Bristol, TN (WOKI) Tickets for the highly-anticipated MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway are on sale now, and officials say a portion of the ticket sales will go towards Hurricane Helene relief.
Proceeds of ticket sales during the month of December will be donated to Appalachia Service Project and Mountain Ways, with a total commitment of $50,000 that will be split evenly between the two nonprofits.
General public tickets for the game can be purchased here.
The game, which will feature the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds, is scheduled for August 2 at 7:00 p.m.
It will be the first MLB game to be played in Tennessee. (Courtesy: WVLT)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee women’s basketball remained unbeaten this season, outlasting a talented Florida State squad, 79-77, in a see-saw affair in front of a crowd of 9,529 on Wednesday night at Food City Center.
The Lady Vols (6-0) used a 13-0 run to build a 20-point second-quarter lead and took an 18-point advantage into the intermission before the Seminoles stormed back via a 13-point run of their own to grab a one-point edge, 53-52, with 3:03 to go in the third period. UT quickly retook the lead and ended up staving off the visitors in the fourth quarter as redshirt sophomore Talaysia Cooper (12) and junior Zee Spearman (10) combined for all 22 of their team’s points in the frame and the Big Orange outworked FSU on the glass, 13-6, including 8-2 on the offensive end.
For the third straight game, Cooper eclipsed 20 points and led Tennessee in scoring, dropping in 22 on 10-of-17 shooting from the field. Spearman finished with 13, followed by senior Samara Spencer with 11. Cooper, Spencer and sophomore Alyssa Latham each grabbed seven rebounds to lead the charge on the boards, as UT finished with a 50-39 differential, including 23-10 on the offensive end in a battle between two teams residing just outside of the top-25 polls.
Florida State (8-2), which saw its seven-game winning streak come to an end, was led by the nation’s leading scorer, Ta’Niya Latson, who fired in 38 points. Joining her in double figures were O’Mariah Gordon with 16, Makayla Timpson with 13 and Sydney Bowles with 10. Timpson also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for a double-double.
The Seminoles struck first on a layup by Gordon before UT seized a 5-2 lead on a Spearman three and a Cooper put-back. After FSU retook the lead, 6-5, the Lady Vols reeled off six straight points on buckets from Sara Puckett, Ruby Whitehorn and Jillian Hollingshead to move ahead 11-6 and force a timeout with 4:43 remaining in the opening stanza. UT built its lead to as many as eight, 21-13, with 2:02 to go, fueled by a three-pointer and layups by Whitehorn and Latham before the Seminoles cut the gap to six, 21-15, before the quarter’s end.
With both teams seeking their shooting touch, Tennessee sandwiched threes by Tess Darby and Spencer around a Spencer coast-to-coast layup to forge a 29-22 advantage by the 4:59 media break. An 11-3 burst, fueled by a trey and jumper from Cooper and threes by Darby and Jewel Spear pushed the lead to its biggest of the night at 40-25 and required another FSU timeout with 3:23 to go. Another Spear three out of the break and a Spencer layup helped the Big Orange shoot 56.3 percent for the period and extend the lead to 20, 45-25, with 2:06 remaining before a Seminole layup from Timpson with 1:22 to go concluded the scoring. The teams went to the locker room with the home team seemingly in command, 45-27.
Florida State worked itself back into the game quickly at the outset of the third frame. After UT’s Cooper hit a jumper to make it 47-27 with 9:48 remaining, the Seminoles reeled off a 13-0 run and a 17-2 burst in all to cut the gap to 49-44 and force a Lady Vol timeout with 5:37 remaining. Hollingshead hit a layup to slow the FSU momentum, but the visitors responded by scoring six straight points to send the teams into the 3:44 media timeout with Tennessee in front by one, 51-50. FSU grabbed its first lead since the early going, 53-52, with 3:03 left, but a Spencer three put her team back in front, 55-53, with 2:41 to go. UT would lead again 57-55, courtesy of a Latham layup, before the Seminoles knotted it up to send the game into the final 10 minutes tied at 57.
Cooper drew first blood in the final stanza on a layup and then hit a jumper, put-back and driving layup to give UT leads of 61-59, 63-59 and 65-61 early on. A Spearman layup with 4:51 to go and a tip-in with 3:58 left gave her team edges of 67-63 and 69-63, respectively. FSU answered at the 3:51 mark on a Latson layup to send teams into the media timeout with UT up 69-65. Right after the pause, Bowles pulled her team to within one, 69-68, via a long ball with 3:21 remaining. UT pushed the lead back to five twice, with a Cooper turnaround jumper in the paint making it 75-50 with 1:54 left on the clock. FSU kept coming, twice knotting the score at 75-75 with 1:16 left and 77-77 with 49 ticks remaining. Spearman, though, answered with a step-back jumper in the paint to give Tennessee a 79-77 lead with 24 seconds to go. A driving layup attempt by Latson just before the buzzer was off the mark, and Spearman was there to grab the rebound and preserve the victory.
UP NEXT: Tennessee hits the road for its first game outside of Food City Center, when it travels to Brooklyn, N.Y., to face No. 17/20 Iowa on Saturday night in the Shark Beauty Women’s Champions Classic. FOX will televise the game from the Barclays Center at 7 p.m. ET, and the Lady Vol Network and SiriusXM will have radio broadcast and audio stream as well.
UNDEFEATED WITH A FRESH FIVE: Tennessee has started the season 6-0 with six different starting lineups and eight different players appearing in the first five. Ruby Whitehorn, Samara Spencer, Zee Spearman, Tess Darby and Talaysia Cooper opened the contest on Wednesday evening against the Seminoles. Cooper, Spencer and Whitehorn notched their fifth starts, while Darby and Spearman made their third trips to the jump circle.
SIX STRAIGHT ON ROCKY TOP: Tennessee has won its first six games for the initial time since beginning the 2021-22 season at 9-0. This marks the first time since 2015-16 that UT has opened a campaign with six straight games at home. Tennessee played eight in a row here to start the 2015-16 schedule. The Lady Vols also dawned their “Summitt Blue” uniforms against Florida State, improving their record to 5-2 when wearing them, including 4-0 at home.
CALDWELL KEEPS CLIMBING: The Lady Vols’ 6-0 is the second-best opening of a season in Kim Caldwell‘s nine years as a head coach. Last game against Western Carolina, she had matched her 5-0 start at Glenville State in 2018-19. Top honors go to her 2021-22 GSU squad that started 29-0 on its way to 35-1 and an NCAA DII national title. A year ago, Caldwell’s Marshall team began the year 0-1 and 2-5 before reeling off a 24-2 record the rest of the way en route to 26-7 and a sweep of Sun Belt Conference titles. Other starts include 3-0 in 2016-17 and 2022-23, as well as 1-0 in 2020-21, 2019-20 and 2017-18.
ANOTHER 20-PLUS EFFORT FROM COOP: Redshirt sophomore Talaysia Cooper carded her fifth double-digit season performance, including her fourth consecutive, dropping 22 points versus Florida State. The Turbeville, South Carolina, native’s other double-digit games came against Samford (19), MTSU (18), Liberty (33) and Western Carolina (20), now giving her three consecutive games of 20+ scoring. She is averaging 19.7 points per game through six contests.
ALL ABOUT THE BOARDS: Tennessee etched its second game with 50 or more rebounds, pulling down 50 vs. Florida State. The Lady Vols had 54 vs. UT Martin on Nov. 7. The Lady Vols grabbed 23 offensive rebounds vs. the Seminoles, marking their fourth game with 20 or more on that end of the court for the NCAA’s leader in o-boards per game at 23.5. Talaysia Cooper, Samara Spencer and Alyssa Latham led the Big Orange with seven caroms a piece.
Larry McBee is found guilty of shooting and killing a 23-year-old Halls Rural King employee in 2022.
Jury deliberations took less than an hour, and the jury returned a verdict convicting McBee of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Several witnesses spoke at the trial, including a neighbor, a Rural King shopper, and investigators.
According to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, McBee shot and killed Tristan Smith after he was accused of trying to steal from the store.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Ethan Muza, a transfer from Baylor University, has signed with the Tennessee men’s tennis team, head coach Chris Woodruff announced Wednesday.
The Pittsburgh, Pa., native will join the squad for the 2025-26 campaign, and he will add a wealth of experience to a program that has reached the NCAA Quarterfinals three times in the last four years.
“We are excited to add Ethan to our squad for next fall,” said associate head coach Matt Lucas. “His competitive spirit, experience in the Big 12 and aspirations as a tennis player align with what we look for in student-athletes. We are looking forward to his arrival on Rocky Top next fall.”
Muza holds a 37-22 singles record and a 20-14 doubles mark for his career. In the 2023-24 campaign, he went 7-1 in dual singles thanks to a seven-match win streak to start the season, and he also tallied a perfect 4-0 ledger in doubles for the dual season.
For his career, Muza is a two-time ITA Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection.
With a career-high ITF ranking of No. 736, Muza was ranked as the No. 83 player in his class coming into college, according to TennisRecruiting.net. He carried an ITF Juniors ranking of No. 1068 and a junior UTR ranking of No. 68 before starting his Baylor career.
During his prep career, he played for club team Gomez Tennis Academy in Naples, sharpening his notable speed and defensive skills on the court.
He is the son of John and Shari Muza and also has two siblings, Mason and Colin, Muza played hockey in high school as well as tennis.
MADISON, Wisc. – The Tennessee Lady Vols kick off their 19th trip to the NCAA Tournament with a first-round matchup against No. 18 Georgia Tech on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. ET.
The contest will be streamed on ESPN+. The winner of the match will face the winner of Wisconsin and Fairfield on Friday.
The Big Orange (15-11, 8-8 SEC) is led by a pair of All-SEC players in graduate student outside hitter Nina Cajic and redshirt sophomore setter Caroline Kerr. One of the top offensive players in the country, Cajic ranked 37th nationally and seventh in the SEC in kills per set at 4.25 and was 36th and seventh in points per set (4.85). The Subotica, Serbia, native posted double-digit kills in 24 of 26 matches during the regular season, including four performances with at least 20 kills, two with 30-plus kills and one 40-kill effort.
Earning All-SEC accolades for the second straight year, Kerr ranked sixth in the SEC and 40th nationally in assists per set (10.22). She helped the Lady Vol offense average 13.21 kills per set while hitting .278 hitting, which ranks 16th nationally and fourth in the SEC. Kerr eclipsed 40 assists in a match 11 times and 50 assists three times.
The Yellow Jackets (20-9, 12-8 ACC) are a No. 7 seed in the bracket, and they are led by a trio of All-ACC honorees. Senior outside hitters Bianca Bertolino and Tamara Otene were awarded Second Team All-ACC recognition, while freshman middle blocker Logan Wiley was named to the All-Freshmen Team. Bertolino sits as the only Power 4 player with 300 kills, 300 digs and 50 aces, while Otene secured her second-straight 400 kill/300 dig season, registering a team-best 410 kills and 307 digs.
Georgia Tech is currently on a four-match skid, losing in heartbreaking five-set contests each time. However, three of those matchups came against top-25 opponents, including a pair against No. 1 Pittsburgh and No. 6 Stanford.
Here are a few other Lady Vol volleyball notables going into the postseason:
POSTSEASON BOUND: Lady Vols Punch Ticket to NCAA Tourney For the 19th time in program history, Tennessee volleyball was selected for the NCAA Tournament. The Lady Vols have made the tournament four years in a row and five times total under head coach Eve Rackham Watt. Prior to her arrival on Rocky Top, UT had missed the postseason five years in a row. This is now the third time in school history in which the team earned NCAA Tournament bids four seasons in a row (1981-84 & 2008-12).
Tennessee in the Tournament Under Rackham Watt In its first four tournament appearances under head coach Eve Rackham Watt, Tennessee is 4-4 in the Big Dance. The Lady Vols have advanced out of the first round three times. Last year, the Big Orange earned the No. 10 national seed and hosted the first and second rounds for the first time since 2011. The Lady Vols defeated High Point and then Western Kentucky to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2005. Prior to that, Tennessee advanced to the second round of the tournament after first-round wins over Colorado State (2018) and North Carolina (2021). In 2022, the Lady Vols fell short in a five-set battle to Purdue in the first round.
Lady Vols vs. The Field The Lady Vols were 5-9 against NCAA Tournament teams during the regular season. Tennessee’s top win came in a 3-1 victory against No. 6 seeded Texas A&M. UT also bested South Carolina, Western Kentucky on the road and Western Michigan twice. Of the Big Orange’s 14 contests against tournament teams, eight came away from home. The Lady Vols kicked off the season with back-to-back matches against two No. 1 overall seeds in Louisville and Penn State.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A bowling alley on Western Avenue is closed following a fire Wednesday afternoon.
Knoxville Fire Department crews were called to the Strike and Spare in the 5700 block of Western Avenue shortly after noon; they found heavy smoke coming from the building’s roof. Upon entering the building, KFD says crews discovered that the fire was coming from the heating and air system with smoke quickly filling the majority of the building.
Fire officials say the business was open and occupied at the time of the fire, but the building was evacuated quickly and no injuries were reported.
The building has suffered heavy smoke damage throughout and moderate water damage.
Crews responded to Strike and Spare, located on the road’s 5700 block. (Courtesy: KFD)
Jekyll Island, GA (WOKI) A Tennessee state senator from Kingston is facing a DUI and hit-and-run charge out of Georgia.
Tennessee Senator Ken Yager (R- Kingston) was arrested for DUI following a hit-and-run crash Tuesday evening in Jekyll Island, Georgia.
According to officials with the Georgia Department of Public Safety, Yager was booked into the Glynn County Jail but was released Wednesday. He’s facing three charges: DUI, hit-and-run and failing to stop at a stop sign.
Authorities say the investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Yager represents District 12 which includes Campbell, Fentress, Morgan, and Roane counties among others.
Tennessee state senator charged in Georgia DUI hit-and-run. (Courtesy: Georgia Department of Public Safety)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Investigators with the Knoxville Fire Department are investigating and one person sustains minor injuries following a house fire Wednesday morning near Alcoa Highway.
Crews called to a home in the 3400 block of Brookmoor Lane shortly after 11:30 a.m. were met with smoky conditions and a small fire in the living room area.
KFD reports firefighters were able to extinguish the fire immediately and get the homeowner, who had sustained minor injuries, out quickly.
The home sustained minimal smoke, fire, and water damage. No injuries to firefighters were reported.
Knoxville Fire Department crews respond to a house fire on Brookmoor Lane Wednesday. (Courtesy: KFD)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel welcomed 24 new signees as part of the #RockyTop25 recruiting class on Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period.
As of Wednesday evening, the Volunteers boasted a top 10 class by On3, 247Sports and Rivals. This comes the day after Tennessee was tabbed No. 7 in the College Football Playoff rankings and will officially punch its postseason ticket on Sunday.
“It’s a great day to be a Volunteer and wear the orange,” Heupel said. “We had an opportunity to practice with our guys today, got some really good work, in particularly for our young guys, but the story of the day, obviously, is signing day. I love the group that we’ve signed up until this point. Great competitive makeup. A lot of leadership traits, guys that are still playing right now as they’re chasing state championships. But, the athleticism and the makeup of the individuals, couldn’t be more excited about what we’re bringing into this program. I want to thank the families that have entrusted their young men to us, and we can get a chance to be a part of their journeys and help them go chase their goals and dreams.”
The Vols signed 10 offensive players and 14 defensive players, including six players from the state of Tennessee. That group was headlined by On3’s No. 1 Volunteer State prospect quarterback George MacIntyre of Brentwood Academy in Nashville.
“When we first got here, I said that developing relationships inside of this state, that’s high school coaches, that’s everybody that has their feet on the ground, was going to be a real priority for us,” Heupel said. “Our staff has done that. We’ve tried to do a great job of evaluating the guys within the state. It doesn’t mean we take every one of them. It doesn’t mean we get every one of them, but we’re going to recruit (Tennessee) the right way.”
The three-day early signing period lasts until Friday. Tennessee continues its College Football Playoff prep with practice on Wednesday and will learn of its matchup and location at noon ET Sunday on ESPN.
Tennessee Football Press Conference | Dec. 4, 2024 (National Signing Day) Head Coach Josh Heupel
Opening statement… “It’s a great day to be a Volunteer and wear the orange. We had an opportunity to practice with our guys today, got some really good work, in particularly for our young guys, but the story of the day, obviously, is signing day. Love the group that we’ve signed up until this point. Great competitive makeup. Tough, smart, competitive individuals; guys that fit the culture of caring about the guy next to them. A lot of leadership traits, guys that are still playing right now as they’re chasing state championships. But, the athleticism and the makeup of the individuals, couldn’t be more excited about what we’re bringing into this program. I want to thank the families that have entrusted their young men to us, and we can get a chance to be a part of their journeys and help them go chase their goals and dreams. I also want to thank our entire staff. You look at our scouting personnel departments, our on campus department and obviously our coaching staff did a tremendous job of finding guys that fit the traits that we want athletically but also finding the right makeup of the individuals that we’re bringing in as we continue to grow this program, so it’s a great day. We’re continuing to take steps forward and, obviously, excited about everything that’s going on inside of our program right now.”
On what stands out about this recruiting class and the needs they needed to fill… “When you’re talking about recruiting high school players, you’re looking at the immediate as they come onto campus for the following fall but you’re also looking long term, and so size, length, speed, athleticism, we have to continue to grow in that area. But also, I mentioned it earlier, just the makeup, the competitive makeup of who they are, how hard they’re willing to work, what they’re willing to sacrifice, leadership traits, but those traits to grow inside of this game. You want all the physical attributes but it’s the mental makeup, the passion and purpose that they have within them that dictates their climb at this level. The longer we’ve been here, I just feel like we continue to recruit to the culture of our program and guys that fit in within the competitive makeup of it and I couldn’t be more excited about the group that we have coming in.”
On defensive back signee Timothy Merritt’s ability… “Really excited about Tim, he’s somebody that we’ve been recruiting for a long time. I go back to last January, just having the opportunity to meet his family, hear his story. The player itself you can see really quickly on video, great athleticism, extremely fluid, played quarterback this year for them at times and a dynamic playmaker. Tough, competitive makeup, When you talk with him you can feel his competitive mindset and his passion for becoming what he’s capable of really quickly and our staff did a great job of just continuing to develop a relationship with him, pour into him, family’s got great trust in us and obviously really excited about getting him.”
On his thoughts on the linebacker and tight end positions for this class… “Just continuing to add athleticism on the second level of our defense, guys that have the ability to play in space, that have length, have the ability to play with power, come out of their hips, they’re smart, they’re competitive. Really excited about what we’ve done there. Coach (William Inge) and our linebacker staff did a great job.
“At tight end, again, as we’ve been here, the athleticism, length, the explosive movement, the ability to play in space but also do things within the structure of our core, in particular in the run game, couldn’t be more excited about the two guys that we’re bringing in (DaSaahn Brame and Jack Van Dorselaer). They’re both highly competitive guys that come from really good programs that we’re going to need to make an impact quickly inside of our program.”
On his conversations with quarterback signee George MacIntyre and him having to learn multiple offenses in high school… “George has got a great ceiling and a great future in front of him. Extremely athletic young guy. You see that on the football field with his ability to improvise, extend plays, make plays outside of the pocket. Got a chance to see him play basketball multiple times. Extremely fluid and natural on the basketball court. For him, through his journey in high school, it’s tough when you’re playing in a different offense every year, but the positives that we talked about with him is that, man, you’ve been exposed to so much football and it’s forced you to grow while you’re in high school. I think that only helps him as he comes to us at this level with the diversity of what he’s had the opportunity to play in. I think that helps expedite his transition into college football.”
On recruiting flips and how hard it is to assemble a class and get it to the finish line in the current recruiting landscape… “It’s always been difficult. There’s no time period in recruiting – because of how competitive it’s always been, the nature of it – that it’s not difficult to get to the finish line. Signing day to me is always about who you get, and do they fit the profile of what you wanted at those positions, but do they fit the competitive makeup that you got to have inside of your program and fit the culture of the program? We’re really excited about the guys that we’ve gotten. Some of those guys have been with us for a long time. Some of them are more recent, but guys that we’ve been in communication with for a long time and got great relationships with. Really excited about it.”
On the competitiveness of recruiting in the SEC… “Most competitive league in America in all facets of what goes on in college football. It ultimately shows up on Saturdays when we’re competing against each other. But it starts with the recruiting process. Highly competitive.”
On what the rest of the signing period looks like… “We’ve had a great start to the day, we’ve got to continue to go finish it as well.”
On Nic Moore’s character after requesting Christmas donations at his signing ceremony… “It shows that he’s full of character. Nic is a great young man that has a great future on the field. He’s got a real focus on who he wants to become as a man too. Excited to have him and his family become a part of this football family.”
On De’Rail Sims and William Inge first year on the recruiting trail… “Similar to what I saw when they first got here on campus. The ability to communicate, relate to young people, develop relationships with them. That’s where recruiting starts. Kids get a pretty quick feel, usually, if you care about the person and the player. Those guys pour into our young guys. That’s why they’ve built their rooms extremely close in a short amount of time. That’s transcended onto the recruiting trail. Those guys are high level.”
On watching Daune Morris make plays and how that fits in the Tennessee offense… “Daune is someone we’ve had our eye on for a long time, and just getting an opportunity as this season continued to go on to be able to communicate with his family more, just building a relationship. They had a great official visit here a few weeks ago. He’s a dynamic playmaker. You see that with the ball in his hands out on the perimeter, return, playing the running back position, unique skill set, extremely athletic. He has great short-area quickness and in some ways reminds you of a young (Dylan Sampson) with his ability to do so much. We couldn’t be more excited to get him here.”
On his reaction to Tennessee’s position in the College Football Playoff rankings… “We control what we control. We don’t have a game before the final rankings come out. There’s a lot of football to be played yet, but if you’re not of the mindset going into this thing, anyone, anywhere, anytime, then you’re just there to have a cup of coffee anyways. This is a highly competitive group. We’ll play where we play, we’ll play who we play, and let’s go put the ball down.”
On how recruiting within the state of Tennessee has improved… “When we first got here, I said that developing relationships inside of this state, that’s high school coaches, that’s everybody that has their feet on the ground, was going to be a real priority for us. Our staff has done that. We’ve tried to do a great job of evaluating the guys within the state. It doesn’t mean we take every one of them, doesn’t mean we get every one of them, but we’re going to recruit (Tennessee) the right way. That means time, energy and communication. Our staff, from the time that we’ve been here, has invested that way. The product of who we are on game day, the success of the program, the success of our players, what they’re doing off the field, how they’re being prepared for life and growing as men while they’re here, I think speaks volumes. Inside of this state for sure, but in this region, I think everybody can see the trajectory of what this program is and the connection and true culture that we have within it, and that makes recruiting a whole lot easier within this border.”
On Nic Moore and what he adds to the offensive line room… “Smart, tough, competitive. He has position flexibility. I already said he’s smart, but he’s extremely bright. For a young guy, he has a lot of strength on his frame already. I’m really excited to get him here. He will be here in a couple of weeks, start progressing and get to work.”
On the additions to the defensive line… “I think we’re at five guys on the defensive line at this point. I just think you have great length and athleticism on the edges. You have explosive power on the edges, but you have it on the interior as well. Our defensive line plays vertical. The success that we’ve had on the development of our defensive line, the guys that have been here are a huge part of the success that we have had on the recruiting trail with these guys. Our defensive line staff, starting with Coach G (Rodney Garner), through coach Chop (Levorn Harbin) and everybody that’s in there, just does a great job. These guys fit the traits that we want, to be able to cause havoc at the point of attack. We’re really excited about these guys.”
On injury updates during playoff prep… “We have some time here, but feel like we’re going to have everybody getting ready to roll here.”
Watch Tennessee Football head coach Josh Heupel’s #RockyTop25 National Signing Day press conference.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Wearing black “Dark Mode” uniforms for the first time in program history, the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team turned in an impressive 96-70 victory Tuesday night against Syracuse in the SEC/ACC Challenge.
Fifth-year guard Chaz Lanier logged a game-high 26 points, tying a season best, for third-ranked Tennessee (8-0) in front of a sold-out crowd at Food City Center that saw the home team lead by double digits for the entire second half and by 20-plus for the final 13 minutes.
After conceding the opening basket of the evening, the Volunteers scored eight points in 46 seconds—the stretch included two three-point plays, the latter of which was an alley-oop dunk by Lanier. They later scored 10 straight points in 1:41, capped with a four-point play by senior guard Zakai Zeigler, to go up by 12, 30-18, with 8:50 on the first-half timer.
Syracuse (4-3) soon responded with a 7-0 surge in 1:11 to pull back within four at the 6:09 mark, but Tennessee tallied nine of the next 10 points over 2:04 to push the margin back to a dozen, 41-29, with 3:45 left before the break.
The Volunteers took a 10-point advantage, 45-35, into the locker room behind a combined 30 points from Lanier (11), sophomore forward Cade Phillips (10) and Zeigler (nine). Tennessee shot 11-of-13 (84.6 percent) at the line, while the Orange went 3-of-10 (30.0 percent) on free throws.
Early in the second frame, Tennessee used a 7-0 run to go ahead by 18, 57-39, with 15:40 remaining to take full command and upped the margin to 23, 73-50, with 10:38 left.
Shortly thereafter, the Volunteers, aided by back-to-back 3-pointers from Lanier, posted a 12-0 burst—the fourth time they scored at least seven consecutive points in the triumph—in 3:26 to extend the margin all the way to a game-best 32, 85-53, with 6:33 to go. At that time, they were 15-of-21 from the floor in the second half, including 7-of-11 from deep.
The Orange never got any closer than 22 the rest of the way and Tennessee scored six of the last eight points to claim the 26-point decision, its fourth-largest margin of victory this season.
Lanier scored his 26 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including a 5-of-8 mark in the second half that featured a stellar 4-of-5 long-range ledger. He added a season-high-tying four rebounds, two assists and one steal in the victory.
Zeigler, who entered the top 10 on Tennessee’s career made 3-pointers list, finished with 14 points, eight assists and a season-high four steals, pacing all players in the final two categories. Fellow senior guard Jordan Gainey totaled 12 points, all in a second half during which he shot 5-of-6 from the field and made both his 3-point attempts. He added six rebounds, one shy of his season best, and two assists.
Phillips, who made his first five field-goal attempts, ended the affair with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting to set a career best in makes, as well as pulled down six boards, blocked a game-high two shots and dished out two assists, with the latter two marks matching career highs. Senior forward Igor Miličić Jr., the Volunteers’ fifth double-digit scorer, registered a double-double with 11 points and a game-best 10 rebounds, adding two assists and shooting 6-of-7 at the line to set a season high in both makes and attempts.
Freshman guard Elijah Moore scored a career-best 24 points for Syracuse, finishing 8-of-12 from the floor, 3-of-6 beyond the arc and 5-of-6 at the line. Junior forward Chris Bell contributed 12 points, while freshman forward Donnie Freeman added 10.
The Volunteers shot 53.8 percent (35-of-65) in the win, including 61.3 percent (19-of-31) in the second stanza. They also notched a 34.5 percent (10-of-29) ledger from deep that featured a sizzling 57.1 percent (8-of-14) mark after the break.
Tennessee totaled a 40-26 edge on the glass, including a 13-5 margin on the offensive end that led to a 16-7 advantage in second-chance points. It also had a 44-28 cushion in paint points and a 19-10 ledger in points off turnovers, forcing 11 and committing just eight.
The Volunteers have a week until their next game, which is set for Dec. 10 at Madison Square Garden in New York against Miami in the Jimmy V Classic, with action televised live on ESPN.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS POSTGAME NOTES • The Volunteers’ victory helped the SEC clinch the overall SEC/ACC Challenge on the opening night of the event, which featured just 10 of the 16 games. • Playing its 600th all-time game at Food City Center, which opened in 1987-88, Tennessee moved to 458-142 (.763) in the venue. • Tennessee, which logged its 14th sellout in the last three seasons (2022-25), improved to 32-14 all-time in Food City Center sellouts, including 31-12 since the 2007-08 capacity reduction and 21-6 in head coach Rick Barnes‘ 10-year tenure. • In addition, the Volunteers are now 88-33 all-time when playing in front of 20,000-plus fans at Food City Center, including 29-9 under Barnes, with 23 of the latter 37 over the past four years (2021-25). • The Volunteers improved to 5-3 all-time versus Syracuse and, after starting 1-3, have now won four straight games in the series, including claiming a victory in back-to-back years. • Barnes now owns 182 wins over programs with a national championship, including 42 in his 10 years at Tennessee and four already—Louisville, Virginia, Baylor and Syracuse—this season. • Barnes moved to 14-5 against ACC schools—based off the current membership—during his Tennessee tenure, including 13-2 versus all schools other than North Carolina. • The Volunteers improved to 124-101 all-time versus current ACC institutions, including 7-1 over the last four seasons (2021-25) and 3-0 this year. • The Volunteers are 8-0 for the first time in 24 years, going back to the 2000-01 campaign, which it started 9-0. • Tennessee increased its non-conference home winning streak to 33 consecutive games, a stretch that dates to the 2020-21 season opener. • The Volunteers now have 29 wins by at least 20 points over the last three seasons (2022-25), including 22 by 25-plus, 17 by 30-plus, 13 by 35-plus and five by 40-plus. • Through eight games this year, the Volunteers have led for 303:50 and trailed for just 6:03 of a possible 320 minutes. • All eight of Tennessee’s wins thus far are by 15-plus points, with six by at least 22 and three by at least 35. • Tennessee has held a lead of 26-plus points in each of its eight contests this season and still has not faced a deficit larger than three. • The Volunteers have held a halftime margin of nine-plus points in seven of their eight outings, including leading by double digits six times, 12-plus five times, 14-plus four times and 23-plus twice. • Tennessee has now conceded 35 or fewer points in every first half this season, including 29 or fewer in five and 22 or fewer in three. • Zeigler’s four-point play with 8:50 left in the first half was Tennessee’s first since March 6, 2024, when Dalton Knecht notched one in a win at South Carolina to help the Volunteers clinch the SEC regular season title. • With his third and final 3-pointer of the night, a shot-clock buzzer-beating attempt with 1:59 to go, Zeigler reached 184 makes in his career, matching Admiral Schofield (2015-19) for No. 10 on the program’s all-time leaderboard. • Phillips’ six made field goals surpassed the career best of five he recorded on seven attempts versus Austin Peay on Nov. 17, 2024, while his 12 points put him one shy of the 13 he scored in that same contest. • This is the second consecutive outing in which Phillips has blocked two shots after he never did so previously as a collegian. • Miličić recorded his 13th collegiate double-double, including his second as a Volunteer, as well as reached double-figure rebounds for the 17th time, including the third at Tennessee. • Miličić’s prior season best in made free throws was four against Montana on Nov. 13 and versus Baylor on Nov. 21 in Nassau, Bahamas, while his top mark in attempts was six in the latter affair. • Lanier—who tied the season-best point total he set Nov. 21 against Virginia in Nassau—now owns 11 performances of 25-plus points as a collegian and he has hit that mark in three of the last four games. • After entering the night 7-of-8 from the line in seven outings as a Volunteer, Lanier went 6-of-8 on free throws versus the Orange. • Redshirt junior guard Grant Hurst scored four points, making both of his field-goal attempts, marking the first time he has hit multiple shots as a Volunteer and giving him a basket in three consecutive home games.
Posted on December 5, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Bristol, TN (WOKI) Tickets for the highly-anticipated MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway are on sale now, and officials say a portion of the ticket sales will go towards Hurricane Helene relief. Proceeds of ticket sales during the month of December will be donated to Appalachia Service Project and Mountain Ways, with a total…… Continue Reading
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee women’s basketball remained unbeaten this season, outlasting a talented Florida State squad, 79-77, in a see-saw affair in front of a crowd of 9,529 on Wednesday night at Food City Center. The Lady Vols (6-0) used a 13-0 run to build a 20-point second-quarter lead and took an 18-point advantage into the…… Continue Reading
Larry McBee is found guilty of shooting and killing a 23-year-old Halls Rural King employee in 2022. Jury deliberations took less than an hour, and the jury returned a verdict convicting McBee of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison. Several witnesses spoke at the trial, including a neighbor, a Rural King shopper,…… Continue Reading
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Ethan Muza, a transfer from Baylor University, has signed with the Tennessee men’s tennis team, head coach Chris Woodruff announced Wednesday. The Pittsburgh, Pa., native will join the squad for the 2025-26 campaign, and he will add a wealth of experience to a program that has reached the NCAA Quarterfinals three times in the last…… Continue Reading
MADISON, Wisc. – The Tennessee Lady Vols kick off their 19th trip to the NCAA Tournament with a first-round matchup against No. 18 Georgia Tech on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. ET. The contest will be streamed on ESPN+. The winner of the match will face the winner of Wisconsin and Fairfield on Friday. The Big Orange (15-11,…… Continue Reading
Posted on December 4, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A bowling alley on Western Avenue is closed following a fire Wednesday afternoon. Knoxville Fire Department crews were called to the Strike and Spare in the 5700 block of Western Avenue shortly after noon; they found heavy smoke coming from the building’s roof. Upon entering the building, KFD says crews discovered that…… Continue Reading
Posted on December 4, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Jekyll Island, GA (WOKI) A Tennessee state senator from Kingston is facing a DUI and hit-and-run charge out of Georgia. Tennessee Senator Ken Yager (R- Kingston) was arrested for DUI following a hit-and-run crash Tuesday evening in Jekyll Island, Georgia. According to officials with the Georgia Department of Public Safety, Yager was booked into the…… Continue Reading
Posted on December 4, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Investigators with the Knoxville Fire Department are investigating and one person sustains minor injuries following a house fire Wednesday morning near Alcoa Highway. Crews called to a home in the 3400 block of Brookmoor Lane shortly after 11:30 a.m. were met with smoky conditions and a small fire in the living room…… Continue Reading
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel welcomed 24 new signees as part of the #RockyTop25 recruiting class on Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period. As of Wednesday evening, the Volunteers boasted a top 10 class by On3, 247Sports and Rivals. This comes the day after Tennessee was tabbed No. 7…… Continue Reading
Game Recap: Men’s Basketball | December 03, 2024 KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Wearing black “Dark Mode” uniforms for the first time in program history, the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team turned in an impressive 96-70 victory Tuesday night against Syracuse in the SEC/ACC Challenge. Fifth-year guard Chaz Lanier logged a game-high 26 points, tying a season best, for third-ranked…… Continue Reading
