Tennessee (4-5) vs. Eastern Kentucky (8-1)
Sunday, December 10th, 2023 | 1:02pm CT/2:02pm ET
Knoxville, TN | Food City Center
Knoxville, TN – The Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team (4-5), which is receiving votes in the AP and USA TODAY Sports/Coaches Top 25 Polls this week, plays host to Eastern Kentucky University (8-1) on Sunday afternoon.
The Lady Vols and Colonels will clash inside Food City Center at 1:02pm CT. The game will be streamed on SECN+.
On Wednesday night, UT dropped a 73-62 decision to in-state rival Middle Tennessee (7-3) in a neutral site contest at Propst Arena at Von Braun Center in Huntsville, AL.
Tennessee will be looking to reverse a trend that has seen it lose its last three games and four of its last five, with injuries hitting the forward position particularly hard during that stretch. UT has played without All-America candidate Rickea Jackson for the past seven contests and also did not have 6-5 forward Jillian Hollingshead vs. MTSU.
EKU enters at 8-1, with its only loss at the hands of #4 Utah on November 19th, 117-72, in the Great Alaska Shootout. The Colonels easily handled Miami (OH) on Wednesday night at home, 85-55.
Broadcast Details
Air time is typically 30 minutes before tip.
The game also is available on SiriusXM channels 162 or 190 (SEC Channel).
Game Promotions
Kids 12-and-under pricing is only $5.00 vs. EKU.
Postgame Autographs: Kaiya Wynn
Download the Tennessee Athletics app to join the Coca-Cola GBO Zone Lightshow.
Purchase tickets at AllVols.com or call the Tennessee Athletics Ticket Office at 1.800.332.VOLS or 865.656.1200.
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.
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.
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 operate the same as previous years.
(New) Phillip Fulmer Way Closure Information
Due to construction and upgrades to Neyland Stadium, basketball fans, and media members should be advised of immediate changes to normal traffic patterns on Phillip Fulmer Way and Peyton Manning Pass during the 2023-24 basketball season.
Phillip Fulmer Way from G-10 garage to Neyland Stadium Gate 21 vicinity is now closed.
The G-10 garage will not be accessible southbound on Phillip Fulmer Way.
Phillip Fulmer Way will be closed to southbound traffic at Middle Drive, and it will not be accessible via Peyton Manning Pass.
For events at Food City Center, G-10 and Staff 5 parking areas will be accessible via Lake Loudoun Boulevard, but vehicles are strongly recommended to enter G-10 via Neyland Drive.
Additionally, G5/30 will only be accessible from Lake Loudon Boulevard.
Common Threads
Tennessee assistant coach Samantha Williams was the head coach at EKU from 2019-21 before opting to join Kellie Harper‘s staff as an assistant and recruiting coordinator for the Big Orange.
The Lady Vols got off to a slow start in 2022-23 as well, including a 2-4 record through six games and a 4-5 mark after the first nine games before winning 12 of their next 13. They also advanced to the SEC Tournament title game and reached the NCAA Sweet 16, making them one of only seven programs to make that round in each of the past two seasons.
UT has had a run of bad luck in recent seasons when it comes to injuries. Star Rickea Jackson has now missed seven games this season and fellow starter Jillian Hollingshead also was out vs. MTSU. A year ago, the Lady Vols lost inside stalwart Tamari Key for the season after nine games, and she continues her comeback. In 2021-22, UT played without Rae Burrell for 12 games and lost Jordan Horston and Keyen Green to season-ending injuries. In 2020-21, Green and Jaiden McCoy suffered the same fate.
Season Reset
Tennessee has taken on an extremely challenging schedule this season while playing the past seven games without its best overall performer, Rickea Jackson.
It added Jillian Hollingshead (7.0 ppg., 7.0 rpg.) to the injury list (concussion protocol) vs. MTSU, meaning Tennessee was missing its top two rebounders and playing without a combined 19.0 rebounds per game from Hollingshead and Jackson. UT lost the board battle, 37-30, to the Lady Raiders.
After she recorded a 31-point, 17-rebound double-double in a 92-91 road loss at No. 18/22 Florida State on Nov. 9, 6-foot-2 fifth-year forward Rickea Jackson (22.0 ppg., 12.0 rpg.) has been out of action due to a lower leg injury.
The UT Lady Vols have gone 3-4 during Jackson’s absence, dropping contests to No. 21/19 Indiana (71-57) in the Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off, to No. 18/14 Notre Dame (74-69) and No. 16/13 Ohio State (78-58) at home, and to Middle Tennessee (73-62) at a neutral site in Huntsville, Ala.
During that stretch, UT won, 84-74, in overtime over Memphis and beat Troy, 100-73, at home, before knocking off No. 22/20 Oklahoma in Fort Myers, 76-73.
UT, which is now 1-4 vs. ranked teams in 2023-24, also has been biding its time while the school’s career leader in blocked shots and triple-doubles, Tamari Key, gradually works her way back into form after being sidelined a year ago by blood clots in her lungs.
Junior Sara Puckett (12.7 ppg., 6.1 rpg.), junior forward Karoline Striplin (11.8 ppg., 4.3 rpg.), fifth-year guard Jasmine Powell (10.9 ppg., 3.9 rpg.) and senior guard Jewel Spear (10.6 ppg., 4.8 rpg.) have stepped up to shoulder the load in offensive production.
Striplin especially did so vs. Middle Tennessee, firing in a career-high 29 points on Wednesday night.
Key, meanwhile, had her most productive game of the season vs. Ohio State, carding season highs in minutes (16), points (9), rebounds (4) and blocks (2). Her ability to provide that kind of presence would do wonders for UT on both ends of the court.
Recapping The Last Game
Junior Karoline Striplin poured in a career-high 29 points in her home state, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a sharp-shooting Middle Tennessee squad that went 12 of 24 from behind the arc Wednesday night in toppling the Lady Vols inside Propst Arena at Von Braun Center, 73-62.
Striplin was the high scorer for Tennessee (4-5), and fifth-year senior Jasmine Powell and senior Destinee Wells were also top contributors with nine and eight points, respectively.
Jalynn Gregory led Middle Tennessee (7-3) with 22 points and by Savannah Wheeler, who posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Anastasiia Boldyreva was also in double figures with 17 points, while Ta’Mia Scott added 10.
Postgame Notes vs. Ohio State
Karo Cookin’ At Home
Back in her home state of Alabama, Karoline Striplin looked right at home, scoring a career-high 29 points on 11-of-20 shooting, including 4-of-8 accuracy beyond the arc. The junior from Hartford scored Tennessee’s first nine points vs. Middle Tennessee.
She added five more in the second frame to lead the Lady Vols with 14 at the half, scoring in double figures for the fifth time this season. Not to be overlooked on the defensive end, Striplin took a charge in the second quarter for her team-leading fourth of the season and stuffed a shot for a tied-ball situation.
300th Block For TK
At the 3:32 mark in the second quarter, Tennessee’s all-time leading shot blocker reached another career plateau. Tamari Key recorded block number 300 when she stuffed Sifa Ineza’s shot attempt.
Other Milestones
Two other Lady Vols reached milestone plateaus, including Destinee Wells playing in her 100th game and surpassing 600 career field goals, and Jasmine Powell dropping in 300+ free throws during her college days.
Streaks End
Tennessee had won all 17 games vs. in-state opponents under Kellie Harper until Middle Tennessee came out on top in Huntsville. That makes the Lady Vols’ record now 261-62-2 all-time vs. schools in the Volunteer State. MTSU also picked up its first victory in the series in the 23rd meeting between the programs.
Milestone Watch
With a blocked shot vs. MTSU on December 6th, Tamari Key reached 300 for her career and became the ninth player in SEC history to hit that mark.
Jewel Spear is two games away from her 100th as a collegiate player.
Tess Darby needs five three-pointers to catch Taber Spani in ninth at 143 on UT’s career three-pointers list.
Kellie Harper is eight wins away from her 100th as head coach at Tennessee and 23 shy of 400 for her career.
Tamari Key is 99 points away from becoming the 49th player in Lady Vol history to score 1,000 points here.
Rickea Jackson is seven rebounds away from reaching 600 for her career and 285 points shy of scoring 1,000 as a UT Lady Vol.
Scoring Options
In nine games, six different players have led UT in scoring.
Jewel Spear (20), Rickea Jackson (31), Sara Puckett (24), and Karoline Striplin (19) did so in games one through four.
Jasmine Powell had 19 vs. Oklahoma in game six, and Destinee Wells tossed in 11 vs. Ohio State in game eight.
UT Lady Vol Bench Bringing It
Tennessee’s reserves have outscored their opposition 166-62 the past six games, including 38-8 vs. Troy, 30-8 vs. No. 21/19 Indiana, 31-24 to No. 22/20 Oklahoma, 22-15 to No. 18/14 Notre Dame, 35-4 vs. No. 16/13 Ohio State and 10-3 vs. MTSU.
That’s an average advantage of 31.2 to 11.8 over the past six contests.
For the season, the Lady Vol bench is outscoring foes, 25.0 to 13.3 on average.
The 25.0 average ranks No. 3 among SEC schools and No. 72 nationally.
The Impact Of Injuries
Rickea Jackson, Tennessee’s leading scorer and rebounder, has missed the past seven games (Memphis, Troy, Indiana, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Middle Tennessee) with a leg injury. She has not played since posting a 31-point, 17-rebound double-double vs. No. 18/22 Florida State.
Jasmine Powell missed the Troy game after suffering a wrist injury vs. Memphis, but she returned vs. No. 21/19 Indiana and contributed 12 points and six rebounds off the bench. She then returned to the starting lineup and tallied 19 points vs. No. 22/20 Oklahoma and 14 vs. No. 18/14 Notre Dame.
Avery Strickland missed the Troy, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame games while being in concussion protocol. She returned vs. Ohio State and had four points and two rebounds in 12 minutes.
Tamari Key, who missed nearly all of last season due to blood clots being discovered in her lungs, is slowly ramping up her playing time and shaking off the rust of inactivity for a prolonged period.
Key played a season-high 16 minutes vs. Ohio State on December 3rd, looking more like her “old self” as she contributed nine points, four rebounds, two blocks, an assist and steal.
Jillian Hollingshead was inactive vs. Middle Tennessee due to being in concussion protocol.
Series Notes
Tennessee is 9-1 all-time vs. Eastern Kentucky, including a 5-1 record in games played in Knoxville.
The teams met seven times in the 1970s, once in the 80s and another occasion in the 90s before playing each other twice in the 2020s.
Each team registered its second-highest scoring total in series history last season, when Tennessee claimed a 105-71 victory on November 27th, 2022.
UT is 29-1 vs. schools currently in the Atlantic Sun.
A Look At Eastern Kentucky
Eastern Kentucky University is 8-1 for the first time since 1976.
EKU has four averaging double figures in points, with Antwainette Walker leading the way at 24.8 ppg.
She is supported offensively by Ivy Turner (11.7), Alice Recanati (11.4) and Brie Crittendon (10.9), while Sierra McCullough averages an impressive 10.0 rebounds per contest.
About EKU Head Coach Greg Todd
Eastern Kentucky University is coached by third-year skipper Greg Todd, a 1983 graduate of the school.
Todd guided EKU to an 18-14 record and an 11-7 mark in ASUN play a year ago.
Prior to coming to Richmond, Todd led the program at Morehead State from 2014-21 and was previously at Transylvania (Lexington, KY) from 2006-14.
Most Recent Game
EKU women’s basketball moved to 8-1 with a 30-point, 85-55 victory over Miami (Ohio) on Wednesday afternoon at Baptist Health Arena in Richmond, KY. Antwainette Walker scored her 1,000th career point in the win for the Colonels.
The Colonels were led by Walker, who recorded a team-leading 21 points, marking her 35th consecutive game scoring in double figures for EKU.
Brie Crittendon added a career-high 19 points on 5-of-8 accuracy beyond the arc, while Ivy Turner (13) and Alice Recanati (10) also hit double digits.
Last UT-EKU Contest
No. 23/24 Tennessee posted a season-high in points, defeating Eastern Kentucky, 105-71, in a wire-to-wire home victory on Nov. 27, 2022.
UT (4-4) was led by Jordan Horston, who became the 48th player to tally 1,000 points while playing for the Lady Vols. The 6-foot-2 senior guard finished with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and five assists.
Forward Rickea Jackson chipped in 15 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and a steal, while center Tamari Key tallied 13 points, six rebounds, and two blocks.
Tennessee shot 52 percent from the field and made eight treys as well as dished out a season-high 26 assists with a season-low 12 turnovers.
Next Up For UT Women’s Basketball
After facing Eastern Kentucky, the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team has only two more non-conference tilts left before opening SEC play.
The Lady Vols will welcome Wofford at 5:30pm CT next Tuesday, December 19th, and close out the fall semester and the 2023 calendar year with a December 31st clash at Liberty at 1:00pm (ESPN+).
