TENNESSEE VS. LOUISIANA STATE JAN. 19, 2012 Pavilion for practice before heading to the Big Apple. Heading in the Right Direction Tennessee halted a two-game losing streak taking a 82-43 win over Middle Tennessee State behind the play of rookies. Cierra Burdick, came off the bench to contribute 14 points and 10 rebounds while Ariel Massengale added 14 points and five assists. That “must win” was followed by a solid effort in the 73-57 victory over #21/20 Texas on Dec. 4 in Knoxville. Starting with a Pair of L’s The last time the Lady Vols opened the season with a 2-2 record was during the 1990-91 campaign. Tennessee went on to a 30-5 overall record and captured the 1991 National Championship. Tennessee opened that season with a win over Stanford (the defending NCAA Champs)...lost by 13 at N.C. State...defeated Virginia Tech on the road ... then lost at Vanderbilt by 14 points. Including this season, back-to-back losses have only occurred 25 times during Coach Pat Summitt’s 38-year career at Tennessee. Before losing back-to-back to Virginia and #1-ranked Baylor (Nov. 20 & 27, 2011), the last occurrence was during the 11 loss 2008-09 season. UT lost back-to-back games twice that year -- at Duke and Kentucky (Feb. 16 & 19) and vs. Auburn and Ball State (Mar. 7 & 22). Tennessee suffered back-to-back losses three times in the 10 loss, 1996-97 NCAA Championship “Cinderella Season.” Of the 201 all-time losses for Summitt’s UT teams, they have lost back-to-back-to-back games just twice. In December 1984, the Lady Vols lost three consecutive games (all on the road) at #3-ranked Georgia, at #2-ranked Texas and at #7-ranked Louisiana Tech. In February 1986, UT also lost three consecutive games at #8-ranked Ole Miss, #11-ranked Auburn and against #3-ranked Louisiana Tech. When Playing Number One Tennessee is 14-29 all-time when playing the nation’s number one ranked team. The Lady Vols are 3-10 in Knoxville, an even 6-6 on the road and 5-13 on neutral courts. UT is currently ranked number six in the AP poll. Tennessee is now 0-4 when trying to upset #1 from that position. UT is currently ranked number seven in the USA Today/ESPN poll. Tennessee is now 0-2 when trying to upset #1 from that position. The Numbers Game Prior to the game versus Baylor on Nov. 27, the last time Tennessee played the nation’s number oneranked team was on Jan. 22, 2007 in Knoxville. The Lady Vols missed charity tosses down the stretch to lose 74-70 to top-ranked Duke after mounting a furious comeback rally. The Blue Devils opened the game with a nightmarish 19-0 run-out, as the Lady Vols fell into a 21-point hole (28-7 at 9:23 in the first half) before rallying to narrow the halftime deficit to 11 points (38-27). Free throw defense stymied Tennessee, as the Lady Vols connected on just 8-17 (.471) for the game. All-American Candace Parker managed just 1-7 from the free throw line. Good Neighbors The 2011 meeting with Miami in the State Farm TipOff Classic marked the Lady Vols eighth appearance in the State Farm TipOff Classic and the fifth time to host the event. Tennessee now has a 6-2 record in TipOff games. Making a Claim In the first TipOff in 1993, Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt picked up her 500th career victory. In the TipOff in 1998, Purdue and Coach Carolyn Peck halted the Lady Vols school record 46-game consecutive winning streak. Tennessee’s last opening game home loss to start a season came against Louisiana Tech in the 1999 TipOff Classic, 69-64, as UT failed to convert free 12
LADY VOL BASKETBALL /// 2011-12 GAME NOTES
throws in the waning seconds. In Tennessee’s most recent TipOff appearance in 2009 in Knoxville, the Lady Vols spoiled Brittney Griner’s first collegiate game with a 74-65 victory over the Lady Bears. Going into the Hall Lady Vol Olympian and All-American Nikki McCray Pinson will be a member of the 2012 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Class. Also being inducted are: Nancy Fahey (Coach), Pamela McGee (Player), Inge Nissen (Player), Robin Roberts (Contributor), and Dawn Staley (Player). McGee was introduced at the 2011 TipOff in Knoxville. Rookie Starts A true rookie got a starting nod on the opening day of the 2011-12 season. When Coach Pat Summitt started freshman Ariel Massengale against Pepperdine in the opening game of the 2011-12 season, it marked only the 14th time in her coaching career that a freshman started her very first game at Tennessee -- out of a total of 161 all-time Lady Vols who have played at UT. The list of opening day rookie starters: Taber Spani, 2009, Glory Johnson and Shekinna Stricklen, 2008, Angie Bjorklund, 2007, Candace Parker, 2005, Shyra Ely 2001, Ashley Robinson 2000, Gwen Jackson 1999, Kyra Elzy 1996, Chamique Holdsclaw 1995, Tiffani Johnson 1994, Bridgette Gordon and Sheila Frost 1985. The Nod With Ariel Massengale getting the opening day start against Pepperdine, she became the 61st rookie all-time to earn a starting assignment at UT. Last season, Meighan Simmons, a 5-9 point guard from Cibolo, Texas, became the 60th rookie all-time to earn a starting assignment at Tennessee. The previous year, rookie Kamiko Williams (59th all-time) started against Arkansas while her classmate and fellow rookie Taber Spani, became the 13th frosh to start her very first game at UT and the 58th rookie overall. In 2008-09, a record number of players – FIVE – were called on to start for the Lady Vols as rookies: Shekinna Stricklen (starter number 53), Glory Johnson (number 54), Briana Bass (55), Alicia Manning (56) and Kelley Cain (57) all earned starting assignments. Angie Bjorklund became the 52nd all-time Lady Vol to start during her freshman season –she started in 30 of 38 games. Previously, Cait McMahan earned a start at point guard versus Louisiana Tech during her freshman season. Prior to Cait’s starting nod, then-redshirt freshman Candace Parker played and started in all 36 games her rookie season in 2005-06. A season earlier, Tennessee coach Pat Summitt liked what she saw out of the 2004-05 rookie class as two players earned starting nods during the season. Nicky Anosike played in all 35 games with 25 starting assignments and Alexis Hornbuckle played in all 35 games with 21 starts. This duo became the 48th and 49th rookies alltime to earn starting assignments at UT as rookies.
Fourth Earliest Opener The game against Pepperdine was the fourth earliest date the Lady Vols have ever opened the season. UT’s earliest opening game was during the 2002-03 season with first tip on Nov. 10, 2002, taking on #22/19-ranked Oklahoma and registering a 94-68 win.