#15 Tennessee (2-1) vs. Troy (0-2)
Sunday, November 19th, 2023 | 11:02am CT/12:02pm ET
Knoxville, TN | Food City Center
Knoxville, TN – The No. 15/20 Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team plays its second straight game and third regular season contest this season at home, welcoming Troy for a Sunday matinee at Food City Center.
SECN+ will stream the battle between the Lady Vols (2-1) and Trojans (0-2) at 1:02pm CT.
UT and TU will face off for the fourth time in the series, but the two programs haven’t clashed since a December 6th, 2017, meeting in Knoxville that the Big Orange won, 131-69.
Troy is a member of the Sun Belt Conference, and UT all-time owns a 52-15 mark against the schools currently in that league.
Not only will this mark the first time Tennessee and Troy have met on the hardwood during the Kellie Harper era, it also will be the initial occasion Harper has faced the Trojans during her head coaching career.
UT-TU Storylines
Tennessee brings one of the nation’s most potent offenses in the nation into the contest, with the Lady Vols scoring 89.3 ppg. and ranking No. 22 in the country through three contests.
Troy, meanwhile, is surrendering 75.5 ppg. through its first two games this season and standing No. 294 in the nation in scoring defense.
The Lady Vols’ rebounding has been a strength as well, with UT pulling down 50.0 per contest and sporting a rebound margin of +19.0 to rank No. 15 and No. 11 in those categories, respectively.
Tennessee has managed to hold these trends through its last game vs. Memphis, when leading scorer and rebounder Rickea Jackson sat out with a leg injury.
Senior guard Jewel Spear, who transferred in from Wake Forest, has been as advertised. The two-time All-ACC performer has averaged 19.0 ppg. and 6.7 rpg. and leads UT with eight three-pointers.
Troy’s 6-2 forward Ja’Mia Hollings has been a handful for opponents thus far, putting up 17.5 ppg. and 10.5 rpg. while averaging 30.5 minutes per outing.
Game Promotions
Sunday’s match-up with Troy will be the Lady Vols’ Salute To Service game, offering thanks to members of the armed forces who serve or have served our country.
Current military members and veterans may present their Military ID or DD 214 at the gates upon entry to Food City Center for complimentary admission for themselves and their immediate family.
Postgame Autographs – Edie Darby.
Download the Tennessee Athletics app to join the Coca-Cola GBO Zone Lightshow.
Kids 12-and-under pricing is available for only $5.00.
Purchase tickets at AllVols.com or by calling the Tennessee Athletics Ticket Office at 1.800.332.VOLS or 865.656.1200.
Additional Broadcast Details
Zack Nelson (play-by-play) and Kamera Harris (analyst) will have the call for the SECN+ live stream.
All 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.
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 on the Fans tab at the top of UTSports.com, select Vol Network and then select the Vol Network Affiliates tab.
Air time generally occurs 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
The game also is available on SiriusXM channel 162 or 191 (SEC Channel).
Parking. Traffic Flow, Entry Alerts
Fans coming to campus looking to purchase parking will do so on site with a credit card for all events, including men’s and women’s hoops.
The designated rideshare drop-off/pick-up area will be on Todd Helton Drive west of Food City Center.
Campus parking is limited for large Food City Center events, but there is a free shuttle service from the Ag Campus for all fans, dropping off and picking up immediately adjacent to Food City Center. ADA shuttles and entry will operate the same as previous years.
Due to on-going construction and upgrades to Neyland Stadium, fans should be advised of changes coming to normal traffic patterns on Phillip Fulmer Way and Peyton Manning Pass during the 2023-24 basketball seasons. Please prepare in advance and stay tuned for more information.
Phillip Fulmer Way from G-10 garage to Neyland Stadium Gate 21 vicinity will be closed (tentatively set for December 4th, 2023).
Vehicular entry via the area northeast of the Food City Center will at times be inaccessible, and avoiding that vicinity is strongly recommended.
All tickets and Tennessee Fund parking passes are digital.
Just like last season, fans will see walk-through metal detectors outside of all Food City Center entrances.
Putting Some Points On The Board
Tennessee is averaging 89.3 ppg. after three contests.
That number ranks No. 22 nationally in scoring offense and is third-best among Southeastern Conference schools.
At no point last season did the Big Orange average better than 79.5 points per contest.
The Lady Vols, in fact, have not had that high of a scoring average since putting up 89.7 through three competitions in 2014-15.
This year’s squad is only the 12th team in school history to average 89.3 or above in its opening three games.
Harper’s Teams Battle On The Roads
UT is 3-0 in winning the rebound battle this season.
During Harper’s fifth season on Rocky Top, UT has won the rebounding war 106 times in 130 games through the Memphis contest, including 78 by double digits.
The Big Orange’s previous year-by-year records in winning the battle on the glass include: 24-6-1 (15 DD) in 2019-20, 22-2-1 (16 DD) in 2020-21, 29-4-1 (23 DD) in 2021-22 and 28-8-1 (21 DD) in 2022-23.
Tennessee has a 2-1 won-lost record this season and an 84-21 all-time mark under Kellie Harper‘s leadership through the Memphis game in contests in which it won the rebounding battle.
Pulling Down 50
Tennessee is averaging 50.0 rebounds per game, a number that ranks No. 15 in the NCAA thus far.
This marks the first time the Lady Vols have averaged at least 50.0 boards through their first three games since posting 51.7 in 2020-21 and 52.7 in 2019-20 during the first two years of the Kellie Harper era.
The last two seasons have seen UT put up 39.3 in 2022-23 and 42.3 in 2021-22 over the first three games.
During the Harper era, UT has recorded 50 rebounds in a contest on 41 occasions in 130 total games through the Memphis contest, including five with 60+ boards.
UT has one 50-carom game in 2023-24.
The Big Orange’s previous year-by-year totals of 50-rebound games during Harper’s tenure include 11 in 2019-20, 7 in 2020-21, 15 in 2021-22 and 7 in 2022-23.
Recapping The Last Game
Four players scored in double figures, helping No. 15/12 Tennessee overcome the absence of its leading scorer in an 84-74 overtime win over Memphis at Food City Center on Monday night.
Forward Sara Puckett led the Big Orange with a career-high 24 points and added eight rebounds. Guard Jewel Spear recorded her first double-double in a Lady Vol uniform, compiling 19 points and 12 rebounds, while guard Jasmine Powell followed with 17 points and forward Jillian Hollingshead added 14 points and finished one rebound shy of a double-double with nine.
UT (2-1), with standout forward Rickea Jackson missing the contest with a lower leg injury, came from nine down in the second quarter to claim victory. The Lady Vols finished 28 of 67 from the field for 41.8 percent and 24 of 32 from the free-throw line for 75 percent, including 9-of-10 marksmanship at the charity stripe in the overtime period.
Tennessee held Memphis (1-2) to just 36 percent shooting and out-rebounded the Tigers, 56-40.
The Tigers landed three players in double figures. Guard Kai Carter led with 18 points, while guard Madison Griggs chipped in 16 points and guard Alasia Smith recorded 10.
Postgame Notes vs. UM
WORKING THE GLASS: Tennessee came into the game ranked No. 15 in the country with a rebound margin of 20.5 per contest. Against Memphis, the UT Lady Vols won the battle on the glass for the third time in as many games this season, doing so by a 56-40 count for a +16 edge. Guard Jewel Spear paced her team with a career-best 12 boards, with forward Jillian Hollingshead a carom away from double figures with nine.
PUCKETT GETTING BUCKETTS: Junior forward Sara Puckett scored in double figures for the third straight game to open the 2023-24 campaign and registered a career high in points with 24. She tallied 15 or more for the second game in a row after producing 15 vs. Florida State last Thursday night. Against Memphis, she finished nine of 19 from the field, hitting a pair of threes, and adding four free throws in six attempts. For the season, she is averaging 16.7 ppg. and shooting 57.6 percent from the field.
FEAR DA SPEAR: Jewel Spear scored in double figures for the third consecutive contest as a Lady Vol and for the 75th time in her career, netting 19 vs. the Tigers on Monday night. The junior guard also registered 10 rebounds to record career double-double number four and her first as a Lady Vol. Spear is putting up 19.0 ppg. and 6.7 rpg. through three games while shooting 52.6 percent from the field.
JP STEPPING UP: With Rickea Jackson out of action, Jasmine Powell stepped up her scoring production. Entering the game averaging 7.0 ppg., she reached double figures in points for the sixth time as a Lady Vol and 52nd time in her career, finishing with 17 on 5-of-10 accuracy from the field and 6-of-8 shooting from the charity stripe. Her scoring total was her second highest during her time at UT behind a 19-point effort at Ohio State in last year’s opener.
BIG MINUTES FOR JILL: Jillian Hollingshead hit double figures in points for the first time this season, for the seventh time while wearing a Lady Vol uniform and the eighth time as a college player. Her 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting and nine boards came during a 34-minute evening on the court, marking the second-most minutes of her career.
WORKING OVERTIME: Tennessee played its 57th game with at least one overtime period, improving to 35-22 in all games, including 9-5 at home. The Lady Vols are now 29-20 in regular season extra-frame games, including 8-5 with the Big Orange faithful cheering them on. UT is now 3-2 in OT contest during the Kellie Harper era, including 3-0 at Food City Center.
UT/TU Notes
Tennessee is 3-0 all-time vs. Troy, playing the Trojans in Knoxville for each of those meetings.
The UT Lady Vols have eclipsed 100 points the previous three times these programs met, averaging 114.6 points per contest vs. TU in the series.
The 131 points produced by UT the last time these squads convened stands as the third-highest point total ever scored in a game by a Big Orange women’s team. The only higher numbers came vs. Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (136, 11/29/02) and vs. UT Martin (131, 11/19/99).
Tennessee’s 73 rebounds vs. Troy in that 2017 tilt rank as the No. 3 total in school history, while the 74 in 2013 stand at No. 2.
The 38 assists dished out by the Lady Vols in the 2017 contest vs. Troy rank No. 2 all-time in school history.
Jordan Reynolds’ worksheet of 13 assists vs. Troy in 2016 is tied for third in UT annals.
Heather Ervin, UT’s director of student-athlete success & external relations, played at Troy from 1997-99.
About the Troy Trojans
The Troy Trojans are led by Ja’Mia Hollings, who averages a double-double of 17.5 ppg. and 10.5 rpg.
Shaulana Wagner (12.5) and Tai’Sheka Porchia (10.0) also score in double figures for Troy.
TU, which is getting outscored 75.5 to 66.0 (-9.5) per game, has dropped back-to-back home contests to Ball State (86-71) and Samford (65-61).
The Trojans were picked to finish second in the Sun Belt, with Makayia Hallmon (first), Hollings (second), and Porchia (second) named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team.
Hallmon has yet to see action this season after putting up 15.0 ppg. a year ago.
About the Head Coach
Since taking over the program in 2012, Chanda Rigby has made Troy a perennial championship and NCAA Tournament contender.
Rigby’s impressive resume includes seven 20+ win seasons, three Sun Belt Tournament Championships, two Sun Belt regular season titles, three trips to the NCAA Tournament and seven overall postseason appearances.
Most Recent Games
Troy shot only 30.6 percent from the field in falling to Samford, 65-61, at home on Tuesday night.
TU actually topped SU in points in the first, third and fourth quarters, but a 14-5 Bulldog blitz in the second frame proved to be the difference.
A pair of Trojans had double-doubles, as Ja’Mia Hollings tallied 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Tai’Sheka Porchia added 10 points and 12 boards.
Troy finished 22 of 72 from the field, including a four-of-17 effort (23.5%) from the three-point arc.
Last UT-TU Contest
Jaime Nared (27 points) led seven Lady Vols scoring in double figures, as UT rolled past Troy, 131-69, in Knoxville on December 6th, 2017.
Cheridene Green (16/13), Meme Jackson (16/10), and Rennia Davis (16/10) all had double-doubles.
Next Up For UT Lady Vols Basketball
The Lady Vols travel to Southwest Florida next week to participate in the Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off at Suncoast Credit Union Arena.
Tennessee is set to face No. 18/17 Indiana on November 23rd at 5:00pm CT. FOX will televise the Thanksgiving night contest live.
On Nov. 25, the Lady Vols will meet No. 25/21 Oklahoma at 12:30pm in a game carried by Women’s Sports Network.
UT is participating in the Island Division with IU, OU and Princeton, but those previously-mentioned games are the Big Orange’s only match-ups in Fort Myers.
For more information on the tournament, please go to www.womensfortmyerstipoff.com
