Lady Vols Host GW Tonight

GAME NOTES

THE GAME

The #6/5-ranked University of Tennessee Lady Vols (7-1) faces their last opponent before a 10-day break for final exams as #21/19 George Washington University (7-1) visits "The Summitt" at Thompson-Boling Arena.

LADY VOLS AT A GLANCE

This is the Lady Vols' 33rd season under Head Coach Pat Summitt...She has compiled a staggering 920-178 overall record... Is just 80 wins away from a staggering 1,000 career victories...Collected her 900th coaching win with a 80-68 decision over #19-ranked Vanderbilt on Jan. 19, 2006... She passed Dean Smith (879 wins) for most NCAA collegiate basketball wins of all-time with a 75-54 victory over Purdue on Mar. 22, 2005 ...Her 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 COLONIALS

In their last contest before traveling to Tennessee, #21/19 George Washington defeated Stony Brook, 68-55, at Stony Brook Arena on Dec. 2 as four Colonials reached double-figures and junior Whitney Allen grabbed a game- and career-high 14 rebounds. The GWU scoring charge was led by senior Kenan Cole and junior Sarah-Jo Lawrence each tossing in 13 points, while junior Kimberly Beck and sophomore Jessica Adair finished with 12 apiece. In addition to her 14 boards, Allen also contributed seven points, four steals, three assists and a block. GW trailed by 11 points, 23-12, midway through the first half, but quickly snapped out of its sluggish start. Redshirt sophomore Lisa Steele, Lawrence and Cole all hit three-pointers to spark a 19-6 surge which put the Colonials ahead by two points, 31-29, at the break. Led by Allen's career-high, the Colonials won the battle of the boards, 42-39 but shot just 41.7 percent (25-of-60). The Colonials are now 7-1 on the season, marking the third best start in school history and best since the 1994-95 Colonials won 11 of their first 12 games.

OUR SCHEDULE THIS WEEK

The Lady Vols have a relatively light schedule this week. This week, UT faced Tennessee-Martin (Dec. 5, an 85-29 win) and #21/19 George Washington (Dec. 7). The team will then be off for final exams until a Dec. 17 meeting at #22 Texas.

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 4-1 on TV this season.

ON THIS DAY

UT is 8-1 in games played on Dec. 7. The Lady Vols are 3-1 at home, 4-0 on the road and 1-0 on neutral courts. The last time out on Dec. 7, the Lady Vols registered a 59-43 victory over George Washington on the road in 2005.

LOOKING BACK

Last year at this time, the Lady Vols were 8-0 and had just defeated #George Washington, 59-43.

PLAYING 12 RANKED TEAMS

Tennessee will play 12 teams in 14 games and five of the nation's top 10 teams ranked this season in the AP and USA TODAY ESPN poll North Carolina, Duke, UConn, Georgia, LSU, Stanford, Arizona St., Vanderbilt, Kentucky, UCLA, George Washington and Texas.

UT'S OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER

In all games, this is how Tennessee has shot from the field: 50%FG: Chattanooga (.579), MTSU (.565), Arizona St. (.548), UCLA (.531), UT-Martin (.509), Stanford (.500); 40%FG: Louisiana Tech (.483); 30%FG: North Carolina (.362)

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), MTSU (.453), UCLA (.451), North Carolina (.444), Chattanooga (.431), 30%FG: none; 20%FG: Louisiana Tech (.295), UT-Martin (.204)

2006-07 WON-LOSS DIFFERENTIAL

Wins: +56 (1), +30 (1), +24 (1), +23 (1), +21 (1), +17 (1), +9 (1),
Losses: -13 (1)

UPCOMING OPPONENT - TEXAS

The #22 Texas Longhorns are 6-1 on the season going into their game against UT-Pan American... UT is on a three-game winning streak and has moved up to a ranking of 22 in both polls.... The Longhorns are off to their best start since a 7-0 start in 2003-04 ... They finish their four-game homestand -- their longest of the year - against UT-Pan American ... Then, Texas faces its stiffest back-to-back competition of the year when it travels to Durham, N.C. to face No. 4 Duke (Sunday, Dec. 10, noon on ESPNU TV) ... One week later, Texas is at home to go up against No. 6/5 Tennessee on Sunday, Dec. 17 in an FSN-televised game from the Erwin Center with a 12:30 p.m. CT tip...Senior forward Tiffany Jackson continues to lead the UT effort, averaging 19.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.6 blocks per game... Sophomore guard Erika Arriaran chips in with 10.1 ppg, 2.9 apg and a team-high seven 3-pointers, while redshirt freshman forward Earnesia Williams (8.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg), freshman guard Niqky Hughes (7.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg and junior guard Erneisha Bailey (7.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg) round out the stat leaders...

EXPECTING A LITTER THIS WEEKEND

Please excuse Tennessee Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt if she seems a little preoccupied this week. Sure, she has been busy preparing for games against UT-Martin and #21/19 George Washington. Summitt, however, has been keeping an eye on the family dog, a yellow Lab named Sally Sue. Sally is expecting her first litter of puppies on Dec. 10 and Mom will be on delivery duty since 16-year old son Tyler will be out-of-town. An ultrasound taken on Dec. 1 revealed at least eight puppies. Shouldn't be a problem for Summitt, an old farm girl and 4-H'er.

GEORGE WASHINGTON NOTEBOOK

The #21/19 George Washington Colonials will put its three-game winning streak and 7-1 mark on the line against #6/5 Tennessee at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn., on Thursday at 7:00 pm. The Colonials 7-1 start is the third best in school history, eclipsing the 1977-78 and 1980-81 teams 6-1 starts. After beginning the 1991-92 season by splitting against nationally-ranked teams Texas (W, 70-62) and Stanford (L, 74-71), GW won 11 straight games for the best start in program annals. Three years later the Colonials put together six- and five-game winning streaks around a neutral site loss to Penn State for an 11-1 start. Four players are averaging double-figures, paced by Sarah-Jo Lawrence's 15.0 ppg. Junior Kimberly Beck is once again leading the A-10 in assists at 5.88 apg and is ranked in the top-six in six other categories. The Colonials improved to No. 19 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll this week, but remained at No. 21 in the Associated Press Poll. GW is 0-7 all-time against Tennessee, including a pair of losses last season. UT escaped the Smith Center with a 59-43 victory on Dec. 7, 2005, a game in which the Colonials led midway through the first half. The Lady Vols then knocked GW out of the NCAA Tournament last March with a 66-53 second-round win. The 13-point margin was the tightest in the seven-game series.

ALL-TIME SERIES MEETINGS

DATE RANK SITE W/L SCORE
12/29/92 1/nr N64 W 73-53
11/27/01 2/22 A W 88-57
11/26/02 4/21 H W 83-61
12/30/03 5/nr A W 65-51
11/23/04 1/nr H W 71-41
12/7/05 1/nr A W 59-43
3/21/06 8/nr N118 W 66-53

GWU SERIES

This marks the eighth meeting between the two schools dating back to the inaugural contest in 1992 at the Maryland Invitational Tournament. Coach Pat Summitt brought her Lady Vol team back east to play near All-America Dana Johnson's Baltimore home. In the 2001-02 season, UT visited GWU for Kara Lawson's homecoming game in 2001 and were treated to the first sell-out crowd ever for women's hoops at GWU. Last season, the two teams met twice - once during the regular season in Washington, D.C. and in UT's 34th game of the season at the NCAA Second Round in Norfolk, Va.

AVERAGE SCORE WITH GWU

The average score of a UT-GWU game is 72.1 for UT and 51.2 for GWU - a +20.9 ppg winning margin for the Lady VOls

VERSUS THE A-10

Tennessee has taken on eight teams from the Atlantic 10 Conference all-time and sports a 16-1 record, with the only loss coming to Xavier, 80-65, on March 24, 2001. Last season, the Lady Vols had three meetings with Atlantic 10 opponents. UT constructed a 3-0 record registering wins at George Washington, 59-43 on Dec. 7, 2005; a 75-50 victory at Temple on Dec. 28, 2005, and an NCAA Second Round win over GWU, 66-53, in Norfolk, Va., on Mar. 21, 2006.

THAT A-10 LOSS

UT's lone loss to an Atlantic 10 Conference team came in the 2001 NCAA Mideast Regionals. The Lady Vols were shocked, 80-65, by #12/11 ranked Xavier.

WE MEET AGAIN

Tennessee and George Washington have met just seven times in history, but six of those have come in each of the past five seasons, including 2005-06. UT has claimed each of those, in addition to a 73-53 win in the 1992-93 campaign at the Maryland Invitational. UT registered a 59-43 win on Dec. 7, 2005, and earned 71-41, 65-51, 83-61 and 88-57 the previous four years, respectively. The squads met in NCAA Tournament play for the first time last March as UT won 66-53 in Second Round action on Mar. 21, 2006.

OUR LAST MEETING

In the Second Round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament, Tennessee's Shanna Zolman scored 19 points and Candace Parker added 15, and the second-seeded Lady Vols used a fast start to send eighth-seeded George Washington reeling in a 66-53 victory on March 21, 2006. UT Coach Pat Summitt improved to 38-0 in the first and second rounds in her career, and gave Tennessee (30-4) its 16th 30-win season in her 32 years as coach. With the win, the Lady Vols have now advanced to 25 consecutive regional semifinals. The Lady Vols players and staff, miffed at earning a #2 seed, turned it into a positive. "We're going to continue to use that (the seeding) as motivation," said Zolman whose three-pointer with 3:52 left in the first half gave her the UT career three-point record. George Washington (23-9) trailed by double digits almost the whole way after the Lady Vols' opening 16-2 burst. After 11 minutes, Zolman had 11 points and Parker had 10, both exceeding the Colonials' total and Tennessee was up 25-8 and cruising. GWU missed its first nine shots, but used an 11-3 run to begin the second half to get within 43-34 with 13:50 to go. But Zolman and Sidney Spencer hit back-to-back 3-pointers, sparking a 13-0 run that put the Colonials back in a hole. Jessica Simmonds led the Colonials with 14 points. The Colonials shot just 30 percent and were outrebounded 53-37. Spencer added 12 points and Nicky Anosike had nine and a season-high 12 rebounds.

TENNESSEE GW
OVERALL RECORD 7-1 7-1
SCORING 80.8 67.9
SCORING DEFENSE 59.9 60.5
POINT MARGIN +20.9 + 7.4
REBOUNDS 36.1 38.5
OPP. REBOUNDS 32.0 38.2
REBOUND MARGIN + 4.1 + 0.3
FG% .511 .432
OPPONENT FG% .401 .372
THREE POINT FG% .436 .394
OPPONENT 3FG% .376 .357
FT% .707 .663
OPPONENT FT% .647 .636
ASSISTS 17.9 14.3
BLOCKS AVERAGE 6.3 4.9
STEALS AVERAGE 14.5 9.4
TURNOVER AVERAGE 16.9 15.5

OUR FIRST MEETING WITH GWU LAST SEASON

Candace Parker scored 14 points, and Tennessee held George Washington scoreless for 8 1/2 minutes in the second half en route to a 59-43 victory Dec. 7, 2005, despite playing little like the nation's No. 1 team for stretches. Parker also added eight rebounds. Shanna Zolman added 12 points for the Lady Vols (8-0), who were closing a five-game road trip in which they logged more than 13,000 miles by the time they returned home. Jessica Simmonds led GWU (2-3) with 13 points. Before the game, there was little reason to think it would be as close as it was into the second half. The Lady Vols came in having outscored opponents by an average of 26.7 points this season and without a loss to an unranked opponent in 3 1/2 years. The Colonials, meanwhile, had never lost by fewer than 14 points in five previous games against UT. But the Lady Vols were shaky, committing 23 turnovers in the game and shooting just 43 percent in the first half. That helped the Colonials make a game of it, leading for most of the first 10 minutes. Trailing 40-35, GW had a chance to cut its deficit to three, but Simmonds - a 29 percent free throw shooter - missed both attempts from the line. Six minutes into the second half, Jazmine Adair's baseline jumper drew the Colonials to 42-37. But that's when UT turned up its defense, forcing poor shots, air balls, shot-clock violations and steals. By the time GW scored again, on Simmonds' jumper with 5 1/2 minutes left, Tennessee had used a 12-0 run to take control at 54-37. The Lady Vols held GW to 22 percent shooting in the second half and finished the game with 12 steals, five by Alexis Hornbuckle. Tennessee outrebounded GW 39-27. The Lady Vols didn't take their first lead until more than 9 1/2 minutes had elapsed, on Sidney Spencer's jumper near the foul line that made it 15-14. Jessica Adair's inside basket gave GW what would be its final lead of the game, 16- 15. The Colonials went scoreless for more than 3 minutes as Tennessee used a 10-2 run and appeared to be pulling away. But a late spurt by GW made its deficit just 34-29 at halftime. That matched Tennessee's lowest output in a half. The 14 points scored by GW in the second half tied for the second fewest by an opponent in the second period in Tennessee history.

TENNESSEE TOPS AP ALL-TIME

The Tennessee Lady Vols are the top-ranked team in the history of the Top 25 rankings in the Associated Press poll. The poll, now in its 31st season, has found Pat Summitt's Tennessee Lady Vols ranked in 508 of a possible 522 polls. Through the poll released on Dec. 4, the top five team poll rankings are: 1. Pat Summitt, TENNESSEE - 508 (missed just 14 polls in entire AP history) 2. Andy Landers, Georgia - 400 3. Jody Conradt, Texas - 391 4. C.Vivian Stringer (Cheyney, Iowa, Rutgers) - 349 5. Rene Portland (St. Joseph, Penn St.) - 336

PARKER'S A FOUL MAGNET

Lady Vol sophomore All-American Candace Parker has been a foul magnet in 2006-07. With all of the double and triple-teaming she has seen this season, 25 percent of the opponent's 155 total fouls have been inflicted on her. In seven games this season, Parker has drawn 39 fouls. In games against Arizona State, Stanford and North Carolina, players guarding Parker were whistled for nine fouls.

ELITE COMPANY FOR BIG NICK

Junior post Nicky Anosike has moved into an elite Lady Vol club. "Big Nick" has joined Tennessee greats Chamique Holdsclaw and Tamika Catchings as the only Lady Vols all-time to accumulate at least 500+ points, 400+ rebounds, 80+ blocked shots, 100+ assists and 100+ steals. The mobile 6-4 Anosike has generated 556 points, 447 rebounds, 92 blocked shots, 131 assists, and 110 steals in 79 career games.

UT REBOUNDED VS. MARTIN

After suffering its first defeat of the season, Tennessee rebounded with a big win over Coach Pat Summitt's alma mater, UT-Martin. The Lady Vols opened the game on an 18-0 run. UTM did not score until 11:43 left in the first half. Martin's 13 first half points tie for the seventh fewest by a UT opponent in and their 16 second half points tie for the eighth fewest by a UT opponent in history. Overall, UTM's 29 total points tie for the fourth fewest by a UT opponent. For the first time this season, all 11 Lady Vols scored. Best of all, Tennessee had its lowest turnover total (9) of the season. Individually, Alexis Hornbuckle...Extended her streak of games with a steal to 44. She has made a steal in 65 of 72 career games; Candace Parker...Reached double figures for the 22nd consecutive time, the 41st time in her career. She also recorded a double-double for the second straight game, the third time this season and the 13th time of her career. Remained perfect from the three-point line this season; Alex Fuller...Scored a career-high 14 points; Sidney Spencer ...Reached double figures for the seventh time this season, the 34th time of her career; Nicci Moats...Scored her first career field goal and had a career-high three points, former manager Elizabeth Curry ...Scored her first career points.

THE WHEELS FELL OFF

Tennessee's trip to #2 North Carolina had few things to write home about as the wheels fell off for the first time this season. Against the Tar Heels, Tennessee suffered its first loss of the season dropping the Lady Vols' record to 6-1. UT was in unfamiliar territory as they trailed at the half for the first time this season. After connecting on better than 50 percent from the field in five games, UT's field goal percentage (.362) was the lowest of the season. Individually, Alexis Hornbuckle...-Extended her streak of games with at least one steal to 43. She has recorded at least one steal in 64 of 71 career games; Candace Parker... Reached double figures for 21st consecutive game, and for the 40th time in her career, Nicky Anosike...

Moved into a tie for 11th place on the career blocks list (88) and rookie Cait McMahan...deserved the "Spunk Award" after getting tangled up with UNC's Ivory Latta - Caity Mac did not back down.

BOBBITT BACK IN LINE-UP

UT junior point guard Shannon Bobbitt was back in the starting line-up against #2-ranked North Carolina. Bobbitt (5.7 ppg, 4.0 apg) missed the contest at Louisiana Tech due to a test in one of her classes. Rookie Cait McMahan started in Bobbitt's place in the 71-50 win over the Lady Techsters. McMahan had seven points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal in 24 minutes.

VERSUS THE RANKED

In #21/19-ranked George Washington, the Lady Vols will face their fifth ranked opponent in nine games. UT recorded wins over #20/21 UCLA (83-60), at #11 Arizona State (83-74) and against #11 Stanford (77-60) but lost to UNC 70-57. Next week, UT takes on #22-ranked Texas after final exams.

SUMMITT CAPTURED ROAD WIN NUMBER 300 AT LA TECH

Lady Vol basketball coach Pat Summitt notched her 300th career victory on the road at Louisiana Tech. Summitt has now fashioned a 300-78 all-time record in hostile arenas - which equates to an amazing 80 percent winning mark on the road in 33 seasons at the helm of the Lady Vols.

CONFERENCE CALL

In addition to the 14-game Southeastern Conference schedule, Tennessee will take on teams from 10 other conferences this season. The Lady Vols will be doing their best impression as members of the Pac-10 and the BIG EAST facing three opponents from each of those conferences. UT will play two foes from the ACC and one each from the Atlantic 10, Big 12, Colonial, Ohio Valley, Southern, Sun Belt and WAC.

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 6.3 treys per game and are shooting at a 38 percent clip of their attempts. Chattanooga recorded a school record 31 attempts from three-point land versus the Lady Vols. MTSU registered 13-26 (50%) from three-point land.

STEALS, STEALS EVERYWHERE

The Pat Summitt mantra of "let your defense start your offense" hasn't fallen on deaf ears with the Lady Vols so far this season. Tennessee already has 116 thefts on the year against quality opposition for an average of 15.0 spg. Alexis Hornbuckle is leading the team individually with over four steals per game.

PARKER NAMED SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Candace Parker was tabbed the SEC Player of the Week on Nov. 27, after leading her team to victories over #11-ranked Stanford, 77-60 and Middle Tennessee, 88-64. The Naperville, Ill., native averaged 20.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks in the two games. Parker connected on both three-point attempts and made 65 percent of her shots from the field. Additionally, she dished four assists and nabbed six steals in the pair of contests. She also slammed home her second dunk of the 2006-07 season and fourth of her career in the win over the Cardinal. Parker earned the honor for the second time this season.

LEFTOVERS FROM RUSTON

With Tennessee's sloppy 71-50 win over Louisiana Tech, it marked the Lady Vols seventh consecutive victory over the Lady Techsters. The 71 points were the fewest scored by the Lady Vols this season and the 50 points scored by Tech were the fewest of an opponent this season. The UT starting lineup of Cait McMahan, Alexis Hornbuckle, Sidney Spencer, Candace Parker and Nicky Anosike was used for the first time this season. Starting point guard Shannon Bobbitt stayed in Knoxville to take a test. Tennessee's smothering defense forced 10 Lady Techster turnovers in the first nine minutes of the game. The 19 first half turnovers by LTU were the most by a UT opponent this season. UT's halftime lead (+27) was the largest halfway margin since the opening game against Chattanooga (+28). In the bad news department, the smaller Tech squad embarrassed the Lady Vols on the boards with a 46-37 rebounding margin. Individually, Cait McMahan... Got her first career start...Made her first career free throw attempt and earned career-highs in points (7) and rebounds (4)...Alexis Hornbuckle...Extended her streak of games with a steal to 42. She has made at least one steal in 63 of 70 career games. Her six steals against Tech moved her past Kellie Jolly (177) into 20th place in the UT record books for career steals (180). She had four steals in the first eight minutes of the game in Ruston...Candace Parker... Became the eighth Lady Vol of all time to reach the 100-blocks plateau and she reached it in just 42 games. On the first two offensive plays of the game for LTU, Parker blocked both attempts. Her seven blocks tied her own personal-best, tie for the most by ever by a UT sophomore and vaulted her into seventh place in the UT record books for career blocks (103), past Daedra Charles (97), Vonda Ward (98) and Abby Conklin (102). Also, she scored in double figures for the 20th game in a row, the 39th time in her career...Alberta Auguste...The only Lady Vol in history to hail from the state of Louisiana, she played in Ruston, about five hours (340 miles) from her hometown of Marrero, La. Against the Techsters, and in front of a bunch of family from Marrero, she had a career-high eight steals, five of which came in the first half...Sidney Spencer...The first of four Lady Vols to reach double figures, her 10 points marked her seventh consecutive 10+ point game... Dominique Redding... Spencer's senior sidekick had a career-high 13 points on a career-high six field goals.

LADY VOL BITS & PIECES FROM THE MTSU GAME

Tennessee made 10 three-pointers, tying for the 10th most in program history...All 11 Lady Vols saw playing time... Candace Parker...Scored in double-figures for the fifth time this season and the 19th game in a row dating back to last season and moved into fourth place in career field goal percentage (.462) with her 7-of-9 shooting... Alexis Hornbuckle... Extended her streak of games with a steal to 41 and now has at least one steal in 62 of 69 career games. She moved into a tie for 21st place in the Lady Vol record books with 174 career thefts...Sidney Spencer-Scored in double figures for the fifth time this season, the sixth time in a row dating back to the North Carolina game on March 28, 2006. The streak of six consecutive double-digit scoring outings is the longest of her career. She also made four three-pointers, the most by a Lady Vol this season...Alex Fuller-The first of four Lady Vols to reach double-digits in the game. Her 12 points are a career-high and her two three-pointers tied a career-high...Nicky Anosike-Had a season-high 13 points, marking her 15th career game with a double-digit output. She moved into a tie for 13th place for career blocks (88)...Nicci Moats-Scored her first points at UT.

LADY VOLS: THE BEST AND THE WORST OF 2006-07

MOST POINTS BY TENNESSEE IN A GAME:102 points ....vs. Chattanooga (11/12)
LEAST POINTS BY TENNESSEE IN A GAME: 57 points .........at UNC (12/3)
MOST POINTS BY AN OPPONENT IN A GAME: 74 points ....at Arizona St. (11/19)
LEAST POINTS BY AN OPPONENT IN A GAME: 29 points ...... vs. UT-Martin (12/5)

BIGGEST TENNESSEE LEAD:
57 points............85-28 vs. UT-Marin (12-5)
BIGGEST TENNESSEE DEFICIT:
15 points .............55-70 at UNC (12/3)
BIGGEST TENNESSEE LEAD IN A LOSS: 5 points.....9-4 at UNC (12/3)
BIGGEST TENNESSEE DEFICIT IN A WIN: 6 points ......13-7 vs. MTSU (11/26)

BIGGEST TENNESSEE HALFTIME LEAD: 30 points.....43-13 vs. UT-Martin (12-5)
BIGGEST TENNESSEE HALFTIME DEFICIT: 5 points...25-30 at UNC (12/3)

BEST TENNESSEE 1ST HALF FG%:
.636 (21-33) ....... vs. MTSU (11/26)
WORST TENNESSEE 1ST HALF FG%:
.346(9-26) ............. at UNC (12/3)
BEST TENNESSEE 2ND HALF FG%:
.609 (14-23) .............. vs. Stanford (11/24)
WORST TENNESSEE 2ND HALF FG%:
.375 (12-32) ........... at UNC (12/3)

MOST POINTS BY TENNESSEE IN 1ST HALF: 59 points ......vs. Chattanooga (11/12)
LEAST POINTS BY TENNESSEE IN 1ST HALF: 25 points ......... at UNC (12/3)
MOST POINTS BY OPPONENT IN 1ST HALF: 38 points.......at Arizona St. (11/19)
LEAST POINTS BY OPPONENT IN 1ST HALF: 13 points ..... vs. UT-Martin (12-5)


MOST POINTS BY TENNESSEE IN 2ND HALF: 43 points ...... vs. Chattanooga (11/12)
LEAST POINTS BY TENNESSEE IN 2ND HALF: 29 points ......... at La Tech (11/28)
MOST POINTS BY OPPONENT IN 2ND HALF: 41 points .........vs. Chattanooga (11/12)
LEAST POINTS BY OPPONENT IN 2ND HALF: 16 points ........vs. UT-Martin (12-5)

TENNESSEE has led in the first half of every game ...
TENNESSEE has never trailed in the first half of seven games...
TENNESSEE has led at halftime of 7 games...
TENNESSEE has trailed at halftime of 1 game
TENNESSEE has led in the second half of 7 games...
TENNESSEE has never led in the second half of 1 game...
TENNESSEE has led in rebounding in 5 games...
TENNESSEE has been outrebounded in 3 games (43-33 at UNC, 46-37 at La Tech and 37-27 vs. Chattanooga)...

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

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.

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 UT.

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 (an 88-64 win) 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 faced 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 (a 71-50 victory) and #2-ranked North Carolina (Dec. 3) round out the first month of the season.

Candace Parker EARNS SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR

Tennessee sophomore basketball standout Candace Parker was named the SEC Player of the Week (Nov. 13-19) for her performances in wins over #20/21 UCLA (83-60) and at #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, 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.

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. On Nov. 19, 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 now 372-145 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. The rangy soph brought the crowd to their collective feet in Thompson-Boling Arena again recording her first dunk against a ranked opponent throwing one down at the 10:55 mark in the first half against #11 Stanford on Nov. 24. 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 #11 Stanford passed Snow for the Lady Vol records for "dunks in a career" with four.

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 270-16 (.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 423-40 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.

221 OF 234 AT HOME

UT has won 221 of their last 234 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 372-146 (.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 five games at home. The last time UT lost on the road was on Dec. 3, 2006 at UNC, since then, UT not played on the road. 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.