The Knoxville Fire Department is reminding everyone to be careful using space heaters as temperatures are dropping after they determine that’s the cause of a West Knoxville house fire.
Crews called to the 3300 block of Keith Avenue Saturday morning and found the home completely in flames and it has been determined a total loss.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Two men and a woman living in the home are being helped by the Red Cross.
KFD says you should keep space heaters at least 3 feet away from flammable materials and never leave them unattended.
Also, plug heaters directly into an outlet not into extension cords.
NASHVILLE – Down 14-0 in the first quarter, No. 8 Tennessee stormed back with 29 straight points to defeat Vanderbilt, 36-23, and secure its College Football Playoff resume on Saturday at FirstBank Stadium.
A mostly Volunteer crowd watched Tennessee (10-2, 6-2 SEC) post its second 10-win regular season in three years under head coach Josh Heupel. Heupel becomes the third coach in UT history to record multiple 10-win regular seasons, joining Phillip Fulmer and General Robert Neyland.
Running back Dylan Sampson etched his name in Vols’ history once again, breaking his fourth single-season record of the year. The Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native finished with a career-high 178 yards on 25 carries, bringing his season total to 1,485 yards and breaking the program record of 1,464 set by Travis Stephens in 2001.
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava led Tennessee to its 10th victory, becoming the first UT signal caller to win 10 games in a regular season since Casey Clausen went 10-2 during his senior year in 2003. Iamaleava posted his second consecutive four-touchdown performance on Saturday, completing 12-of-17 passes for 220 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.
Senior wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. had a big day, finishing with a Tennessee career-high 118 receiving yards and two touchdowns on three receptions, marking his second career multi-touchdown game.
Linebacker Arion Carter led the Vols with seven tackles, including half a tackle for loss and a pass breakup. In the secondary, Jermod McCoy totaled six tackles and intercepted his fourth pass of the season—tipping a pass to himself in the end zone early in the second quarter.
Vanderbilt (6-6, 3-5 SEC) wasted no time getting on the board as Junior Sherrill returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. After a fumble on the Vols’ first possession, the Commodores capitalized with a short-field drive for another touchdown in the first quarter.
However, the Vols settled in and answered as Iamaleava guided a five-play, 73-yard drive, capped by a 28-yard touchdown pass to Thornton Jr.
Vanderbilt extended its lead to 17-7 with a 32-yard field goal before Tennessee rattled off 29 unanswered points. Kicker Max Gilbert started the comeback with a 50-yard field goal. Iamaleava then connected with Thornton Jr. again for an 86-yard touchdown—the longest for the Vols since 2003.
On its final possession of the half, Tennessee drove 96 yards in 10 plays, with Iamaleava finding tight end Miles Kitselman for a touchdown to take a 24-17 lead into the break.
Kitselman finished his outing with two receptions for 33 yards and a score.
Tennessee continued to pull away in the second half, scoring on its opening drive of the third quarter. Iamaleava threw his fourth touchdown pass of the game, connecting with freshman wide receiver Mike Matthews. The touchdown grab was the second of his career and his first in an SEC game—capping a 13-play, 75-yard drive. Matthews stepped up in a big way with senior captain Bru McCoy sidelined due to injury.
The defense padded the lead with a safety late in the third quarter courtesy of defensive lineman Tyre West. Gilbert added a fourth-quarter field goal before Vanderbilt scored its final touchdown to cap the scoring.
Tennessee held the Commodores to a season-low 212 yards and only 108 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, the Vols finished with 538 yards and rushed for 281 yards, representing their best rush output of the conference season.
UP NEXT Tennessee will learn its final College Football Playoff ranking and matchup on Sunday, Dec. 8, at noon ET. The show will air on ESPN. First-round on-campus games are scheduled for Friday, Dec. 20 (one game) and Saturday, Dec. 21 (three games), with sites to be determined on Dec. 8. Ticket information will be announced soon.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Former Tennessee football head coach Bill Battle, who led the Volunteers to five bowl games and three top-10 poll finishes from 1970-76, passed away at the age of 82 on Thanksgiving morning.
William “Bill” Raines Battle III compiled a 55-22-2 record in seven seasons with four bowl victories. Today, his 55 wins rank fourth all-time in UT history, while his .723 winning percentage is sixth in Vol annals. Including his time as an assistant coach, Battle coached players who earned 24 All-America accolades and 51 first-team All-SEC honors, including the likes of Chip Kell, Bobby Majors, Jackie Walker, Larry Seivers and Condredge Holloway, who he signed in 1971.
Battle arrived at Tennessee in 1966 as an assistant to Hall of Fame coach Doug Dickey where he served three seasons and was part of the Vols’ 1967 and 1969 SEC championships. In 1970, when Dickey left for Florida, Battle assumed the head coaching position at age 28, becoming the youngest coach at the time.
Battle’s first season of 1970 saw Tennessee reel off 10 straight wins to close the year highlighted by a 24-0 shutout of Alabama on The Third Saturday in October against his former coach, Bear Bryant. Battle’s Vols defeated Air Force, 34-13, in the Sugar Bowl as Majors’ 57-yard punt return touchdown in the third quarter put the game away. At age 29, Battle guided Tennessee to an 11-1 overall record, an SEC runner-up finish and a No. 4 Associated Press poll final ranking.
Success continued in 1971 with the Vols entering the regular season finale at 9-1. That contest saw Battle go up against Joe Paterno and his undefeated Penn State Nittany Lions in front of a national television audience on ABC. No. 5 Penn State, winners of 15 straight and heavy favorites, threw four interceptions. Majors had two punt returns for 82 yards and a touchdown, and All-American Conrad Graham returned a fumble 76 yards for a score as Battle bested Paterno, 31-11. The Vols then topped No. 18 Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl, 14-13, with Battle finishing off a 10-2 season and a No. 9 final ranking.
In 1972, Battle named Holloway Tennessee’s starting quarterback. With a national TV audience tuned in, the sophomore dazzled during a dominant, 34-3 season-opening victory at Georgia Tech, while becoming the first Black player to start at quarterback on an SEC team.
That same fall under Battle saw the Vols play their first night game in Neyland Stadium against Penn State, and Battle once again would get the best of Paterno. Junior tailback Haskel Stanback punched in a pair of rushing touchdowns, and the Vols triumphed under the lights of Neyland, 28-21. Battle finished off his second straight 10-2 campaign with a 24-17 victory over No. 10 LSU in the Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston with Holloway earning MVP honors.
Battle coached four more seasons, and his 1974 team beat No. 10 Maryland, 10-3, in the Liberty Bowl.
Battle began his collegiate career at Alabama, where he went on to become a three-year starter playing both offense and defense. He was a member of Bryant’s first national championship team in 1961. He got into the coaching profession as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma in 1963 before serving as assistant coach at Army from 1964-65 under Paul Dietzel.
Battle was an innovator, founding the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) in 1981 where he served as its president and CEO until 2002. He returned to his alma mater in 2013 to serve as director of athletics for four years.
The Birmingham, Alabama, native was the recipient of the National Football Foundation’s Outstanding Contributions to Amateur Football Award in 2008, and he was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.
Bill Battle Year-By-Year Coaching Record Year; Record; Bowl 1970; 11-1 (4-1 SEC); Sugar Bowl def. Air Force 1971; 10-2 (4-2 SEC); Liberty Bowl def. Arkansas 1972; 10-2 (4-2 SEC); Bluebonnet Bowl def. LSU 1973; 8-4 (3-3 SEC); Gator Bowl lost to Texas Tech 1974; 7-3-2 (2-3-1 SEC); Liberty Bowl def. Maryland 1975; 7-5 (3-3 SEC) 1976; 6-5 (2-4 SEC) Totals; 55-22 (22-18-1 SEC); five bowl games
“Coach Battle was a wonderful addition to our staff and was very popular with the players. He was a terrific recruiter and had great vision and initiatives for our football team, especially offensively. He did an outstanding job as a football coach after I left Tennessee. From there, he was one of the remarkable stories in the sports business world with his company, Collegiate Licensing Company. He will be deeply missed.” – Doug Dickey, former Tennessee head coach (1964-69) and Director of Athletics
“When Coach Battle took over for Coach Dickey, he was a tremendous leader for us. We did not miss a beat, and we continued to have outstanding teams. He was supportive to us as players. He adopted us as his school and was always loyal to us. Coach Battle was a fantastic businessman and an even better person. We shared a great friendship.” – Phillip Fulmer, former Tennessee head coach, Director of Athletics and captain on Battle’s teams (1968-71)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team capped a perfect November with a 78-35 decision Wednesday evening against UT Martin.
No. 7/6 Tennessee (7-0) never trailed and led for over 38 minutes, including by 20-plus for the final 11:35 and by 30-plus for last 5:56, in the intrastate matchup at Food City Center. Fifth-year guard Chaz Lanier tallied a game-high 18 points for the victors.
The Volunteers quickly took control of the game with an early 8-0 run in 108 seconds to go ahead, 11-3, after just 4:01 of action. They extended their lead to 14 points, 28-14, exactly 10 minutes later, doubling up UT Martin (2-5) at that point. The home team did not concede a point for a span of 4:47.
Tennessee pushed its margin to 15 with 1:20 to go in the frame and it remained at that number, 35-20, at the buzzer. It allowed the Skyhawks to shoot only 30.8 percent (8-of-26) from the floor in the first 20 minutes, including 25.0 percent (4-of-16) beyond the arc.
The Volunteers scored the first nine points after the intermission to build a 44-20 lead with 16:16 remaining, making it a 14-0 extended run back to the 1:49 mark of the opening frame. They did not give up a second-half point until the clock showed 15:36, good for a stretch of 6:30 in which it held UT Martin scoreless going into and coming out of the break.
Tennessee held the Skyhawks without a make from the floor for 9:04 including without a point for two spans of at least 3:28 during that stretch, as it extended the cushion all the way to 36 points during that time. The Volunteers led, 67-31, with 4:29 to play after an extended 21-3 burst.
Tenth-year head coach Rick Barnes‘ team went on to score the final 11 points, capping the contest with their largest lead of not only of the day, but also the season. The last basket, to make it a 43-point final, came from redshirt junior guard Grant Hurst, who played at UT Martin in 2021-22, with 34 seconds left.
Along with Lanier, who hit at least four 3-pointers for the fourth time this season, two other Volunteers reached double figures in the scoring column. Senior guard Zakai Zeigler registered 11 points to go along with a game-high nine assists and a team-best two steals. Junior forward Felix Okpara posted 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting and a game-leading 11 rebounds, including five on the offensive end, for his first double-double in a Tennessee uniform, plus swatted a game-best four shots. The boards and blocks totals for Okpara both set season highs.
Additionally, senior forward Igor Miličić Jr. put up nine points to go along with a game- and season-best 13 rebounds, while senior guard Jahmai Mashack once again stuffed the stat sheet, amassing seven points, six rebounds, a season-high four assists and one steal.
Just one Skyhawk scored greater than seven points, as junior guard Josué Grullon notched 15 on 6-of-16 shooting. The rest of the roster totaled 22 points on a 6-of-37 ledger.
Tennessee doubled up UT Martin in both offensive and defensive rebounding, compiling a 20-10 margin in the former category—its most offensive rebounds since Dec. 11, 2022—and a 29-14 figure in the latter, good for an overall mark of 49-24. The Volunteers also had 22 assists and 11 turnovers, while conceding just eight assists and forcing 18 giveaways.
Barnes’ team, which had nine blocks and conceded none, held the Skyhawks to a 22.6 percent (12-of-53) field-goal mark, including a mere 14.8 percent (4-of-27) total in the second half. Only twice in the last 20 seasons (2005-25) has Tennessee allowed a lower single-game field-goal percentage than it did against the Skyhawks, while just once has it given up fewer than 12 makes.
UT Martin’s 35 points marked the fewest Tennessee has allowed in nearly 51 years, dating to Dec. 15, 1973, when it gave up just six to Temple. This is the fifth time in the shot-clock era (since 1985-86) the Volunteers have allowed under 40 points in a game, with this the third such occurrence in the last five seasons.
The 35 points marked the fewest allowed by an SEC team since Dec. 30, 2019, and set an arena low at Food City Center, which opened in 1987-88.
Meanwhile, at the other end, the Volunteers shot 47.6 percent (30-of-63) from the field, including 76.9 percent (20-of-26) inside the arc. They finished with a 36-10 edge in paint points and a 24-7 advantage in points off turnovers. Up next for Tennessee is an SEC/ACC Challenge matchup with Syracuse, slated for Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., live on ESPN from Food City Center.
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 improved to 6-0 all-time against UT Martin, with the victories by an average of 24.7 points per game, including five by 17-plus and four by 28-plus. • Barnes remained undefeated all-time versus the current Ohio Valley membership, as he is now 9-0, with every outing during his tenure with the Volunteers. • Barnes is now 33-6 (.846) against in-state competition in his 10 years with Tennessee, including 16-1 (.941) over the last 17 such contests. • In his 38-year head coaching career, Barnes now owns an 40-9 (.816) ledger against schools from Tennessee, including a 38-7 (.844) mark versus teams other than the Volunteers. • The Volunteers are 7-0 for the fourth time since the turn of the century, including the second time in five years, alongside 2020-21 (7-0), 2010-11 (7-0) and 2000-01 (9-0) • Tennessee increased its non-conference home winning streak to 32 consecutive games, a stretch that dates to the 2020-21 season opener. • With their 7-0 mark in November this season, the Volunteers improved to 30 games over .500 in the month, 44-14 (.759), in Barnes’ 10-year tenure. • Tennessee now has 28 wins by 20-plus points over the last three seasons (2022-25), including 17 by 30-plus, 13 by 35-plus and five by 40-plus. • The Volunteers’ last win by at least 40 points came on Feb. 25, 2023, when they won by 40, 85-45, against South Carolina, while their last win by at least 43 came in the same season against the same team with a 43-point triumph, 85-42, at South Carolina on Jan. 7, 2023. • Wednesday marked Tennessee’s 26th win by 40-plus in the shot-clock era (since 1985-86), including its 22nd versus a Division I team and its 14th in Barnes’ 10-year tenure (13th versus DI programs). • The Volunteers now possess 16 triumphs by at least 43 points in the shot-clock era (since 1985-86), including 12 against Division I programs and eight under Barnes (seven versus DI teams). • Tennessee last held a lead of 40-plus points on Feb. 17, 2024, when it was ahead by 41, 72-31, in an eventual 35-point triumph over Vanderbilt. • Only four prior times in the shot-clock era (since 1985-86) has Tennessee allowed below 40 points in a contest: 36 versus UNC Greensboro (Dec. 11, 2021), 38 versus Appalachian State (Dec. 15, 2020), 38 versus Vanderbilt (March 1, 2014) and 37 at Georgetown (Nov. 30, 2012). • Tennessee last allowed 35 or fewer points in regulation on Dec. 7, 1996, at Penn State, but that contest went to overtime and the Nittany Lions finished with 42. • The Volunteers are just the eighth team to allow 35 points or fewer versus a Division I foe this season, including the second from the SEC. • The 35 points against not only set a program record for the shot-clock era, but also tied for 18th-fewest by an SEC team in those 40 seasons, including the 16th-fewest versus a Division I foe. • The last time an SEC team allowed 35 or fewer points in a game was Dec. 30, 2019, when Missouri conceded 33 against Chicago State. • Tennessee is just the ninth SEC team in the last 20 years (2005-25) to hold its opponent to 35 or fewer points on a field-goal percentage of 23.0 percent or below, including the eighth to do so in a victory by at least 43 points. • UT Martin’s 35 points marked the fewest ever in the 38-year history of Food City Center, breaking the record of 36 by UNC Greensboro on Dec. 11, 2021. • In addition, UT Martin’s 22.6 percent field-goal clip finished just shy of the lowest mark by a Division I team in the venue, as Morehead State put up a 22.1 percent (15-of-68) ledger on Dec. 7, 1994. • The 12 field goals Tennessee conceded tied for the second-fewest allowed in Food City Center history, trailing only the 11 it gave up to Vanderbilt on March 1, 2014. • Wednesday marked the sixth time in the last 20 seasons (2005-25) the Volunteers have conceded 12 or fewer field goals, including the fourth in the last six years under Barnes. • This is the 10th time, including the eighth versus a Division I team, in the last 20 years (2005-25) Tennessee has conceded a field-goal clip below 25.0 percent, including the seventh under Barnes. • Only three other times, with just two against a Division I foe, in the last 20 seasons (2005-25) have the Volunteers held their opponent under 23.0 percent shooting: 22.1 percent against Eastern Kentucky (15-of-68 on Dec. 7, 2022), 20.9 percent against Division II Lenoir-Rhyne (14-of-67 on Nov. 6, 2018) and 22.4 percent against Vanderbilt (11-of-49 on March 1, 2014). • The last time Tennessee allowed a field-goal percentage below 20.0 percent in a half was Dec. 12, 2023, when Georgia Southern recorded a 16.7 percent (5-of-30) clip before the break. • Through seven games this year, the Volunteers have led for 266:15 and trailed for just 4:39 of a possible 280 minutes. • All seven of Tennessee’s wins thus far are by 15-plus points, with five by at least 22 and three by at least 35. • Tennessee has held a lead of 26-plus points in each of its six 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 six of their seven outings, including leading by 12-plus five times and by 14-plus on four occasions. • Tennessee has now conceded 32 or fewer points in every first half this season, including 29 or fewer in five and 22 or fewer in each of the last three. • UT Martin’s 15 second-half points marked the fewest Tennessee has allowed in a session this year, while its 20 first-half points tied for the second-fewest, equaling the total by Baylor before the break Nov. 22. • The Volunteers’ 20 offensive rebounds marked their highest total since Dec. 11, 2022, when they grabbed the same amount against Maryland in the Hall of Fame Invitational in Brooklyn, N.Y. • The last time Tennessee had 45-plus rebounds was March 21, 2024, versus Saint Peter’s in Charlotte, N.C., when it grabbed 47 in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32. • Tennessee moved up second nationally in KenPom’s overall rankings, including to first in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency. • The last time two Tennessee players had double-figure boards in a game was Feb. 20, 2024, at Missouri when Tobe Awaka and Dalton Knecht each pulled down 10. • This is the third time in Barnes’ tenure multiple Volunteers amassed 11-plus rebounds, joining Nov. 20, 2023, versus Syracuse in Honolulu (12 by Josiah-Jordan James and 11 by Jonas Aidoo) and Nov. 25, 2019, against Chattanooga (12 by Jordan Bowden and 11 by Josiah-Jordan James). • The Volunteers finished just shy of having three double-doubles, as Zeigler had nine assists and Miličić logged nine points. • Miličić recorded the 16th double-digit rebounding performance of his career, including his second as a Volunteer. • The 13 rebounds for Miličić matched the third-most of his career and marked the sixth time he has logged at least that many. • Okpara amassed his eighth outing with double-figure rebounds and his third double-double as a collegian, including his first of each at Tennessee. • Zeigler now has 16 showings in his career with nine assists, with this the sixth time he has finished either one point or one assist shy of a double-double. • The nine assists for Zeigler upped his career total to 526, moving him past Rodney Woods (525 from 1972-75) for third place in Tennessee history. • For Hurst, whose collegiate debut came with the Skyhawks at Food City Center on Nov. 9, 2021, the late basket marked his second field goal as a Volunteer and he has now scored in back-to-back home contests. • Fifth-year guard Darlinstone Dubar made his official Food City Center debut and scored seven points on 3-of-6 shooting, adding three rebounds and an assist.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Riding a 9-2 record into the regular season finale, Tennessee football is ranked No. 8 in the latest College Football Playoff Committee Rankings released on Tuesday night.
The Volunteers moved up three spots from last week’s edition and are the third-highest ranked SEC team behind No 3 Texas and No. 7 Georgia. Tennessee owns a victory over current No. 13 Alabama, while both of the Vols’ losses have come on the road at night, against current No. 7 Georgia (9-2) and Arkansas (6-5).
Tennessee has been ranked in 16 straight CFP rankings dating back to Nov. 1, 2022.
Head coach Josh Heupel‘s Vols are vying for their second 10-win regular season in three years when they travel to face Vanderbilt at noon ET/11 a.m. CT Saturday in Nashville. The game will be televised by ABC. UT owns a 5-2 record in SEC play is tied for third in the league standings.
College Football Playoff Rankings (Nov. 26) 1. Oregon (11-0) 2. Ohio State (10-1) 3. Texas (10-1) 4. Penn State (10-1) 5. Notre Dame (10-1) 6. Miami (10-1) 7. Georgia (9-2) 8. Tennessee (9-2) 9. SMU (10-1) 10. Indiana (10-1) 11. Boise State (10-1) 12. Clemson (9-2) 13. Alabama (8-3) 14. Ole Miss (8-3) 15. South Carolina (8-3) 16. Arizona State (9-2) 17. Tulane (9-2) 18. Iowa State (9-2) 19. BYU (9-2) 20. Texas A&M (8-3) 21. Missouri (8-3) 22. UNLV (9-2) 23. Illinois (8-3) 24. Kansas State (8-3) 25. Colorado (8-3)
Game Recap: Women’s Basketball | November 26, 2024
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Lady Vol basketball team posted a program first, hitting 100 points three times during the first five games of a season, as it forced 37 turnovers and raced to a 102-50 victory to close out a November slate of games undefeated.
With a crowd of 9,086 looking on at Food City Center, Tennessee (5-0) followed a 109-point performance vs. Liberty on Nov. 16 and a 101-point showing vs. Samford on Nov. 5 with a third trip over the century mark. The quickest UT had done that before was three times in the first eight contests in 1987-88. It also marked the first back-to-back 100-point games recorded by the Big Orange since the 2017-18 season, when the team won, 104-51, vs. Alabama State on Dec. 3 and, 131-69, vs. Troy on Dec. 6.
Redshirt sophomore guard Talaysia Cooper led five Lady Vols in double figures with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including 4-for-6 accuracy beyond the three-point arc. That effort came on the heels of a 33-point game vs. Liberty on Nov. 16. Scoring 10+ points along with Cooper were Ruby Whitehorn with 16, Tess Darby with 12 and Zee Spearman and Samara Spencer with 11 each.
Whitehorn and sophomore Alyssa Latham led the Lady Vols on the boards, pulling down seven each, with Whitehorn grabbing five offensive caroms and Latham four to fuel a 31-4 disparity on the o-glass. That edge allowed UT to outscore WCU (5-3) by a 31-4 count in second chance points.
The Catamounts placed only one player in double figures, with Avyonce Carter dropping 18 on the night.
After Western Carolina took a quick 2-0 lead, Tennessee bounced back with consecutive buckets from Whitehorn, Favor Ayodele, Jillian Hollingshead and Spencer to build a 7-2 advantage. The Lady Vols proceeded to carry an 11-6 edge into the 4:43 media timeout courtesy of a Cooper turnaround jumper. UT outscored WCU only 12-8 the rest of the period to take a 23-14 edge into the second frame on the strength of a pair of Cooper threes that ran her personal scoring total to 10 over the opening 10 minutes.
The Big Orange tallied the first four points of the second stanza, getting layups by Whitehorn and Hollingshead to increase the score to 27-14 before forcing the Catamounts to call a timeout after being trapped by a vigorous UT press. The Lady Vols would pour it on from there, going on a 21-6 tear and forcing another Western Carolina timeout with 2:23 left after Darby drained a three-pointer to give her team a 48-20 lead. The teams exchanged buckets the rest of the half, with Tennessee taking a 54-28 margin into the locker room.
UT exploded on an 11-2 run to open the third, with Zee Spearman scoring seven of those points and Whitehorn dropping in a layup on a pass from Darby to make it 65-30 and force another WCU timeout with 5:54 to go in the period. The Lady Vols outscored the Catamounts, 12-9, the rest of the quarter, getting a three-pointer from Darby to close out the frame leading 77-39 after hurrying WCU into 13 turnovers during that stanza.
The Big Orange kicked off the final frame on a 9-3 burst, forcing the final timeout by the visitors after an Avery Strickland corner three and a Darby steal and layup pushed the gap to 86-42 at the 6:30 mark. The Lady Vols racked up some close-range buckets over the remainder of the contest, getting layups from Kaniya Boyd, Ayodele, Whitehorn, Spearman and Latham as well as treys by Whitehorn and Strickland to finish out the game on a 16-8 flourish.
UP NEXT: Tennessee is back in action on Dec. 4, when RV/RV Florida State (5-1) comes to Knoxville for an SEC-ACC Women’s Basketball Challenge contest at Food City Center. Tip-off is slated for 7:15 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised by SEC Network.
NEW FIVE, NO PROBLEM: Tennessee has opened each game of the season with a new starting lineup. The quintet of Sara Puckett, Samara Spencer, Ruby Whitehorn, Zee Spearman and Talaysia Cooper hit the floor first during the Lady Vols’ victory against Western Carolina. Puckett is the lone Lady Vol to start all five games, followed by Cooper, Whitehorn and Spencer with four starts and Spearman with her second.
TURNIN’ UP THE PRESSURE: Tennessee’s press has resulted in ten 10-second violations by opponents in only five games. The Big Orange carded a season-best five 10-second violations against the Catamounts on Tuesday evening. The Lady Vols surpassed last season’s total of those calls (1) in the season’s first game when Samford was whistled twice for failing to cross the timeline in the required 10 seconds. Their first 10-call vs. WCU was the sixth of the season, giving UT more than the past five seasons combined. With UT not utilizing a press in most cases, the breakdowns of 10-second infractions by opponents during that five-year span were zero in 2019-20, zero in 2020-21, four in 2021-22, zero in 2022-23 and one in 2023-24.
9,000 STRONG: Tennessee recorded its fifth crowd of 9,000-plus fans on Tuesday night against Western Carolina. It marks the strongest start to a season since 2013-14, when the final average was 11,038 (No. 1 nationally). Tennessee has sold more than 8,000 season tickets this year (8,001+) for the first time since 2015-16. UT finished last season No. 7 nationally in attendance, averaging 8,880 fans through 15 regular season home dates and entered tonight ranked No. 6 in 2024-25 at 9,527 through four games at Food City Center.
CREATING CHAOS: The Lady Vols turned the Catamounts over 37 times during the course of Tuesday’s contest. The 37 miscues tied the season high for a foe, marking the third time this season that the Lady Vols have forced 30 or more errors by an opponent. The Lady Vols entered the game ranked No. 4 nationally and No. 1 in the SEC in turnovers forced per game at 28.8. All five of Tennessee’s opponents thus far have committed at least 22 miscues, with Western Carolina (37), Samford (37) and UT Martin (31) losing the ball 30+ times. The last time the Big Orange forced three opponents in the first five games of a season to commit 30 or more turnovers was in 2014-15, when UT foes did that in three of the first four contests.
O-BOARDS, OH YEAH: Tennessee collected its second 30-plus offensive rebound effort thus far, grabbing 31 against Western Carolina. Previously, the Big Orange recorded a season-high 33 offensive boards against UT Martin on Nov. 7. Tennessee entered the game No. 1 in offensive rebounds per contest at 21.8 after grabbing 19 o-boards vs. MTSU and 14 vs. Liberty. UT’s work on the boards vs. WCU also allowed it to carve out a 31-4 edge on second chance points and tally a season-most 60 points in the paint.
Nashville, TN (WSMV) Tennessee’s Republican representatives met on Monday to decide who will lead the House during the 114th General Assembly.
The GOP maintains a 75-24 supermajority in the state’s House of Representatives as Republicans enjoyed national victories for the White House, and majorities in the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives.
Cameron Sexton (Crossville) was unanimously re-elected as Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives. This will be his fifth term as the GOP leader.
“I truly appreciate the support and confidence my colleagues have placed in me to continue in my role as speaker,” Sexton said. “Tennessee continues to grow and thrive because of our conservative philosophies and our dedication to preserving Tennesseans’ freedom and liberty. We will continue fighting for solutions that strengthen and protect Tennessee families and communities.”
House Republicans also voted unanimously to re-elect Rep. William Lamberth (Portland) as majority leader, Rep. Jeremy Faison (Cosby) as caucus chairman, and Rep. Johnny Garrett (Goodlettsville) as majority whip.
“It is uplifting to witness the political shift across our nation this year, with Americans overwhelmingly voting to defend conservative values at every level of government,” Lamberth said. “Our caucus is unified in our commitment to pursue the extraordinary vision of Tennesseans who put their faith in us to lead. Tennessee is stronger than ever.”
Rounding out the GOP House leadership will be:
Rep. Pat Marsh (Shelbyville) – Speaker Pro Tempore
Rep. Mark Cochran (Englewood) – Assistant Majority Leader
Rep. Paul Sherrell (Sparta) – Floor Leader
Rep. Tim Hicks (Gray) – Caucus Vice Chair
Rep. Michelle Carringer (Knoxville) – Secretary
Rep. Rebecca Alexander (Jonesborough) – Treasurer
Rep. Fred Atchley (Sevierville) – Freshman Floor Leader
The 14th General Assembly is expected to convene on January 14, 2025.
The GOP maintains a 75-24 supermajority in the state’s House of Representatives. (Tennessee State Capitol / Credit: State of Tennessee)
Clinton, TN (WOKI) The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating after a woman is found dead and a man injured following a fire early Tuesday morning in Clinton.
Clinton Police Department officials say fire crews were called to a house fire in the 1100 block of McAdoo Street in north Clinton just after 3:30 a.m.
When crews arrived, they found a man outside of the home with non-life threatening injuries and a middle-aged woman, who was found dead. CPD says the woman was found inside the building after the fire.
Officials say the fire was put out, then turned over to the Clinton Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Police say a woman was found dead after a Tuesday morning fire. (Courtesy: CPD)
Greenville, TN (WOKI) Two access areas on the Nolichucky River in Greene County are reopening following damage wrought by Hurricane Helene.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is reopening the Poplar Springs Access Area and Joe Johnson Access Area at Bird’s Bridge for public use, both of which were severely damaged in late September when the Nolichucky River flooded during Hurricane Helene.
Poplar Springs Access Area (Courtesy: TWRA)
TWRA officials are reminding boaters and anglers to continue using caution when boating in Helene-affected waters by keeping a lookout for debris and changes in overall river conditions, as well as always wearing a personal floatation device.
Rankin Access Area on the French Broad River was also damaged and will likely remain closed until the spring of 2025.
Joe Johnson Access Area at Bird’s Bridge (Courtesy: TWRA)
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Knox County Schools student is arrested Tuesday morning for having a gun on school property.
Knoxville Police Department officials say a KPD School Resource Officer at West High School was notified that a 15-year-old student had potentially brought a gun to school.
KPD says another student notified school administration that the student was showing off the gun in a school bathroom.
The 15-year-old student was searched and found in possession of a loaded handgun in his backpack; he was charged for carrying a weapon on school property.
KPD adds that the student had not made any threats of violence.
Knoxville police say a Knox County Schools student has now been arrested for having a gun on campus.(Courtesy: WVLT)
The Knoxville Fire Department is reminding everyone to be careful using space heaters as temperatures are dropping after they determine that’s the cause of a West Knoxville house fire. Crews called to the 3300 block of Keith Avenue Saturday morning and found the home completely in flames and it has been determined a total loss.…… Continue Reading
Posted on November 30, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
Game Recap: Football | November 30, 2024 NASHVILLE – Down 14-0 in the first quarter, No. 8 Tennessee stormed back with 29 straight points to defeat Vanderbilt, 36-23, and secure its College Football Playoff resume on Saturday at FirstBank Stadium. A mostly Volunteer crowd watched Tennessee (10-2, 6-2 SEC) post its second 10-win regular season in three…… Continue Reading
Posted on November 29, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Former Tennessee football head coach Bill Battle, who led the Volunteers to five bowl games and three top-10 poll finishes from 1970-76, passed away at the age of 82 on Thanksgiving morning. William “Bill” Raines Battle III compiled a 55-22-2 record in seven seasons with four bowl victories. Today, his 55 wins rank…… Continue Reading
Posted on November 27, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
Game Recap: Men’s Basketball | November 27, 2024 KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team capped a perfect November with a 78-35 decision Wednesday evening against UT Martin. No. 7/6 Tennessee (7-0) never trailed and led for over 38 minutes, including by 20-plus for the final 11:35 and by 30-plus for last 5:56, in…… Continue Reading
Posted on November 27, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Riding a 9-2 record into the regular season finale, Tennessee football is ranked No. 8 in the latest College Football Playoff Committee Rankings released on Tuesday night. The Volunteers moved up three spots from last week’s edition and are the third-highest ranked SEC team behind No 3 Texas and No. 7 Georgia. Tennessee…… Continue Reading
Posted on November 27, 2024 by Jim Kelly • 0 Comments
Game Recap: Women’s Basketball | November 26, 2024 KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Lady Vol basketball team posted a program first, hitting 100 points three times during the first five games of a season, as it forced 37 turnovers and raced to a 102-50 victory to close out a November slate of games undefeated. With a crowd of…… Continue Reading
Posted on November 26, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
(Story courtesy of WVLT News) Nashville, TN (WSMV) Tennessee’s Republican representatives met on Monday to decide who will lead the House during the 114th General Assembly. The GOP maintains a 75-24 supermajority in the state’s House of Representatives as Republicans enjoyed national victories for the White House, and majorities in the U.S. Senate, and the…… Continue Reading
Posted on November 26, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Clinton, TN (WOKI) The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating after a woman is found dead and a man injured following a fire early Tuesday morning in Clinton. Clinton Police Department officials say fire crews were called to a house fire in the 1100 block of McAdoo Street in north Clinton just after 3:30 a.m.…… Continue Reading
Posted on November 26, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Greenville, TN (WOKI) Two access areas on the Nolichucky River in Greene County are reopening following damage wrought by Hurricane Helene. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is reopening the Poplar Springs Access Area and Joe Johnson Access Area at Bird’s Bridge for public use, both of which were severely damaged in late September when the…… Continue Reading
Posted on November 26, 2024 by rtravers • 0 Comments
Knoxville, TN (WOKI) A Knox County Schools student is arrested Tuesday morning for having a gun on school property. Knoxville Police Department officials say a KPD School Resource Officer at West High School was notified that a 15-year-old student had potentially brought a gun to school. KPD says another student notified school administration that the…… Continue Reading
