Coach Pat Summitt
UT Lady Vol Coach Pat Summitt teleconference transcript:
On her team's performance last night and against the recent PAC-10 schedule…
“I thought our Stanford game was one in which we stepped up and played together defensively and offensively. We managed to get in a little better rhythm with our offense and our spacing was better. We did a better job of extending our defense and changing our looks. Overall, that was a good win for us, and we executed better than we did against Arizona State. ASU extended more, but I was pleased with our play there. Against Louisiana Tech last night, in the first half, we played with a lot of energy and aggressiveness. In the second half, I thought we lost our intensity at times and we did not have necessarily as strong a commitment across the board from five players. It was good for Cait McMahan to get the experience of starting and playing 24 minutes. I thought Alberta Auguste, Dominique Redding and Alex Fuller did a good job off the bench. That’s the difference from this year’s team to last year’s team. We can maintain our lead and extend on it off our bench.”
On the upcoming game with North Carolina…
“Looking at North Carolina, they are very balanced and deep. They have great support off the bench with the point guard play and with what they have down the middle. Erlana Larkins was a really tough guard for us last year, and Camille Little can make great plays. They just have great balance and depth. Playing them on their home court will be a good challenge for us and just what this team needs. It will be a good measure of how good we are and where we can improve. When we play against a talented team like North Carolina that can expose weaknesses and challenge us, it will be good for us.”
On playing a difficult schedule so early…
“It gives you a better or more realistic view of where you are. I think some of the games that we played in were much more one sided, so we don’t expose our weaknesses in games like that. When you play quality opponents, Arizona State was aggressive on defense and UCLA had offensive players that were skilled and Stanford with their inside game, I think it gives us an opportunity to learn more about ourselves and identify where we need to get better. That is why we play the tough opponents that we face.”
On memories of UT-Martin…
“I had a wonderful experience there. I always tell our players, you have no idea, you have a lot of friends in high school but I think your lifelong friends come from experiences of college. That is certainly my experience from Martin. I had a chance to go to the first AIAW National Championship Tournament. It was more than I ever anticipated coming out of high school. It will be great to have a lot of those people at Thompson-Boling Arena and to play against UT-Martin.”
On coaching against UT-Martin head coach Tara Tansil…
“I have a lot of respect for her. Having a chance for their team and staff to be on our court and to see everyone from Martin, it is always a battle when we play them. I’m glad we could work out a game here in Knoxville.”
On naming of courts…
“I learned a lot just playing the game at UT-Martin. We played a lot of tough competition. Tennessee Tech was one of our biggest rivals in-state. Having the opportunity to compete against great teams and go onto the AIAW Nationals. We had a lot of support on campus. It was fun to have the student body come to our games and to have the relationships that I did with friends there, that was really special for me. The naming of the court was a tremendous honor and respect for me. I take a lot of pride in UT-Martin which is one of the reasons I went back to do their graduation commencement speech.”
On the growing rivalry with George Washington…
“We’ve had some great games. I always learn a lot just from their style of play. They do some similar things to what we do, but they mix up their defenses. Last year was a challenging game for us, and it is good for us to see their style of play. They are tough-minded and obviously well-coached and well-prepared.”
On relationship with George Washington Coach McKeown…
“I think it’s more than just basketball. We’ve developed a friendship and been able to talk basketball and to share. Typically we only play once during the year. When you have people that you respect and you’re not fighting in your conference for it, you can give and take and learn from them. I’ve been able to learn from not only the friendship but the coaching and competition as well.”
On how the experience will help in playing George Washington…
“It does help to have prior knowledge and experience of playing against them. I think for our team, they have grown accustomed to quick turnarounds. I think you have to manage your schedule. It does speed up the scouting if you’re familiar with an opponent. I think you have to manage time and preparation. That’s been a big part of our players understanding how we operate. Today we will go in and have preparation for our game at North Carolina, take tomorrow off and Friday come back to it. I am trying to manage it and use our time wisely so they don’t feel overwhelmed.”
How important will a fast start be at North Carolina…
“I’m very hopeful that we handle their pressure better. I think we’re better equipped in the backcourt with our guard play this year. I thought that was a big difference in the game, matching their intensity and taking care of the ball better. Last year we turned it over way too much early on. I don’t think we’ll see anything different from their pressure than last year; that is their style of play. I have to believe that as a basketball team we’re more skilled and experienced.”
On having an identity early in the season…
“Early on, without question, it’s been our defense that has defined us. It is a complete 180 from last year. We had to rely so much on our offense last year and couldn’t generate easy points off of our defense. That’s been a significant difference. Our shooting percentage, and just our play overall, starts on the defensive end. Our games have been more efficient. The improvement of Nicky Anosike, Alex Fuller and Candace Parker has really helped us, and Sidney Spencer is shooting the ball well for us. No doubt defense has been the turnaround of our team.”
On quick turnarounds and the role of assistant coaches…
“My staff is tremendous in their preparations. Our daily practice preparation with my assistants have allowed us to get much better on the defensive end in particular.”
On the series with North Carolina…
“Sylvia Hatchell (North Carolina head coach) approached me about scheduling again. She said she needed some time to deal with when she cancelled the series years ago, obviously she didn’t need much time. I thought it would be appealing for us, for them and for basketball fans, so we decided to do it and got the games scheduled. I’m looking forward to the series with North Carolina. Our game against them last year in the Elite Eight convinced me even more to stick with the series. Any time that there is a program out there that has a chance of being one of the best in the country, I try to schedule them.”
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
(4) Tennessee 71, Louisiana Tech 50
RUSTON, La. -- Louisiana Tech had no answer for Tennessee's defensive pressure.
The fourth-ranked Lady Vols forced 19 turnovers in the first half and beat Louisiana Tech 71-50 on Tuesday night.
"Tennessee's length and athleticism really caused us problems, especially in the first half," said Tech head coach Chris Long. "They are so talented. Our kids haven't played against anything like that this year, and it took us the entire half to adjust."
The Lady Vols (6-0) built a 42-15 halftime advantage and cruised the rest of the game.
"If you look at it, most of our turnovers (in the first half) weren't because of the press. They came in the half court set. I was disappointed we didn't execute better. I thought we did much better in the second half."
Tech's combination of turnovers and poor shooting (6-of-28) in the first 20 minutes of play were simply too much to overcome as Tennessee jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.
Candace Parker had 10 points, eight rebounds and seven blocked shots -- five in the first half.
"Our first half defensive intensity was really strong and disruptive and took them out of their rhythm. That's what really got us going," said Tennessee coach Pat Summit.
"We were sporadic in the second half because we had a hard time having all five of our players show the type of intensity that we had in the first half."
Even when the Lady Vols weren't blocking shots -- they had 10 for the game -- they were forcing altered shots as Tech hit just 30 percent from the field (18-of-61) for the game.
On the plus side, Tech outrebounded Tennessee 46-37, including 23 on offense.
Down by 27 at the half, the Lady Techsters came out and outscored Tennessee 35-29 over the final 20 minutes of action. Long said it was because his team refused to quit.
"The kids rallied together in the locker room and came out and competed despite the score," he said.
Amber Metoyer led Tech with 13 points and nine rebounds while Shan Moore and Jokierra Sneed each added 12 points.
Dominique Redding led Tennessee with 13 points, while Alberta Auguste added 11, while Sidney Spencer had 10.
The fourth-ranked Lady Vols forced 19 turnovers in the first half and beat Louisiana Tech 71-50 on Tuesday night.
"Tennessee's length and athleticism really caused us problems, especially in the first half," said Tech head coach Chris Long. "They are so talented. Our kids haven't played against anything like that this year, and it took us the entire half to adjust."
The Lady Vols (6-0) built a 42-15 halftime advantage and cruised the rest of the game.
"If you look at it, most of our turnovers (in the first half) weren't because of the press. They came in the half court set. I was disappointed we didn't execute better. I thought we did much better in the second half."
Tech's combination of turnovers and poor shooting (6-of-28) in the first 20 minutes of play were simply too much to overcome as Tennessee jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.
Candace Parker had 10 points, eight rebounds and seven blocked shots -- five in the first half.
"Our first half defensive intensity was really strong and disruptive and took them out of their rhythm. That's what really got us going," said Tennessee coach Pat Summit.
"We were sporadic in the second half because we had a hard time having all five of our players show the type of intensity that we had in the first half."
Even when the Lady Vols weren't blocking shots -- they had 10 for the game -- they were forcing altered shots as Tech hit just 30 percent from the field (18-of-61) for the game.
On the plus side, Tech outrebounded Tennessee 46-37, including 23 on offense.
Down by 27 at the half, the Lady Techsters came out and outscored Tennessee 35-29 over the final 20 minutes of action. Long said it was because his team refused to quit.
"The kids rallied together in the locker room and came out and competed despite the score," he said.
Amber Metoyer led Tech with 13 points and nine rebounds while Shan Moore and Jokierra Sneed each added 12 points.
Dominique Redding led Tennessee with 13 points, while Alberta Auguste added 11, while Sidney Spencer had 10.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
(4) Tennessee 71, Louisiana Tech 50
RUSTON, La. -- Dominique Redding scored 13 points and Alberta Auguste added 11 to help No. 4 Tennessee beat Louisiana Tech 71-50 on Tuesday night.
Tennessee (6-0) dominated from the start, getting a double-digit lead less than 7 minutes into the game.
Candace Parker scored 10 points, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked two shots, the last of which led to an easy layup by Auguste. Sidney Spencer also had 10 points.
At the half, the Lady Volunteers were up 42-15.
Amber Metoyer scored 13 points and had nine rebounds for Tech (2-4), while Jokierra Sneed and Shan Moore, each added 12.
This is Tennessee's seventh straight win over Louisiana Tech.
Tennessee (6-0) dominated from the start, getting a double-digit lead less than 7 minutes into the game.
Candace Parker scored 10 points, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked two shots, the last of which led to an easy layup by Auguste. Sidney Spencer also had 10 points.
At the half, the Lady Volunteers were up 42-15.
Amber Metoyer scored 13 points and had nine rebounds for Tech (2-4), while Jokierra Sneed and Shan Moore, each added 12.
This is Tennessee's seventh straight win over Louisiana Tech.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Techsters/Tennessee Meet for 39th Time
RUSTON – Tennessee is ranked No. 4 in the nation.
Louisiana Tech head coach Chris Long doesn’t necessarily agree with the pollsters.
Long’s team will take on Pat Summitt and Co. Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the Thomas Assembly Center in the 39th meeting ever between the two winningest programs in the history of women’s basketball.
The Lady Vols enter the game 5-0 on the young season, and boasting the game’s most talented player in sophomore Candace Parker.
“She’s the best that’s ever played,” Long said. “I’m serious.”
Parker is 6-foot-4 and can do anything.
She does everything for the Lady Vols.
Coming off a freshman campaign that saw her earn Kodak All-America honors, Parker is averaging 20.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.4 steals, 2.0 blocks and 2.0 assists per game, while shooting 63 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line.
Parker has already recorded two dunks this season, including one against Top 10 Stanford. She became the first female to ever dunk twice in a game when she accomplished the feat against Army in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
“She does so many things that make you go, ‘Wow,’” Long said. “She is so much bigger and stronger. We have a clip where she catches the ball at the elbow, spins and shoots a one-handed, left-handed jump shot. She’s right handed.”
Parker leads a talented cast that has already disposed of three top 25 teams and has won its five games by an average of over 20 points a contest.
The Lady Vols are shooting 55 percent from the field, 49 percent from the three-point line and 75 percent from the free throw line. Defensively, they are forcing 23 turnovers a game and blocking over five shots a contest.
“I think Tennessee is probably stronger than they’ve been in quite a few years,” Long said. “Their athleticism rivals any team they’ve ever had. They are pressing and are more aggressive than they’ve been in the last few years, and they’ve always played great defense.
“We are going to have to rebound and attack offensively and get after them on defense. It’s an opportunity to play against a great team at home and an opportunity for our team to get better.”
Tech is 2-3 on the season and has struggled to find an identity. The Lady Techsters showed with their 77-59 win over a previously undefeated Iowa team on the road that they have the ability to play with almost anyone.
However, losses to Stephen F. Austin and Eastern Kentucky have proven that the team is still a long ways from becoming as consistent both offensively and defensively as Long expects.
“It’s all about having our team playing its best at the end of the year, and we will definitely learn from this game … win or lose,” Long said.
Tennessee leads the all-time series 21-17, including having won six straight.
Louisiana Tech head coach Chris Long doesn’t necessarily agree with the pollsters.
Long’s team will take on Pat Summitt and Co. Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the Thomas Assembly Center in the 39th meeting ever between the two winningest programs in the history of women’s basketball.
The Lady Vols enter the game 5-0 on the young season, and boasting the game’s most talented player in sophomore Candace Parker.
“She’s the best that’s ever played,” Long said. “I’m serious.”
Parker is 6-foot-4 and can do anything.
She does everything for the Lady Vols.
Coming off a freshman campaign that saw her earn Kodak All-America honors, Parker is averaging 20.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.4 steals, 2.0 blocks and 2.0 assists per game, while shooting 63 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line.
Parker has already recorded two dunks this season, including one against Top 10 Stanford. She became the first female to ever dunk twice in a game when she accomplished the feat against Army in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
“She does so many things that make you go, ‘Wow,’” Long said. “She is so much bigger and stronger. We have a clip where she catches the ball at the elbow, spins and shoots a one-handed, left-handed jump shot. She’s right handed.”
Parker leads a talented cast that has already disposed of three top 25 teams and has won its five games by an average of over 20 points a contest.
The Lady Vols are shooting 55 percent from the field, 49 percent from the three-point line and 75 percent from the free throw line. Defensively, they are forcing 23 turnovers a game and blocking over five shots a contest.
“I think Tennessee is probably stronger than they’ve been in quite a few years,” Long said. “Their athleticism rivals any team they’ve ever had. They are pressing and are more aggressive than they’ve been in the last few years, and they’ve always played great defense.
“We are going to have to rebound and attack offensively and get after them on defense. It’s an opportunity to play against a great team at home and an opportunity for our team to get better.”
Tech is 2-3 on the season and has struggled to find an identity. The Lady Techsters showed with their 77-59 win over a previously undefeated Iowa team on the road that they have the ability to play with almost anyone.
However, losses to Stephen F. Austin and Eastern Kentucky have proven that the team is still a long ways from becoming as consistent both offensively and defensively as Long expects.
“It’s all about having our team playing its best at the end of the year, and we will definitely learn from this game … win or lose,” Long said.
Tennessee leads the all-time series 21-17, including having won six straight.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Lady Vols too much for Middle Tennessee
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee has already played two teams coach Rick Insell thinks could reach the Final Four. He hopes the experience of losing to defending national champion Maryland and No. 4 Tennessee will help get his Blue Raiders there someday.
Candace Parker and Sidney Spencer each scored 16 points for the Lady Vols in an 88-64 victory on Sunday.
Tennessee (5-0) built a big lead in the first half by shooting 63 percent — 21-of-33 from the field — and took advantage of having taller players.
The Blue Raiders (3-3) opened the season by nearly knocking off Maryland but lost 80-76. They struggled to keep up with Tennessee.
"They are two great teams. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see both of them in the Final Four," Insell said. "The difference in today was we played Maryland at Middle Tennessee, and we might have had just a little bit of a home-court advantage. Tennessee might have had just a little bit of a home-court advantage today."
Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt, a longtime friend of Insell's, said she was pleased with her team's performance, particularly in the first half.
"We knew going into this game we would obviously have to try and dictate tempo. We wanted to extend our defense and try to generate offense off our defense, which we seemed to be able to after we settled down," she said. "We got good looks off our transition."
Parker left the game in the second half with a knee injury after falling on the court while several players were going after a loose ball.
She sat on the bench the rest of the game with her right knee wrapped in ice, but after the game she said it was not serious.
"I'm good," Parker said. "I just sat as a precaution."
The Lady Vols didn't think Middle Tennessee's game against Maryland could be compared to Sunday's game.
"It was Maryland's first game. They came out with a win. That's what big teams do no matter how ugly it might have been," Tennessee's Alexis Hornbuckle said. "We just have to focus on Tennessee. We're not worried about what everyone else is doing."
Nicky Anosike added 13 points for the Lady Vols, and reserve Alex Fuller added a career-high 12 points while playing in front of her high school coach — Insell, now in his second season with the Blue Raiders.
Insell coached several future Lady Vols at Shelbyville High School.
"I was kind of nervous at the beginning because I was playing against him instead of with him," Fuller said. "Once you've been an Eaglette, you always kind of have Eaglette blood in you."
Spencer was 4-of-6 from 3-point range. Parker added nine rebounds.
The Lady Vols were 10-of-17 from beyond the arc.
Chrissy Givens, who came into the game averaging 21.6 points per game, led Middle Tennessee with 26 points while freshman Brandi Brown had 12. Amber Holt, who was averaging 21.2, was held to eight points.
Middle Tennessee cut the lead to 19 at the beginning of the second half on Givens' 3 but could not get any closer.
After Parker went out with 13:18 left, Anosike scored six straight points to increase the lead to 71-41.
The Blue Raiders were ahead 10-5 in the early minutes, but Tennessee started forcing turnovers and took the lead 14-13 on Hornbuckle's first steal and pull-up jumper.
The Lady Vols later pulled away with a 10-0 run fueled by baskets from Alberta Auguste and Parker off Blue Raiders turnovers. Fuller capped it with a 3-pointer that made it 26-15 with 8:29 remaining in the first half.
Givens scored four quick points to trim it to seven with six minutes to go in the first half, but the Lady Vols reeled off a 9-0 run started by another 3 from Fuller. Hornbuckle finished it with a layup off another steal. She had nine points.
After Givens' 3 with 1:55 left, Tennessee scored the final seven points of the half to take a 49-27 lead into the break.
Candace Parker and Sidney Spencer each scored 16 points for the Lady Vols in an 88-64 victory on Sunday.
Tennessee (5-0) built a big lead in the first half by shooting 63 percent — 21-of-33 from the field — and took advantage of having taller players.
The Blue Raiders (3-3) opened the season by nearly knocking off Maryland but lost 80-76. They struggled to keep up with Tennessee.
"They are two great teams. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see both of them in the Final Four," Insell said. "The difference in today was we played Maryland at Middle Tennessee, and we might have had just a little bit of a home-court advantage. Tennessee might have had just a little bit of a home-court advantage today."
Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt, a longtime friend of Insell's, said she was pleased with her team's performance, particularly in the first half.
"We knew going into this game we would obviously have to try and dictate tempo. We wanted to extend our defense and try to generate offense off our defense, which we seemed to be able to after we settled down," she said. "We got good looks off our transition."
Parker left the game in the second half with a knee injury after falling on the court while several players were going after a loose ball.
She sat on the bench the rest of the game with her right knee wrapped in ice, but after the game she said it was not serious.
"I'm good," Parker said. "I just sat as a precaution."
The Lady Vols didn't think Middle Tennessee's game against Maryland could be compared to Sunday's game.
"It was Maryland's first game. They came out with a win. That's what big teams do no matter how ugly it might have been," Tennessee's Alexis Hornbuckle said. "We just have to focus on Tennessee. We're not worried about what everyone else is doing."
Nicky Anosike added 13 points for the Lady Vols, and reserve Alex Fuller added a career-high 12 points while playing in front of her high school coach — Insell, now in his second season with the Blue Raiders.
Insell coached several future Lady Vols at Shelbyville High School.
"I was kind of nervous at the beginning because I was playing against him instead of with him," Fuller said. "Once you've been an Eaglette, you always kind of have Eaglette blood in you."
Spencer was 4-of-6 from 3-point range. Parker added nine rebounds.
The Lady Vols were 10-of-17 from beyond the arc.
Chrissy Givens, who came into the game averaging 21.6 points per game, led Middle Tennessee with 26 points while freshman Brandi Brown had 12. Amber Holt, who was averaging 21.2, was held to eight points.
Middle Tennessee cut the lead to 19 at the beginning of the second half on Givens' 3 but could not get any closer.
After Parker went out with 13:18 left, Anosike scored six straight points to increase the lead to 71-41.
The Blue Raiders were ahead 10-5 in the early minutes, but Tennessee started forcing turnovers and took the lead 14-13 on Hornbuckle's first steal and pull-up jumper.
The Lady Vols later pulled away with a 10-0 run fueled by baskets from Alberta Auguste and Parker off Blue Raiders turnovers. Fuller capped it with a 3-pointer that made it 26-15 with 8:29 remaining in the first half.
Givens scored four quick points to trim it to seven with six minutes to go in the first half, but the Lady Vols reeled off a 9-0 run started by another 3 from Fuller. Hornbuckle finished it with a layup off another steal. She had nine points.
After Givens' 3 with 1:55 left, Tennessee scored the final seven points of the half to take a 49-27 lead into the break.
Lady Vols Host MTSU In First Meeting In 22 Years
The fourth-ranked University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers will be favored to defeat the Middle Tennessee State University Blue Raiders Sunday when the teams meet in Knoxville on Sunday for the first time in over 22 years.
The three-time defending Sun Belt Tournament champions are 3-2 with one of those losses coming at the hands of South Dakota State.
The Blue Raiders, with second-year and former Shelbyville Central coach Rick Insell at the helm, lost their season and home opener on Nov. 10 80-76.
The opponent was the nation’s number one team and the defending NCAA champion Maryland.
The tip-off against the Lady Vols is scheduled for 4 p.m. and will be televised in Nashville and Knoxville, but not in Chattanooga. The game will be aired on WGOW-AM (1150).
UT is 4-0 after posting three straight victories over Pacific-10 conference teams including two nationally ranked teams in Arizona State and Stanford.
The Blue Raiders and the Lady Vols have a common opponent in UT-Chattanooga. MTSU defeated the Lady Mocs 98-69 Friday night in Murfreesboro while UT emerged with a 102-72 season opening victory on Nov. 12.
UT is 7-0 against MTSU in the series that dates back to 1976. Their last meeting was during the first round of the 1984 NCAA tournament at Stokely Athletics Center when the Lady Vols eliminated the Blue Raiders 70-52 before 1,659 spectators.
There may be 1,659 from the Chattanooga area alone at Thompson-Boling Arena along with several thousand others at game time since the MTSU roster includes a pair of former area prep standouts.
Blue Raider freshman reserve guard Jackie Pickel scored a career high 15 points against the Lady Mocs by virtue of nailing five three-point shots. The 5’10” Pickel was the 2006 Player of the Year and an AAA Miss Basketball candidate at Bradley Central.
Sophomore guard Lacondra Mason is the all-time leading scorer at Chattanooga Christian where she amassed 2,002 points in her four year career. Mason achieved her career high of 15 points last season during MTSU’s loss to Virginia.
MTSU is led by 2006 Sun Belt Player of the Year and All-American candidate Chrissy Givens and junior transfer Amber Holt as both women are averaging over 20 points per game. Givens, who is pursuing a master’s degree in Criminal Justice after obtaining her bachelors in three years, scored 29 points in the UTC win and is averaging 21.6 per game and 7.4 rebounds.
Holt, like UT’s Shannon Bobbitt and Alberta Auguste, is a junior college transfer making her university debut this season. The 6’0” junior guard from Duluth, GA arrived at MTSU from Southeastern Illinois where she attained the same NJCAA All-American honors that Bobbitt and Auguste achieved at their respective schools Trinity Valley in Texas and Central Florida.
Holt shares another common thread with Bobbitt and Auguste as she as well has made an immediate impact on the Blue Raiders averaging 21.2 points and leading in rebounding with 8.2 per game.
UT’s sophomore superstar Candace Parker leads in points (21.8 average), rebounds (7 average) and dunks (two this season and four overall). Parker’s latest slam dunk was at the expense of 11th rated Stanford on Friday during the first half of the Lady Vols’ 77-60 triumph.
However, Parker did achieve another season first against the Cardinal when she connected from beyond the arc for a triple.
Another Lady Vol who is making her mark this season is Parker’s classmate Alex Fuller, who played for Insell at Shelbyville.
Fuller, who was named the most improved Lady Vol by Coach Pat Summitt, is averaging 8.3 points and 20 minutes of play this season. The 6’3” forward/center scored a career high 10 points against UCLA.
UT will play long standing rival Louisiana Tech on Tuesday in Ruston when the teams meet for the 39th time. The Lady Vols hold a 21-17 edge in the series and have won the last six games. Tennessee’s most recent national championship in 1998 came against Tech when the Lady Vols won 93-75 to win their third straight title.
Gameday Data:
The #4-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols (4-0) face Middle Tennessee State University (3-2) in Thompson-Boling Arena on Sunday at 4 p.m. It marks the first time the two squads have met in 22 years despite being located just two-and-a-half hours away from each other.
LADY VOLS AT A GLANCE
This is the Lady Vols' 33rd season under Head Coach Pat Summitt...She has compiled a staggering 917-177 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 BLUE RAIDERS
In their last contest before taking on the Lady Vols, Middle Tennessee State University senior guard Chrissy Givens tallied 29 points and 6-0 forward Amber Holt added 26 points along with 10 rebounds to lead the Blue Raiders to a 98-69 victory over Chattanooga on Nov. 24 in Murfreesboro. MTSU (3-2) exacted a little revenge on the Lady Mocs after last season's 76-66 UTC victory in the season opener for both teams. Middle Tennessee got off to a slow start, turning the ball over the first two times down the floor but came back to shoot 58 percent in the first half en route to a 50-38 halftime lead. The Blue Raiders full-court pressure forced 13 first-half turnovers by the Lady Mocs and Givens led the way on the offensive end with 15 points, including a driving lay-up just before the buzzer. MTSU rookie guard Jackie Pickel was a catalyst in the contest nailing an amazing five treys. Pickel hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first half and three more in the second period for a career-high 15 points in just 14 minutes of action. She took advantage of the Lady Mocs zone, knocking down 5-of-7 attempts from behind the arc. The Blue Raiders outrebounded UTC, 40-28, and caused 21 Lady Mocs turnovers in all. Middle Tennessee also posted a season-high 16 steals and also had 20 assists.
OUR SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
The Lady Vols will enjoy the Thanksgiving holidays at home this year hosting #11 Stanford on Nov. 24 (a 77-60 win) and taking on cross-state foe Middle Tennessee on Nov. 26 in Thompson-Boling Arena.
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. UT is 2-0 on TV this season.
ON THIS DAY
UT is 8-2 in games played on Nov. 26. The Lady Vols are 4-1 at home, 2-0 on the road and 2-1 on neutral courts. The last time out on Nov. 26, the Lady Vols registered an 80-75 victory over #10 Maryland in the 2005 Paradise Jam title game.
LOOKING BACK
Last year at this time, the Lady Vols were 4-0 and enjoying Thanksgiving in the Virgin Islands at the Paradise Jam. UT had just defeated #10 Maryland, 80-75.
PLAYING 12 RANKED TEAMS
Tennessee will play 12 teams in 14 games and five of the nation's top 10 teams ranked in the AP and USA TODAY ESPN polls: 2. North Carolina, 5. Duke, 7. Connecticut, 8. Georgia, 9. LSU, 11. Stanford, 13/12. Arizona St., 14. Vanderbilt, 20/24. Kentucky 21/19. UCLA, 23/21. George Washington, and 25/NR Texas.
UT'S OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER
In all games, this is how Tennessee has shot from the field: 50%FG: Chattanooga (.579), Arizona St. (.548), UCLA (.531), Stanford (.500); 40%FG: none; 30%FG: none,
DEEE ----- FENSE
In all games, this is how the opposition has shot from the field: 50%FG: none, 40%FG: Arizona St. (.469), Stanford (.456), UCLA (.451), Chattanooga (.431), 30%FG: none; 20%FG: none
2006-07 WON-LOSS DIFFERENTIAL
Wins: +30 (1), +23 (1), +17 (1), +9 (1), Losses: none
UPCOMING OPPONENT - LOUISIANA TECH
Louisiana Tech (1-3) lost a heartbreaker to Eastern Kentucky, 86-84, on Nov. 24 in the first round of the La Quinta Inn Lady Eagle Classic hosted by Southern Mississippi. EKU's Crystal Jones' jumper with :03 remaining in the game lifted the Colonels to the victory. Jones' game-winning play came after the Lady Techsters tied the contest on a Ty Moore jumper following a Tamika Kursh missed free throw with :10 left. After an EKU timeout, Jones drove into the lane and made the shot. La Tech will play Grambling State on Nov. 25 in the consolation contest. Tech has experienced a slow start to the season. Western Kentucky knocked-off the Lady Techsters, 73-60, in the home season opener and a trip to Stephen F. Austin resulted in a 65-55 loss. Tech put its first win of the 2006-07 season on the board with a 77-59 win at Iowa on Nov. 21. Tennessee coach Pat Summitt will be looking for her 300th career win on the road (she is 299-78 all-time).
Candace Parker EARNS SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR
Tennessee Lady Vol sophomore basketball standout Candace Parker was named the SEC Player of the Week for her recent performances in wins over #20/21 UCLA (83-60) and #11 Arizona State (83-74). Last season, Parker received the league's Freshman of the Week honor on four occasions, and the Player of the Week award once during her rookie campaign. In two games last week, Parker averaged 23.5 points and eight rebounds along with four steals and a pair of blocks. In the game against Arizona State, the Naperville, Ill., native picked up her 11th career double-double and first of the season with 25 points and 10 rebounds. She shot 10-of-15 from the field against UCLA and stayed perfect from the line (2-of-2) for 22 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block to earn Philips Player of the Game accolades. The scoring occurrences marked the 35th and 36th double figure games in her 39-game career. The match-ups were also the 10th and 11th game with 20 or more points.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE NOTEBOOK
Middle Tennessee holds a 3-2 record on the season, including a narrow 80-76 loss to top-ranked Maryland in its first regular season game of the 2006-07 campaign. The contest drew a record crowd of 10,010 to the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, as junior guard Amber Holt led the way with 28 points. Freshman Chelsia Lymon added 15 points to the Blue Raiders' cause. Holt was named the Sun Belt Conference's Player of the Week for her efforts. On Friday night, the Blue Raiders defeated Chattanooga, 98-69. Senior guard Chrissy Givens scored 29 points for Middle Tennessee, while Holt had a double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Jackie Pickel hit five three-pointers for a career-high 15 points. In the week leading up to the Chattanooga game, the Blue Raiders took the tournament title at the Subway Basketball Classic in Minneapolis, Minn., defeating Maine (87-60) and homestanding Minnesota (79-60). Givens was voted the Sun Belt's Player of the Week after earning the Most Valuable Player Award at the tournament. In the contest versus Maine, Givens put up 23 points and 13 rebounds for her sixth career double-double.
ALL-TIME SERIES MEETINGS
DATE RANK SITE W/L SCORE
1/15/71 H (W)* *
1/15/72 H W 55-45
3/2/72 H W 47-39
1/17/73 A W 43-42
3/2/73 N5 W 58-43
2/1/74 H W 77-33
1/10/75 H W 69-32
3/6/76 N4 W 73-70
3/3/77 12/nr N10 W 87-66
1/17/78 2/nr A W 87-79
12/5/78 1/nr H W 87-63
11/26/79 4/nr A W 63-48
2/27/81 4/nr N3 W 66-47
3/17/84 15/nr H W 70-52
MTSU SERIES
This marks just the 15th meeting between the two schools dating back to the 1971 season. Tennessee coach Pat Summitt has an 8-0 record against the Blue Raiders. The Lady Vols have been ranked in the last six meetings.
AVERAGE SCORE
The average score of a UT-MTSU game in the Summitt Era is - 75.3 for UT and 57.1 for MTSU.
AGAINST IN-STATE SCHOOLS
The University of Tennessee has been facing schools from around the state of Tennessee since 1903. UT owns a 195-55-1 overall record against 18 schools. Most notably, the Lady Vols have met Vanderbilt 53 times and come away with a 47-6 record.
VERSUS THE SUNBELT
Tennessee is 24-2 all-time against five Universities representing the current Sun Belt Conference. UT is 2-0 against Florida Atlantic, 1-0 vs. Florida International, 0-1 against Louisiana-Monroe, 14-0 versus Middle Tennessee State and 7-1 over Western Kentucky.
A HIGH SCHOOL DYNASTY
Although MTSU Head Coach Rick Insell is just in his second season in the collegiate ranks, he's no stranger to distaff hoops. Prior to taking the head coaching job at his alma mater, Insell was the head girls basketball coach at Shelbyville Central High School in Shelbyville, Tenn. He led the Golden Eaglettes to 10 Class AAA state championships, 23 district championships, and produced six Tennessee Class AAA Miss Basketball Award Recipients. In his first year at MTSU, Insell led the Blue Raiders to their third consecutive Sun Belt Conference tournament title in 2006.
LADY VOLS VS. BRUINS STAT COMPARISON
TENNESSEE MTSU
OVERALL RECORD 4-0 3-2
SCORING 86.2 80.2
SCORING DEFENSE 66.5 68.4
POINT MARGIN +19.8 +11.8
REBOUNDS 33.8 35.4
OPP. REBOUNDS 30.3 32.6
REBOUND MARGIN + 3.5 + 2.8
FG% .540 .432
OPPONENT FG% .451 .496
THREE POINT FG% .453 .352
OPPONENT 3FG% .400 .403
FT% .783 .786
OPPONENT FT% .658 .731
ASSISTS 18.0 17.0
BLOCKS AVERAGE 5.5 1.6
STEALS AVERAGE 14.8 10.4
TURNOVER AVERAGE 16.5 14.0
OUR LAST MEETING
Senior All-American forward Mary Ostrowski tossed in 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds leading the 15th-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols to a 70-52 victory over Middle Tennessee State University in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament on Mar. 17, 1984. The sparse Stokely Athletics Center crowd of 1,639 was on hand to watch the Lady Vols register their 20th win on the 1983-84 season. Behind Ostrowski and fellow senior All-American Tanya Haave (14 points and four rebounds), Tennessee opened up at 10-point lead at the break, 34-24, after connecting on 50% from the field (13-26) in the opening stanza. UT's defense, spearheaded by senior point guard Pat Hatmaker and Shelia Collins off the bench, held the Blue Raiders to just nine field goals in the first half. In the second half, Tennessee coach Pat Summitt cleared her eight player bench for the final 10 minutes. MTSU was led in scoring by Kim Webb's 18 points as the Lady Blue Raiders finished the season at 19-10. For the game, UT shot 49 percent from the field, and connected on 70 percent from the charity stripe. The taller Lady Vols claimed a 14-rebound edge, 46-32. With the win, Tennessee faced Alabama in the 1984 NCAA Mideast Regionals, Mar. 23 in Knoxville.
LADY VOLS WHO PLAYED FOR COACH INSELL
Including current Lady Vol sophomore Alex Fuller. five Tennessee players have hailed from Shelbyville Central High School and benefited from the coaching of Rick Insell. Sisters Abby (2004-05) and Amanda Canon (1998-2002), Michelle Johnson (1993, 1995) and Tiffany Woosley (1991-95) all were Golden Eaglettes before they became Lady Vols.
NEW SCHOOL RECORD
Sophomore Candace Parker broke Michelle Snow's school record for most dunks in a career in the game with #11 Stanford on Nov. 24. Parker's one-handed slam with 10:55 left in the first half was the fourth of Parker's career and the second of the season. Snow registered three dunks (1998-2002) during her career.
A TALE OF TWO HALVES
After opening games shooting at .613 (UTC), .531 (UCLA), .516 (Arizona St.) - UT had its first stinker in the opening 20 minutes making just 13-31 field goals for a season-low .419 shooting percentage in the first half against Stanford ...UT responded with .609 accuracy in the second half (14-23) for the best second half field goal performance of the season...
UT-STANFORD WRAP-UP
The 77 points were the fewest scored by the Lady Vols this season...All Lady Vols who played scored...UT missed only one free throw, shooting at a 94.7 percent clip... Individually, Candace Parker... Sank her first three-point attempt of the season, recorded her second dunk of the season, her first career dunk against a ranked opponent, Was the first of two Lady Vols to reach double-figures, Eclipsed the 20-point plateau for the third straight game and the 13th time in her career, Surpassed 700 points for her career, Recorded five blocks, tying for the 10th-most in a single game by a Lady Vol (She now has 93 for her career, moving past Tiffani Johnson (89) and Cindy Noble (91) into 10th place in the Lady Vol record books); Alexis Hornbuckle...Extended her streak of games with a steal to 40. She has made at least one steal in 61 of 68 career game; Sidney Spencer... Scored in double figures for the fourth time this season, the 31st time in her career.
UT LEADS PAC-10 AT 3-0
The Tennessee Lady Vols have finished their Pac-10 slate with a 3-0 record against three ranked teams in consecutive games. During the stretch of wins over #20/21 UCLA, at #11 Arizona State and #11 Stanford in the last week, UT averaged 81.0 ppg and gave up 64.7 ppg for a 16.3 scoring margin. The Lady Vols shot .528 from the field, .455 from three point land and .760 from the line. UT forced the opposition in an average of 23.0 turnovers per game while coming up with 14.0 steals per contest. Individually, Candace Parker tossed in 24.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg and registered two dunks.
CAN THIS TEAM DEFEND THE 3?
Coach Pat Summitt has not been pleased with the Lady Vols' commitment to defending the three-pointer. On the season, UT's opponents have connected on 6.0 treys per game and connecting on 40 percent of their attempts. Chattanooga recorded a school record 31 attempts from three-point land versus the Lady Vols.
FIFTY IS NIFTY
With the victory over Stanford, Tennessee has now claimed 52 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.
FIRST MONTH OF THE SEASON: STATE LOVE & PAC-10 EAST
In the first month of the 2006-07 season, the Lady Vols have eight foes scheduled. 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 (an 83-74 win ) and #11 Stanford (a 77-60 win). Trips to long-standing rival Louisiana Tech (Nov. 28) and #2-ranked North Carolina (Dec. 3) round out the first month of the season.
LADY VOL SPOILERS
The Lady Vols have enjoyed the role of spoiler snapping long-standing winning streaks on a number of opponent's home floors over the years. Last Sunday, Tennessee halted Arizona State's 26-game winning streak at Wells Fargo Arena with an 83-74 win. Last season, Stanford had amassed a 23-game winning streak at Maples Pavilion before the Lady Vols grabbed a 74-67 win on Dec. 4, 2005.
FREE THROW WOES
Good thing that the Lady Vols exploded to as much as a 24-point lead against Arizona State. Had Tennessee been forced to rely on relief from the charity stripe down the stretch, it would have been a bad outcome. UT made only 12-21 free throws against the Sun Devils for just 57.1 percent. Candace Parker missed four (7-11), Shannon Bobbitt missed the front end of two 1+1 situations (0-2) and Alex Fuller, uncharacteristically, missed both of her bonus tosses (0-2).
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.
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.
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. UT 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.
"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."
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. UT'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.
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 268-16 (.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 421-40 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.
219 OF 232 AT HOME
UT has won 219 of their last 232 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 372-145 (.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 three games at home. The last time UT lost on the road was on Jan. 26, 2006 at Kentucky, since then, UT has won four 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.
The three-time defending Sun Belt Tournament champions are 3-2 with one of those losses coming at the hands of South Dakota State.
The Blue Raiders, with second-year and former Shelbyville Central coach Rick Insell at the helm, lost their season and home opener on Nov. 10 80-76.
The opponent was the nation’s number one team and the defending NCAA champion Maryland.
The tip-off against the Lady Vols is scheduled for 4 p.m. and will be televised in Nashville and Knoxville, but not in Chattanooga. The game will be aired on WGOW-AM (1150).
UT is 4-0 after posting three straight victories over Pacific-10 conference teams including two nationally ranked teams in Arizona State and Stanford.
The Blue Raiders and the Lady Vols have a common opponent in UT-Chattanooga. MTSU defeated the Lady Mocs 98-69 Friday night in Murfreesboro while UT emerged with a 102-72 season opening victory on Nov. 12.
UT is 7-0 against MTSU in the series that dates back to 1976. Their last meeting was during the first round of the 1984 NCAA tournament at Stokely Athletics Center when the Lady Vols eliminated the Blue Raiders 70-52 before 1,659 spectators.
There may be 1,659 from the Chattanooga area alone at Thompson-Boling Arena along with several thousand others at game time since the MTSU roster includes a pair of former area prep standouts.
Blue Raider freshman reserve guard Jackie Pickel scored a career high 15 points against the Lady Mocs by virtue of nailing five three-point shots. The 5’10” Pickel was the 2006 Player of the Year and an AAA Miss Basketball candidate at Bradley Central.
Sophomore guard Lacondra Mason is the all-time leading scorer at Chattanooga Christian where she amassed 2,002 points in her four year career. Mason achieved her career high of 15 points last season during MTSU’s loss to Virginia.
MTSU is led by 2006 Sun Belt Player of the Year and All-American candidate Chrissy Givens and junior transfer Amber Holt as both women are averaging over 20 points per game. Givens, who is pursuing a master’s degree in Criminal Justice after obtaining her bachelors in three years, scored 29 points in the UTC win and is averaging 21.6 per game and 7.4 rebounds.
Holt, like UT’s Shannon Bobbitt and Alberta Auguste, is a junior college transfer making her university debut this season. The 6’0” junior guard from Duluth, GA arrived at MTSU from Southeastern Illinois where she attained the same NJCAA All-American honors that Bobbitt and Auguste achieved at their respective schools Trinity Valley in Texas and Central Florida.
Holt shares another common thread with Bobbitt and Auguste as she as well has made an immediate impact on the Blue Raiders averaging 21.2 points and leading in rebounding with 8.2 per game.
UT’s sophomore superstar Candace Parker leads in points (21.8 average), rebounds (7 average) and dunks (two this season and four overall). Parker’s latest slam dunk was at the expense of 11th rated Stanford on Friday during the first half of the Lady Vols’ 77-60 triumph.
However, Parker did achieve another season first against the Cardinal when she connected from beyond the arc for a triple.
Another Lady Vol who is making her mark this season is Parker’s classmate Alex Fuller, who played for Insell at Shelbyville.
Fuller, who was named the most improved Lady Vol by Coach Pat Summitt, is averaging 8.3 points and 20 minutes of play this season. The 6’3” forward/center scored a career high 10 points against UCLA.
UT will play long standing rival Louisiana Tech on Tuesday in Ruston when the teams meet for the 39th time. The Lady Vols hold a 21-17 edge in the series and have won the last six games. Tennessee’s most recent national championship in 1998 came against Tech when the Lady Vols won 93-75 to win their third straight title.
Gameday Data:
The #4-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols (4-0) face Middle Tennessee State University (3-2) in Thompson-Boling Arena on Sunday at 4 p.m. It marks the first time the two squads have met in 22 years despite being located just two-and-a-half hours away from each other.
LADY VOLS AT A GLANCE
This is the Lady Vols' 33rd season under Head Coach Pat Summitt...She has compiled a staggering 917-177 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 BLUE RAIDERS
In their last contest before taking on the Lady Vols, Middle Tennessee State University senior guard Chrissy Givens tallied 29 points and 6-0 forward Amber Holt added 26 points along with 10 rebounds to lead the Blue Raiders to a 98-69 victory over Chattanooga on Nov. 24 in Murfreesboro. MTSU (3-2) exacted a little revenge on the Lady Mocs after last season's 76-66 UTC victory in the season opener for both teams. Middle Tennessee got off to a slow start, turning the ball over the first two times down the floor but came back to shoot 58 percent in the first half en route to a 50-38 halftime lead. The Blue Raiders full-court pressure forced 13 first-half turnovers by the Lady Mocs and Givens led the way on the offensive end with 15 points, including a driving lay-up just before the buzzer. MTSU rookie guard Jackie Pickel was a catalyst in the contest nailing an amazing five treys. Pickel hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first half and three more in the second period for a career-high 15 points in just 14 minutes of action. She took advantage of the Lady Mocs zone, knocking down 5-of-7 attempts from behind the arc. The Blue Raiders outrebounded UTC, 40-28, and caused 21 Lady Mocs turnovers in all. Middle Tennessee also posted a season-high 16 steals and also had 20 assists.
OUR SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
The Lady Vols will enjoy the Thanksgiving holidays at home this year hosting #11 Stanford on Nov. 24 (a 77-60 win) and taking on cross-state foe Middle Tennessee on Nov. 26 in Thompson-Boling Arena.
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. UT is 2-0 on TV this season.
ON THIS DAY
UT is 8-2 in games played on Nov. 26. The Lady Vols are 4-1 at home, 2-0 on the road and 2-1 on neutral courts. The last time out on Nov. 26, the Lady Vols registered an 80-75 victory over #10 Maryland in the 2005 Paradise Jam title game.
LOOKING BACK
Last year at this time, the Lady Vols were 4-0 and enjoying Thanksgiving in the Virgin Islands at the Paradise Jam. UT had just defeated #10 Maryland, 80-75.
PLAYING 12 RANKED TEAMS
Tennessee will play 12 teams in 14 games and five of the nation's top 10 teams ranked in the AP and USA TODAY ESPN polls: 2. North Carolina, 5. Duke, 7. Connecticut, 8. Georgia, 9. LSU, 11. Stanford, 13/12. Arizona St., 14. Vanderbilt, 20/24. Kentucky 21/19. UCLA, 23/21. George Washington, and 25/NR Texas.
UT'S OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER
In all games, this is how Tennessee has shot from the field: 50%FG: Chattanooga (.579), Arizona St. (.548), UCLA (.531), Stanford (.500); 40%FG: none; 30%FG: none,
DEEE ----- FENSE
In all games, this is how the opposition has shot from the field: 50%FG: none, 40%FG: Arizona St. (.469), Stanford (.456), UCLA (.451), Chattanooga (.431), 30%FG: none; 20%FG: none
2006-07 WON-LOSS DIFFERENTIAL
Wins: +30 (1), +23 (1), +17 (1), +9 (1), Losses: none
UPCOMING OPPONENT - LOUISIANA TECH
Louisiana Tech (1-3) lost a heartbreaker to Eastern Kentucky, 86-84, on Nov. 24 in the first round of the La Quinta Inn Lady Eagle Classic hosted by Southern Mississippi. EKU's Crystal Jones' jumper with :03 remaining in the game lifted the Colonels to the victory. Jones' game-winning play came after the Lady Techsters tied the contest on a Ty Moore jumper following a Tamika Kursh missed free throw with :10 left. After an EKU timeout, Jones drove into the lane and made the shot. La Tech will play Grambling State on Nov. 25 in the consolation contest. Tech has experienced a slow start to the season. Western Kentucky knocked-off the Lady Techsters, 73-60, in the home season opener and a trip to Stephen F. Austin resulted in a 65-55 loss. Tech put its first win of the 2006-07 season on the board with a 77-59 win at Iowa on Nov. 21. Tennessee coach Pat Summitt will be looking for her 300th career win on the road (she is 299-78 all-time).
Candace Parker EARNS SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR
Tennessee Lady Vol sophomore basketball standout Candace Parker was named the SEC Player of the Week for her recent performances in wins over #20/21 UCLA (83-60) and #11 Arizona State (83-74). Last season, Parker received the league's Freshman of the Week honor on four occasions, and the Player of the Week award once during her rookie campaign. In two games last week, Parker averaged 23.5 points and eight rebounds along with four steals and a pair of blocks. In the game against Arizona State, the Naperville, Ill., native picked up her 11th career double-double and first of the season with 25 points and 10 rebounds. She shot 10-of-15 from the field against UCLA and stayed perfect from the line (2-of-2) for 22 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block to earn Philips Player of the Game accolades. The scoring occurrences marked the 35th and 36th double figure games in her 39-game career. The match-ups were also the 10th and 11th game with 20 or more points.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE NOTEBOOK
Middle Tennessee holds a 3-2 record on the season, including a narrow 80-76 loss to top-ranked Maryland in its first regular season game of the 2006-07 campaign. The contest drew a record crowd of 10,010 to the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, as junior guard Amber Holt led the way with 28 points. Freshman Chelsia Lymon added 15 points to the Blue Raiders' cause. Holt was named the Sun Belt Conference's Player of the Week for her efforts. On Friday night, the Blue Raiders defeated Chattanooga, 98-69. Senior guard Chrissy Givens scored 29 points for Middle Tennessee, while Holt had a double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Jackie Pickel hit five three-pointers for a career-high 15 points. In the week leading up to the Chattanooga game, the Blue Raiders took the tournament title at the Subway Basketball Classic in Minneapolis, Minn., defeating Maine (87-60) and homestanding Minnesota (79-60). Givens was voted the Sun Belt's Player of the Week after earning the Most Valuable Player Award at the tournament. In the contest versus Maine, Givens put up 23 points and 13 rebounds for her sixth career double-double.
ALL-TIME SERIES MEETINGS
DATE RANK SITE W/L SCORE
1/15/71 H (W)* *
1/15/72 H W 55-45
3/2/72 H W 47-39
1/17/73 A W 43-42
3/2/73 N5 W 58-43
2/1/74 H W 77-33
1/10/75 H W 69-32
3/6/76 N4 W 73-70
3/3/77 12/nr N10 W 87-66
1/17/78 2/nr A W 87-79
12/5/78 1/nr H W 87-63
11/26/79 4/nr A W 63-48
2/27/81 4/nr N3 W 66-47
3/17/84 15/nr H W 70-52
MTSU SERIES
This marks just the 15th meeting between the two schools dating back to the 1971 season. Tennessee coach Pat Summitt has an 8-0 record against the Blue Raiders. The Lady Vols have been ranked in the last six meetings.
AVERAGE SCORE
The average score of a UT-MTSU game in the Summitt Era is - 75.3 for UT and 57.1 for MTSU.
AGAINST IN-STATE SCHOOLS
The University of Tennessee has been facing schools from around the state of Tennessee since 1903. UT owns a 195-55-1 overall record against 18 schools. Most notably, the Lady Vols have met Vanderbilt 53 times and come away with a 47-6 record.
VERSUS THE SUNBELT
Tennessee is 24-2 all-time against five Universities representing the current Sun Belt Conference. UT is 2-0 against Florida Atlantic, 1-0 vs. Florida International, 0-1 against Louisiana-Monroe, 14-0 versus Middle Tennessee State and 7-1 over Western Kentucky.
A HIGH SCHOOL DYNASTY
Although MTSU Head Coach Rick Insell is just in his second season in the collegiate ranks, he's no stranger to distaff hoops. Prior to taking the head coaching job at his alma mater, Insell was the head girls basketball coach at Shelbyville Central High School in Shelbyville, Tenn. He led the Golden Eaglettes to 10 Class AAA state championships, 23 district championships, and produced six Tennessee Class AAA Miss Basketball Award Recipients. In his first year at MTSU, Insell led the Blue Raiders to their third consecutive Sun Belt Conference tournament title in 2006.
LADY VOLS VS. BRUINS STAT COMPARISON
TENNESSEE MTSU
OVERALL RECORD 4-0 3-2
SCORING 86.2 80.2
SCORING DEFENSE 66.5 68.4
POINT MARGIN +19.8 +11.8
REBOUNDS 33.8 35.4
OPP. REBOUNDS 30.3 32.6
REBOUND MARGIN + 3.5 + 2.8
FG% .540 .432
OPPONENT FG% .451 .496
THREE POINT FG% .453 .352
OPPONENT 3FG% .400 .403
FT% .783 .786
OPPONENT FT% .658 .731
ASSISTS 18.0 17.0
BLOCKS AVERAGE 5.5 1.6
STEALS AVERAGE 14.8 10.4
TURNOVER AVERAGE 16.5 14.0
OUR LAST MEETING
Senior All-American forward Mary Ostrowski tossed in 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds leading the 15th-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols to a 70-52 victory over Middle Tennessee State University in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament on Mar. 17, 1984. The sparse Stokely Athletics Center crowd of 1,639 was on hand to watch the Lady Vols register their 20th win on the 1983-84 season. Behind Ostrowski and fellow senior All-American Tanya Haave (14 points and four rebounds), Tennessee opened up at 10-point lead at the break, 34-24, after connecting on 50% from the field (13-26) in the opening stanza. UT's defense, spearheaded by senior point guard Pat Hatmaker and Shelia Collins off the bench, held the Blue Raiders to just nine field goals in the first half. In the second half, Tennessee coach Pat Summitt cleared her eight player bench for the final 10 minutes. MTSU was led in scoring by Kim Webb's 18 points as the Lady Blue Raiders finished the season at 19-10. For the game, UT shot 49 percent from the field, and connected on 70 percent from the charity stripe. The taller Lady Vols claimed a 14-rebound edge, 46-32. With the win, Tennessee faced Alabama in the 1984 NCAA Mideast Regionals, Mar. 23 in Knoxville.
LADY VOLS WHO PLAYED FOR COACH INSELL
Including current Lady Vol sophomore Alex Fuller. five Tennessee players have hailed from Shelbyville Central High School and benefited from the coaching of Rick Insell. Sisters Abby (2004-05) and Amanda Canon (1998-2002), Michelle Johnson (1993, 1995) and Tiffany Woosley (1991-95) all were Golden Eaglettes before they became Lady Vols.
NEW SCHOOL RECORD
Sophomore Candace Parker broke Michelle Snow's school record for most dunks in a career in the game with #11 Stanford on Nov. 24. Parker's one-handed slam with 10:55 left in the first half was the fourth of Parker's career and the second of the season. Snow registered three dunks (1998-2002) during her career.
A TALE OF TWO HALVES
After opening games shooting at .613 (UTC), .531 (UCLA), .516 (Arizona St.) - UT had its first stinker in the opening 20 minutes making just 13-31 field goals for a season-low .419 shooting percentage in the first half against Stanford ...UT responded with .609 accuracy in the second half (14-23) for the best second half field goal performance of the season...
UT-STANFORD WRAP-UP
The 77 points were the fewest scored by the Lady Vols this season...All Lady Vols who played scored...UT missed only one free throw, shooting at a 94.7 percent clip... Individually, Candace Parker... Sank her first three-point attempt of the season, recorded her second dunk of the season, her first career dunk against a ranked opponent, Was the first of two Lady Vols to reach double-figures, Eclipsed the 20-point plateau for the third straight game and the 13th time in her career, Surpassed 700 points for her career, Recorded five blocks, tying for the 10th-most in a single game by a Lady Vol (She now has 93 for her career, moving past Tiffani Johnson (89) and Cindy Noble (91) into 10th place in the Lady Vol record books); Alexis Hornbuckle...Extended her streak of games with a steal to 40. She has made at least one steal in 61 of 68 career game; Sidney Spencer... Scored in double figures for the fourth time this season, the 31st time in her career.
UT LEADS PAC-10 AT 3-0
The Tennessee Lady Vols have finished their Pac-10 slate with a 3-0 record against three ranked teams in consecutive games. During the stretch of wins over #20/21 UCLA, at #11 Arizona State and #11 Stanford in the last week, UT averaged 81.0 ppg and gave up 64.7 ppg for a 16.3 scoring margin. The Lady Vols shot .528 from the field, .455 from three point land and .760 from the line. UT forced the opposition in an average of 23.0 turnovers per game while coming up with 14.0 steals per contest. Individually, Candace Parker tossed in 24.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg and registered two dunks.
CAN THIS TEAM DEFEND THE 3?
Coach Pat Summitt has not been pleased with the Lady Vols' commitment to defending the three-pointer. On the season, UT's opponents have connected on 6.0 treys per game and connecting on 40 percent of their attempts. Chattanooga recorded a school record 31 attempts from three-point land versus the Lady Vols.
FIFTY IS NIFTY
With the victory over Stanford, Tennessee has now claimed 52 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.
FIRST MONTH OF THE SEASON: STATE LOVE & PAC-10 EAST
In the first month of the 2006-07 season, the Lady Vols have eight foes scheduled. 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 (an 83-74 win ) and #11 Stanford (a 77-60 win). Trips to long-standing rival Louisiana Tech (Nov. 28) and #2-ranked North Carolina (Dec. 3) round out the first month of the season.
LADY VOL SPOILERS
The Lady Vols have enjoyed the role of spoiler snapping long-standing winning streaks on a number of opponent's home floors over the years. Last Sunday, Tennessee halted Arizona State's 26-game winning streak at Wells Fargo Arena with an 83-74 win. Last season, Stanford had amassed a 23-game winning streak at Maples Pavilion before the Lady Vols grabbed a 74-67 win on Dec. 4, 2005.
FREE THROW WOES
Good thing that the Lady Vols exploded to as much as a 24-point lead against Arizona State. Had Tennessee been forced to rely on relief from the charity stripe down the stretch, it would have been a bad outcome. UT made only 12-21 free throws against the Sun Devils for just 57.1 percent. Candace Parker missed four (7-11), Shannon Bobbitt missed the front end of two 1+1 situations (0-2) and Alex Fuller, uncharacteristically, missed both of her bonus tosses (0-2).
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.
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.
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. UT 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.
"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."
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. UT'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.
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 268-16 (.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 421-40 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.
219 OF 232 AT HOME
UT has won 219 of their last 232 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 372-145 (.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 three games at home. The last time UT lost on the road was on Jan. 26, 2006 at Kentucky, since then, UT has won four 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.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Parker, Tennessee defense too much for Cardinal
For 10 years now, Stanford has lost every which way to Tennessee. There have been close games and blowouts, nail-biters and yawners, contests that agonizingly just slipped away from Stanford and others where the Cardinal never had a grip.
Friday's 77-60 loss at Thompson-Boling Arena was, obviously, of the rout variety. Sure, there were moments when Stanford made mini-runs, but never did you really think the Cardinal were going to pull the upset.
And it's fair to say that everyone (except the Orange Nation and Stanford-haters) was a bit disappointed with this dud. It was supposed to be one of the marquee games of the nonconference season, but it didn't pan out. It was fun to see just how spectacularly dominant Tennessee's Candace Parker can be, and also watch freshman Jayne Appel's first "big" game for Stanford.
But this wasn't the matchup it was hoped to be. Then again, Tennessee-Stanford really hasn't been a "rivalry," if you want to be brutally frank.
Stanford last beat Tennessee on Dec. 15, 1996, in Knoxville, Tenn. It was one of 10 games that Tennessee lost that 1996-97 season -- not that that ended up mattering. Tennessee still won the program's fifth NCAA title in 1997.
That was the last season of the team Stanford fans are still pining over -- the days when Kate Starbird, Jamila Wideman, Vanessa Nygaard, Olympia Scott, Charmin Smith, Heather Owen and Naomi Mulitauaopele were all together. That was the group that beat Tennessee. Later, coach Tara VanDerveer called Kristin Folkl, who was busy that December leading Stanford to another NCAA volleyball title, and asked her to come back to the hoops team.
She did, and the Cardinal made their third consecutive Final Four … and lost in the semifinals for the third consecutive year … and that's still as sad a locker room as I have ever been in.
Yeah, a full decade. Wow, where does the time go? That's how long it has been for the Cardinal in this "Tennessee desert," having lost 11 in a row to the Orange Crush. All but one of those 11 has been in November/December. That other was the hardest loss, coming in the Elite Eight in 2004. In all, the Cardinal is 4-19 against Pat Summitt's crew.
I can see, though, why VanDerveer might sound a bit miffed whenever asked about this. After all, there is a very easy way to stop losing to Tennessee.
Stop scheduling Tennessee.
But VanDerveer is not going to do that, because there really isn't any down side to playing Tennessee in the nonconference season. Sure, it can be frustrating for the Cardinal … it is frustrating … but it's also a great way to figure out what your problems are.
The peanut gallery will point out that BYU already did Stanford that favor, beating the Cardinal 55-52 in the Preseason WNIT -- at Maples Pavilion, no less. But playing Tennessee usually exposes every flaw, and that happened Friday.
Indeed, this Stanford team has issues to fix if it's to make a Final Four run this season, which it is capable of doing. VanDerveer talked Friday about All-American Candice Wiggins "pressing" a bit too much; even so, Wiggins had 18 points.
As big as the Cardinal are, Tennessee still dominated the boards 37-26. Appel was the star for Stanford with 23 points. But her getting single coverage was what Tennessee was willing to give up as it pretty much shut down senior post players Brooke Smith and Kristin Newlin, who combined for six points and 3-for-10 shooting from the field.
What is the main thing this game tells us about Tennessee? That Parker is completely in charge of the group now on the floor, and that she's more than good enough to help her team overcome foul problems her teammates might be having.
Summitt said it was Parker's best all-around game; she had 25 points, nine rebounds, five blocks and four steals. Gaudy as those numbers are, though, even they don't quite tell you how determined Parker -- who added the fourth dunk of her NCAA career, as well -- looked, though: like she is just not going to allow Tennessee to lose.
As Summitt said afterward, "We lean on her a lot. I expect a lot from her every game. I see the good, but I also see the possessions that she takes off. She limited those this game. She really came to play."
Friday's 77-60 loss at Thompson-Boling Arena was, obviously, of the rout variety. Sure, there were moments when Stanford made mini-runs, but never did you really think the Cardinal were going to pull the upset.
And it's fair to say that everyone (except the Orange Nation and Stanford-haters) was a bit disappointed with this dud. It was supposed to be one of the marquee games of the nonconference season, but it didn't pan out. It was fun to see just how spectacularly dominant Tennessee's Candace Parker can be, and also watch freshman Jayne Appel's first "big" game for Stanford.
But this wasn't the matchup it was hoped to be. Then again, Tennessee-Stanford really hasn't been a "rivalry," if you want to be brutally frank.
Stanford last beat Tennessee on Dec. 15, 1996, in Knoxville, Tenn. It was one of 10 games that Tennessee lost that 1996-97 season -- not that that ended up mattering. Tennessee still won the program's fifth NCAA title in 1997.
That was the last season of the team Stanford fans are still pining over -- the days when Kate Starbird, Jamila Wideman, Vanessa Nygaard, Olympia Scott, Charmin Smith, Heather Owen and Naomi Mulitauaopele were all together. That was the group that beat Tennessee. Later, coach Tara VanDerveer called Kristin Folkl, who was busy that December leading Stanford to another NCAA volleyball title, and asked her to come back to the hoops team.
She did, and the Cardinal made their third consecutive Final Four … and lost in the semifinals for the third consecutive year … and that's still as sad a locker room as I have ever been in.
Yeah, a full decade. Wow, where does the time go? That's how long it has been for the Cardinal in this "Tennessee desert," having lost 11 in a row to the Orange Crush. All but one of those 11 has been in November/December. That other was the hardest loss, coming in the Elite Eight in 2004. In all, the Cardinal is 4-19 against Pat Summitt's crew.
I can see, though, why VanDerveer might sound a bit miffed whenever asked about this. After all, there is a very easy way to stop losing to Tennessee.
Stop scheduling Tennessee.
But VanDerveer is not going to do that, because there really isn't any down side to playing Tennessee in the nonconference season. Sure, it can be frustrating for the Cardinal … it is frustrating … but it's also a great way to figure out what your problems are.
The peanut gallery will point out that BYU already did Stanford that favor, beating the Cardinal 55-52 in the Preseason WNIT -- at Maples Pavilion, no less. But playing Tennessee usually exposes every flaw, and that happened Friday.
Indeed, this Stanford team has issues to fix if it's to make a Final Four run this season, which it is capable of doing. VanDerveer talked Friday about All-American Candice Wiggins "pressing" a bit too much; even so, Wiggins had 18 points.
As big as the Cardinal are, Tennessee still dominated the boards 37-26. Appel was the star for Stanford with 23 points. But her getting single coverage was what Tennessee was willing to give up as it pretty much shut down senior post players Brooke Smith and Kristin Newlin, who combined for six points and 3-for-10 shooting from the field.
What is the main thing this game tells us about Tennessee? That Parker is completely in charge of the group now on the floor, and that she's more than good enough to help her team overcome foul problems her teammates might be having.
Summitt said it was Parker's best all-around game; she had 25 points, nine rebounds, five blocks and four steals. Gaudy as those numbers are, though, even they don't quite tell you how determined Parker -- who added the fourth dunk of her NCAA career, as well -- looked, though: like she is just not going to allow Tennessee to lose.
As Summitt said afterward, "We lean on her a lot. I expect a lot from her every game. I see the good, but I also see the possessions that she takes off. She limited those this game. She really came to play."
Friday, November 24, 2006
(4) Tennessee 77, (11) Stanford 60
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Candace Parker got her fourth career dunk and scored 25 points to help fourth-ranked Tennessee beat No. 11 Stanford 77-60 on Friday night.
The Lady Vols (4-0) led most of the game, but Stanford and star freshman center Jayne Appel made them work to stay ahead.
The Cardinal (2-2) cut the lead to nine twice late in the second half, and Tennessee answered with 3-pointers.
The second time, Appel got an easy basket that trimmed it to 56-47 with 8:02 remaining, and Tennessee's Sidney Spencer hit a 3 at the other end.
The teams traded baskets before the Lady Vols pulled away with a quick 6-0 run on a jumper by Parker and four free throws by Alexis Hornbuckle to make it 69-51. The Cardinal could get no closer the rest of the way.
Spencer finished with 10 points. Parker recorded her dunk in the first half and added nine rebounds.
Appel had a season-high 23 points in her best outing so far. Two-time Pac-10 player of the year Candice Wiggins added 18 and Jillian Harmon scored 10 off the bench.
Parker is the fourth collegiate woman to dunk in a game and dunked for the second time this season. She stole a cross-court pass and took off for the wide-open basket at the other end, jamming the ball in with her right hand with 10:55 remaining. The dunk came after the Cardinal had cut the lead to 13-11.
She showed a wide range against Stanford with inside and outside shots, blocks and steals.
But even Parker had trouble guarding Appel one-on-one. The California native, who ranks as one of the top high school players of all time, was 10-of-17 from the field. She was only 3-of-8 from the foul line and was one of only two Stanford players to attempt a free throw.
The Cardinal got as close as four in the first half after being down by 12. Appel's basket with 1:39 left cut it to 29-25, but the Lady Vols answered with Dominique Redding's 3.
The first half ended appropriately with another highlight play after several before the break. After Spencer hit a 3 with 3.6 seconds remaining, Wiggins threw the ball from about 50 feet and it went in at the buzzer to make it 35-28.
Before her dunk, Parker attempted her first 3-pointer of the season and made it. The crowd's cheer was almost louder than when she dunked about five minutes later.
The Lady Vols had a quick 8-0 run to go ahead 25-13 before halftime, but Appel scored three straight baskets to trim the lead in half.
Tennessee has won 11 straight over Stanford.
The Lady Vols (4-0) led most of the game, but Stanford and star freshman center Jayne Appel made them work to stay ahead.
The Cardinal (2-2) cut the lead to nine twice late in the second half, and Tennessee answered with 3-pointers.
The second time, Appel got an easy basket that trimmed it to 56-47 with 8:02 remaining, and Tennessee's Sidney Spencer hit a 3 at the other end.
The teams traded baskets before the Lady Vols pulled away with a quick 6-0 run on a jumper by Parker and four free throws by Alexis Hornbuckle to make it 69-51. The Cardinal could get no closer the rest of the way.
Spencer finished with 10 points. Parker recorded her dunk in the first half and added nine rebounds.
Appel had a season-high 23 points in her best outing so far. Two-time Pac-10 player of the year Candice Wiggins added 18 and Jillian Harmon scored 10 off the bench.
Parker is the fourth collegiate woman to dunk in a game and dunked for the second time this season. She stole a cross-court pass and took off for the wide-open basket at the other end, jamming the ball in with her right hand with 10:55 remaining. The dunk came after the Cardinal had cut the lead to 13-11.
She showed a wide range against Stanford with inside and outside shots, blocks and steals.
But even Parker had trouble guarding Appel one-on-one. The California native, who ranks as one of the top high school players of all time, was 10-of-17 from the field. She was only 3-of-8 from the foul line and was one of only two Stanford players to attempt a free throw.
The Cardinal got as close as four in the first half after being down by 12. Appel's basket with 1:39 left cut it to 29-25, but the Lady Vols answered with Dominique Redding's 3.
The first half ended appropriately with another highlight play after several before the break. After Spencer hit a 3 with 3.6 seconds remaining, Wiggins threw the ball from about 50 feet and it went in at the buzzer to make it 35-28.
Before her dunk, Parker attempted her first 3-pointer of the season and made it. The crowd's cheer was almost louder than when she dunked about five minutes later.
The Lady Vols had a quick 8-0 run to go ahead 25-13 before halftime, but Appel scored three straight baskets to trim the lead in half.
Tennessee has won 11 straight over Stanford.
Parker records fourth career dunk
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee's Candace Parker had her fourth career dunk Friday night against No. 11 Stanford.
The 6-foot-4 Parker got a steal near midcourt and ran toward the other side at the wide open basket. She raised the ball in her right hand and dunked it with 10:55 remaining in the first half.
Parker dunked in the fourth-ranked Lady Vols' season opener against Chattanooga, the first dunk in Thompson-Boling Arena.
Parker made history in last year's NCAA tournament by dunking twice against Army in the first round.
She is the fourth woman to ever dunk in a college game and has dunked the most.
Former Lady Vols star Michelle Snow dunked three times in 2000, `01 and `02. The other female collegiate dunkers were Charlotte Smith of North Carolina (1994) and Georgeann Wells of West Virginia (twice in 1984).
The 6-foot-4 Parker got a steal near midcourt and ran toward the other side at the wide open basket. She raised the ball in her right hand and dunked it with 10:55 remaining in the first half.
Parker dunked in the fourth-ranked Lady Vols' season opener against Chattanooga, the first dunk in Thompson-Boling Arena.
Parker made history in last year's NCAA tournament by dunking twice against Army in the first round.
She is the fourth woman to ever dunk in a college game and has dunked the most.
Former Lady Vols star Michelle Snow dunked three times in 2000, `01 and `02. The other female collegiate dunkers were Charlotte Smith of North Carolina (1994) and Georgeann Wells of West Virginia (twice in 1984).
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Lady Vols prepare for Stanford
The Lady Vols will practice Thanksgiving morning and then scatter to different sites to spend time with their families before reconvening Friday for the annual clash between top programs Tennessee and Stanford.
Wednesday’s practice was devoted to getting better in one area that has been weak for the Lady Vols so far – three-point defense. The team did some full-court work at the start of practice and then settled into the half court to address specific issues.
“We did a lot of up and down early,” coach Pat Summitt said. “I wanted to work on our transition offense and defense and try to do a better job of defending the three out of transition and limiting low block touches. And then I wanted to get in the half court and guard their sets and just really have a good session on scouting report defense.”
No. 4 Tennessee, 3-0, will need to pay close attention to that scouting report against No. 11 Stanford, 2-1.
“They’re a veteran team,” Summitt said. “They get after you defensively. They space as well offensively as anyone we’ll play all year. They play well together. Their high-low game is going to be a challenge for us.”
Stanford played at home Tuesday evening – the Cardinal defeated Missouri, 75-60 – and was due to arrive into Knoxville on Wednesday night.
The matchup will not be televised because Tennessee balked at moving the game to Thanksgiving because of the burden that would place on the Thompson-Boling Arena staff. That also would not have given Stanford much time between a West Coast game and one played in the Eastern Time zone.
The operations, marketing and media relations departments met when ESPN inquired about moving the game to Thursday and decided it wasn’t fair to ask ushers, the ticket office, concessions, UT police and other support staff to come in to work on Thanksgiving. Summitt agreed to tip off at any time Friday to accommodate television, but there were no takers. There also were concerns that a Thanksgiving game would hurt attendance and prevent fans that were traveling that day and spending time with their families from attending the game.
“And for our workers here we didn’t think it was a fair situation to ask them to leave their families,” Summitt said.
The offshoot may be brisk ticket sales for a game between ranked opponents that can be seen only in person or via pay-per-view video stream through the Lady Vols website, www.goladyvols.com.
“The way you can see it is to be here so maybe there’s something to be said about that,” Summitt said. “Obviously we love having TV exposure, but the decision was made strictly because of all the workers and a lot of people that go out of town.”
“I think things are going well,” Summitt said of tickets sold. “I know I’ve got my family coming in and they were like, ‘Well, you better sit down and work this out right away.’ ”
Summitt needed about 20 tickets to accommodate her family – mother and brothers and sister and their children and extended family members – who also will come to her house for Thanksgiving dinner.
A lot of the players also have family in town for the holiday and the games – Stanford on Friday at 7 p.m. and Middle Tennessee State University on Sunday at 4 p.m. – so they will spend time with them after practice Thursday, which is scheduled for 9 to 11 a.m. at the arena with the first 30 minutes or so allocated for a film session.
“Some of them are going to Nikki Caldwell’s and to Holly’s,” said Summitt, who will schedule a post-Thanksgiving dinner for the team. “My family is all coming in so we’ll do it later, hopefully on Saturday in between the two games.”
The players had an upbeat practice Wednesday and came out of the locker room all smiles and laughing and chatting with each other. The team has come together on and off the court in a relatively short period of time.
“We do like this team,” Associate Head Coach Holly Warlick said. “For the most part they’re great practice players. Very few (days) have we come in here and we haven’t practiced well. They’re very likeable. When somebody comes in here and gives the effort and works then you can do your job and coach. You don’t want to have to motivate. The days you motivate are the days you get frustrated and you end up not coaching because you’re so frustrated.
“I enjoy this team. I think they’ve got a lot of energy, and they’re fun to be around.”
Wednesday’s practice was devoted to getting better in one area that has been weak for the Lady Vols so far – three-point defense. The team did some full-court work at the start of practice and then settled into the half court to address specific issues.
“We did a lot of up and down early,” coach Pat Summitt said. “I wanted to work on our transition offense and defense and try to do a better job of defending the three out of transition and limiting low block touches. And then I wanted to get in the half court and guard their sets and just really have a good session on scouting report defense.”
No. 4 Tennessee, 3-0, will need to pay close attention to that scouting report against No. 11 Stanford, 2-1.
“They’re a veteran team,” Summitt said. “They get after you defensively. They space as well offensively as anyone we’ll play all year. They play well together. Their high-low game is going to be a challenge for us.”
Stanford played at home Tuesday evening – the Cardinal defeated Missouri, 75-60 – and was due to arrive into Knoxville on Wednesday night.
The matchup will not be televised because Tennessee balked at moving the game to Thanksgiving because of the burden that would place on the Thompson-Boling Arena staff. That also would not have given Stanford much time between a West Coast game and one played in the Eastern Time zone.
The operations, marketing and media relations departments met when ESPN inquired about moving the game to Thursday and decided it wasn’t fair to ask ushers, the ticket office, concessions, UT police and other support staff to come in to work on Thanksgiving. Summitt agreed to tip off at any time Friday to accommodate television, but there were no takers. There also were concerns that a Thanksgiving game would hurt attendance and prevent fans that were traveling that day and spending time with their families from attending the game.
“And for our workers here we didn’t think it was a fair situation to ask them to leave their families,” Summitt said.
The offshoot may be brisk ticket sales for a game between ranked opponents that can be seen only in person or via pay-per-view video stream through the Lady Vols website, www.goladyvols.com.
“The way you can see it is to be here so maybe there’s something to be said about that,” Summitt said. “Obviously we love having TV exposure, but the decision was made strictly because of all the workers and a lot of people that go out of town.”
“I think things are going well,” Summitt said of tickets sold. “I know I’ve got my family coming in and they were like, ‘Well, you better sit down and work this out right away.’ ”
Summitt needed about 20 tickets to accommodate her family – mother and brothers and sister and their children and extended family members – who also will come to her house for Thanksgiving dinner.
A lot of the players also have family in town for the holiday and the games – Stanford on Friday at 7 p.m. and Middle Tennessee State University on Sunday at 4 p.m. – so they will spend time with them after practice Thursday, which is scheduled for 9 to 11 a.m. at the arena with the first 30 minutes or so allocated for a film session.
“Some of them are going to Nikki Caldwell’s and to Holly’s,” said Summitt, who will schedule a post-Thanksgiving dinner for the team. “My family is all coming in so we’ll do it later, hopefully on Saturday in between the two games.”
The players had an upbeat practice Wednesday and came out of the locker room all smiles and laughing and chatting with each other. The team has come together on and off the court in a relatively short period of time.
“We do like this team,” Associate Head Coach Holly Warlick said. “For the most part they’re great practice players. Very few (days) have we come in here and we haven’t practiced well. They’re very likeable. When somebody comes in here and gives the effort and works then you can do your job and coach. You don’t want to have to motivate. The days you motivate are the days you get frustrated and you end up not coaching because you’re so frustrated.
“I enjoy this team. I think they’ve got a lot of energy, and they’re fun to be around.”
Sunday, November 19, 2006
(5) Tennessee 83, (11) Arizona St. 74
TEMPE, Ariz. -- No. 5 Tennessee needed its pressure defense to spark a couple of key runs to snap Arizona States 26-game home win streak.
Candace Parker scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds Sunday to lead the Volunteers past the 11th-ranked Sun Devils 83-74.
The Volunteers (3-0) used a 15-3 run midway through the second half to break open a 52-48 game.
"(Coach Pat Summitt) made it a point to say we needed to go on a run because this team was going to fight until the end," Volunteer point guard Alexis Hornbuckle said. "And we took it upon ourselves to take pride in our defense and after that the offense just flowed. I think this team starts with defense."
Summitt agreed.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Our defense, second half, we really stepped up," she said. "Obviously they get after you and at times we looked a little ugly offensively. But we managed to get it done."
Emily Westerberg had 21 points and six rebounds to lead the Sun Devils (4-1) but picked up her fourth foul with 12:58 left in the middle of the Volunteers' decisive run.
"Tennessee did what I thought they would do," Arizona State coach Charli Turner Thorne said. "When we had breakdowns and when we didnt dig in on transition defense, they exposed us."
With Westerberg out Tennessee ran off 10 straight points to take a 77-53 lead with 8:29 left.
Sidney Spencer added 18 points and Hornbuckle 13 for Tennessee, which beat its second straight Pac-10 opponent after beating UCLA on Thursday night. The Volunteers play at home against Stanford on Friday.
The only thing that troubled Tennessee on Sunday was fouls. Five Volunteers finished with three or more fouls.
"Honestly we are a very physical team," Parker said. "We have had to make adjustments to the emphasis on calling hand checking. I think that now we are adjusted to it."
Reagan Pariseau was 4-of-5 from the field and scored 15 points for the Sun Devils. Briann January added 14 points and six assists for Arizona State, which had won its first four games by an average of 31.5 points.
Tennessee shot 34-of-62 from the field and outrebounded the Sun Devils 36-29.
The Volunteers made 6-of-8 shots during the key second-half run while holding Arizona State to Pariseau's 20-footer during the five-minute stretch.
Parker, who got her first double-double of the season and 11th in her career, had 18 points and seven rebounds in the first half.
Candace Parker scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds Sunday to lead the Volunteers past the 11th-ranked Sun Devils 83-74.
The Volunteers (3-0) used a 15-3 run midway through the second half to break open a 52-48 game.
"(Coach Pat Summitt) made it a point to say we needed to go on a run because this team was going to fight until the end," Volunteer point guard Alexis Hornbuckle said. "And we took it upon ourselves to take pride in our defense and after that the offense just flowed. I think this team starts with defense."
Summitt agreed.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Our defense, second half, we really stepped up," she said. "Obviously they get after you and at times we looked a little ugly offensively. But we managed to get it done."
Emily Westerberg had 21 points and six rebounds to lead the Sun Devils (4-1) but picked up her fourth foul with 12:58 left in the middle of the Volunteers' decisive run.
"Tennessee did what I thought they would do," Arizona State coach Charli Turner Thorne said. "When we had breakdowns and when we didnt dig in on transition defense, they exposed us."
With Westerberg out Tennessee ran off 10 straight points to take a 77-53 lead with 8:29 left.
Sidney Spencer added 18 points and Hornbuckle 13 for Tennessee, which beat its second straight Pac-10 opponent after beating UCLA on Thursday night. The Volunteers play at home against Stanford on Friday.
The only thing that troubled Tennessee on Sunday was fouls. Five Volunteers finished with three or more fouls.
"Honestly we are a very physical team," Parker said. "We have had to make adjustments to the emphasis on calling hand checking. I think that now we are adjusted to it."
Reagan Pariseau was 4-of-5 from the field and scored 15 points for the Sun Devils. Briann January added 14 points and six assists for Arizona State, which had won its first four games by an average of 31.5 points.
Tennessee shot 34-of-62 from the field and outrebounded the Sun Devils 36-29.
The Volunteers made 6-of-8 shots during the key second-half run while holding Arizona State to Pariseau's 20-footer during the five-minute stretch.
Parker, who got her first double-double of the season and 11th in her career, had 18 points and seven rebounds in the first half.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
(5) Tennessee 83, (20) UCLA 60
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Candace Parker scored 22 points, Sidney Spencer added 15 and fifth-ranked Tennessee pulled away from No. 20 UCLA in the second half to win 83-60 on Thursday night.
The Lady Vols (2-0) began the second half with a 10-0 run that increased their lead to 52-32 with 16:17 left. Parker scored twice inside during the spurt.
UCLA (1-1), which dropped to 1-15 all-time against Tennessee, shot the ball well most of the game but could not overcome 26 turnovers.
Noelle Quinn, who led the Bruins in scoring last year, had 20 points. She scored 13 in the first half and was held without a field goal after halftime until the 5:49 mark. By that time the Lady Vols were already ahead by 27.
Alex Fuller added 10 points for Tennessee.
The Bruins opened the season Sunday with an 87-62 win over UC Santa Barbara, but they had trouble keeping up with Tennessee's fast-paced style. Lindsey Pluimer, who had a career-high 23 points in the opener, had 17 points, 13 coming in the first half.
Tennessee grabbed the lead early after UCLA had four turnovers in the first 3 1/2 minutes. The Lady Vols pushed their lead to as many as 17, but the Bruins kept chipping away.
Quinn had a jumper and 3-pointer that cut it to 38-27 and brought cheers from the UCLA bench. Nicky Anosike scored for Tennessee, but the Bruins responded with a three-point play by Pluimer that made it 40-30 with 3:01 remaining before halftime.
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt started pulling starters early in the second half. Parker went to the bench after scoring with 7:37 left. She was 10-of-15 from the floor.
Tennessee freshman Cait McMahan, already a fan favorite because she is from nearby Maryville, hit back-to-back 3s to push the lead to 24 with 12:08 to go.
The teams were playing for the first time since 1999. UCLA's lone win in the series was in 1981.
The Lady Vols (2-0) began the second half with a 10-0 run that increased their lead to 52-32 with 16:17 left. Parker scored twice inside during the spurt.
UCLA (1-1), which dropped to 1-15 all-time against Tennessee, shot the ball well most of the game but could not overcome 26 turnovers.
Noelle Quinn, who led the Bruins in scoring last year, had 20 points. She scored 13 in the first half and was held without a field goal after halftime until the 5:49 mark. By that time the Lady Vols were already ahead by 27.
Alex Fuller added 10 points for Tennessee.
The Bruins opened the season Sunday with an 87-62 win over UC Santa Barbara, but they had trouble keeping up with Tennessee's fast-paced style. Lindsey Pluimer, who had a career-high 23 points in the opener, had 17 points, 13 coming in the first half.
Tennessee grabbed the lead early after UCLA had four turnovers in the first 3 1/2 minutes. The Lady Vols pushed their lead to as many as 17, but the Bruins kept chipping away.
Quinn had a jumper and 3-pointer that cut it to 38-27 and brought cheers from the UCLA bench. Nicky Anosike scored for Tennessee, but the Bruins responded with a three-point play by Pluimer that made it 40-30 with 3:01 remaining before halftime.
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt started pulling starters early in the second half. Parker went to the bench after scoring with 7:37 left. She was 10-of-15 from the floor.
Tennessee freshman Cait McMahan, already a fan favorite because she is from nearby Maryville, hit back-to-back 3s to push the lead to 24 with 12:08 to go.
The teams were playing for the first time since 1999. UCLA's lone win in the series was in 1981.
Lady Vols Host UCLA Thursday
The #5/4-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols (1-0) play its first ranked opponent of the 2006-07 season facing #20/21 UCLA (1-0) in Thompson-Boling Arena on Thursday at 7 p.m. on CSS. This contest marks the first 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 914-177 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 letter winners, 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 BRUINS
The UCLA Bruins opened their season on Sun., Nov. 12 with an 87-62 win over UC Santa Barbara at Pauley Pavilion on the UCLA campus. They were led in scoring by 6-4 junior forward Lindsey Pluimer who tossed in 23 points. After winning the Pac-10 Tournament in 2006, the Bruins received the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. This season, the Pac-10 Coaches picked UCLA to finish sixth in the league in the annual pre-season poll. Stanford, with nine first-place votes, was the choice to finish first and was followed by Arizona State, USC, California, Washington and then UCLA. The media poll also picked Stanford followed by Arizona State. UCLA was also picked sixth.
UPCOMING OPPONENTS
The #11-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils (3-0) returned to action on Nov. 15 hosting Nicholls State (0-1) at home. The game marked ASU's fourth contest over the past six days as the Sun Devils shaped the 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 (11.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg) and guard Briann January (8.7 ppg, 3.7 apg, 3.0 spg) were named to the Veterans Day Classic All-Tournament Team while senior forward Emily Westerberg (16.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg) was selected as the Most Valuable Player.
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 (Nov. 16) 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 television this season. Five more games will be available as streaming video with voice-over from Mickey Dearstone on utladyvols.com.
ON THIS DAY
UT is 4-0 in games played on Nov. 16. The Lady Vols are 3-0 at home, 1-0 on the road and 0-0 on neutral courts. The last time out on Nov. 16, the Lady Vols registered a 95-76 victory over the Premier Players in a 2002 exhibition game.
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.
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 (Nov. 16), 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.
TWO FORMER 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.
UCLA NOTEBOOK
The 2006-07 edition of the UCLA women's basketball team tipped things off on Nov. 12, 2006 with an 87-62 win over UC Santa Barbara in Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins were led by junior forward Lindsey Pluimer, who tossed in a career-best 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. UCLA broke open a close game in the last five minutes of the first half when it went on a 12-2 run to stretch a 27-25 advantage at the 4:41 mark to a 39-27 margin with 1:23 remaining in the half. A pair of baskets by senior guard Noelle Quinn in the last 27 seconds of the half sent the Bruins into the locker room with a 43-31 advantage. After UCSB had cut the Bruin lead to 47-36 with 18:55 to play, UCLA responded with an 11-1 run which put the Bruins up by 21 points with 16:26 on the clock. The visiting Gauchos never got closer than 19 points the rest of the ballgame. UCLA won the battle of the boards, 57-35, including a total of 30 at the offensive end, and limited the guests to 32.8% shooting from the field. Quinn finished with 13 points and a team-high six assists for UCLA. Also in double figures for the Bruins were senior forward Amanda Livingston with 12 and sophomore center Chinyere Ibekwe, who finished with 11 points. Sophomore guard Tierra Henderson added career-highs in points (9), rebounds (6) and assists (3) in her first-ever starting assignment.
ALL-TIME SERIES MEETINGS
DATE RANK SITE W/L SCORE
1/5/79 5/4 H W 88-74
3/25/79 3/6 N25 W 104-86
12/13/79 3/11 A W 80-77
1/3/81 7/8 H L 62-65
12/13/81 14/17 A W 71-66
12/10/83 7/nr A W 73-70
1/6/85 H W 72-57
12/15/85 13/nr A W 68-64
12/20/86 1/nr H W 81-58
12/13/87 1/nr A W 89-63
12/20/88 1/nr H W 82-50
12/17/89 2/nr A W 77-55
12/16/90 10/nr H W 113-86
12/21/98 2/8 H W 100-77
11/28/99 5/4 A W 88-77
THE SERIES
UT leads the series with UCLA, 14-1. The series between the two teams began with a 1979 meeting in Knoxville and continued every season (except 1982-83) until the 1990-91 season. The Bruins have recorded one victory in the series, a 65-62 win over the Lady Vols in Stokely Athletics Center on Jan. 3, 1981. Both teams have been ranked in seven of the meetings and UT leads ranked game wins, 6-1.
AVERAGE SCORE
The average score of a UT-UCLA game in the three most recent meetings finds the Lady Vols leading the Bruins in a high scoring affair -- 97.6 to 80.0.
VERSUS THE PAC-10
Tennessee has taken on nine teams from the Pacific 10 all-time and sports a 49-12 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 currently competes in the Pac-10 since Dec. 15, 1996, when Stanford came away from Knoxville with an 82-65 win over UT. 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.
UCLA NOTEBOOK
The 2006-07 edition of the UCLA women's basketball team tipped things off on Nov. 12, 2006 with an 87-62 win over UC Santa Barbara in Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins were led by junior forward Lindsey Pluimer, who tossed in a career-best 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. UCLA broke open a close game in the last five minutes of the first half when it went on a 12-2 run to stretch a 27-25 advantage at the 4:41 mark to a 39-27 margin with 1:23 remaining in the half. A pair of baskets by senior guard Noelle Quinn in the last 27 seconds of the half sent the Bruins into the locker room with a 43-31 advantage. After UCSB had cut the Bruin lead to 47-36 with 18:55 to play, UCLA responded with an 11-1 run which put the Bruins up by 21 points with 16:26 on the clock. The visiting Gauchos never got closer than 19 points the rest of the ballgame. UCLA won the battle of the boards, 57-35, including a total of 30 at the offensive end, and limited the guests to 32.8% shooting from the field. Quinn finished with 13 points and a team-high six assists for UCLA. Also in double figures for the Bruins were senior forward Amanda Livingston with 12 and sophomore center Chinyere Ibekwe, who finished with 11 points. Sophomore guard Tierra Henderson added career-highs in points (9), rebounds (6) and assists (3) in her first-ever starting assignment.
LADY VOLS VS. BRUINS STAT COMPARISON
TENNESSEE UCLA
OVERALL RECORD 1-0 1-0
SCORING 102.0 87.0
SCORING DEFENSE 72.0 62.0
POINT MARGIN +30.0 +25.0
REBOUNDS 27.0 57.0
OPP. REBOUNDS 37.0 35.0
REBOUND MARGIN -10.0 +22.0
FG% .579 .425
OPPONENT FG% .431 .328
THREE POINT FG% .450 .375
OPPONENT 3FG% .419 .300
FT% .818 .733
OPPONENT FT% .563 .857
ASSISTS 15.0 17.0
BLOCKS AVERAGE 5.0 3.0
STEALS AVERAGE 17.0 7.0
TURNOVER AVERAGE 10.0 22.0
OUR LAST MEETING
The #5 ranked Tennessee Lady Volunteers completed a sweep of Pac 10 foes upsetting #4 UCLA, 88-77, on Nov. 28, 1999 in Los Angeles, Calif. It marked UT's seventh consecutive victory over the Bruins in Pauley Pavilion. The Lady Vols quickly jumped out to an early 11-point lead, 20-9, with 12:59 showing in the first half. In this game, coach Pat Summitt called on her bench early and often as 10 UT players saw action in the opening stanza. As the Lady Vols came at the Bruins in waves, they maintained a comfortable lead (11 points, 36-25 with 5:03 to go in the first half). UCLA closed the gap to 40-31 at the break. Tamika Catchings and Kristen "Ace" Clement were UT's first half work horses tossing in 15 and 10 points, respectively. In the second stanza, UCLA quickly chipped away at the Lady Vols' lead and cut it to just one point three times. With 13:53 to go, the Bruins trailed 50-49 and had grabbed the games' momentum but a key trey by UT rookie forward Tasheika Morris gave the Lady Vols a comfortable four point margin and the Bruins never got closer again. UT extended its lead by as many as 13 points, 81-68, with 1:41 to go. Four Tennessee players reached double-figures led by Catchings' 23 points and game high 13 rebounds. Also in extra digits were Kara Lawson with 19 points, Semeka Randall with 11 points and Clement with 10 points. UT outrebounded the Bruins 45-33 and shot 51.5% for the game.
LAST TIME UCLA CAME TO TBA
The last time the Lady Vols played UCLA in Thompson-Boling it was Dec. 21, 1998, and 19,722 fans jammed the Arena. Tennessee prevailed 100-77 as former Lady Vol All-American Chamique Holdsclaw went over 2,500 career points and 1,100 career rebounds in the contest.
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.
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.
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.
FOUR QUESTIONS WITH NICCI
Rookie Nicci Moats spent a few minutes sharing some answers to these questions:
The separation of the athletic departments, what do you think that does for women's athletic teams at UT? "I think it allows the focus to be on the women's teams more so than if both departments were combined."
How does the fan loyalty and support at UT differ from anywhere else in the country? "I've never seen such a great fan base and such loyal fans in any other women's program. There is support from so many different people."
What do you want to do when you grow up? "I want to be an orthopedic P.A."
If you could play any other sport at UT, which would it be? "Volleyball"
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 266-16 (.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 32 years producing a 419-40 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.
217 OF 230 AT HOME
UT has won 217 of their last 230 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 369-145 (.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 one game 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.
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
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 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.
LADY VOLS AT A GLANCE
This is the Lady Vols' 33rd season under Head Coach Pat Summitt...She has compiled a staggering 914-177 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 letter winners, 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 BRUINS
The UCLA Bruins opened their season on Sun., Nov. 12 with an 87-62 win over UC Santa Barbara at Pauley Pavilion on the UCLA campus. They were led in scoring by 6-4 junior forward Lindsey Pluimer who tossed in 23 points. After winning the Pac-10 Tournament in 2006, the Bruins received the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. This season, the Pac-10 Coaches picked UCLA to finish sixth in the league in the annual pre-season poll. Stanford, with nine first-place votes, was the choice to finish first and was followed by Arizona State, USC, California, Washington and then UCLA. The media poll also picked Stanford followed by Arizona State. UCLA was also picked sixth.
UPCOMING OPPONENTS
The #11-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils (3-0) returned to action on Nov. 15 hosting Nicholls State (0-1) at home. The game marked ASU's fourth contest over the past six days as the Sun Devils shaped the 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 (11.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg) and guard Briann January (8.7 ppg, 3.7 apg, 3.0 spg) were named to the Veterans Day Classic All-Tournament Team while senior forward Emily Westerberg (16.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg) was selected as the Most Valuable Player.
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 (Nov. 16) 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 television this season. Five more games will be available as streaming video with voice-over from Mickey Dearstone on utladyvols.com.
ON THIS DAY
UT is 4-0 in games played on Nov. 16. The Lady Vols are 3-0 at home, 1-0 on the road and 0-0 on neutral courts. The last time out on Nov. 16, the Lady Vols registered a 95-76 victory over the Premier Players in a 2002 exhibition game.
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.
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 (Nov. 16), 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.
TWO FORMER 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.
UCLA NOTEBOOK
The 2006-07 edition of the UCLA women's basketball team tipped things off on Nov. 12, 2006 with an 87-62 win over UC Santa Barbara in Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins were led by junior forward Lindsey Pluimer, who tossed in a career-best 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. UCLA broke open a close game in the last five minutes of the first half when it went on a 12-2 run to stretch a 27-25 advantage at the 4:41 mark to a 39-27 margin with 1:23 remaining in the half. A pair of baskets by senior guard Noelle Quinn in the last 27 seconds of the half sent the Bruins into the locker room with a 43-31 advantage. After UCSB had cut the Bruin lead to 47-36 with 18:55 to play, UCLA responded with an 11-1 run which put the Bruins up by 21 points with 16:26 on the clock. The visiting Gauchos never got closer than 19 points the rest of the ballgame. UCLA won the battle of the boards, 57-35, including a total of 30 at the offensive end, and limited the guests to 32.8% shooting from the field. Quinn finished with 13 points and a team-high six assists for UCLA. Also in double figures for the Bruins were senior forward Amanda Livingston with 12 and sophomore center Chinyere Ibekwe, who finished with 11 points. Sophomore guard Tierra Henderson added career-highs in points (9), rebounds (6) and assists (3) in her first-ever starting assignment.
ALL-TIME SERIES MEETINGS
DATE RANK SITE W/L SCORE
1/5/79 5/4 H W 88-74
3/25/79 3/6 N25 W 104-86
12/13/79 3/11 A W 80-77
1/3/81 7/8 H L 62-65
12/13/81 14/17 A W 71-66
12/10/83 7/nr A W 73-70
1/6/85 H W 72-57
12/15/85 13/nr A W 68-64
12/20/86 1/nr H W 81-58
12/13/87 1/nr A W 89-63
12/20/88 1/nr H W 82-50
12/17/89 2/nr A W 77-55
12/16/90 10/nr H W 113-86
12/21/98 2/8 H W 100-77
11/28/99 5/4 A W 88-77
THE SERIES
UT leads the series with UCLA, 14-1. The series between the two teams began with a 1979 meeting in Knoxville and continued every season (except 1982-83) until the 1990-91 season. The Bruins have recorded one victory in the series, a 65-62 win over the Lady Vols in Stokely Athletics Center on Jan. 3, 1981. Both teams have been ranked in seven of the meetings and UT leads ranked game wins, 6-1.
AVERAGE SCORE
The average score of a UT-UCLA game in the three most recent meetings finds the Lady Vols leading the Bruins in a high scoring affair -- 97.6 to 80.0.
VERSUS THE PAC-10
Tennessee has taken on nine teams from the Pacific 10 all-time and sports a 49-12 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 currently competes in the Pac-10 since Dec. 15, 1996, when Stanford came away from Knoxville with an 82-65 win over UT. 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.
UCLA NOTEBOOK
The 2006-07 edition of the UCLA women's basketball team tipped things off on Nov. 12, 2006 with an 87-62 win over UC Santa Barbara in Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins were led by junior forward Lindsey Pluimer, who tossed in a career-best 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. UCLA broke open a close game in the last five minutes of the first half when it went on a 12-2 run to stretch a 27-25 advantage at the 4:41 mark to a 39-27 margin with 1:23 remaining in the half. A pair of baskets by senior guard Noelle Quinn in the last 27 seconds of the half sent the Bruins into the locker room with a 43-31 advantage. After UCSB had cut the Bruin lead to 47-36 with 18:55 to play, UCLA responded with an 11-1 run which put the Bruins up by 21 points with 16:26 on the clock. The visiting Gauchos never got closer than 19 points the rest of the ballgame. UCLA won the battle of the boards, 57-35, including a total of 30 at the offensive end, and limited the guests to 32.8% shooting from the field. Quinn finished with 13 points and a team-high six assists for UCLA. Also in double figures for the Bruins were senior forward Amanda Livingston with 12 and sophomore center Chinyere Ibekwe, who finished with 11 points. Sophomore guard Tierra Henderson added career-highs in points (9), rebounds (6) and assists (3) in her first-ever starting assignment.
LADY VOLS VS. BRUINS STAT COMPARISON
TENNESSEE UCLA
OVERALL RECORD 1-0 1-0
SCORING 102.0 87.0
SCORING DEFENSE 72.0 62.0
POINT MARGIN +30.0 +25.0
REBOUNDS 27.0 57.0
OPP. REBOUNDS 37.0 35.0
REBOUND MARGIN -10.0 +22.0
FG% .579 .425
OPPONENT FG% .431 .328
THREE POINT FG% .450 .375
OPPONENT 3FG% .419 .300
FT% .818 .733
OPPONENT FT% .563 .857
ASSISTS 15.0 17.0
BLOCKS AVERAGE 5.0 3.0
STEALS AVERAGE 17.0 7.0
TURNOVER AVERAGE 10.0 22.0
OUR LAST MEETING
The #5 ranked Tennessee Lady Volunteers completed a sweep of Pac 10 foes upsetting #4 UCLA, 88-77, on Nov. 28, 1999 in Los Angeles, Calif. It marked UT's seventh consecutive victory over the Bruins in Pauley Pavilion. The Lady Vols quickly jumped out to an early 11-point lead, 20-9, with 12:59 showing in the first half. In this game, coach Pat Summitt called on her bench early and often as 10 UT players saw action in the opening stanza. As the Lady Vols came at the Bruins in waves, they maintained a comfortable lead (11 points, 36-25 with 5:03 to go in the first half). UCLA closed the gap to 40-31 at the break. Tamika Catchings and Kristen "Ace" Clement were UT's first half work horses tossing in 15 and 10 points, respectively. In the second stanza, UCLA quickly chipped away at the Lady Vols' lead and cut it to just one point three times. With 13:53 to go, the Bruins trailed 50-49 and had grabbed the games' momentum but a key trey by UT rookie forward Tasheika Morris gave the Lady Vols a comfortable four point margin and the Bruins never got closer again. UT extended its lead by as many as 13 points, 81-68, with 1:41 to go. Four Tennessee players reached double-figures led by Catchings' 23 points and game high 13 rebounds. Also in extra digits were Kara Lawson with 19 points, Semeka Randall with 11 points and Clement with 10 points. UT outrebounded the Bruins 45-33 and shot 51.5% for the game.
LAST TIME UCLA CAME TO TBA
The last time the Lady Vols played UCLA in Thompson-Boling it was Dec. 21, 1998, and 19,722 fans jammed the Arena. Tennessee prevailed 100-77 as former Lady Vol All-American Chamique Holdsclaw went over 2,500 career points and 1,100 career rebounds in the contest.
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.
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.
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.
FOUR QUESTIONS WITH NICCI
Rookie Nicci Moats spent a few minutes sharing some answers to these questions:
The separation of the athletic departments, what do you think that does for women's athletic teams at UT? "I think it allows the focus to be on the women's teams more so than if both departments were combined."
How does the fan loyalty and support at UT differ from anywhere else in the country? "I've never seen such a great fan base and such loyal fans in any other women's program. There is support from so many different people."
What do you want to do when you grow up? "I want to be an orthopedic P.A."
If you could play any other sport at UT, which would it be? "Volleyball"
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 266-16 (.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 32 years producing a 419-40 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.
217 OF 230 AT HOME
UT has won 217 of their last 230 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 369-145 (.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 one game 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.
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
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 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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)