GATLINBURG, Tenn.—Due to dry conditions, low relative humidity, a continued high fire danger, and forecasted high winds, the National Park Service (NPS) is instituting an immediate ban on all campfires and charcoal use in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This fire ban will remain in effect until further notice on both the Tennessee and North Carolina sides of the park. This is consistent with the National Weather Service Red Flag Warning in our area.
Campers, backpackers, and visitors using picnic areas may continue to use cookstoves with compressed gas canisters and gas grills that feature an on/off switch. Stoves and grills must be attended at all times.
The NPS is collaborating with multiple agencies in response to current and predicted weather and fuel conditions. Visitors are urged to exercise extra caution while recreating on public lands, including national parks and national forests, in North Carolina and Tennessee when fire danger is elevated.
For the latest information regarding the fire ban in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, please visit the park’s current conditions webpage.
The highly anticipated JONASCON, Jonas Brothers revealed tour details for their massive “JONAS20: LIVING THE DREAM” tour – a powerful, full-circle celebration of their 20-year journey from performing in malls to headlining the biggest stadiums in the world. The brothers, who just released their new single “Love Me To Heaven,” exclusively shared the tour news this past Friday on Good Morning America.
“We’re beyond excited to hit the road and celebrate 20 years of music,” said the Jonas Brothers. “Our fans have been with us through every chapter, and this tour is our way of honoring them, the memories we’ve made, and the ones we’ll create together. We can’t wait to make this our biggest, most unforgettable tour yet.”
Marshmello will join the tour for the 10 iconic stadium shows, bringing his chart-topping hits — including his iconic collabs with the brothers — to life in a high-energy set that keeps the party going all night. In addition, The All-American Rejects and Boys Like Girls will join as special guests in select cities.
Kicking off August 10th at MetLife Stadium, this 43-date tour promises a one-of-a-kind experience for fans. The band will return to iconic venues like Dodger Stadium in LA, Rogers Centre in Toronto, Wrigley Field in Chicago, Globe Life Field in Arlington, while also debuting at several new stadiums and arenas from August through November.
Each night will take fans on a full, career-spanning journey — with dedicated sets from every chapter of Jonas including Nick Jonas & the Administration, Nick Jonas’ solo career, Joe Jonas’ solo work, and DNCE — all leading up to an unforgettable headlining performance from the Jonas Brothers.
⭐ Fans can sign up for the Artist Presale now through Wednesday, March 26 at 10 AM ET at livemu.sc/jonasbrothers. The Artist Presale will run Thursday, March 27 from 10am local time to 3pm local time.
⭐ General on-sale begins Friday, March 28 at 10am local time at ticketmaster.com.
⭐The tour will also offer a variety of different VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. Packages vary but include premium tickets, invitation to the pre-show VIP Lounge, specially designed 20 year anniversary Jonas Brothers VIP gift item & more. For more information, visit vipnation.com.
JONAS BROTHERS: “JONAS20: Living the Dream” TOUR DATES
*With Marshmello
+With The All American Rejects
#With Boys Like Girls
Sun Aug 10 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium*+
Tue Aug 12 – Washington, DC – Nationals Park*+
Thu Aug 14 – Philadelphia, PA – Citizens Bank Park*+
Sun Aug 17 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium*+
Thu Aug 21 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre*#
Sat Aug 23 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park*#
Tue Aug 26 – Chicago, IL – Wrigley Field*#
Thu Aug 28 – Detroit, MI – Comerica Park*#
Sun Aug 31 – Arlington, TX – Globe Life Field*#
Sat Sep 06 – Los Angeles, CA – Dodger Stadium*#
Thu Sep 18 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena#
Sat Sep 20 – Portland, OR – Moda Center#
Mon Sep 22 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena#
Thu Sep 25 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center#
Fri Sep 26 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center#
Sun Sep 28 – Phoenix, AZ – PHX Arena (Formerly Footprint Center)#
Sun Oct 02 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena#
Fri Oct 04 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center#
Sun Oct 5 – Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena#
Tue Oct 07 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center+
Wed Oct 08 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center+
Fri Oct 10 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center+
Sun Oct 12 – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum+
Tue Oct 14 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena+
Thu Oct 16 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center+
Fri Oct 17 – Austin, TX – Moody Center+
Sat Oct 18 – San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center+
Sun Oct 19 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center+
Wed Oct 22 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena+
Fri Oct 24 – Sunrise, FL – Amerant Bank Arena+
Sun Oct 26 – Orlando, FL – Kia Center+
Tue Oct 28 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Wed Oct 29 – Raleigh, NC – Lenovo Center+
Sat Nov 01 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena+
Sun Nov 02 – Indianapolis, IN – Gainbridge Fieldhouse+
Tue Nov 04 – Knoxville, TN – Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center+
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The second-seeded University of Tennessee men’s basketball team defeated seventh-seeded UCLA, 67-58, Saturday night at Rupp Arena to advance to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive season, a program first.
Sixth-ranked Tennessee (29-7, 12-6 SEC) led for the final 22-plus minutes in its first-ever victory over the Bruins, extending its margin as high as 19 in a commanding decision. Fifth-year guard Chaz Lanier, who set a new program single-season record for made 3-pointers, led all scorers with 20 points.
The Volunteers, who trailed UCLA (22-11, 13-7 B1G) by four through four minutes, missed their first five field-goal attempts during a 1-of-9 start, but then connected on four of their next five to take a 17-14 edge with 10:39 left in the opening frame. They followed that stretch with five consecutive misses during a 4:27 scoreless streak, as the Bruins scored six in a row to go in front by three.
Tennessee then made two shots in 18 seconds to go up, 21-20, with 5:57 left before the break. After a 3-pointer by the Bruins at the other end, the Volunteers scored 11 of the next 13 points to go up by a then-game-best seven, 32-25, with 27 ticks on the first-half clock. That remained the score as the sides entered the locker room, as Tennessee held the Bruins without a point for the final 3:21 of the stanza.
Lanier led all players with 12 points at the break; six came from behind the 3-point line, another three came from a 3-pointer attempt on which he was fouled and the last three were on a transition three-point play to close the first-half scoring. The Volunteers notched a 9-4 advantage on the offensive glass through 20 minutes, leading to a 9-2 lead in second-chance points.
Tennessee opened the second-half scoring on a three-point play by senior guard Zakai Zeigler to make it an 11-0 run across 2:52 of action, dating to the last 2:23 of the opening session. That pushed the margin to 10, 35-25, just 29 seconds into the frame. The Bruins countered by sandwiching a pair of 3-pointers around a Tennessee basket to get within six, 37-31, with 17:44 to play.
The Volunteers, though, responded with three straight long-range shots of their own—the first gave Lanier the record—in just 1:53 to go in front by 15 points, 46-31, with 14:14 left. That came during a span of 3:51 during which Tennessee forced five missed field goals and did not concede a point. After the Bruins snapped their skid, the Volunteers held them scoreless for another 3:05, as they allowed just two points in 6:56.
Tennessee stretched its lead all the way to a game-high 19 points, 58-39, with 7:05 remaining. The lead held at 19 with 4:01 to go, at which point the Bruins rattled off a 6-0 run in 46 seconds to make it 61-48 with 3:15 left, but senior guard Jahmai Mashack drilled a 3-pointer just 24 seconds later to effectively ice the victory. The Bruins did score 10 of the last 13 points in the last 1:44 to make it a nine-point closing margin after Tennessee led by double digits for nearly 15 consecutive minutes in the thorough victory.
Lanier, who became the eighth Volunteer with multiple 20-point showings in NCAA Tournament action and the sixth to achieve the feat in back-to-back contests, went 4-of-5 from 3-point range and made all four of his free throws. He added four rebounds, two assists and one steal in the Round of 32 triumph.
Zeigler totaled 15 points, a game-high six assists to tie the SEC single-season record (260), a game-best three steals and a perfect 5-of-5 free-throw clip. Fellow senior guard Jordan Gainey scored 13 points and dished out three assists.
Junior guard Skyy Clark paced the Bruins with 18 points, shooting 4-of-8 beyond the arc and 4-of-4 at the line, while the junior forward Tyler Bilodeau had 15 points. No other player had even eight-plus points and no one on the roster pulled down greater than five rebounds.
The Volunteers shot 42.9 percent (21-of-49) from the field, 50.0 percent (11-of-22) beyond the arc and 87.5 percent (14-of-16) at the stripe. They held UCLA to a 37.0 percent (20-of-54) clip on field goals, including a 30.4 percent (7-of-23) ledger from long range.
Tennessee will take on either third-seeded, No. 18/21-ranked Kentucky or sixth-seeded Illinois in the Sweet 16. Action is slated for Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, with the game time and TV network designation still to be determined,
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 • Saturday’s game, initially scheduled to begin at 9:40 p.m., officially tipped off at 9:53 p.m. • Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes upped his career win total to 835, remaining tied with John Calipari for the ninth-most all-time (min. 10 years in Division I) and for the most among active coaches. • Barnes also moved his career NCAA Tournament record to 32-28, good for the sixth-most victories of any active Division I head coach and the second-most in the SEC. • This is the 10th time Barnes has led his team to the Sweet 16, including the fourth in seven NCAA Tournament appearances—all in the last six events, since 2019—at Tennessee. • The Volunteers improved to 30-27 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including 26-25 in regulation, 10-8 in the second round, 11-6 under Barnes, 2-1 in Kentucky, 2-0 in Lexington and 1-0 against UCLA. • Tennessee is now 10-4 as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, as well as 3-2 against No. 7 seeds, 13-21 versus singles-digit seeds and 25-11 against lower seeds. • Tennessee now has a three-year streak of reaching the Sweet 16, the first such occurrence in program history. • The Volunteers are one of two teams, alongside Houston, to already clinch a Sweet 16 berth for at lest the third season in a row, while just two others—Alabama and Connecticut—can join that list Sunday. • Saturday marked just the second all-time meeting between Tennessee and UCLA, joining a 103-89 triumph for the eighth-ranked Bruins over the seventh-ranked Volunteers on Jan. 30, 1977, in Atlanta. • Tennessee improved to 36-44 all-time against current Big Ten members, including 9-8 in Barnes’ 10-year tenure. • Barnes upped his career record versus the current Big Ten membership to 42-40, including 4-1 against UCLA. • Tennessee has reached the 29-win mark for the third time ever, including the second in Barnes’ tenure, with the 2024-25 campaign joining 2018-19 (31-6) and 2007-08 (31-5). • The Volunteers now have 200 wins over the last eight seasons (2017-25), one of just eight schools at that mark in that time period, alongside Houston (240), Gonzaga (239), Duke (217), Kansas (212), Purdue (206), Auburn (200) and Saint Mary’s (200). • Tennessee missed its first five field-goal attempts, scoring its first four points at the line, before a second-chance 3-pointer by Lanier at the 15:52 mark. • The two sides combined for four personal fouls—two each way—in the opening 72 seconds, as well as for eight—five on UCLA—in 4:38. • The Volunteers went on to enter the first-half bonus with 6:27 left before the intermission and the double-bonus with 40 seconds on the timer, while UCLA entered the former with 3:55 to go and did not reach the second. • After not allowing a point for the final 3:21 of the first half, Tennessee did not concede any for the first 50 seconds of the second, good for a span of 4:11. • Tennessee has conceded 35 or fewer first-half points in 29 of its 36 contests thus far, including 29 or fewer on 17 occasions and 23 or fewer eight times. • The Volunteers have held a halftime advantage in 24 of their 36 outings this season, including a margin of seven-plus points 15 times, double digits 11 times, 12-plus 10 times, 14-plus eight times, 20-plus four times and 23-plus thrice. • The Volunteers have held a lead of 15-plus points in 21 of their 36 contests this season, including leading by 18-plus in 19 of them, 20-plus in 15, 26-plus in 11 and 32-plus in five. • The six assists for Zeigler extended his total this year to 260, matching Ole Miss’ Sean Tuohy (1979-80) for the most in a single season in SEC history. • Zeigler’s six assists also increased his career total in NCAA Tournament play to 56, over twice as many as second-place Bert Bertelkamp (27) on the Tennessee’s leaderboard. • Zeigler’s three steals upped his 2024-25 figure to 69, moving him from co-seventh all the way to fourth on the Tennessee single-season list. • The 15 points for Zeigler increased his career count to 1,533, passing Jordan McRae (1,521 from 2010-24) for the No. 19 spot on the program’s all-time leaderboard. • With his 136th appearance in a Tennessee uniform, Zeigler tied Josh Richardson (2011-25) for sixth-most in program history. • Zeigler’s 38 minutes increased his career total to 3,961, surpassing Dale Ellis (1979-83) for the seventh-most in Tennessee history. • The four 3-pointers for Lanier increased his 2024-25 tally to 120, moving him past Chris Lofton (118 in 2007-08) for the single-season program record. • Lanier made his first two 3-pointers of the night and tied the record on a shot with 12:55 left on the first-half clock and broke it with 16:07 remaining in the second half. • The four made 3-pointers to extend Lanier’s total this year to 120 also moved him from No. 10 all the way to sixth on the SEC single-season leaderboard, as he passed Kentucky’s Jodie Meeks (117 in 2008-09), South Carolina’s Jamel Bradley (117 in 2001-02), Florida’s Michael Frazier (118 in 2013-14) and the aforementioned Lofton. • Lanier is the eighth Volunteer with multiple 20-point showings in NCAA Tournament action, joining Dale Ellis (three), Ernie Grunfeld, Reggie Johnson (three), Dalton Knecht (three), Chris Lofton (four), Jordan McRae (three) and Ron Widby. • Just five prior Volunteers have scored 20-plus points in back-to-back same-season NCAA Tournaments, as Lanier has: Knecht (2024), McRae (2014), Lofton (three in 2007), Johnson (1980) and Widby (1967). • Lanier reached 20 points for the 30th time in his career, half of which are during his lone season at Tennessee. • Mashack has now appeared in eight NCAA Tournament victories, breaking a tie with Wayne Chism for the most by a single player in Tennessee history. • In addition, Mashack is the second Volunteer to play in 11 NCAA Tournament games, alongside Chism, who did so from 2006-07 to 2009-10. • Junior forward Felix Okpara, who co-led all players with seven rebounds, blocked one shot in the win to up his 2024-25 total to 61, tying Grant Williams (2016-17) for the fifth-most in a single campaign in Tennessee history.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Seventh-ranked Tennessee dropped a 6-3 decision to No. 14 Arkansas in eight innings on Saturday at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
The Lady Vols (26-5, 2-2 SEC) fought back from a two-run deficit in the third and a one-run deficit in the sixth, but could not overcome the Razorbacks’ three-run rally in the eighth inning.
Tennessee’s first comeback came in the third when McKenna Gibson launched a two-run home run—her sixth of the season—tying the game at 2-2. After falling behind 3-2, the Lady Vols answered in the sixth, when Sophia Nugent smacked her career-high-tying eighth double of the season to score Amanda Ahlin from first.
Nugent finished with two of Tennessee’s four hits on the day.
The game was tied 3-3 in the eighth when an error gave Arkansas (22-6, 2-5 SEC) an opening. The Razorbacks loaded the bases with back-to-back singles before a sacrifice fly put them ahead. A hit batter and two walks later, Arkansas added two insurance runs to secure the win.
Arkansas had struck first with a two-run homer from Courtney Day in the second inning. The Razorbacks added a run in the fifth on Kailey Wyckoff’s RBI single to right, giving them a 3-2 lead.
IN THE CIRCLE Karlyn Pickens took the loss for Tennessee, tossing all eight innings. The right-hander allowed six runs—three earned—on eight hits, with four walks and 10 strikeouts. She is now 10-4 on the season.
GIBSON EXTENDS THE STREAK With Gibson’s two-run blast in the third, she extended her reached-base streak to 29 games. The senior’s run dates to the final 10 games of the 2024 season.
DUE UP The Lady Vols look to even the series when they meet Arkansas for Game 2 on Sunday. First pitch is set for noon ET on SEC Network.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The top-ranked Tennessee Volunteers secured an impressive road series win in dominant fashion, taking down No. 10/12 Alabama by a score of 9-2 in Saturday afternoon’s rubber game at Sewell-Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
After being held scoreless in the first inning, the Big Orange tallied runs in each of the next four innings to take a 5-0 lead before breaking things wide open with a four-spot in the seventh inning.
UT’s bats came to play as they cranked out 15 hits on the day, including three home runs and seven extra-base hits. Seven of the Vols’ nine starters had at least one hit while all nine reached base at least once.
Dean Curley, Reese Chapman and Ariel Antigua all finished with three hits while Hunter Ensley capped his impressive week with two more knocks and three RBIs after clearing the bases with a double in the top of the seventh.
Freshman Duo Delivers
The true freshman duo of Tegan Kuhns and Brayden Krenzel were dominant on the mound during Saturday’s victory, combining for 8.2 innings of two-run ball against a dangerous Crimson Tide lineup that scored 13 runs over the first two games of the series.
Kuhns made his third start of the year and set down the first 11 batters he faced before issuing a two-out walk in the fourth inning. The Pennsylvania native allowed just one hit over 4.1 shutout frames while striking out five on the day.
Krenzel followed with 4.1 innings of his own, allowing two runs on three hits while posting a career-high six strikeouts to earn his first-career win.
Vols Continue Success in Rubber Games
A year after going 5-1 in rubber games during SEC play, the Vols won their first of this season with Saturday’s convincing victory. Tennessee also improved to 6-0 in series finales this year after posting a 14-2 record in such games last season.
Up Next
UT will host Queens on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. at Lindsey Nelson Stadium before hitting the road again next weekend for a series at South Carolina.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No. 1/1 Tennessee gutted out a hard-fought 10-7 victory on Friday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium to even its series with No. 10/12 Alabama.
For the second straight game, the Big Orange jumped out to an early lead with three runs in the first and two more in the second to chase Crimson Tide starter Riley Quick, who had allowed just three runs total this season entering the night, after just two innings.
The first three batters of the game all reached base and came around to score for the Vols in their three-run first inning. Andrew Fischer made it four straight batters to reach base with an RBI single before Reese Chapman drove in the final run of the frame with an RBI fielder’s choice.
A pair of RBI singles by Jay Abernathy and Hunter Ensley in the second inning increased the UT lead to 5-0 in the early going before Alabama answered with its first two runs of the game in the bottom of the third. Ensley led the Vols with his third straight multi-hit effort, finishing 3-for-4 with two runs, two RBIs and three stolen bases.
Tennessee (21-2, 4-1 SEC) never trailed in the game but was never able to build a real comfortable lead either, as the Tide continued to battle throughout the night.
After the two sides traded runs in the seventh, the Vols put together an impressive two-out rally in the eighth to score four runs and build their largest lead of the game at 10-4.
After a strikeout and a flyout to start the inning. nine-hole hitter Ariel Antigua got the rally started with an infield single before Curley blasted a two-run homer to left center for his seventh long ball of the year.
Following Curley’s homer, a pair of walks and a hit batter loaded the bases before Dalton Bargo came through with his second RBI hit of the game, lacing a single into center field to plate two more runs and extend the UT lead to six.
Despite the big inning by the Vols, the Crimson Tide (22-2, 4-1 SEC) continued to fight, answering with a run in the bottom of the eight before scoring two more in the bottom of the ninth and bringing the tying run to the plate with one out.
The duo of Andrew Behnke and Tanner Franklin was able to end the comeback bid with a pair of big outs to close out the game and secure Tennessee’s first road win of the year.
Bargo Big Off the Bench
Bargo finished the night 2-for-2 with three RBIs after entering the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning. His first knock was a two-out double to score Fischer from first base.
Two Out Hitting the Difference
Two-out hitting was pivotal for the Big Orange on Friday night, as they scored seven of their 10 runs – including all seven after the first inning – with two away. UT was 7-for-15 at the plate with two outs as a team and 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position, a stark difference from Thursday’s game one loss.
Notable Performances on the Mound
Marcus Phillips provided the Vols with another solid start, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits while striking out three over 4.2 innings of work.
Dylan Loy picked up his team-leading fourth win of the year after getting Tennessee out of a big jam in the bottom of the fifth inning, striking out Brennan Norton to strand the bases loaded, keeping the Vols lead intact.
Nate Snead allowed four runs but battled to provide UT with 3.1 important innings of relief before handing the ball off to Behnke and Franklin in the ninth. Franklin struck out Will Plattner with runners on first and second to end the game and earn his second save of the season.
Up Next
The Vols and Tide will meet at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday in a series-deciding rubber game that will be streamed on the SEC Network+ and ESPN app.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 20 Tennessee opened its 43rd-straight NCAA appearance in dominant fashion on Friday night, hitting 16 three-pointers and smashing the SEC season record for treys during a 101-66 triumph in NCAA First Round play at the Schottenstein Center.
The Lady Vols (23-9), who are seeded fifth in the Birmingham 3 Regional, came in needing three buckets beyond the arc to surpass the previous mark of 314 by Arkansas in 2019-20 and took care of that with four alone in the first quarter. Jewel Spear’s deep ball with 5:13 to go was the record-breaker. UT’s 16 threes, meanwhile, was a program NCAA Tournament record, ranked second in all games in school history and tied for second most in NCAA Women’s Tournament history.
Redshirt sophomore guard Talaysia Cooper, one of three Lady Vols to hit three treys and one of eight UT players to connect from beyond the arc, led her team with 20 points, six rebounds and two steals. Samara Spencer hit a trio of three-pointers to finish with 15 points and five assists, while Zee Spearman matched Spencer’s total from long range and netted 13 points, and Spear added 11.
USF (23-11) was paced by Sammie Puisis, who knocked down five threes and finished with 28 points. L’or Mputu contributed 12, as her team was unable to keep pace with a deep Lady Vols squad that featured a 54-3 bench points advantage. The Bulls also suffered 24 turnovers and were outscored on points off turnovers by the Lady Vols, 36-10.
Spencer opened the game with a three-pointer just 10 seconds in, but South Florida responded with a 7-0 flurry to seize a 7-3 lead by the 8:18 mark. A 13-6 response by the Lady Vols, fueled by threes from Tess Darby and Spear, though, sent them into the media timeout with a 16-13 advantage. Back-to-back layups by Cooper and Alyssa Latham lifted UT to its biggest lead, 20-15, with 3:57 to go, but USF evened things at 20 by the 2:50 mark on a Puisis three contributing to her 15 first-quarter points. A Cooper three and a Kaniya Boyd layup helped close out the opening stanza with a 26-25 lead, as UT scored 12 of its points off 10 Bulls turnovers.
Tennessee exploded to a 15-4 start at the outset of the second period, with Spearman hitting a pair of threes during that spree and then a Spencer layup and Cooper trey extending the lead to 12, 41-29, with 7:08 remaining and forcing a Bulls timeout. The Lady Vols twice widened the gap to 13, getting a Cooper free throw to make it 42-29 with 6:37 to go and then a Spearman trey to increase it to 45-32 as the teams went to a media timeout with 4:49 to go. After allowing a Carla Brito tip-in, Tennessee scored the next 10 points to close out the half, with Cooper and Spencer threes running UT’s total of deep balls to 10 in the first half and sending their team into the locker room on top by 21, 55-34.
The Lady Vols opened the second half with a layup from Cooper and a jumper by Spencer to increase the margin to 25, 59-34, with 8:43 remaining in the third quarter. The teams exchanged baskets, with UT taking a 67-46 advantage into the 4:55 media break. A 7-0 USF run, including a bucket right before that timeout, enabled the Bulls to whittle the deficit to 16, 67-51, by the 4:43 mark, but a Spencer three and a Latham steal and layup pushed the margin back to 21, 72-51, forcing South Florida to ask for time with 2:24 left in the period. A three by Spear, a Cooper layup off an inbound pass and a Latham driving layup helped their team head into the final frame with a 79-56 lead.
The Big Orange began the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run and rode a 15-7 burst into the 4:11 media timeout, with a pair of threes by Darby pushing the lead to 94-63 by the 4:11 media timeout. As Tennessee closed out the game, a Sara Puckett three-pointer and a turnaround jumper in the paint rounded out the scoring and pushed the Big Orange past 100 points.
UP NEXT: Tennessee advances to the NCAA Second Round and will face No. 4 seed and No. 15/13-ranked Ohio State (26-6) on Sunday. Tip time and TV designation will be announced later. The contest also will be available on Lady Vol Network radio stations statewide and via audio stream on UTSports.com.
SIXTEEN TREYS AGAINST THE BULLS: The Lady Vols drained 16 three-pointers versus South Florida. It marked a school-best 17th time that UT has made 10 or more treys in a single game this season. The 16 tied for the second most in school history, the best by the Lady Vols in an NCAA Tournament game and tied for second best of any team in NCAA Tournament history.
SINKING THE LONG BALL INTO HISTORY: After hitting 16 deep balls vs. USF, Tennessee now has made 328 three-pointers this season, breaking the SEC record of 314 set by Arkansas during the 2019-20 campaign. Tennessee notched its highest three-point game against N.C. Central on Dec. 14, 2024, draining an NCAA, SEC and school-record 30 treys.
A RECORD-SETTING 100-POINT AFFAIR: The Lady Vols scored 100 points for the seventh time in 2024-25, tying the program record for most trips above the century mark in a season with the 1987-88 squad. That gives the program 94 all-time scoring efforts of 100 or more points through the USF contest.
SUCCESS IN THE BIG DANCE: Tennessee made its 43rd straight appearance in the NCAA First/Second Rounds, and it now owns a 65-6 record during games played in those rounds. The Lady Vols improved to 35-2 all-time in the NCAA First Round.
MISCUE MADNESS: The Lady Vols forced the Bulls to turn the ball over 24 times, making them the 20th team this season to commit at least 20 miscues. UT used that to build a 36-10 points-off-turnovers differential vs. USF.
17TH NEW STARTING LINEUP: Tennessee crafted its 17th different starting lineup of the season on Friday, with Jewel Spear, Samara Spencer, Tess Darby, Ruby Whitehorn and Jillian Hollingshead opening the contest against the Bulls. Ten different players have been in the starting lineup for the Big Orange this season.
Jefferson County, TN (WOKI) A dump truck driver is facing charges after blowing through a stop sign and crashing into a construction vehicle Friday morning on Highway 411 near the Chestnut Hill area of Jefferson County.
Officials with the Tennessee Highway Patrol say 63-year-old Christopher Moore was traveling southbound on 411 near State Highway 92 just after 7:00 a.m. when he failed to stop at a stop sign, crossed State Highway 92 and went through a road construction barrier into a construction zone, crashing into the front end of a road grader.
Moore was injured in the crash and taken by helicopter to the hospital.
He is facing charges including driving without a license and failure to obey a traffic control device.
According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the driver was charged with driving without a license and failing to obey a traffic control device. (Courtesy: WVLT / WSMV)
The Department of Safety and Homeland Security announced today that it will begin offering additional Saturday appointments at 14 Driver Services Centers across the state for current Tennessee credential holders who want to get a REAL ID.
Saturday appointments will begin at 13 participating Driver Services Centers starting this Saturday, March 22. The Savannah Driver Services Center will offer Saturday appointments starting March 29. Saturday appointments will continue through the May 7th REAL ID implementation date.
Participating Middle Tennessee Service Centers
Clarksville Driver Services Center – 220 West Dunbar Cave Road
Columbia Driver Services Center – 1701 Hampshire Pike
Cookeville Driver Services Center – 4600 South Jefferson Ave.
Nashville/Hickory Hollow Driver Services and Reinstatement Center – 5216 Hickory Hollow Pkwy.
Participating West Tennessee Service Centers
Bartlett Express Services Center – 6340 Summer Ave.
Jackson Driver Services Center – 100 Benchmark Circle
Memphis/East Shelby Drive Driver Services and Reinstatement Center – 3200 East Shelby Drive
Oakland Driver Services and Reinstatement Center – 160 Beau Tisdale Drive
Savannah Driver Services Center – 1016 Pickwick St. *beginning March 29
Participating East Tennessee Service Centers
Chattanooga/Bonny Oaks Driver Services and Reinstatement Center – 6502 Bonny Oaks Drive
Johnson City Driver Services Center – 4717 Lake Park Drive
Knoxville/Strawberry Plains Driver Services Center – 7320 Region Lane
Morristown County Driver Services Center – 1551 East Morris Boulevard, Suite 2
Oak Ridge Driver Services Center – 475 Oak Ridge Turnpike
To take advantage of the new expanded Saturday appointments, applicants must already have a valid Tennessee driver license or identification card. REAL ID applicants who do not currently hold a valid Tennessee credential will be served during regular, Monday to Friday hours.
Saturday hours are available by appointment only. Applicants without a REAL ID appointment will not be served during the new Saturday hours. Schedule your REAL ID appointment now at tnrealid.gov.
REAL ID applicants must bring proof of U.S. citizenship or legal presence, proof of their Social Security Number, and two proofs of Tennessee residency. If your name has changed, you must also bring certified legal documents supporting the name change(s). This could include marriage licenses, divorce decrees, etc. All documents must be original or certified copies. Photocopies are not accepted.
The TDOSHS encourages all applicants to have their REAL ID required documents pre-approved online. Pre-approved documents can save you in-person processing time at the Driver Services Center and may eliminate repeat trips. A complete list of accepted documents and the pre-approval portal are available at tnrealid.gov.
For more information about Tennessee REAL ID, visit tnrealid.gov.
Knoxville, TN (WOKI / WVLT) Experts say home improvement projects pick up in the spring, but so do scams.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti says if you’re considering hiring a contractor, you want to watch out for fraudulent contractors.
“Home improvement scams top the list of consumer complaints received by our Division of Consumer Affairs,” Skrmetti said. “If you’re planning to renovate this spring, make sure your contractor really is licensed and bonded—don’t take their word for it. Do your due diligence before you trust anyone with your money.”
The Board of Licensing Contractors got 884 complaints in 2024 and handed out more than $990,000 in civil penalties from nearly 300 of those complaints; they suggest doing your own research before hiring a contractor to include checking the status of a contractor’s or a businesses’ license through Verify.tn.gov.
The office warned of some red flags to watch out for: door-to-door sales, high-pressure sales tactics like short-time deals and demanding full payment up front.
To file a complaint about the license of a contractor or home improvement company, you can do so on the board’s website.
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