Tennessee (19-12 | 10-6 SEC) vs. Green Bay (27-6 | 17-3 Horizon League
NCAA Tournament
Saturday, March 23rd, 2024 | 11:00am CT / Noon ET
Raleigh, NC | Reynolds Coliseum | TV: ESPN
Raleigh, NC – RV/RV Tennessee (19-12), the No. 6 seed in the Portland 4 Regional, begins its 42nd-straight NCAA Tournament journey, meeting No. 11 seed Green Bay (27-6) on Saturday at 11:00am CT in a first-round match-up at Raleigh, NC.
The Lady Vols and Phoenix will face off on Kay Yow Court inside the James T. Valvano Arena at William Neal Reynolds Coliseum. ESPN will televise the contest, while the audio broadcast will be available on Lady Vol Network radio stations and via live stream worldwide on UTSports.com.
The winner of Saturday’s game will advance to Monday’s NCAA Second Round and face the victor of the other Raleigh Saturday first-round clash between 11th-ranked and No. 3 seed NC State (27-6) and No. 14 seed Chattanooga (28-4).
UT, which is receiving votes in both polls, tied for fourth in the SEC during the regular season at 10-6 and advanced to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament for the fourth straight season before falling to No. 1/1 South Carolina, 74-73, on March 9th by a buzz-beater.
Kellie Harper‘s squad has played the nation’s toughest schedule according to at least one rating service, and it did so as injuries to Rickea Jackson, Destinee Wells and Jillian Hollingshead, as well as a gradual return by Tamari Key from a medical condition, impacted the team’s continuity and success during the early going.
Green Bay, meanwhile, finished second in the Horizon League in 2023-24 at 17-3 before winning the league tourney over Cleveland State, 64-40, on March 12th to punch its ticket for its 19th all-time NCAA bid.
This will mark the third meeting between these programs, with the Big Orange holding a 2-0 series lead. Tennessee edged the Phoenix in the 2016 NCAA First Round at Tempe, Ariz., the last time these teams met, 59-53, on March 18th. The UT Lady Vols also cruised by GB in Knoxville, 71-36, on November 26th, 1996.
Broadcast Details
Eric Frede (PxP) and Steffi Sorensen (Analyst) will have the call for ESPN.
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 can be heard on Lady Vol Network stations and by audio stream, with Brian Rice providing play-by-play. Jay Lifford is the studio host.
A link to the live audio stream can be found on the Hoops Central page or the schedule on UTSports.com.
For a list of Lady Vol Network affiliates, please click on the Fans tab at the top of UTSports.com, select Vol Network and then select the Vol Network Affiliates tab.
Air time is typically 30 minutes before tip-off.
SiriusXM Radio will also carry Rice’s call on Sirius XM channels 106 and 205.
Tennessee – The Only School In All 42
The UT Lady Vols are enjoying their 42nd appearance in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, and UT is the only program to appear in all 42 tournaments.
Tennessee is an at-large qualifier for the 2024 NCAA Tournament, finishing in a tie for fourth in the SEC regular season and falling to No. 1/1 South Carolina in the SEC Tournament semifinals, 74-73, on a buzzer-beater.
UT earned a No. 6 seed for the very first time and drew higher than a four seed for just the fourth time in program history.
UT is 3-3 when seeded higher than fourth, including 0-1 at No. 5 (2009), 3-1 at No. 7 (2016) and 0-1 at No. 11 (2019).
The Lady Vols are 130-33 in NCAA Tournament play, and they rank first in games played (163) and second in victories (130) in NCAA tourney history.
Tennessee is second behind UConn in winning percentage at .798 in tourney play.
UT is 5-3 in NCAA action under Kellie Harper, making the second round in 2021 and Sweet 16 in 2022 and 2023. Harper is only of only seven coaches to go to back-to-back Sweet 16s during those campaigns.
UT has advanced to the NCAA regional round on 36 occasions, owning a 28-8 mark in the Sweet 16.
The only seasons UT did not make the regional level were in 2009 and from 2017 to 2021. UT lost its opening round contest as a No. 5 seed to No. 12 Ball State in Bowling Green, Ky., in 2009. No. 5 seed UT lost its second-round game at No. 4 seed Louisville in 2017. No. 3 seed UT lost its second-round game to No. 6 seed Oregon State in Knoxville in 2018. No. 11 seed Tennessee fell to No. 6 seed UCLA in the first round at College Park, MD, in 2019. No. 3 seed UT dropped a 70-55 second-round decision to No. 6 seed Michigan in 2021 in San Antonio, Texas.
UT has made the Elite Eight 28 times and in five of the past 12 events, posting an 18-10 record in that round.
The Lady Vols have seen their season ended in the regional championship game in five of the past 12 years (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016).
UT has advanced to 18 NCAA Final Fours and won eight of them (1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2007, 2008), ranking second to UConn.
Tennessee has finished second in the nation five times and third on five more occasions.
In facing Green Bay, UT is playing one its 92 different opponents during all rounds of the NCAA Tournament, with those teams meeting previously in 2016 during an Elite Eight run by the Lady Vols.
The Horizon League is one 28 different conferences representedby Tennessee’s foes during the postseason.
UT In The First And Second Rounds
Tennessee is making its 42nd appearance in the NCAA First/Second Rounds, and it owns a 63-5 record during games played in those rounds.
The Lady Vols are 33-2 all-time in the NCAA First Round and 30-3 in the NCAA Second Round.
In NCAA First/Second Round play, Tennessee is 49-1 at home, 4-2 away and 10-2 at neutral sites.
The breakdown for that is 25-0 home/0-1 away/8-1 neutral for the first round and 24-1 home/4-1 away/2-1 neutral for the second round.
Rare Air
Tennessee is one of only two schools whose men’s and women’s basketball teams have appeared in each of the past five NCAA Tournaments. The other program is Gonzaga.
The Lady Vols and Zags are among 22 schools with both teams competing in the 2023-24 championships.
Season Reset
Since dropping a road tilt at Alabama on February 8th, Tennessee has been a much different team over the past nine games and has hit its stride.
UT’s record is only 5-4 over that span, but the losses were to No. 1/1 South Carolina (three times) and to No. 8/6 LSU.
The Lady Vols atoned for two earlier road losses to Texas A&M and Alabama that didn’t sit well with them, defeating Texas A&M, 75-66, in Knoxville on Feb. 29 to close the regular season and rolling past Alabama in the SEC quarterfinals, 83-61.
UT also handled Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Kentucky along the way, more than doubling its victory margin over the Commodores from a previous meeting.
Versus South Carolina, the Lady Vols played a trio of highly competitive games, falling by progressively smaller margins of 11 in Knoxville, eight in Columbia and one at the SEC Tournament in Greenville SC, to the Gamecocks.
UT also had a 75-60 setback vs. LSU, in which the Lady Vols trailed by one with 7:30 remaining in the game.
How Tennessee Gets It Done
UT tied for fourth in the SEC at 10-6, overcoming injuries and medical issues to sit No. 30 in the NET rankings, earn a No. 6 seed, and get votes in both polls despite a schedule rated the nation’s toughest by at least one NCAA analytic.
The UT Lady Vols are the No. 12 rebounding team in the country, pulling down 43.42 caroms per game.
They also are ranked No. 12 in defensive boards, averaging 29.9 per contest.
Tennessee is scoring 75.9 points per game and stands as the 26th-highest-scoring team in the land.
The Lady Vols also have enjoyed one of their best campaigns at the charity stripe, hitting 74.7 percent to card the third-highest rate in program history.
UT goes nine deep, including four off the bench who combine for 20.4 ppg.
Starters Setting The Tone
Three-time All-SEC and Honorable Mention All-American Rickea Jackson averages a team-best 19.4 ppg. and 8.0 rpg.
She ranks second among all SEC players in scoring and has carded 11 games with 20+ points this season and 27 in two years as a Lady Vol.
Jewel Spear is averaging 13.3 ppg. with a team-high 65 threes in 2023-24, and she is coming off an SEC Tournament where she led UT at 18.3 ppg., making 10 of 18 treys and all 11 free throw attempts.
Sara Puckett contributes 9.9 ppg. and 5.0 rpg. to rank third and second for the team, and she is fresh off an SEC Tournament where she put up 12.7 ppg. and 5.7 rpg. in three contests.
Jasmine Powell averages 9.4 ppg. and 4.1 apg., dishing out 100 assists for the third straight season, including a career-best 123 in 2023-24.
Tamari Key (344 career blocks/No. 6 in SEC history) has averaged 4.7 ppg., 3.7 rpg. and 1.6 bpg. in her return from a 2022-23-ending medical condition. She affects both ends of the floor much more than her 2023-24 stats suggest.
Homecoming For Tamari Key
Tennessee redshirt senior Tamari Key will be playing in familiar territory, as she makes a return to the Raleigh metro area where she grew up. This marks her first official game in the state where she was raised.
Key is from nearby Cary, NC, and starred for the Cary High Imps during her prep career.
UT’s assignment to the Raleigh NCAA First and Second Rounds is a blessing for Key’s mom, Tammy Brown, who spends a lot of time watching daughters Tamari and Teonni (North Carolina) play college basketball.
While Tamari is in Raleigh and on a Saturday and Monday (if win) schedule, Teonni and her Tarheels will be just three hours away in Columbia, SC, and conveniently competing on Friday and Sunday (if win) and making it easier for mom to watch both daughters.
Return To Raleigh For UT Staffers
Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper, assistant coach/husband Jon Harper, director of sports performance Bryan Tatum and associate director of sports medicine Casi Dailey all spent time living in Raleigh and working at North Carolina State.
Kellie Harper was the head coach of the Wolfpack from 2009-13, and Jon Harper was an assistant on her staff.
Tatum was Harper’s strength coach at NC State from 2011-13 and rejoined her and Jon at UT prior to the 2021-22 season.
Dailey tended to sports medicine at NC State for Harper during the 2012-13 campaign (and for the Wolfpack from 2012-20 overall) and rejoined the Harpers at Tennessee prior to the 2020-21 season.
Hoops Worlds Collide
In addition to formerly coaching at NC State, Kellie, and Jon Harper find themselves in an NCAA First and Second Round site with a coach and another program with which they spent a great deal of time.
Kellie and Jon Harper served as assistants for NC State’s Wes Moore for three years from 2001-04 when he was the head coach at Chattanooga (1998-2013).
That job prepared Kellie Harper to take her first head coaching job at Western Carolina (2004-09).
Kellie Harper‘s success at WCU led her to the NC State job, where she served as head coach with Jon as an assistant from 2009-2013.
After the Harpers’ tenure in Raleigh, Wes Moore followed as head coach of the Wolfpack.
Seeking 20 Wins For The 47th Time
Tennessee enters the 2024 NCAA Tournament one win shy of reaching the 20-win plateau for the 47th time, dating back to 1974.
It would mark Tennessee’s fourth 20-win season in Kellie Harper‘s five years as head coach (11th in her career), with the 2020-21 total of 17 wins impacted by several COVID-related game cancelations that no doubt would have pushed the Lady Vols to 20.
UT/GB Series Notes
Tennessee has a 2-0 record all-time vs. Green Bay, including 1-0 in at home and 1-0 at neutral sites.
The Lady Vols are 1-0 vs. the Phoenix in postseason play, taking a 59-53 decision in Tempe, Ariz., in the 2016 NCAA First Round on March 18th.
UT went on to defeat host Arizona State in the Second Round (75-64) and Ohio State in the Sweet 16 (78-66) before falling to Syracuse (89-67) in the 2016 Elite Eight in snowy Sioux Falls, .D.
Tennessee is 6-0 vs. teams who currently are members of the Horizon League.
UT’s last game vs. a school from that conference came last season, when the Lady Vols defeated Wright State, 96-57, in Knoxville on December 11th, 2022.
This is Kellie Harper‘s first meeting with Green Bay.
She is 3-3 all-time vs. Horizon League teams, including 1-0 while at Tennessee.
A Look At The Phoenix
Green Bay is led in scoring by the trio of Natalie McNeal (13.4), Maddy Schreiber (12.0) and Cassie Schiltz (10.1).
McNeal leads her team in rebounding (6.8 rpg.), while Schiltz and Schreiber have hit 50 and 40 three-pointers, respectively. Reserve Callie Genke has contributed 41 treys off the bench for GB.
The Phoenix shoot 48.2 percent from the field (34.3 pct. beyond the arc) and take very good care of the basketball, as evidenced by an average of only 11.1 turnovers per contest.
GB boasts quality wins over Creighton (65-53) and Washington State (59-48) and a near miss against Maryland (68-59) at the Cancun Challenge.
About Green Bay Head Coach Kevin Borseth
Kevin Borseth is in his 37th year of coaching and 21st year at Green Bay, sporting records of 509-145 and 821-315, respectively.
He is currently in his second stint at GB (2012- present) after coaching there from 1998-2007 before spending five seasons at Michigan (2007-2012).
According to his bio, Borseth began his coaching career at a minimum-security prison where he ran open gyms for inmates.
He is a 20-time regular season champion as a coach, including 16 while with GB.
Green Bay’s Most Recent Game
Green Bay defeated Cleveland State, 64-40, in the 2024 Horizon League Barbasol Championship Game in Indianapolis on March 12th.
GB secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament while collecting the program’s 20th conference tourney crown and 25th overall title.
The Vikings had no answers for Natalie McNeal, who scored a career-high 32 points. Her previous best was 30, also vs. CSU, on February 3rd, 2024. Cassie Schiltz and Jenna Guyer tallied eight points apiece.
The Phoenix never trailed after taking an 8-5 lead with 5:11 remaining in the first quarter.
McNeal was tabbed KeyBank Tournament MVP, while Schiltz made the all-tourney team as well.
Last UT/GB Contest
Te’a Cooper scored 15 points, and Diamond DeShields added 14 to lead Tennessee to a 59-53 comeback victory over Green Bay in the NCAA Tournament First Round contest at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Ariz., on March 18, 2016.
The No. 7 seed Lady Vols (20-13) trailed No. 10 seed Green Bay (28-5) by as many as eight points in the second quarter, making the win their biggest comeback of the season. Tennessee also recorded its 40th-straight 20-win season.
Cooper scored 11 of her 15 points in the second half and was 7-of-11 from the floor for the game.
Mercedes Russell added eight points and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds for the Big Orange.
