderbilt Commodores (17-5, 6-3 SEC) at home this afternoon. Vandy is one of three SEC teams the Lady Vols face twice this season - UT defeated the Commodores last month (1-16-05) in Nashville, 79-65. The Lady Vols will be trying to extend their 58 consecutive SEC home game winning streak. The last SEC loss at home was to Georgia on Dec. 8, 1996, 94-93 (OT).

LADY VOLS AT A GLANCE

This is the Lady Vols' 31st season under Head Coach Pat Summitt...She has compiled a staggering 870-171 overall record...Needs just 10 wins to become the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history...Her 2003-04 squad finished as the NCAA runner-up with a 31-4 record...UT also is the seven-time-consecutive defending SEC regular season champion, and has been picked by both the media and the coaches to finish first in this year's SEC race as well.

UT returns seven letterwinners and welcomes eight newcomers...Rookie Alex Fuller (Shelbyville, Tenn.) will redshirt this season after undergoing knee surgery in October...The loss to LSU in UT's last outing, snapped the Lady Vols 10-game winning streak dating back to the Dec. 29, 2004 loss at #24 Rutgers...Tennessee's senior trio of Shyra Ely, Brittany Jackson and Moore have fashioned a 49-2 overall record in four seasons in SEC league games...Until the loss to LSU on Thursday, their previous only loss came at the hands of Vanderbilt, 76-59, on Feb. 2, 2002, as rookies...UT will be displaying their eighth different line-up of the season starting three guards and two centers against Vanderbilt - how's that for a new look!

QUICK LOOK AT THE COMMODORES

The Commodores Ashley Earley scored a team-high 17 points and #21/20 Vanderbilt (17-5, 6-3 SEC) had a defensive stop in the final five seconds as they held on to defeat Auburn, 66-64 on Feb. 10 in Nashville. Dee Davis and Abi Ramsey each had 12 points while Cherish Stringfield and Katie Antony combined for 19 points off the bench. VU committed a season-low eight turnovers, but shot just 40 percent from the field. Vanderbilt has now won four straight games following a three-game losing skid (Tennessee, Ole Miss and LSU) that started after the Lady Vols defeated VU on Jan. 16. Vandy has had a hot hand during its four-game winning streak. Earley has averaged 19 points and 10.8 rebounds while Carla Thomas has averaged 18.8 points and 6.0 boards. Senior Abi Ramsey has connected on 44 percent (16-36) of her three-pointers and averaged 16.5 points.

The "No Love Lost" SEC rivalry between Tennessee and Vanderbilt continues today for the 50th time with a meeting in Knoxville as an ESPN2 "Rivalry Week" audience looks on. Under the direction of coach Melanie Balcomb, the Commodores are 17-5 overall and 6-3 in the SEC this season. Senior Ashley Earley leads the charge for Vanderbilt tossing in 18.6 ppg while connecting on 63.4% of her shots

OUR SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

The #5-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols continue their Thursday-Sunday SEC schedule returning home to entertain #21/20 Vanderbilt on Feb. 13. ESPN2 has the telecast.

LADY VOLS ON TV

Seventeen Lady Vol regular season games are slated for television this season. Upcoming games on TV: Vandy (ESPN2). South Carolina (CSS).

ON THIS DAY

Tennessee is 6-1 in their history when playing on Feb. 13. The Lady Vols are 4-0 at home, 2-0 on the road, and 0-1 on neutral courts. The last time out on the 13th, the Lady Vols defeated Florida, 97-78, at home in 2000.

LOOKING BACK

Last year at this time, the Lady Vols (20-2) had just defeated Georgia on the road, 70-67.

THE COUNTDOWN - 10 TO GO

Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt is just 10 wins away from passing Dean Smith (879) as the winningest coach in NCAA basketball. Summitt now has 870 wins.

EMOTIONAL WEEK FOR FLUKER

Tennessee junior Tye'sha Fluker turned in a gutsy 20 minutes against LSU scoring six points and grabbing six rebounds. UT had missed Fluker for the previous two games versus Ole Miss and Florida ...Fluker flew home to Pasadena, Calif., on Feb. 1 to be with her grandmother, Charlotte Creamer, who was gravely ill...Creamer, Tye's maternal grandmother, passed away on Feb. 2...The funeral was Wed., Feb. 9 in California...Fluker took a red-eye to Baton Rouge following the services to rejoin her team at LSU.

SUMMITT NEARS RUPP'S RECORD

Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt (870-171) has five regular season games remaining, a possible three in the SEC Tournament and who knows in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. More than likely, she should catch Adolph Rupp (876-190), second all-time in NCAA Division 1 coaches' victories, in the next couple of weeks.

ANEMIC OFFENSE ? -- 64 POINTS IN A HALF

The Lady Vols have struggled, struggled I tell you, to score 64 points in a game this season averaging just 68.7 ppg (for the whole game) going into the contest with Ole Miss on Feb. 6. In that contest, Tennessee erupted for 64 second half points, connected on 57.9 percent (22-38) field goals, 58.3 percent treys (7-12) and 81.3 percent free throws (13-16). All 11 dressed players got into the game.

A BRIGHT SPOT -- HOW BOUT THAT Shanna Zolman!

Junior guard Shanna Zolman came off the bench in the last four games and was Tennessee's leading scorer in the overtime win at Florida, versus Ole Miss at home and against LSU. In the loss to the Lady Tigers, she was UT's only bright spot tossing in 21 points in 26 minutes. Zolman set a career high for points in the contest versus Florida with 28. She also set a career FG mark at .889. In the OT at Florida, Zolman led the Lady Vols with seven points in overtime to cap the win. Against Ole Miss, her five treys led the way in tying the school record for 13 three's in a single game. Her seven attempts also helped to set the new school record for most three's attempted. Her four free throws down the stretch versus Georgia were key to the Lady Vol win. Her numbers were phenomenal for the last FOUR SEC games - 20.3 ppg, 58% from the field, 55% of three pointers, and 89% of her free throws. For the week, Zolman - a sub who logged 100 minutes scored 81 points - to lead UT to key SEC wins over #18/20 Georgia. at Florida in OT, versus Ole Miss and in the loss to top ranked LSU.

VU SERIES TIDBITS

Tennessee and Vanderbilt have a storied past. This will mark the 50th meeting between these SEC foes. UT has played Vandy 29 times since 1994. No other team has recorded as many back-to-back games with the Lady Vols in single seasons since UT played Old Dominion home-and-home and in the postseason (practically every year) in the late 1970s and early 80s. Though the Lady Vols possess a dominant 43-6 advantage in the overall series, the last several years have brought a more competitive match-up as UT has edged Vandy 9-2 in the past 11 meetings. Vanderbilt and Tennessee met in the SEC's tournament finals twice with UT winning in 1994 and VU triumphing in 1995. Overall, UT is 6-2 in postseason meetings with Vandy.

FIFTY IS NIFTY

Vanderbilt becomes the first opponent to face UT 50 times in the series.

OUR LAST MEETING WITH VANDERBILT

The No. 8/10-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols rallied back from a 15-point first half deficit to defeat No. 17/15 Vanderbilt, 79-65, before a crowd of 9,651 at Memorial Gym in Nashville, Tenn., on Jan. 16. With the victory, UT has now triumphed over the Commodores in each of the last seven meetings and extended its SEC regular season winning streak to 36 games. Early on, it was all Vanderbilt as the Black and Gold connected on their first nine shots from the floor to build a 14-point lead, 24-10, at the 12:37 mark. Following the second media timeout, however, the Lady Vols narrowed the margin to just eight after a pair of three-pointers by Brittany Jackson. VU responded with a 7-0 spurt to take its biggest lead of the game, 31-16. Determined not to be put away easily, Pat Summitt's squad charged back with a 13-0 run, capped by a pair of Tye'sha Fluker free throws, and trailed by just two with a little more than five minutes left in the opening half. UT would even the score with a three-pointer by Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood as the buzzer sounded, and the teams went to the locker room with the contest knotted at 37 apiece. Following the intermission, neither team was able to make a significant run as the margin was no more than four points in favor of either side through the opening 12 minutes. However, the Big Orange finally pulled ahead by utilizing a full-court press and rattled off a 13-0 run to lead 72-59 with 3:56 remaining. Vanderbilt would get no closer than nine points the rest of the way as UT sealed the 14-point victory. The Lady Vols were led by a quartet of players in double figures: Shanna Zolman (20), Alexis Hornbuckle (16) and Fluker and Jackson (14). Fluker's total equaled a career high, and she just missed out on a double-double by equaling a career high in rebounds with nine.

UT AND VANDY RANKED MEETINGS IN 2004-05

The Lady Vols game against #1 LSU marked the Lady Vols (5-4) ninth game versus a ranked team this season. Meanwhile Vanderbilt (0-2) will be meeting its third ranked opponent. UT defeated #15 DePaul, 78-63, #2 Stanford, 70-67, #15/14 UConn, 68-67, #17/15 Vandy, 79-65 and #18/20 Georgia, 77-70, but lost to #4 Texas, 74-59, #10/9 Duke, 59-57, #24 Rutgers, 65-51 and LSU, 68-58. Vanderbilt is 0-2 against teams ranked in the top 25 this season. The Commodores have lost to #8 Tennessee, 79-65 and #2 LSU 79-68.

LOOKING AHEAD TO SOUTH CAROLINA

South Carolina (6-17 overall; 0-9 SEC) gets its crack at knocking off #1/1 LSU this afternoon at the Colonial Center. The Gamecocks travel to Knoxville on Feb. 17 for a 7:00 p.m. CSS showdown at Thompson-Boling Arena. This season, the Lady Vols already defeated USC, 68-53, on Jan. 27, 2005. Sunday's game versus LSU is the second in a three-game stretch in the schedule it which Carolina battles some of the nation's best. The Gamecocks lost at Georgia (67-51) Thurs., Feb.10, host top-ranked LSU today, before traveling to Knoxville for a date with No. 5/5 Tennessee. The #18-ranked Georgia Lady Bulldogs claimed a 67-51 win over South Carolina on Feb. 10 at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens. Georgia put its stamp on the game with quickness, hustle and defensive intensity from the onset, getting out to a 10-2 lead after the first four minutes. USC turnovers were a big part of the Bulldogs' early surge, as the Gamecocks gave the ball away four times during the run, including a shot-clock violation on the first possession of the game. USC turned the ball over 13 times in the first half and 22 times in the game. Carolina was able to gnaw into the deficit when Bulldog center Tasha Humphrey went to the bench with early foul trouble, but four first-half three-pointers from Georgia guard Megan Darrah led the Bulldogs into the locker room at the half with a 38-26 lead. Humphrey, who is Georgia's leading scorer and rebounder, was saddled with foul trouble all game, and finished with eight points and five rebounds. The Bulldogs came out of the half strong, going on another 10-2 run to expand the lead to 48-28 and put the game out of reach. Sophomore Lauren Simms led the Gamecocks with 10 points, marking her 15th double-figure scoring game of the season while USC forward Iva Sliskovic grabbed 10 rebounds, marking a new season high for the sophomore against SEC opposition. Carolina played again without starting point guard Lea Fabbri, who missed her second game as she remains in Croatia to be with her father, who is ill in the hospital. Fabbri is out of the lineup indefinitely.

WE CAN PLAY SOME "D"

The Lady Vols have been stingy against the some of the nation's best in 2004-05. Tennessee has faced four of the top seven offenses in the nation (heading into this week), holding each opponent at least nine points below their season averages:

NCAA's TOP OFFENSES

1) DePaul - averaging 83.1 ppg, the Tennessee defense held to 63
2) Vanderbilt averaging 81.2 ppg, the Tennessee defense held to 65
6) Duke averaging 77.5 ppg, the Tennessee defense held to 59
7) Stanford averaging 77.4 ppg, the Tennessee defense held to 67

These teams were held to a combined 65.7 points below their season averages, or 16.4 per game.

LAST TIME IN KNOXVILLE

Tennessee head Coach Pat Summitt's 1,000th-career game ended the same way as most of the first 999 - with a Lady Vol victory - as second-ranked UT defeated intrastate rival Vanderbilt, 79-54, before a crowd of 12,272 on Jan. 22, 2004 at Thompson-Boling Arena. With the triumph, UT improves its record to 15-1 overall and 5-0 in league play. Additionally, the Big Orange has now won 50 consecutive conference home games and owns a 25-game regular-season SEC winning streak. The play was sloppy early as the teams combined to commit seven turnovers in the opening three minutes of play. With the score tied at two nearly four minutes into the contest, the Lady Vols found their rhythm and went on a 16-4 run to lead 18-6 following a Brittany Jackson bucket at the 11:54 mark. UT would go up by as many as 14 in the opening stanza before taking a comfortable 11-point lead to the locker room, 33-22. In the first half, UT shot 48 percent (15-31) from the floor and forced the Commodores into 15 turnovers. Following the intermission, Coach Summitt's squad recorded the first basket, but VU would not go away and cut the margin to just six, 44-38, with 12:49 remaining. The Lady Vols responded quickly, however, and scored the next 12 points over a three-minute stretch to push their advantage to 18, 56-38. UT would gradually pull away down the stretch en route to its 25-point triumph. Offensively, the Orange and White was led by junior Shyra Ely, who posted a season-high 22 points and snared a game-high eight boards. Jackson also came up big offensively, scoring 15 points on 5-of-5 shooting. A trio of Lady Vols just missed double figures, as senior Ashley Robinson, junior Loree Moore and freshman Sidney Spencer all registered eight points apiece. Defensively, Moore swiped three steals and moved into a tie for 10th place on UT's all-time career list with former Lady Vol great Tonya Edwards (223). On the night, Tennessee shot 49.2 percent from the floor (31-63) and held the opposition to 43.5 percent shooting (20-46). UT also dominated the boards, snaring 41 rebounds to Vanderbilt's 28. Vandy's 26 turnovers also mark the fourth-consecutive contest that Tennessee's opponent has committed 20 or more giveaways.

CAREER STATS VS. VANDERBILT

Returning Lady Vol career statistics versus Vanderbilt can be found on p. 80 in the 2004-05 Tennessee media guide. Junior Shanna Zolman has proven that she enjoys playing against Vanderbilt, as she owns an 13.2 points per game average versus the Commodores and hits on 39% of her treys against the SEC rivals. Senior Shyra Ely is the second-leading scorer (11.8 ppg) and has connected at a .597 clip against the instate rivals.

HOW MANY GAMES?

There will be some discrepancy in the game notes as to the records for UT and Vandy in the all-time series. The Lady Vols records show that the first game between the two teams was played on Jan. 18, 1976 in Nashville. Tennessee won the contest, 96-27. Counting that game, UT has a 43-6 lead over the Commodores in the all-time series

VANDY HAS NEVER WON IN K-TOWN

Four of Vandy's wins in the series have come at Memorial Gymnasium on the Nashville campus, while two of the Commodores six victories over UT have come on neutral courts in the SEC Tourney. The closest Vanderbilt has come to claiming a win in Knoxville in 19 meetings was a two-point loss on Feb. 26, 1984, 74-72, in Stokely Athletics Center on the UT campus. Other near misses include a three-point loss in 1996 and a four-pointer on 2-22-01.

SERIES RANKINGS

Typically, going into the Tennessee versus Vanderbilt match-up, the Lady Vols have entered the contest as the higher ranked team. In fact, in the last 30 meetings dating back to Jan.30, 1993, the Commodores have been ranked higher just six times. Going into that memorable oversold game on the Nashville campus in 1993, Vanderbilt was ranked number one while the Lady Vols were a step behind at #2.

TURNSTILE HEAVEN

Tennessee and Vanderbilt love to attract the crowds on their campuses when the two teams meet. Here are all of the attendance averages dating back to 1986-87 season. KNOXVILLE TOTAL (AVG.) --14 games - 206,419 (14,744); NASHVILLE TOTAL (AVG)--17 games - 193,497 (11,382); NEUTRAL TOTAL (AVG)--7 games- 53,001 ( 7,571). Largest gatherings: 21,968 in Knoxville 2/22/01, 15,317 in Nashville 1/30/93 and 11,182 in Memphis 3/3/01.

ONCE, TWICE, THREE TIMES . . .

UT and Vandy have met three times in a season on seven different occasions.

THE TENNESSEE LADY VOLS - GREATEST OF ALL-TIME

On newsstands this week is Street & Smith's "Greatest College Basketball Programs of All Time." The publication ranked the Top 10 women's teams and the Top 100 men's teams. Tennessee received the top honors for the best women's program of all-time followed by: 2. Louisiana Tech, 3. Connecticut, 4. ODU, 5. Stanford, 6. Texas, 7. Montana, 8. Virginia, 9. SF Austin, and 10. Texas Tech.