THE GAME
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt and her #13/15-ranked Lady Vols (16-4, 5-2 SEC) will try to make basketball
history as they travel to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for a "Big Monday" meeting on ESPN2 taking on
the #2-ranked Oklahoma Sooners (18-2, 7-0 Big 12) in the Ford Center. Summitt will be seeking her 1000th
coaching victory.
LADY VOLS AT A GLANCE
This is the Lady Vols' 35th season under Head Coach Pat Summitt...She has compiled a staggering
999-186 overall record... Is just ONE win away from a remarkable 1,000 career victories... Collected her
900th coaching win with a 80-68 decision over #19-ranked Vanderbilt on Jan. 19, 2006... She passed Dean
Smith (879 wins) for most NCAA collegiate basketball wins of all-time with a 75-54 victory over Purdue on
Mar. 22, 2005 ...Her 2006-07 and 2007-08 squads were crowned as the NCAA Champions producing the
program's seventh and eighth titles...Last season, UT fi nished with a 36-2 overall record and were also the
SEC Tournament Champions...
This season, UT returned fi ve letterwinners, a redshirt freshman and welcomed a talented six-pack
rookie class...The 2008-09 season marked the Lady Vol debut for freshmen: #1 Briana Bass, a 5-2 guard
from Indianapolis, Ind., #10 Amber Gray, a 6-1 forward/center from West Chester, Ohio, #15 Alicia Manning, a
6-1 guard/forward from Woodstock, Ga., #25 Glory Johnson, a 6-3 forward from Knoxville, Tenn., #33 Alyssia
Brewer, a 6-3 forward from Sapulpa, Okla. and #40 Shekinna Stricklen, a 6-2 guard/forward from Morrilton,
Ark. A redshirt freshman, #52 Kelley Cain, a 6-6 center from Atlanta, Ga., restarted her rookie season after
undergoing surgery in December 2007.
OUR SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
The traveling road show packs up again -- been living out of suitcases in 7 of the last 10 games -- and
travels to Oklahoma City for a showdown with #2-ranked Oklahoma on Feb. 2 at 6:30 p.m. CT at the Ford
Center in a "Big Monday" game on ESPN2. The Lady Vols return home to face a dangerous Georgia team
on Feb. 5 in Knoxville at 7 p.m.
NEXT WEEK
The Lady Vols have three games on the docket in seven days -- at Oklahoma City to face #2-ranked
Oklahoma on Mon., Feb. 2... at home to take on SEC rival Georgia on Thurs., Feb. 5 and back on the road
traveling to Gainesville to face #12/16-ranked Florida on Sun., Feb. 8.
ON THIS DAY IN LADY VOL BASKETBALL HISTORY
UT is 13-2-1 all-time on February 2 featuring a 8-1 record at home, a 5-1-1 slate on the road and a 0-0
mark on neutral courts. The last time the Lady Vols were in action on this date, Tennessee defeated Mississippi,
78-63, in Oxford, Miss., in 2006.
LOOKING BACK
Last year at this time, the #2-ranked Lady Vols were 19-1 (6-0 SEC) on the campaign after defeating
Ole Miss, 68-44, in Oxford, Miss.
LADY VOLS ON TV
Currently, 21 Lady Vol regular season games are slated for television this season. Upcoming TV games
include: Oklahoma (ESPN2) and Georgia (Fox Sports South). Last season, UT had a school record 36 national
television appearances. UT is 10-4 in TV games this year.
COUNTDOWN TO 1,000
The much anticipated countdown to Coach Pat Summitt's 1,000th career victory continues tonight with
a game against Oklahoma. Summitt (with 999 wins) now needs just one victory to hit the magic mark. Summitt
started the year needing 17 victories to reach 1,000. Last season, UT grabbed win number 17 on Jan.
24 vs. Arkansas (98-55) and in 2006-07, win number 17 occurred on Jan. 18 with a victory over Miss. State.
Traditionally, Tennessee has reached 17 wins in 20.5 games each season (on average).
1,000 win milestone opportunities
| Game | Date | Opponent (TV) |
| 21 | Feb. 2 | at Oklahoma (ESPN2) |
| 22 | Feb. 5 | Georgia (FSS) |
| 23 | Feb. 8 | at Florida (no TV) |
Pat Summitt stands with dear friend and active coach Don Meyer (906-304, .748; Northern State, NCAA
Div. II, record as of Jan. 31),retired Bob Knight (902-317, .706) of Texas Tech, and Jody Conradt (900-307,
.746) of Texas, on the 900-victory plateau among all NCAA coaches*. In reaching such an elite level, she
passed a handful of legendary coaches - Dean Smith (879-254, .776), Adolph Rupp (876-190, .822), Herb Magee
(871-342, .716; still active at Philadelphia Univ., NCAA Div. II, record as of Jan. 31), Jim Phelan (830-524,
.613), Clarence Gaines (828-447, .649) and Jerry Johnson (821-447, .647). *As of Jan. 31, 2009 (Gene Bess
of NJCAA's Three Rivers Community College, Poplar Bluff, Mo., is still active with a 1075-282 record; Harry
Statham of NAIA's McKendree College, Lebanon, Ill., is still active with a 984-379 record).
999 WINS -- SUMMITT'S MILESTONE VICTORIES
| 1 | January 10, 1975 - In Knoxville, Tenn., Pat Head, the 22-year old University of Tennessee
Lady Vol head coach, records her fi rst collegiate win over Middle Tennessee State,
69-32, in UT's Alumni Gym. Fifty-three spectators were on hand. |
|
| 100 | January 13, 1979 - Coach Head hits the century mark in the Lady Vols' third-ever win
over the North Carolina St. Wolfpack, 79-66, at Reynolds Coliseum. To record her fi rst
100 wins, it took Head's Lady Vols three years and 362 days to hit the century mark. |
|
| 200 | December 3, 1982 - The Lady Vols deliver win number 200 to Coach Head at Detroit's
Coca-Cola Classic. UT turns away a stubborn St. John's squad, 69-56, for the victory.
Wins 100-200 took three years and 324 days to accomplish. |
|
| 300 | January 4, 1987 - It was hard to believe that fi ve years (and 32 days) would elapse
before Coach Pat Summitt would claim 100 more wins. Victory 300 came over North
Carolina, 87-68, in front of the home folks. Nineteen wins after number 300 over UNC,
Summitt's Lady Vols claimed UT's fi rst NCAA title. |
|
| 400 | January 25, 1990 - Tennessee barely squeaked out win number 400 in Columbia,
S.C., defeating the Lady Gamecocks, 70-69. Wins 300-400 came quickly (three years
and 21 days) and were wrapped around NCAA Championships in 1987 and 1989. |
|
| 500 | November 21, 1993 - Pat Summitt's 500th victory came against a former assistant
coach who had helped UT's mentor to 180 wins from 1978-85-- Nancy Darsch. Ohio
State was no match for UT in the Inaugural State Farm Hall of Fame game, 80-45, in
Jackson, Tenn. Victories 400-500 were accomplished in three years and 300 days |
|
| 600 | November 23, 1996 - Four victories into the 1996-97 season, Summitt's defending
NCAA Champs defeated Marquette, 83-68, in the Howard Bank Classic in Burlington,
Vermont. The governor of the state of Vermont, Howard Dean, was on hand to surprise
the coach with a cake commemorating her 600th win. Summitt's teams from 1993-96
fast-tracked the coach with the quickest 100 wins in her career, three years and two
days. She was the fastest women's coach to reach 600 wins - just 734 games. |
|
| 700 | December 5, 1999 - Pat Summitt reached the magical 700-win plateau at the University
of Wisconsin with an 85-62 conquest of the Badgers. She joined Texas' Jody
Conradt as the only women to notch the milestone. Her ascent to 700 wins was also the
fastest in women's collegiate basketball. This set of 100 wins was knocked out in three
years and 12 days along with three more NCAA titles. |
|
| 800 | January 14, 2003 - An anxious throng at Thompson-Boling Arena anticipated win #800
as the Lady Vols jump out quickly against #25/24 ranked DePaul en route to a 76-57
victory. As the last seconds ticked down, the crowd chanted, "800, 800, 800!" The post
game activities featured a giant "8-0-0" cake, balloons, fl owers, fi reworks and the presentation
of the game ball. The latest set of 100 wins took three years and 38 days. |
|
| 880 | March 22, 2005 - An electric atmosphere welcomed Tennessee and Purdue to the
court for the NCAA Second Round game in Knoxville, Tenn. At stake was a win to
advance in the tournament and a victory that would put coach Pat Summitt number one
on the list of NCAA all-time winningest basketball coaches. With a 75-54 triumph over
the Boilermakers, Summitt etched her name in the history books with her 880th victory.
To commemorate her achievement, the University of Tennessee named its basketball
court, "The Summitt," in a surprise ceremony. |
|
| 900 | January 19, 2006 - If you had to be away from your home arena for such a monumental
milestone win, it was fortunate for Coach Pat Summitt and the Tennessee Lady
Vols that the majority of the 13,127 fans in attendance at Memorial Gym in Nashville,
Tenn., were bedecked in Orange and White for #900. Number one-ranked Tennessee
remained perfect on the year at 18-0 as they knocked off #19-ranked Vanderbilt, 80-
68, in a dramatic come-from-behind victory on Jan. 19, 2006. It was "W" number 900
for Summitt -a magical and uncharted victory plateau. It was the second quickest 100
wins in her career, just three years and four days. For this win, Hazel Head, Summitt's
mother, sat on the Tennessee bench during the game. |
|
| 1,000 | ????????????????? Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt currently has 999 wins heading into
the game with Big 12 foe Oklahoma on Feb . 2 in her fi rst attempt to reach 999. Tennessee
was defeated by #6/5-ranked Auburn, 82-68, on Jan. 25 in the fi rst attempt to hang
three nines. Four days later, she got #999 with a dramatic come-from-behind win over
Ole Miss, 60-59. |
SUMMING IT UP... THE ROAD TO 1,000 WINS
- After setting up the chairs, getting out the clock and sweeping the fl oors at the 3,000 seat Alumni Memorial
Gym with UT custodian Doug Pease, Pat Head (Summitt) lost the very fi rst game of her career to Mercer,
84-83 on Dec. 7, 1974.
- Her fi rst win came almost a month after her fi rst loss. The team went home for the Christmas holidays and
in the fi rst game of the new year, the Lady Vols defeated Middle Tennessee State, 69-32, to notch her fi rst
win on Jan. 10, 1975.
- In 1976, the women were invited to play in Stokely Athletics Center (12,000 capacity) for the fi rst time on
Nov. 13. In the fi rst game on the tartan court, her team defeated Kentucky, 107-53, as fi rst Lady Vol All-
American Patricia Roberts broke the Fieldhouse record with 51 points. Current Lady Vol associate head
coach Holly Warlick was the starting rookie point guard on that team.
- When the University of Tennessee's mammoth Thompson-Boling Arena was fi nished, there was some
debate if the women would rather stay in Stokely Athletics Center or make the move to the new 25,000 seat
arena. Urged on by then men's athletics director Doug Dickey, the women also made the move to the Arena.
The playing fl oor in the facility now bears Summitt's name.
- Over 35 years, Summitt has brought 153 women into the program (including this year's team) . Of that
total group, 111 have graduated (including current starting post Alex Fuller), two discontinued playing due to
medical reasons (knees), 23 transferred, and six quit.
- Summitt has always said, "You win with players." Summitt's all-time Lady Vols represent 30 states led by
64 players from the state of Tennessee... 20 from Georgia... six each from Indiana and Ohio... fi ve from
Michigan... four each from California, Florida, Kentucky, Texas and Virginia... three from Alabama, New York,
South Carolina and West Virginia... two from Illinois, North Carolina and Pennsylvania and one each from the
states of Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey,
Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin. (bold states indicate players on the 2008-09 team)
- Summitt has also been fond of saying, "Surround yourself with great people." During her 35-year coaching
tenure at the University of Tennessee she has worked with 153 Lady Vol basketball student-athletes and
been assisted throughout the years by a total of 39 coaching staffers (assistant coaches, graduate assistants
and operations directors), 53 student managers, 3 head athletic trainers, 2 women's athletics directors, 1
media relations director and 1 secretary.
- Over 46 percent of ALL games coached by Summitt have come against Associated Press ranked opponents with the
Lady Vols producing a 400-154 record and a 72 percent winning percentage. Imagine facing a ranked opponent in
practically every other game in your career. Summitt has faced this challenge for 35 years, night-in and night-out. Additionally,
95 percent of the time she has faced an unranked opponent, Summitt's teams have won 599 games and lost
just 32 contests.
- Never had a losing season
- 32 consecutive seasons with at least 20 wins
- 18 seasons with more than 30 wins
- For the last 10 years, Coach Summitt has averaged 31.7 wins and only 4.4 losses per season
- Summitt earned her most recent 100 wins (800-900) in a span of just three years and four days.
- Her fastest 100-win total occurred between victories No. 500 and No. 600, which she achieved in only three
years and two days. Her toughest set of 100 wins? Victories 200-300 took four years and 32 days to collect.
- In a poll conducted on coaches' ages and victories, Summitt was found to be the youngest coach in the nation
to reach 300 victories (34 years old), 400 victories (37 years old), 500 wins (41 years old), 600 victories
(44 years old), 700 wins (47 years old), 800 victories (50 years old) and 900 wins (53 years old). She is
currently 56 years old.
- On her fi rst try, she picked up her 900th collegiate coaching win on Jan. 19, 2006, with a come-from-behind
victory over #19-ranked Vanderbilt, 80-68, in Nashville, Tenn. She also collected wins #100, 400, 700 and
800 on the fi rst attempt.
- 58 players have at least one NCAA championship ring
- Best record in NCAA Tournament (men or women) 104-19 (incredible18 NCAA Tournament #1 seeds)
- 27 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Sweet 16
- 27 Southeastern Conference titles -- (13) Tournament (13) and (14) regular season championships
- 11 consecutive seasons with over 200,000 in HOME attendance
- In 1,185 games, Summitt has been whistled for just 16 technical fouls by 11 different offi cials
1980-1997, the Lady Vols claimed a total of
six SEC regular season titles in 17 years. From 1998-
2004, Tennessee captured seven consecutive SEC
regular season crowns producing an amazing 109-4
record. UT's only league losses were to Vandy, Georgia
and LSU (twice) during this stretch.
EIGHT WAS GREAT
Over the years, eight Lady Vols teams have gone
undefeated in SEC play: 1993, `94, `95, `98, 2001, `03,
`04 and `07.
UT WINNING STREAKS VS. SEC TEAMS
School Streak and last loss
Alabama 33 in a row, since 3-3-1984
Arkansas 15 in row, since 12-29-1996
Auburn no streak, 1-25-09
Florida 3 in a row, since 2-26-2006
Georgia 7 in a row, since 3-6-2004
Kentucky 4 in a row, since 1-26-2006
LSU 2 in a row, 2-13-2008
Mississippi 17 in a row, since 2-4-1996
Mississippi State 29 in a row, never lost to MSU
South Carolina 36 in a row, since 1-23-1980
Vanderbilt no streak, 1-11-09
AUBURN GRABS BIG WIN OVER UT
Auburn, playing in front of the largest crowd in
history (12,067), put an end to Tennessee's dominance
with a 82-68 win on Jan. 25. The Tigers had lost 24 of
the last 25 and 16 in a row to the Lady Vols.
VANDY STOPPED THE BLEEDING, TOO
The Vanderbilt Commodores halted the Lady Vols
16-game winning streak against them dating back to
the 2002 season with a 74-58 dusting of Tennessee in
Nashville on Jan. 11, 2009, in the fi rst SEC road game
of the year. It also marked VU coach Melanie Balcomb's
fi rst victory over Tennessee since becoming the Commodore
coach.
RARE SEC ROAD LOSS FOR SUMMITT
Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt's teams rarely lose
on the road in the SEC. The loss to Vanderbilt on Jan.
11, 2009 was the 30th SEC road loss suffered by a Summitt-
coached Lady Vol team and halted a 17-game SEC
road winning streak. Two weeks later, UT also lost, this
time at #6/5 Auburn.
AMAZING AT HOME VS. THE SEC
Since Tennessee began contesting games with
SEC opponents, the Lady Vols have produced a 167-
12 record in home games. Only six SEC teams have
ever managed a victory over the Lady Vols in Knoxville -
Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU and Ole Miss.
Georgia has won three games on UT's turf while Auburn,
Kentucky, Ole Miss and LSU have registered two wins
each and Florida one win. Georgia was the only team to
defeat UT at home in the 1990s (1991 & 1996). LSU and
Florida are the only SEC teams to defeat UT at home in
the 21st century.
SEC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Tennessee freshman Shekinna Stricklen (Morrilton,
Ark.) was named Southeastern Conference (SEC)
Freshman of the Week (Dec. 29-Jan. 3) for the second
time this season, after helping the Lady Vols to a pair of
wins over Gonzaga, 77-58, and the come-from-behind
win at Rutgers, 55-51. The explosive rookie scored 12
points and grabbed six boards, while dishing out a career-
high fi ve assists and making four steals in the win
over the Bulldogs on Dec. 30. On Jan. 3 against Rutgers,
Stricklen notched her fi rst career double-double
with team-highs of 16 points and 11 rebounds and was
named the CBS Chevrolet Player of the Game. She
was 4-of-8 for 13 points and grabbed six rebounds in
leading the Lady Vols to a 20-point comeback win, the
largest in school history.
STRICK -- SEC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Tennessee freshman Shekinna Stricklen (Morrilton,
Ark.) was named Southeastern Conference
(SEC) Freshman of the Week (Dec. 15-22) for the fi rst
time this season, after leading the Lady Vols to a 79-
69 upset overtime win over #3/4-ranked Stanford on
Dec. 21. After missing the game at Old Dominion on
Dec. 18 due to illness, the rookie came back strong
to lead the Lady Vols over the Cardinal. She scored
a career high 25 points including the fi rst eight of the
Lady Vols 11 points in overtime. For good measure,
she grabbed seven rebounds, snagged three steals
and registered a career high four assists. Stricklen
joins teammate Glory Johnson who has been named
SEC Freshman of the Week twice this season.
GLORY BE -- SEC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Lady Vol rookie Glory Johnson has picked up
SEC Rookie of the Week honors twice this season.
She received the award for the week of Nov. 23-30
after leading the Lady Vols to wins over Western
Carolina (83-56) and DePaul (88-67). In each game,
she scored a season-high 19 points. Johnson was
also named SEC Freshman of the Week for the opening
week of the new campaign after leading UT to a
68-39 win over San Francisco with 17 points and 12
rebounds.
SEC COACHES SELECT LADY VOLS AS #2
Vanderbilt was predicted to win the SEC women's
basketball regular season championship. The Commodores
were 25-9, 11-3 in the SEC last season. VU tops
the order of fi nish with Tennessee, Auburn, Georgia,
LSU and Florida rounding out the top half of the league.
Kentucky comes in at seven while Mississippi St., Ole
Miss, South Carolina, Arkansas and Alabama round out
the bottom half of the conference. Auburn senior guard
DeWanna Bonner was named SEC Preseason Player
of the Year while three Lady Vols were selected to either
the fi rst or second teams.. Joining Bonner, on the All-
SEC First Team were UF's Marshae Dotson and Sha
Brooks, UGA's Ashley Houts, LSU's Allison Hightower,
Ole Miss' Shawn Goff, UT's Angie Bjorklund, and VU's
Christina Wirth. Second team: AU's Whitney Boddie
and Sherell Hobbs, UGA's Angel Robinson, UK's Victoria
Dunlap, MSU's Marneshia Richard, USC's Demetress
Adams, Tennessee's Vicki Baugh and Shekinna
Stricklen, and VU's Jennifer Risper.
UT PICKED NUMBER TWO AT SEC MEDIA DAYS
Tennessee was picked to fi nish second in the
SEC race with 261 points by a vote of conference and
national media members. UT sophomore Angie Bjorklund
and freshman Shekinna Stricklen were each selected
to the All-SEC Second Team. Vanderbilt was
picked to fi nish fi rst with 273 points, followed by UT,
Auburn, Georgia, and LSU. Auburn's DeWanna Bonner
was tabbed as Player of the Year. Joining her on the
All-SEC First Team was Vanderbilt's Christina Wirth,
Florida's Marshae Dotson, Georgia's Ashley Houts and
Ole Miss' Shawn Goff. Bjorklund, the 2007-08 SEC
Freshman of the Year and Stricklen, were joined on
the second team by Whitney Boddie of Auburn, Sha
Brooks of Florida, Angel Robinson of Georgia and Allison
Hightower of LSU.
AGAINST THE SEC
Tennessee owns a 403-61 record all-time record
vs. 12 teams from the SEC. UT maintains a winning
record against every team in the SEC.
SEC LEAGUE PLAY
UT owns a league best record of 275-36
(.886) against all SEC teams dating back to the
1982-83 season.
SEC REGULAR SEASON STORY
UT's last SEC win at home:
Ole Miss,60-59, 1-29-09
UT's last SEC win away:
Arkansas, 76-67, 1-22-09
UT's last SEC loss at home:
LSU, 78-62, 2-14-08
UT's last SEC loss away:
Auburn, 68-82, 1-25-09
15 SEASONS OF AT LEAST 10 SEC WINS
In the win over Alabama on Feb. 21, 2008,
Tennessee claimed its 10th SEC victory of the
2007-08 season. The Lady Vols have now registered
double-digit victories in conference play an
incredible 15 times. Since the 1991-92 season
when SEC play expanded, the Lady Vols have won
at least 10 games in the following years: 1992-10
wins, 1993-11 wins, 1994-11 wins, 1995-11 wins,
1998-14 wins, 1999-13 wins, 2000-13 wins, 2001-
14 wins, 2002- 13 wins, 2003- 14 wins, 2004-14
wins, 2005- 13 wins, 2006-11 wins, 2007- 14 wins
and 2008-13 wins.
TWOSIES
The Lady Vols will face Kentucky and Mississippi
State twice again this season and Vanderbilt
twice as the "natural rival" in SEC play.
THE 4-1-1 ON OKLAHOMA
In the last outing before facing Tennessee,
#2-ranked Oklahoma, behind Nyeshia Stevenson
and Ashley Paris each scoring 14 points, extended
its winning streak to 14 games and remained atop
the Big 12 Conference by routing Missouri 78-56 on
Jan. 31 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma avenged
its last loss to a Big 12 foe while giving Missouri its
fourth straight loss. The Tigers stunned Oklahoma in
overtime in the fi rst round of last season's conference
tournament. Sooner center Courtney Paris had
10 points and 11 rebounds in 21 minutes of playing
time to extend her NCAA-record streak of consecutive
double-doubles to 112 games. Oklahoma led all
the way, although the Tigers kept it close in the early
minutes and were within 10 with 6:25 left in the fi rst
half. Oklahoma had a 45-20 halftime lead. Courtney
Paris registered her double-double on a bucket with
6:53 left -- which gave Oklahoma its biggest lead at
71-38. Ashley Paris narrowly missed her own double-
double, fi nishing with nine rebounds.
OUR 2007-08 MEETING
The battle of the "CP3s" (Courtney Paris and
Candace Parker) was fi nally played out with Tennessee's
CP3 coming out on top on Nov. 15, 2007,
at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., as the
#1-ranked Lady Vols defeated #8/9-ranked Oklahoma,
70-67. Against the Sooners, Tennessee coach
Pat Summitt turned to her experienced players and
it paid off. Junior Candace Parker had 28 points and
senior Shannon Bobbitt scored 22 of her career-high
27 points in the second half as Tennessee improved
to 2-0 on the season. Bobbitt secured the win with
two free throws to put Tennessee up 70-67 with 1.6
seconds to play, after the Lady Vols incredible defensive
stop forced a jump ball on Oklahoma's previous
possession. Bobbitt hit nine-of-15 shots, including
six-of-nine from three-point range, which tied for
the second most in a single game in UT history. The
Lady Vols trailed most of the game, but rallied to take
an eight point lead with just over fi ve minutes remaining.
That lead dwindled until Oklahoma went ahead
67-66 on Courtney Paris' basket with a half-minute
left. Tennessee took the lead for good on two free
throws by Alexis Hornbuckle with 26.7 seconds to
go. Hornbuckle fi nished with six rebounds and went
three-of-four from the line on the night. Tennessee
scored fi ve of the last seven points in the fi rst half to
take a 32-29 lead at halftime. Bobbitt hit a three and
Parker drew a shooting foul with one second remaining
for the three-point cushion at the break. Parker
fi nished the fi rst half with 18 points. She hit 7-of-10
shots, but struggled from the line, going four-of-eight.
On the night, she hit eight-of-14 from the charity
stripe to go along with 15 rebounds, four assists and
four blocks. Parker and Bobbitt both played the entire
40 minutes. The Sooners held a 44-33 rebounding
advantage, but coughed up 22 turnovers and went
just 13-of-25 from the line in their second straight
loss. Paris missed a free throw attempt which was
accidentally knocked in by competing Tennessee rebounders
(Parker and Vicki Baugh).
LAST MEETING WITH THE SOONERS IN OK
ENJOYED THE FORD CENTER RECEPTION
In the 2007-08 NCAA Championship season,
the Lady Vols were placed in the Oklahoma Regional.
In two games at the Ford Center last Mar. 30 and
April 1, #3-ranked Tennessee defeated #15-ranked
Notre Dame, 74-64, and then dealt #8-ranked Texas
A&M a 53-45 defeat to advance to the NCAA Final
Four in Tampa, Fla. One week later, the Lady Vols
brought home NCAA title number eight.
UNDEFEATED IN THE SOONER STATE
Tennessee has fashioned a 5-0 record in
games played in The Sooner State. The Lady Vols
played OU in Norman on Dec. 21, 2003 and grabbed
a 71-55 win. Three months later, Tennessee found
itself back in Norman at the 2004 NCAA Midwest
Regionals where the Lady Vols claimed a 71-69 win
over #15-ranked Baylor and advanced to the 2004
Final Four in New Orleans with a 62-60 win over
#10-ranked Stanford. Last season, UT picked up
wins four and fi ve in OKC in the regionals.
IRONY OF THE MOMENT
Pat Summitt is going for a historic 1,000 wins
against Oklahoma, a program that might not exist
if she hadn't been one of the folks to turn the national
spotlight on Norman in 1990. OU had decided
to drop women's hoops while the Final Four was in
Knoxville, Tenn., without Tennessee playing in it. The
WBCA board of directors, led by President Rene
Portland and Pres.-Elect Kay Yow, came up with
the idea to pass out red ribbons to all of the fans
in the packed stands at Thompson-Boling Arena in
support of women's hoops at OU. Since Summitt
wasn't coaching, she became a hot interview talking
about keeping Oklahoma's program. Longtime
Sooner media relations staffer Debbie Copp sent
Summitt a note when she became the all-time winningest
coach, "with all her victories at Tennessee,
the most important one may have been for a school
she never coached -- the University of Oklahoma."
THE UT-OKLAHOMA SERIES
UT leads 3-0
| DATE | UT/OPP RANK | SITE | W/L | SCORE |
| 11/10/02 | 2/22 | H | W | 94-68 |
| 12/21/03 | 2/13 | A | W | 71-55 |
| 11/15/07 | 1/9 | N122 | W | 70-67 |
THE SERIES
This marks the third meeting between the
two schools dating back to the 2002 season.
There have been two "almost" meetings. At the
2002 NCAA Final Four in San Antonio, Texas,
Tennessee was joined at the Final Four by Connecticut,
Duke and a fi rst-time trip for Oklahoma.
The Lady Vols were embarrassed by UConn in
one semifi nal, 79-56, while upstart Oklahoma
defeated Duke, 86-71, in the other semifi nal. It
was too much of the Husky women in the title
game, as Connecticut defeated Oklahoma, 82-
70. In 2007, UT and Oklahoma appeared to be
on a collision course in the 2007 Dayton Regional.
Tennessee defeated Marist, 65-46, and fellow
SEC school Ole Miss then ended #11 Oklahoma's
season, 90-82. UT knocked of the Lady
Rebs, 98-62, to advance to the 2007 NCAA Final
Four where the team picked up title number 7.
PERHAPS ANOTHER SELLOUT???
On Dec. 21, 2003, the #2-ranked Tennessee
Lady Vols took a 71-55 decision over #13/15
Oklahoma in a sold-out Lloyd Noble Arena
(12,080) in Norman, Okla. Tonight could see the
same situation as UT coach Pat Summitt goes
for her record 1,000th win. This season, the
Lady Vols have played in advance sold out situations
at Gonzaga, Rutgers and Auburn. Mississippi
State registered the fi fth largest crowd
in history.
UT VS. BIG 12
Tennessee currently holds a 43-13 record
all-time against 11 teams from the Big 12, including
a perfect 7-0 mark in NCAA Tournament
play. Twelve of those losses, however, have
come at the hands of Texas, with the only other
defeat credited to Colorado in 1981.
UT-OKLAHOMA FACING THE RANKED
Tennessee faced their sixth ranked opponent
of the 2008-09 season in the loss to #6/5-ranked
Auburn on Jan. 25. UT is 2-4 in games versus
ranked teams out of 20 total contests. Meanwhile
Oklahoma will be taking on their ninth ranked opponent
in 21 games when they face #13/15 Tennessee.
OU is 6-2 vs. ranked teams having lost to
#4/3 North Carolina and top-ranked Connecticut.
TENNESSEE'S FIRST OKIE
When 6-3 forward Alyssia Brewer (Sapulpa,
OK/Sapulpa H.S.) signed with the Lady Vols last
year, it marked Tennessee's fi rst player from the
state of Oklahoma.
THE LINE-UP CAROUSEL
Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt started her eighth different
line-up of the season in the loss to Auburn. The
only "common denominator" player to appear in all 20
games has been freshman forward Glory Johnson. In
the last two NCAA title years, UT utilized fi ve different
line-ups in 2008 and four line-ups in 2007. Summitt
changed the starters seven times in 2006 and a whopping
10 times in 2005. In that 2004-05 fruit-basket turnover
line-up, there was no common denominator player
for the fi rst time in fi ve years.
UT'S OFFENSIVE OPPORTUNITIES
In all games, this is how Tennessee has shot
from the fi eld: 60% FG: none; 50%FG: MTSU (.517),
Gonzaga (.500); 40%FG: WCU (.475), Auburn (.473),
Arkansas (.448), South Carolina (.429), LaTech (.429),
DePaul (.427), Virginia (.413), Stanford (.403), San
Francisco (.400), Rutgers (.400); 30%FG: Vandy1
(.393),ODU (.386), KY1 (.361), GWU (.353), Ole Miss
(.351), UT-Chattanooga (.344), Miss St. (.339), Texas
(.333); 20%FG: none.
DEEE ----- FENSE
In all games, this is how the opposition has shot
from the fi eld: 50%FG: Virginia (.500), 40%FG: Auburn
(.482), Vandy1 (.462), KY1 (.455), MTSU (.412), Arkansas
(.404), GWU (.404), Rutgers (.404); 30%FG: ODU
(.385), South Carolina (.379), Ole Miss (.375), DePaul
(.373), Gonzaga (.371),Texas (.369), UT-Chattanooga
(.365), Miss. St. (.362), Stanford (.362),LaTech (.313),
20%FG: WCU (.298); 10%FG: San Francisco (.186)
2008-09 WON-LOSS DIFFERENTIAL
Wins: +35 (1), +29 (2), +27 (1), +21 (1), +19 (1), +12
(2), + 10 (1), +9 (1), +7 (1), +5 (2), +4 (1) +3 (1), +1 (1)
Losses: -16 (1), -14 (2), -1 (1)
ANGIE B TO THE RESCUE
Sophomore Angie Bjorklund went scoreless in the
fi rst half for the second game in a row. In the second
stanza, she was 2-7 from three point land before launching
a perfect game winning, nothing but net, trey with
6.8 ticks left against Ole Miss to give UT the 60-59 win.
HOT POTATO HOOPS TIMES TWO
In dropping the fourth game of the year and the
second in the SEC, the young Lady Vols really looked
the part of "young" on Jan. 25 in front of 12,067 recordsetting
fans at #6/5-ranked Auburn. Four Tennessee
players had four turnovers each and a total of 23 for
the team, leading to 29 points for the Tigers. In the
next game versus Ole Miss, UT tallied 24 give-aways.
Senior Alex Fuller had an uncharacteristic 7 miscues
but balanced it with her fi rst career double-double of 11
points and 11 rebounds. UM managed 17 points off of
TO's.
STRICKLY SPEAKING
A bright spot in the loss at Auburn was a career
afternoon from rookie Shekinna Stricklen who tossed
in 26 points. Fellow rookie Glory Johnson recorded
her fourth career double-double with 13 points and 10
rebounds.
CAIN BACK VERSUS AUBURN & OLE MISS
Redshirt rookie Kelley Cain, a 6-6 post was back
in the line-up at Auburn after sitting out the South Carolina
and Arkansas games to rest her knees. Cain came
down hard in the game at Mississippi State and irritate
her surgically repaired knee. Against Auburn, she gutted
out 16 minutes and had six points, fi ve rebounds and
three blocked shots. She battled the bigs from Ole Miss
and tallied eight points and four boards in 13 minutes.
BAUGH -- GAME TIME DECISION
It will be a game time decision if Vicky Baugh plays
tonight versus Oklahoma. The Lady Vol sophomore
starting center is hoping she doesn't have any pain on
lateral cuts. She was injured in the Lady Vols practice at
Rutgers Prep on Jan. 1, 2009. Baugh went down and
grabbed her left knee -- the same knee she injured (torn
ACL) in the 2008 NCAA title game against Stanford last
April. Baugh was taken to the hospital for x-rays which
were negative. She returned to the practice fl oor on Friday,
Jan. 16.
BAUGH'S NUMBERS MISLEADING
On Tennessee's cumulative stat sheet, it says
that sophomore post Vicki Baugh has played in 13
games, started 10 and is averaging 6.2 ppg and 7.5
rpg. Well sort of... Baugh missed the fi rst two games
of the year as her surgically repaired knee continued a
course of rehab. She then started the next 10 games
before suffering an injury on New Year's Day prior to
the game at Rutgers. She missed four games and
returned to the court against South Carolina. She
logged 2:52 and scored a bucket before the knee
started to bother her. She attempted to play at Arkansas
but managed just 1:24 on the court before
her knee took a shot under the basket. After a good practice before Auburn, Baugh appeared ready for
some solid minutes. This time the knee lasted just
20 seconds. Prior to the Rutgers game, Baugh was
averaging 7.8 ppg and 9.7 rpg and had just come off
of a 12 point, 15 rebound performance at Gonzaga
for her third double-double of the season. The current
stat sheet shows her averaging 6.2 ppg and 7.5
rpg.
NO WHAMMIES
The Lady Vols have lost back-to-back games just
24 times in Coach Pat Summitt's 35-year career. The
last time it happened, UT lost at #2 Duke, 75-53, and at
Kentucky, 66-63, on Jan. 23 & 26, 2006. Before that,
you have to go all the way back to the 1996-97 season
for back-to-back losses.
LADY VOLS MOURN THE LOSS OF KAY YOW
The Lady Vols will not practice on Friday and
just have a lifting session scheduled as the Tennessee
coaching staff will be in Cary, N.C. attending the
funeral of N.C. State coach Kay Yow who succumbed
to cancer on Jan. 24.
Comments by Coach Pat Summitt regarding
the passing of Kay Yow --
"My heart goes out to the
Yow family and the N.C. State Wolfpack nation on the
passing of a truly remarkable lady and a dear friend in
Kay Yow. In the two decades she fought the disease,
Kay never allowed herself to be victimized by cancer.
Kay never pitied herself. Instead, she tried to bring
awareness to the horrible disease that was robbing
her of her life. Through her foundation in conjunction
with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association
(WBCA) - The Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund, in partnership
with The V Foundation for Cancer Research,
she did all that she could do to help others. That was
just Kay. Helping to get the cancer fund off the ground
put Kay on a mission. She fought for cancer funding
the same way she fought the disease... positive and
determined every step of the way. Kay was passionate
about life and coaching. She was a giver and she
gave so much to every life she touched. She made a
difference in the lives of so many people, not just the life
lessons she shared with her student-athletes at Elon
and North Carolina State."
ROOKIES SHOWED A LITTLE GRIT
After falling behind to Arkansas by six points, 44-38,
with 16:02 to go on Thurs., Jan. 22, a couple of Lady Vol
rookies showed some fi re and a little grit in a three minute
spurt to reclaim the lead. Glory Johnson started things off
with a traditional three point play... Lyssi Brewer made a
defensive stop with a blocked shot and then made a layup
off a beautiful feed from Johnson... Johnson then fed
Shekinna Stricklen for a lay-up to tie the game at 45-all...
A steal by Johnson led to another lay-up opportunity for
Alicia Manning to put the Lady Vols up by two, 47-45.
Alex Fuller -- EVER THE LEADER
Tennessee Lady Vol basketball graduate forward
Alex Fuller has decided to exchange her number 44
jersey for that of teammate Cait McMahan starting with
the game versus South Carolina. Prior to the Vanderbilt
game on Jan. 11, McMahan, a redshirt sophomore point
guard, decided to step into the role of a student assistant
after chronic knee soreness fi nally sidelined her. Fuller
will now wear McMahan's number 2 jersey for the remainder
of the season. "Cait is such a competitor and a
leader for our team," said Fuller. "We are both Tennessee
girls and grew up wanting to wear the orange jersey.
I am doing this as a tribute to Cait. I know how much
she wants to be on the fl oor helping to lead this team.
There is a lot of heart in the number 2 jersey." A few years
back, Fuller was forced to the sidelines during her rookie
season to give her surgically repaired knees a chance
to rehab. She remembers when Shanna Zolman had a
surprise for teammate Sidney Spencer on Feb. 24, 2005
after Spencer tore her ACL. Zolman wore Spencer's #1
jersey for the rest of the season.
FOUR PACK OPPORTUNITIES
Tennessee fans have an opportunity to purchase
a special basketball four-pack ticket package. The Texas
Roadhouse Basketball Four Pack, available for a select
number of match-ups, includes four reserved tickets to
a Lady Vol basketball game plus four Texas Roadhouse
entrees. The cost of the package is $60. Additional game
tickets are available for $15 each. This opportunity is
available for a limited time to the following games: Georgia
(Feb. 5), Duke (Feb. 16), Mississippi State (Feb. 22)
and Vanderbilt (March 1).
NO SUCH THING AS FRESHMEN WITH OUR SLATE
Yes, yes... we all know Tennessee has a young
team facing a typically tough slate. How tough?? Currently,
UT has the number two strength of schedule
(SOS) behind Oklahoma. The Lady Vols' RPI is fourth
behind UConn, Oklahoma and Maryland.
BLINK AND WE WERE GONE IN JANUARY
The Ole Miss game was just the third home date in
the month of January for UT. The Lady Vols opened the
SEC slate with a home win over Kentucky (69-64) on Jan.
8 and took a tough 68-56 win over Carolina on Jan. 18.
The Lady Vols fi nished the month with a home win over
Mississippi on Jan. 29, 60-59.
SEND OUT A SEARCH PARTY
UT coach Pat Summitt needs to send out a search
party to look for accurate shooters. The 2008-09 Lady
Vols are shooting a program worst 40.8 percent from the
fi eld eclipsing the 2004-05 team which only connected on
41.6 percent of its shots for the season. UT's 33.9 shooting
percentage vs. Mississippi State was the worst of the
season in a win.
CRASH CART AT MISS STATE
Tennessee was already without the temporary
services of sophomore post Vicki Baugh (injured knee
on Jan. 1) and the premature ending to point guard Cait
McMahan's career (announced Jan. 10) when the team
rolled into Mississippi State on Jan. 15. For the second
year in a row at State, three UT players were injured.
Last year, it was a broken nose for Angie Bjorklund, a
hyper-extended knee for Candace Parker and a biceps
strain for Alberta Auguste. This year, Kelley Cain came
down hard on her surgically repaired right knee in the fi rst
half and did not return... Alex Fuller's eye was scratched
and Shekinna Stricklen received a rib contusion.
STRICK FOUND A WAY
Rookie Shekinna Stricklen was having a challenging
night from the fi eld (1-10) against Mississippi State on
Jan. 15 when she connected on a three-pointer with 1:45
to go to put the Lady Vols ahead for good, 59-56. Strick
also cashed in on 10-10 free throws to fi nish with a team
high 15 points on the night.
CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME
In seven SEC games, freshman Shekinna Stricklen
has hit 26 of 28 of her free throws.
GRABBED 400TH SEC WIN
The University of Tennessee Lady Vols' win over
Mississippi State on Jan. 15 was the program's 400th
all-time victory over an SEC foe. UT is now 403-61 vs.
SEC schools. Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt has been on
board for 400 wins and 60 losses. A 2-1 record versus
South Carolina and a 1-0 mark against Georgia predates
Summitt's coaching tenure with the Lady Vols.
AMAZING SUMMITT NUMBERS
- Summitt has faced 159 opponents in 1,185 total games and teams from 35 conferences
- 47% of her 1,185 total games have been played versus ranked teams (554 total games against ranked opponents) with 400 victories versus ranked opponents
- 153 all-time Lady Vols have contributed to 999 wins.
- 72% of those all-time players have gone on to be decorated as Olympians, All-Americans, USA National Team members, All-SEC performers, Academic All-Americans/All-SEC, etc.
REVIEWING THE GOOD...
The Lady Vols have been hitting the boards...
Tennessee is grabbing 44.0 rpg and outrebounding
the opposition by +6.8 (37.2)...At Texas, the Longhorns
schooled the Lady Vols on the boards, 52-41...
Leading the charge on the boards is sophomore Vicki
Baugh who is grabbing 7.5 rpg -- dipping below the
+10 rpg she had been pulling down when she was
healthy... Should Baugh be able to return to a a doubledigit
rebounding slate, she'd be the fi rst Lady Vol since
Patricia "Trish" Roberts to record extra digit rebounds
in a season... Roberts averaged 14.2 rpg (1976-77)...
Quick hands and feet for Shekinna Stricklen and Glory
Johnson have resulted in the rookies leading the team
in thefts this season as "Kinna" has 41 steals and Johnson
25...Stricklen has the individual team lead with fi ve
steals against GWU... Speaking of team leaders, Briana
Bass dished out eight helpers in the game versus
Louisiana Tech... she was one assist off the Lady Vol
rookie record of nine set by Jody Adams twice during
her freshman campaign in 1989-90.
THEN THERE'S THE BAD AND/OR UGLY...
Perhaps one of the reasons UT has been so
tough on the boards is that there are a lot of misses on
the offensive end this year resulting in a 41.1 percent
fi eld goal shooting accuracy... The team took a big step
in the right direction notching their second 50% game of
the season reaching 50 percent (exactly) against Gonzaga.
Previously, UT connected on 51.7 percent from
the fi eld vs. MTSU and fell off the apple cart one game
later posting the worst FG percentage of the season
registering 33% at Texas... With the exception of Angie
Bjorklund, the Lady Vol three-point bombardiers have
only reached 33.9 percent of their tries... As young
players learn the UT system, they need to embrace the
"Love thy neighbor" credo... The Lady Vols have only
registered 243 assists on 489 made fi eld goals... Free
throws improved to 68.6 percent after a shaky start but
dipped to 45.8% in the Texas game -- missing charity
tosses could cost a bigger win down the line... In the
second effort department, the Lady Vols are looking to
improve on 16.8 ppg second chance points.
MANNING BECAME THE 56TH
Rookie Alicia Manning, a 6'1" freshman from
Etowah, Ga., became the 56th all-time Lady Vol to
earn a starting assignment as a Tennessee rookie
when she started at point guard versus Vanderbilt on
Jan. 11, 2009.
WENT OVER 100,000 AT HOME
The Lady Vols have eclipsed 100,000 fans at
home games for the last 15 consecutive years. A total
of 120,758 folks have attended nine games at home
this season for an average of 13,418. A season high
16,413 showed up at the South Carolina game on Jan.
18.
LOSING CAITY-MAC
The Lady Vol roster dipped to 11 players when
redshirt sophomore basketball player Cait McMahan
decided to change her role with the team. The 5'4"
guard had been experiencing continued pain, swelling and dysfunction in her right knee following a number of
surgeries and procedures, the most recent on Sept. 3,
2008. After consulting with her orthopaedic physicians,
Dr. Greg Mathien and Dr. Russ Betcher, Lady Vol Head
Coach Pat Summitt, and Jenny Moshak, University of
Tennessee Associate Athletics Director for Sports Medicine,
McMahan arrived at the joint decision (on Jan. 10,
2009) that it was time for her to step away from a playing
role and move into that of a student assistant coach on
the Lady Vol sideline for the remainder of the season.
As a Lady Vol rookie in the 2006-07 NCAA Championship
season, she played in 35 games and earned one
starting assignment. She averaged 2.4 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 1.4
apg while logging almost 14 minutes per contest. This
season, McMahan earned a spot in the starting line-up
at point guard before her knee became chronically sore.
She played in nine games and started six while averaging
4.4 ppg, 1.3 rpg and 1.5 apg in 14.4 minutes of play. "I
know how disappointed Cait is," said Summitt. "The last
thing she wanted to do was step away from her position
on the fl oor because she is such a great competitor. I
welcome Cait's addition in her new role as a student assistant
coach bringing that same leadership and determination
to the bench."
YOUNGSTERS NOT TOUGH ON "D"
Tennessee's young team evolves each game but
took a step backwards defensively against both Vanderbilt
and Kentucky. The Commodores tossed in 46.2%
of its fi eld goal tries -- the second-best by an opponent
vs. UT this season. One game earlier vs. Kentucky, the
defense was spotty there as well with the Cats tossing in
45% from the fi eld. Virginia is the only team to hit 50% vs.
UT this season. To their credit, the Lady Vols have held
nine of 15 opponents below 40% from the fi eld.
ROOKIES CARRYING THE LOAD
UT's seven rookies are handling 68% (50.9 points
per game) of the team's total of 72.3 ppg scoring load and
60.4% (27.7 rebounds per game) of the total of 44.2 rpg.
LEADING AT THE BREAK
The Lady Vols have led at halftime in 15 of 20
games this season. Tennessee and Texas (31-all) and
Arkansas (32-all) were knotted at halftime... the Lady
Vols trailed 33-13 after 20 minutes at Rutgers... Vandy
jumped out to a 31-23 halftime lead and Auburn had a
31-26 lead. On average, UT holds a 34.4 to 30.1 halftime
lead. The Lady Vols have outscored the opposition 37.3
to 32.9 in the second stanza.
2008-09 RANKED TIDBITS
The Lady Vols dropped a game to a ranked team
on Jan. 25, 2009, falling to #6/5-ranked Auburn, 82-68.
Two weeks earlier, #24-ranked Vanderbilt sent UT home,
74-58. UT claimed its second win over a ranked team
this season with a 55-51 road win at #15/14 Rutgers.
Number 3/4-ranked Stanford is the highest ranked opponent
the Lady Vols have faced this season (a 79-69 OT
win)... The Lady Vols lost at #6/5-ranked Texas, 73-59...
Virginia was Tennessee's fi rst ranked opponent of the
2008-09 season... The Cavs were ranked #16/15 when
they defeated the #5/6 Lady Vols, 83-82... Tennessee's
2008-09 slate originally included 11 contests against
currently ranked opposition... Last season, Tennessee
faced a total of 20 ranked opponents in 38 games and
produced a 18-2 record...
LADY VOL STREAKS
The Lady Vols last lost at home was against Virginia,
83-82, on Nov. 17, 2008, since then UT has won eight
home games. The last time UT lost on the road was on
Jan. 25, 2009 at Auburn, since then, UT has not played a
road game. The last time the Lady Vols lost on a neutral
court was against LSU, 63-54, in the SEC semis game
on Mar. 3, 2007. Since that time, UT is 16-0 on a neutral
court.
LAST LOSS TO AN UNRANKED TEAM?
It was in the 2005-06 season. Florida became the
second unranked team in the 2005-06 season to knock
off the Lady Vols, when they won 95-93 OT on Feb. 26,
2006. Exactly one month earlier, unranked Kentucky
turned the trick with a 66-63 win over#1/3-ranked Tennessee
on Jan. 26, 2006 at Rupp Arena. Previously, it
had been four years since an unranked team upset the
Lady Vols. So before Florida and Kentucky had their way
with UT, when was the last time Tennessee lost to an
unranked team? That would have been to LSU on Mar.
2, 2002 at the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tenn. LSU
had been in and out of the Top 25 polls in late January
and February. Prior to that, UT's last loss to an unranked
team was fi ve years previous (to the day) losing to Auburn
on Mar. 2, 1997 at the SEC Tournament.
THE COMEBACK KIDS
In all of UT coach Pat Summitt's career collegiate
games, none of her Lady Vol teams had mounted the
kind of comeback they fashioned against Rutgers on
Jan. 3, 2009. Tennessee trailed 33-13 at the half. The 13
points were the fewest ever the Lady Vols have scored
in the fi rst half. The defi cit also marked the fi rst time in
the 2008-09 season, UT has trailed at the half. Additionally,
the 20-point halftime defi cit was the largest in school
history. The previous fi rst-half low was 14 at Virginia on
March 25, 1996. The previous largest halftime defi cit was
19. Once on Feb. 4, 1996, at Ole Miss and on March
28, 1986, against Southern California in the Final Four
in Lexington, Ky. Rutgers led by as many as 23-points
before UT rallied for the win. Previously, the Lady Vols
had to come back from a 22-point defi cit to defeat Illinois
in the 1997-98 season.
COAST-TO-COAST
Over the Christmas holidays, the Lady Vols gave
new meaning to coast-to-coast. UT traveled to Spokane,
Washington on Dec. 27 for Angie Bjorklund's homecoming
game and made Gonzaga their temporary homeaway-
from-home. The hospitality of Angie Bjorklund's
mom and dad, Kris and Jim, made the junket even more
enjoyable in the 56 inches of snow that blanketed the
city. After defeating the Zags, 77-58, on Dec. 30, the
Tennessee traveling party headed to the East Coast on
New Year's Eve. Following the Jan. 3 come-from-behind
game against Rutgers, 55-51, the Lady Vols fi nally returned
to Knoxville.
HOME COURT STREAKS BROKEN BY UT
Throughout the years, UT has been responsible
for breaking a number of lengthy home court winning
streaks, 21 to be exact. This season, UT has taken down
three streaks -- the Lady Vols broke Rutgers' 20-game
home winning streak at the RAC. Also this season, UT
snapped ODU's nation-leading 29 game home court
winning steak at the "Ted" on Dec. 18. Earlier in
the month, the Lady Vols snapped GWU's 17-game
streak at the Smith Center on Dec. 2. Last season, UT
snapped Duke's 24-game winning streak which was the
longest in the nation at the time.
The Lady Vols know something about home court
winning streaks - Tennessee shares the NCAA record at
69 consecutive wins at home.
COMING OF AGE WIN
Tennessee's overtime upset victory against
#3/4-ranked Stanford, 79-69, was a great way to go into
the Christmas break. The Lady Vols had a great OT defensive
effort in the win over the Cardinal holding SU to
just one point in the extra stanza. The team, minus West
Coasters Angie Bjorklund and Vicki Baugh, reassembled
in Knoxville on Dec. 26 for practice prior to traveling to
Spokane. The fi rst full team practice back after the break
was on Dec. 27 following a full day of flying.
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WBB Tennessee Press Conference Audio - 3/19
