The Tennessee House passes a bill that would place limits on buying junk food using SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
It’s not the first time the U.S. program that helps low-income families pay for food has faced threats limiting what qualifies for purchases. Other attempts to cut candy and snacks from SNAP have failed in the past.
The Tennessee Healthy SNAP Act would require the Tennessee Department of Human Services to request a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture allowing the state to end benefits for candy and soft drinks.
Some opponents say limiting what people can buy with SNAP is an attack on the autonomy of low-income Americans.
A USDA report put ranked “sweetened beverages” and “prepared desserts” as the second- and fifth-most purchased types of items by SNAP recipients, who receive, on average, $187 per month — or about $6 per day — from the program. That being said, those same foods ranked at number five and number six for non-SNAP households.
TN.gov relative information about the bill: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 71, relative to the food stamp program. Department of Human Resources – As introduced SB1154 and HB1236, enacts the “Tennessee Health SNAP Act,” which requires the department to submit a request for a waiver from the United States department of agriculture’s food and nutrition service to seek authorization to prohibit the use of SNAP benefits for the purchase of candy and soft drinks. – Amends TCA Title 71.
HB1236 passed Monday – Ayes 69, Nays 23
The definitions of “candy” and “soft drinks” would follow federal government guidelines. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, with the stated purpose of ensuring SNAP benefits are used to improve food security and nutrition.
The Cocke County Sheriff’s Office says 12 people have been taken into custody after an indictment charging 32 people on various drug charges is unsealed.
Officers began searching for those who were indicted once the indictments were unsealed on Wednesday and on Saturday, CCSO took the following 12 suspects into custody Saturday:
Crystal Crum, 41
Sale and delivery of Schedule IV drugs
Tracy Joseph Jones, 42
Sale and delivery of fentanyl
Pauline Lundy, 67
Sale and delivery of methamphetamine
Jessica M. McKay, 36
Sale and delivery of fentanyl
Sale and delivery of gabapentin
Sale and delivery of a counterfeit substance
Danielle Vasaturo, 25
Sale and delivery of cocaine
Alisha Arrington, 37
Sale and delivery of fentanyl
Kaela Napier, 27
Sale and delivery of methamphetamine
Maleik D. Story, 28
Sale and delivery of fentanyl
Christopher Finchum, 49
Sale and delivery of methamphetamine
John E. Atkins, 31
Sale and delivery of methamphetamine
Jose A. Balderas, 20
Sale and delivery of fentanyl
Sale and delivery of methadone
Sale and delivery of a counterfeit substance
Ashley Mayfield, 38
Capias for several drug charges
Their arrests resulted in officers seizing two firearms, $346 in cash and almost 3 grams of heroin.
The investigation unsealed 19 counts of sale and delivery of fentanyl, 14 counts of sale and delivery of methamphetamine, six counts of sale and delivery of cocaine, seven counts of sale and delivery of opioids and 14 counts of sale and delivery of a counterfeit substance.
CCSO says additional names will be released following their arrest.
Friday evening at approximately 10:34 pm, Knox County Communications District received a call that their neighbor’s house was on fire at 3116 Rector Street.
Upon arrival, the first due engine company saw heavy smoke with fire coming from the basement. The crew was able to enter the house and start firefighting operations.
After a thorough search of the home, no residents were inside.
The fire was extinguished within 30 minutes.
KFD is still on scene working to overhaul and check for extension.
The neighbor told KFD that there was one individual that lived in the home, which was away at the time of the fire.
There are no injuries to report.
The home suffered substantial fire, smoke and water damage.
KFD fire investigators are on scene to try and determine a cause. The following responding to the fire:
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The fourth-ranked Tennessee men’s basketball team returns home for its regular season finale Saturday at Food City Center, facing South Carolina on senior day. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. ET.
Fans can catch Saturday’s game between the Volunteers (24-6, 11-6 SEC) and Gamecocks (12-18, 2-15 SEC) on SEC Network. Dave Neal (play-by-play) and Jon Sundvold (analyst) will have the call.
Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp describing the action.
In Tennessee’s most recent outing, it capped its road slate with a narrow 78-76 setback Wednesday night at Ole Miss.
UT saw its four-game winning streak end at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion despite leading by nine in the first half and by seven with under 11 minutes to go. Senior guard Jordan Gainey led the team with 17 points in the defeat.
THE MATCHUP • Tennessee is 11-2 in its last 13 matchups with South Carolina, dating to 1/20/18. In that span, UT has been ranked 11 times, posting a 10-1 record. • The Vols are 6-1 in their last seven games versus the Gamecocks, with five wins by 20-plus and two by 40-plus. The six victories are by an average of 25.7 ppg. • Since South Carolina joined the SEC in 1991-92, this is just the fourth time the two schools are not meeting multiple times in the regular season. They played just once each in 2020-21 (one game was canceled due to COVID-19), 2013-14 and 2012-13. • Tennessee clinched the outright 2023-24 SEC regular season title in its last game versus the Gamecocks, posting a 66-59 road win on 3/6/24 behind 26 points from Dalton Knecht. • After a 26-8 (13-5) year that included an NCAA Tournament trip, South Carolina placed No. 11 in the SEC preseason poll. • Sophomore forward Collin Murray- Boyles leads the Gamecocks with 16.8 ppg and 8.4 rpg.
NEWS & NOTES • The Volunteers are playing back- to-back unranked SEC teams for the first time in over a year, dating to a six-game stretch from 2/7/24 to 2/24/24. • The last time Tennessee played a league game against a team with a sub-.500 record was 2/20/24 at Missouri, with this contest ending a 22-game streak. • Tennessee is seeking its ninth 25- win season, including its sixth in the Rick Barnes era (all in the past eight years) and fourth in a row. It would be UT’s third time reaching that mark in the regular season alone (27-4 in 2018-19 under Barnes and 28-3 in 2007-08). • The Vols are also looking to finish top-four in the SEC standings for the seventh time in eight years, includingthe fifth in a row. • UT will honor seven seniors after the game: Darlinstone Dubar, Jordan Gainey, Grant Hurst, Chaz Lanier, Jahmai Mashack, Igor Miličić Jr., and Zakai Zeigler. • After 26 seasons together as the radio crew, dating to 1999-2000, this is the final home broadcast for Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp. • With 830 victories, Rick Barnes is tied with Jim Phelan for No. 11 all-time (min. 10 years at DI level), just one behind Cliff Ellis and John Calipari for No. 10. • Barnes’ 111 SEC wins are one shy of Hank Crisp for No. 18 in history. • Zakai Zeigler needs 12 assists to break the UT single-season record of 227, set by Rodney Woods in 1974-75. The 12 assists would also give him 700 as a collegian and make him the fourth SEC player, including the second Volunteer— Johnny Darden had 715 from 1975-79—ever to hit that mark. He is just four assists shy of the SEC’s single-season top 15 (220). • Igor Miličić Jr., is eight points away from reaching 1,000. He would be the fifth quadruple-digit scorer on the Volunteers’ roster. • Tennessee’s 195 victories over the last eight seasons (2017-25) rank ninth in DI. Only Gonzaga (236), Houston (234), Duke (212), Kansas (210), Purdue (203), Saint Mary’s (198), Auburn (197) and San Diego State (197) own more. Drake (194) and Liberty (194) tie to round out the top 10.
RACKING UP RANKED VICTORIES • TOP 25: In the past four years (2021-25), Tennessee’s 28 AP top-25 wins lead DI. Only Connecticut (26), Iowa State (25) and Kansas (25) are within three. The next SEC school is four back (Alabama with 24). • TOP 20: Tennessee is co-first in the nation with 24 AP top-20 triumphs over that span, tying Connecticut (24). Only Kansas (22) is even within four, while the nearest SEC program is five shy (Alabama with 19). • TOP 15: The Volunteers lead DI with 21 AP top-15 decisions over those four years. Kansas (20) is the lone school within four, while the closest SEC team (Alabama with 16) five behind UT. • TOP 10: Since 2021-22, Tennessee owns 11 AP top-10 wins, co-second in the SEC and co-fourth nationally, both alongside Kentucky (11). Only Connecticut (12), Iowa State (12) and Kansas (12) have more. The 11 wins in that time are against #1 Alabama (2/15/23), #3 Kansas (11/25/22), #3 Auburn (2/26/22), #4 Kentucky (2/15/22), #5 Kentucky (3/12/22), #6 Arizona (12/22/21), #10 Texas (1/28/23), at #10 Kentucky (2/3/24), #5 Florida (2/1/25), at #7 Texas A&M (2/22/25) and #6 Alabama (3/1/25). • TOP FIVE: In that same four-year span, UT has six AP top-five victories, tied with Arizona for the most in the country. Only six other schools have even four: Alabama (five), Iowa State (five), Florida (four), Gonzaga (four), Kentucky (four) and Purdue (four).
HIGH-CALIBER COMPANY • Tennessee and Kansas are the only two schools to earn an AP top-five ranking in each of the last four seasons (2021-25). Only two others, Arizona and Purdue, entered 2024-25 with a three-year streak. • The Volunteers are one of only four teams to reach the AP top six in each of the past five seasons, alongside Alabama, Houston and Kansas. • UT is one of just five programs to reach the AP top six in at least six of the last seven seasons (2018- 25), alongside Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas and Kentucky. Those are also the only five schools to enter the AP top five in at least five different years in that stretch. • The Vols are among only eight teams to reach the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll in at least two of the last seven seasons (2018-25), joining Auburn, Baylor, Duke, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas and Purdue. • Over that same seven-year stretch (2018-25), UT is also one of seven teams to claim an AP top-two position in at least three seasons, alongside Baylor, Connecticut, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas and Purdue. • UT is one of seven schools with an AP top-20 ranking in each of the last eight years (2017-25), alongside Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and North Carolina. Just two others—Houston and Purdue—have even been AP top-25 each season. • Additionally, over the last three years (2022-25), the Vols are one of just six teams to reach the AP top two in multiple seasons, joining Alabama, Connecticut, Duke, Kansas and Purdue.
PARTICULARLY POTENT AT HOME • Under Rick Barnes, Tennessee is 23-8 (.742) versus AP top-25 teams at Food City Center, including 18-2 (.900) in its last 20 such games (since 1/30/21). • The Volunteers are 18-7 (.720) at home against AP top-20 teams in the Barnes era, including 14-2 (.875) in their last 16 such contests (since 1/30/21). • Tennessee has a 15-5 (.750) mark when hosting AP top-15 squads under Barnes, including a 13-2 (.867) record in its last 15 such affairs (since 1/30/21). • Barnes has led UT to a 9-1 (.900) ledger at home versus AP top-10 teams, with eight straight wins (since 3/2/19). That includes perfect marks against AP top-six foes (8-0) and versus SEC teams (7-0). • UT is a perfect 6-0 when hosting AP top-five teams in the Barnes era (all since 1/24/17). The six straight wins are an SEC record, per ESPN, surpassing the mark of five by Kentucky in 1978-84 and 1956-59. • The Vols won 12 straight home games against AP top-25 foes from 1/30/21 to 2/28/24. That is an SEC record, per CBS Sports, and the longest in DI since Kansas had 17 straight from 1/11/14 to 2/13/17. Nine of those victories were versus top-15 foes, with five against the top 10 and three over top-five teams. • Tennessee is 20-5 (.800) in AP top-25 home matchups under Barnes, including 14-5 (.737) with both teams in the top 20, 9-2 (.818) with both in the top 15 and 5-0 (1.000) with both in the top 10.
1.4K CLUB • Tennessee, Alabama and Ole Miss—all are in the SEC—are the only schools with four 1,400-point scorers. Just 10 others programs have even three. • Jordan Gainey possesses 1,504 points in 130 contests, an average of 11.6 ppg over four years. • Chaz Lanier, the only member of the quartet who entered the season below 1K, now has 1,461 points in 134 outings, a 10.9 ppg ledger across five campaigns. • Darlinstone Dubar has 1,449 points in 141 outings, good for 10.3 ppg across five seasons. • Zakai Zeigler owns 1,443 points in 130 appearances, giving him an 11.1 ppg average in four seasons
TOP-TIER TRIUMPHS • Tennessee is 42-41 (.506) against AP top-25 foes under Rick Barnes, including 26-14 (.650) in its past 40 such games (since 1/22/22). • The Volunteers are 36-33 (.522) versus AP top-20 teams in Barnes’ tenure, including 22-10 (.688) in their last 32 such affairs (since 1/22/22). • UT is 28-26 (.519) against AP top-15 teams in the Barnes era, including 21-9 (.700) in its last 30 such games (since 12/22/21). • The Vols own a 16-15 (.516) record versus AP top-10 foes under Barnes, including a 14-9 (.609) mark in their last 23 such contests (since 3/2/19) and an 11-6 (.647) tally in their last 17 (since 12/22/21). • UT is 10-9 (.526) against AP top-five opponents in Barnes’ tenure, including 6-4 (.600) in its last 10 such affairs (since 2/15/22). It is 8-2 (.800) versus AP top-five SEC teams, including 7-1 (.875) in its last eight such outings (since 3/2/19).
20,000 STRONG • In Rick Barnes‘ 10 seasons, Tennessee has played in front of a home crowd of at least 20,000 on 46 occasions (36-10), with 33 sellouts (26-7). • In 2022-23, the Volunteers had five sellout crowds, at the time tying an arena single-season record. • Tennessee well eclipsed that mark last season by selling out eight home games—including seven of nine in SEC play—good for its most ever at Food City Center. Four of those were over-capacity crowds, with the last three above 22,000. • This season, Tennessee has clinched seven sellouts: Syracuse (12/3/24), Arkansas (1/5/25), Mississippi State (1/21/25), Kentucky (1/28/25), Florida (2/1/25), Vanderbilt (2/15/25) and Alabama (3/1/25).
HAPPY AT HOME • Over the last four seasons (2021-25), the Vols’ .922 (59-5) home winning percentage is sixth in DI (fourth in Power Five, second in SEC). • In total, UT is 137-25 (.846) at Food City Center in Rick Barnes‘ 10 years and has twice gone undefeated at home (18-0 in 2018-19 and 16-0 in 2021-22)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – It was an historic night on the mound for top-ranked Tennessee during Friday’s series-opening 12-0 victory over St. Bonaventure, as five Volunteers’ pitchers combined to toss the ninth no-hitter in program history.
Liam Doyle was incredible once again in a starting role, striking out 13 batters over 5.2 innings and retiring 17 straight Bonnies after walking the first and last batter he faced. The junior lefthander improved to 3-0 on the year with the win and now has 47 strikeouts in 20.1 innings of work this year.
While the pitching staff was dominating, Tennessee’s offense also continued to roll, launching four more home runs to increase its NCAA-leading total to 42. The Vols hit two apiece in the second and sixth innings, combining for 10 of their 12 runs in those two frames.
Prior to Friday’s contest, the last no-hitter in UT baseball history was a solo effort from Jeffery Terrell on Feb. 15, 2002, in a 5-0 victory over Bowling Green.
The Vols’ last combined no-hitter also featured five pitchers (Kurt Scott, Brad Love, Logan Brummitt, Marlyn Tisdale, Brandon Crowe) as the Big Orange defeated the College of Charleston, 14-1, on Feb. 21, 2000, in Charleston, South Carolina.
Streaks Extended
Reese Chapman extended his hit streak to 14 games with a single in the second inning. Levi Clark also extended his hit streak to nine games with an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth.
Four Vols extended double-digit reached base streaks on Friday, as well. Kilen, Fischer and Chapman have all reached base in every game this season while Hunter Ensley extended his streak to 13 consecutive games with a pair of hits.
Up Next
The Vols will look to tie the longest win streak to start a season in program history on Saturday in game two of this weekend’s series against the Bonnies. Tennessee’s 14-0 start this season stands alone as the second best in program history behind the 2019 team’s 15-0 start.
First pitch for Saturday’s contest is slated for 6 p.m. and can streamed on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.
A water main break is affecting some Alcoa businesses.
The City of Alcoa’s water department is working that break at the entrance of Hunters Crossing at Louisville Road.
Those in the area can expect some outages for the next several hours. Specifically, the city warned that businesses at Hunters Crossing would be affected which includes Chick-fil-A, American Family Care,T-Mobile Murphy USA, Maryville Modern Dentistry, Blaze Pizza and Hooters.
Some people in the area may also see muddy water from their faucets.
Several East Tennessee counties are still working to rebuild months after Helene ripped through, including Unicoi County.
On September 27th, the Nolichucky River flooded parts of the county. The river flooded businesses, churches and homes. Now nearly six months later, people are still hopeful it can return to normal.
Along the river, debris is getting cleaned up and stockpiled.
As the Riverview Baptist Church is rebuilding, residents hope it’s a sign of better days ahead as they hope to have their first Sunday service after Helene on Easter.
The Unicoi County Hospital remains closed after it flooded and dozens had to be rescued off the roof.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) Describing their findings as “staggering,” detectives with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division make a big drug bust Tuesday in Knox County.
KCSO officials say investigators stopped several cars believed to be connected to a suspicious house, taking four people into custody and seizing several quantities of drugs to include 302 grams of fentanyl. Police also recovered 16 firearms and nearly $14,000 in cash:
302 grams of fentanyl (equivalent to 151,000 lethal doses)
88.5 grams of methamphetamine
14.7 grams of cocaine
7 grams of marijuana
$13,935 in cash
Court records identify those arrested as Aaron Barrett, Jamar Cortez, Gregory Seaton and Donta Stewart.
KCSO says the investigation is part of the ongoing 313 Initiative, a program in partnership with law enforcement agencies in East Tennessee and Detroit to crack down on drug crime in East Tennessee.
“The relentless efforts of our dedicated detectives continue to disrupt drug trafficking organizations that are poisoning our community,” KCSO said. “Every bust like this saves lives and helps keep Knox County safe.”
(Left to right) Aaron Barrett, Jamar Cortez, Gregory Seaton and Donta Stewart (Courtesy: KCSO)
No. 9 seed and No. 18/17-ranked Tennessee (22-8, 8-8 SEC) will meet No. 8 seed Vanderbilt (21-9, 8-8 SEC) in second round action at the 2025 Southeastern Conference Tournament in Greenville, S.C., on Thursday at 11 a.m. ET.
The Lady Vols and Commodores will face off at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in a contest televised on SEC Network and carried on Lady Vol Network radio stations as well as audio-streamed on UTSports.com. These teams met earlier this season in Nashville on Jan. 19, with Vandy claiming a 71-70 victory on a last-second put-back by Mikayla Blakes.
Tennessee got back on the winning track with a 77-37 blowout of Texas A&M on Wednesday, claiming victory for the fifth time in the past seven games. UT had its best defensive effort of the season, holding the Aggies to opponent season lows in points and field goal percentage (26.5). UT also got good news on the injury front, as All-SEC Second Team and All-Defensive Team performer Talaysia Cooper bounced back in strong fashion from a lower body injury suffered vs. Georgia on Sunday to lead all scorers with 19 points.
The Lady Vols have been led all season by Cooper, a member of the John R. Wooden, Naismith and Ann Meyers Drysdale Player of the Year Watch Lists and the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List. She puts up 16.8 ppg., 5.7 rpg., 3.2 apg. and 3.0 spg. and shoots 45 percent from the field. Cooper has 11 20+ scoring efforts this season, including 25 at Kentucky on Feb. 27. Also averaging double figures are fifth-year guard Jewel Spear (13.1 ppg., 71 3FGs), junior forward Zee Spearman (11.7 ppg., 5.9 rpg.), junior guard Ruby Whitehorn (11.5 ppg.) and senior point guard Samara Spencer (10.4 ppg., 4.7 apg.).
Vanderbilt, which has a first-round bye, enters on a two-game winning streak after defeating Texas A&M and Missouri in succession. The Commodores, though, struggled down the stretch with a 3-5 record while playing arguably their toughest part of the schedule. VU is led by SEC Freshman of the Year Mikayla Blakes, who is averaging 23.3 points per game. She has scoring help from another big-time point producer and rebounder in Khamil Pierre (20.8 ppg., 9.6 rpg.) as well as from Iyana Moore (12.1 ppg.).
BROADCAST DETAILS
Sam Gore (play-by-play) and Nikki Fargas (analyst) will have the call for SEC Network.
All of the games included in the ESPN package (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU) will be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
The contest also can be heard on Lady Vol Network stations and by audio stream, with Brian Rice providing play-by-play and Jay Lifford serving as studio host.
A link to the live audio stream can be found on the Hoops Central page or the schedule on UTSports.com.
For a list of Lady Vol Network affiliates, please click the Fans tab at the top of UTSports.com, select Vol Network and then click on the Vol Network Affiliates tab.
Air-time generally occurs 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
REPPING THE VOLUNTEER STATE
UT has five players who are from the Volunteer state.
Kaiya Wynn, who hails from Nashville and attended Ensworth, is out for the season due to injury.
Tess Darby is one of UT’s career leaders in three pointers (5th, 221), three-pointers attempted (5th, 605) and three-point field goal percentage (11th, 36.5).
Darby’s 70 threes and 185 three-point attempts in 2023-24 rank No. 9 and No. 8 in Lady Vols history.
LADY VOLS VS. IN-STATE FOES
The Tennessee women are 266-63-1 all-time vs. four-year college teams from the Volunteer State through the 71-70 loss at Vanderbilt on Jan. 19, 2025.
The Lady Vols are 3-1 this season after beating UT Martin (Nov. 7) and MTSU (Nov. 12) at home and Memphis on the road (Dec. 18), and losing at Vandy (Jan. 19).
UT went 3-1 in 2023-24 as well (win vs. Memphis, loss vs. MTSU, wins vs. Vanderbilt and at Vanderbilt).
UT has won 38 of the last 41 over schools from within the state border, with the lone setbacks during that run being a 76-69 loss to Vanderbilt in Knoxville on Feb. 28, 2019, a 73-62 loss to Middle Tennessee in Huntsville, Ala., on Dec. 6, 2023, and a 71-70 loss to Vandy in Nashville on Jan. 19, 2025.
TENNESSEE IN THE SEC TOURNAMENT
Tennessee is 87-28 (.757) all-time in the 46th year of the tourney through the Texas A&M game.
On Wednesday vs. the Aggies, the Lady Vols improved to 41-5 all-time in their opening game of the SEC Tournament.
UT improved to 3-1 vs. Texas A&M in league tourney games and to 3-0 in SEC First Round contests.
Tennessee enters Thursday with an 8-2 record vs. Vanderbilt in SEC Tournament play.
The Lady Vols are 5-1 in tourney history in second round contests.
The Lady Vols, who were seeded No. 5 last season in this event, advanced to their fourth-straight SEC semifinal, falling at the buzzer to top-seeded South Carolina, 74-73, on March 9, 2024. UT is 24-13 in semifinal games through 2023-24.
UT also made its seventh consecutive appearance in the SEC quarterfinals last year and its league-leading 44th trip all-time, holding a 37-7 record.
Tennessee has won a league-leading 17 SEC Tournament championship trophies and is 17-7 in 24 title-game appearances.
UT won in 1980, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014.
The Lady Vols have been runners-up on seven occasions, including 1 982, 1990, 1991, 1995, 2003, 2015 and 2023.
UT last advanced to the title game in 2023 as a No. 3 seed, defeating No. 14 seed Kentucky in the quarterfinals, 80-71; and No. 2 LSU in the semifinals, 69-67; before falling to No. 1 seed South Carolina, 74-58, in Greenville.
Tennessee has had 15 SEC Tournament MVPs through the years.
Isabelle Harrison (2014), Glory Johnson (2012), Shekinna Stricklen (2011) and Alyssia Brewer (2010) were the past four MVPs from Tennessee.
The Lady Vols won the very first SEC Tournament title in 1980, defeating Ole Miss, 85-71, at Stokely Athletics Center in Knoxville.
BACK IN GREENVILLE
This marks the eighth time Greenville has played host to the SEC Tournament.
UT stands at 11-6 in games played in the city after defeating Texas A&M on Wednesday in the first round.
The Lady Vols have advanced to the semifinal round in Greenville five times (2005, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) and made it to the championship game in two of those years (2005, 2023).
No. 2 seed Tennessee defeated #1 seed LSU in the tourney title game, 67-56, on March 6, 2005, the first time the event was held in Greenville.
Shyra Ely was named the SEC Tournament MVP that year, while Shanna Zolman and Brittany Jackson joined her on the all-tournament team.
UT beat Auburn in the second round (64-54) and Vanderbilt in the semifinals (76-73) that year.
Two Lady Vols also went to the SEC Tournament with other teams before transferring to UT, including Jillian Hollingshead with Georgia and Samara Spencer with Arkansas.
SUPER COOPER: Guard Talaysia Cooper is on three POTY watch lists and the Naismith Defensive POTY watch list, and she made the All-SEC Second Team and All-Defensive Team. She leads UT in scoring (16.8 ppg.) and steals (3.0 spg.), hitting double figures in points 26 times, carding 11 20+ efforts and notching 12 quarters of scoring 10 points or more.
SPEAR ON TARGET: Jewel Spear (13.1 ppg.) is one of the league’s top three-point threats, averaging 2.54 per game, making 71 total and hitting 39.2 percent to rank No. 2, No. 4 and No. 6 among SEC players, respectively.
DISHING & SWISHING:Samara Spencer (10.4 ppg., 142 assts., 59 3FGs) ranks No. 4 in the SEC in asst./TO ratio (2.31), No. 5 in assts./apg. (142/4.73) and No. 11 in three-pointers made per game (1.97).
STEADY AS ZEE GOES:Zee Spearman has scored in double digits 20 times, including nine of the past 10 contests with averages of 11.7 ppg. and 5.9. rpg. for the season.
RUBY AT THE READY: Ruby Whitehorn is UT’s third-leading scorer at 11.5 ppg., tallying 10+ points in 20 contests and 15+ in 11 of them while shooting 45 percent from the field.
FROM A TEAM PERSPECTIVE
THIRD IN SEC HISTORY IN 3FGM: UT ranks No. 3 in SEC women’s history in three-pointers made in a season, hitting 303 over 30 games this season. UT is 11 behind the record of 314 set by Arkansas in 2020 and two behind the No. 2 mark of 305 set by the Razorbacks in 2023. Samara Spencer was part of that ’23 UA squad.
THIRD IN SEC HISTORY IN 3FGA: The Lady Vols also rank No. 3 in SEC women’s history in three-pointers attempted in a season, firing up 928 thus far. Arkansas ranks one-two in this category as well, carding a record 1,007 in 2023 and taking 969 threes in 2024, with Samara Spencer contributing to both of those totals.
SCHOOL RECORD TIED: Tennessee turned over Texas A&M 32 times on Wednesday, marking the eighth time this season UT had forced 30+. That equals the undefeated 1997-98 Lady Vol squad’s best of forcing 30+ on eight occasions.
PRESSING BUSINESS: Tennessee has prevented its foes from getting the ball over halfcourt in 10 seconds 30 times in 30 games after preventing Texas A&M from doing so four times on Wednesday.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
UT 14TH IN NET: UT is 14th in the NET and has wins over No. 1 UConn, No. 12 Ole Miss, No. 15 Alabama, No. 24 Fla. St., No. 28 Iowa, No. 32 Richmond, No. 33 Miss. St., No. 51 Middle Tenn., No. 54 Florida, No. 58 Auburn and No. 65 Missouri along with close losses to No. 2 So. Carolina, No. 3 Texas, No. 10 LSU (twice), No. 13 Okla. and No. 22 Vanderbilt.
SPEAR IN UT TOP 10 AGAIN: With three treys vs. A&M, Jewel Spear now has 71 for the season and the No. 9 single-season total in UT history. She bumped her previous No. 10 mark of 69 (2023-24) to No. 11.
COOPER NEARING STEALS TOP 10: With 91 steals this season, Talaysia Cooper stands just nine away from making the Lady Vol single-season top 10. Tamika Catchings holds the No. 10 spot with 100 even.
FIRST-EVER 50 TREY TRIO: Tennessee has its first-ever trio of players to hit 50 or more treys each in the same season. Jewel Spear (71), Samara Spencer (59) and Tess Darby (51) accomplished that feat when Darby hit No. 50 at Kentucky on Feb. 27.
SAM NEARING CAREER BEST: With 59 treys, Samara Spencer is six from tying her career best of 65 (2022-23, Arkansas).
LOOKING BACK AT THE LAST GAME
No. 18/17 Tennessee overcame a slow start and outscored Texas A&M by 42 points over the final three quarters to claim a 77-37 opening-round victory over the Aggies on Wednesday in the Southeastern Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
Redshirt sophomore Talaysia Cooper, who left UT’s regular-season finale on Sunday with a lower body injury, returned to action, coming off the bench to lead all scorers with 19 points while adding team highs of eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. Fifth-year guard Jewel Spear and junior forward Zee Spearman added 11 points each, while senior guard Samara Spencer chipped in 10 for the No. 9-seeded Lady Vols (22-8).
The 16th-seeded Aggies (10-19), who lost their 11th-straight game, were paced by Sahara Jones, who produced a 16-point, 13-rebound double-double.
POSTGAME NOTES VS. TEXAS A&M
UT MATCHES 30-TURNOVERS FORCED RECORD: The Lady Vols tied the program record by forcing 30 or more turnovers in a game for the eighth time during the 2024-25 season. They now share the UT women’s record with the 1997-98 squad, which also forced 30 or more on eight occasions.
LOCKDOWN CENTRAL: The Big Orange defense limited Texas A&M to an opponent season-low 37 points and 27-percent shooting this season and forced 32 turnovers, marking the most committed by an SEC school vs. UT this season. The Lady Vols also enjoyed a 37-5 points-off-turnovers advantage.
UNDER PRESSURE: The Tennessee press forced the Aggies into four 10-second backcourt violations, running the season total for opponents to 30 in game 30 this season. The first 10-second infraction occurred at the 7:31 mark in the first quarter, the second with 21 seconds left in the second quarter, the third with 8:23 to go in the fourth and the fourth at the 5:40 point in the final frame. Wednesday’s total of four was one shy of the season-most five violations Western Carolina committed on Nov. 26.
RACKING UP STEALS: For the 16th time this season, Tennessee recorded 10 steals or more in a game. The Lady Vols recorded 10 takeaways, marking the second straight game they have hit that total after doing so with 10 against Georgia on Sunday.
SPEAR HITS UT THREES TOP 10 AGAIN:Jewel Spear knocked down three three-pointers against the Aggies to run her season total to 71 in 2024-25. That sum ranks Spear No. 9 on UT’s single-season treys list, passing the 69 Spear had last season (which falls to No. 11). Tess Darby’s 70 threes in 2022-23 now rank her No. 10 on the list.
FIFTEENTH DIFFERENT STARTING FIVE: Tennessee utilized its 15th different starting lineup of the season on Wednesday, with Jewel Spear, Kaniya Boyd, Zee Spearman, Tess Darby and Alyssa Latham opening the contest against the Aggies. Spearman started her 22nd game, while Spear notched her 21st, Darby her eighth and Latham and Boyd their fourth. Ten different players have been in the starting lineup for UT this season.
UT/VU SERIES NOTES
Tennessee leads the all-time series, 80-11, winning eight of the past nine meetings between the schools but falling in a trip to Nashville on Jan. 19, 71-70.
UT has won 18 of the past 20 contests vs. Vandy, dating back to 2014.
The Lady Vols are 37-1 vs. the Commodores in Knoxville, 33-8 in Nashville and 10-2 at neutral sites (all postseason).
These squads have been to overtime on one occasion, with Tennessee seizing a 92-79 decision in Nashville on Jan. 19, 1997.
Tennessee and Vanderbilt last met in the SEC Tournament on March 2, 2012, with the Lady Vols winning, 68-57, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
LOOK AT THE COMMODORES
SEC Freshman of the Year Mikayla Blakes averages 23.3 ppg. and leads the Commodores with 72 three-pointers thus far.
Khamil Pierre puts up 20.8 ppg. and yanks down 9.6 rpg., while Iyana Moore contributes 12.1 ppg.
VU is outscoring foes on average, 84.3 to 68.1 ppg., reaching 100 points on seven occasions this season.
Vandy shoots 45.3 pct. on FGs and 78.3 pct. on FTs.
The Commodores force 21.4 turnovers per game and grab 12.8 steals per contest.
ABOUT THE HEAD COACH
Shea Ralph is 72-57 in her fourth season at Vandy.
She guided Vanderbilt to its first NCAA Tournament bid since the 2014 NCAA Tournament in 2023-24 and posted the ‘Dores’ first NCAA win since 2013.
A seven-time NCAA champion as a student-athlete and coach, Ralph arrived at VU after spending the previous 13 seasons as an assistant at UConn.
While serving as a coach at her alma mater, Ralph helped guide the Huskies to 12 Final Four appearances and six national championships, including a record four straight titles from 2013-16.
VU’S LAST GAME
The Vanderbilt women’s basketball team cruised to a 100-59 win at Missouri on March 2 to close out the 2024-25 regular season.
Vanderbilt shot 55.6 percent from the floor and hit a season-high 15 3-pointers in the game. The 15 made treys tied for the second-most in a single game in program history.
the Commodores also forced Missouri into 24 turnovers, which gave Vandy a 33-5 edge in points off turnovers.
Mikayla Blakes led the Commodores with a 29-point performance against the Tigers, while Iyana Moore tallied 18 points and Khamil Pierre registered 16 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.
LAST TIME WE FACED VANDY
No. 15 Tennessee erased a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit and seized a five-point lead with just over two minutes remaining before falling to Vanderbilt on Jan. 19 in Nashville, 71-70, on a last-second shot.
Mikayla Blakes’ tip-in with just under a second left gave the Commodores (15-4, 2-3 SEC) the win after the Lady Vols’ valiant comeback and ended an eight-game Big Orange winning streak in the series. UT fell to 15-3 overall and 3-3 in the SEC on the season.
Tennessee was led in scoring by redshirt sophomore guard Talaysia Cooper, who fired in 22 points. She was joined in double figures by junior forward Zee Spearman with 11 points and 11 rebounds, while fifth-year guard Jewel Spear and senior guard Samara Spencer tossed in 10 each.
Vanderbilt was led by 23 points from Mikayla Blakes. She had scoring help from Khamil Pierre and Iyana Moore with 21 and 17, respectively.
UP NEXT
The winner of the Tennessee-Vanderbilt game will advance to the quarterfinal round and face No. 1 seed South Carolina (27-3, 15-1 SEC) at noon ET on Friday.
The contest will be televised on ESPN and available on Lady Vol Network radio stations statewide and via audio stream on UTSports.com.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Starting Thursday, March 6, 2025, through Monday, March 24, 2025, McGhee Tyson Airport is expecting higher than normal passenger traffic due to Spring Break travel. With an increased number of travelers in the airport, it is important to be aware of the following information when traveling during those dates:
IMPORTANT TRAFFIC NOTICE: To manage heavy traffic during Spring Break travel and minimize potential safety risks with vehicles backed up onto 129 South (Alcoa Highway), the airport is implementing a new traffic pattern on certain dates and times. From Thursday, March 6, 2025, to Monday, March 10, 2025, the main airport entrance off 129-South (Alcoa Highway) will be closed from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. each night. During this time, traffic will be redirected to the Hunt Road exit, with signs guiding drivers to the terminal building. The entrance will also be closed from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. on March 13-18 and March 20-24. Traffic coming from 129-North (Alcoa) will not be affected, and the exit process will remain the same. See attached image “Hunt Rd Detour Spring Break”.
IMPORTANT CONSTRUCTION NOTICE: Starting the week of March 10, 2025, the airport will be relocating the parking garage entrance. The new entrance will be near the current one, so drivers won’t need to change their planned route. Signs will be posted to clearly indicate the new entrance. See attached image “New Garage Entrance Copy”.
Here are three simple things you can do before heading to the airport to make your Spring Break travel easier. First, check FlyKnoxville.com for real-time parking availability and choose the best parking option for your plans. Next, download your airline’s app to get your boarding pass and stay updated on your flight and luggage details. Finally, pack light and put your medications, personal items, and a change of clothes in a carry-on bag.
When more people travel, there is a higher demand for airport parking. Some airport parking lots require a short walk or a shuttle ride to the airport terminal building. Please account for the additional time it will take to get to the terminal from the parking lot. Arrive at the airport at least two hours before your scheduled departure, even for the 5 a.m. flights.
TSA’s checkpoint screening equipment requires that carry-on bags strictly meet airline size requirements. Oversized luggage will need to be checked for your flight. Luggage measurement devices are located at the airline ticket counters and at the entrance to checkpoint.
When picking someone up at the airport, the curbside is only for pick-ups and drop-offs, and parking at or near the curb is not allowed. Instead, consider using the Phone & Wait Lot. It’s a FREE parking area where you can wait in your car until your guest has their luggage and is ready to meet you on the lower level. This lot helps reduce traffic and minimizes the need to circle the airport while waiting to pick up your passenger.
Not traveling for Spring Break but planning summer travel, make sure to get REAL ID or renew your passport. Learn more https://www.dhs.gov/real-id.
