Postgame Notes: UT 59, Stanford 40

Dec. 20, 2014

Number of Interest

Here are a few numbers of interest:

» Both Ariel Massengale and Cierra Burdick were 4-for-4 from the free throw line.

» Ariel Massengale drained five shots from beyond the arc in the win over Stanford.

» The Lady Vols have officially played each of their active players with the debut of Jannah Tucker.

» In holding Stanford to just 40 points, it was the fewest points Tennessee allowed to a Top-10 opponent team in history

POSTGAME NOTES

THE SERIES

This marked the 32nd meeting between the two programs. The win improved UT to 23-9 vs. Stanford and halted a three-game losing streak to the Cardinal.
This was the 31st time both schools have played each other being ranked in the top-20.
Tennessee is 12-2 in Knoxville vs. Stanford and is now 7-0 at home this season in Thompson-Boling Arena.
The win breaks a three-game losing streak against Stanford dating back to 2011.
Stanford is the third ranked opponent that the Lady Vols have faced so far this season. They are now 2-1 vs. top-20 ranked teams this season.
Holly Warlick is now 17-12 vs. ranked teams. The UT program is 457-180 vs. ranked teams including 179-132 against those ranked in the AP Top-10.

THE GAME

The Lady Vols held #7 Stanford to 40 points, fewest by a top 10 opponent in history in 59-40. The previous low for a Top-10 foe was when the Lady Vols beat #3 Louisiana Tech, 67-44, on March 29, 1987.
This is the first time since 1976-77 that Stanford has been held to under 50 points in back-to-back games.
Stanford did not score for the first five minutes of the game and were held twice from scoring for two droughts lasting at least 4:45.
The Lady Vols are now on an 11-0 winning streak in Thompson-Boling Arena dating back to Feb. 20, 2014. Both the men's (4-0) and women's (7-0) teams are undefeated in TBA this season.
Tennessee has held opponents to an average of 46.2 points per game in the last five games.
In the last three games, the Lady Vols have not scored over 60 points but have won each one.

FOR STARTERS

Today's starters: Jordan Reynolds, Isabelle Harrison, Cierra Burdick, Bashaara Graves and Jasmine Jones.
Reynolds and Graves are the only two Lady Vols to start in every game this season.
This is the eighth different line-up for Tennessee. They are now 1-0 with the group.
Tennessee won the tip for the sixth time this season and for the second time in a row.
The Lady Vols' first score came off a jumper from Bashaara Graves. She earned the first six points of the game.

OFF THE BENCH

The first Lady Vols off the bench were Ariel Massengale and Andraya Carter.
Alexa Middleton was next to be subbed in for Tennessee.
Jaime Nared also made an appearance off the bench towards the end of the first half.
Nia Moore checked in with 6:42 left in the game after a fall by Isabelle Harrison.
With 3:14 left in the game, Kortney Dunbar came in for Bashaara Graves.
This was the ninth time out of the 11 games that the Lady Vols' bench has scored at least 20 points.
The Lady Vols bench outscored the Cardinal bench 27-17.

GRAVES BOOSTS LADY VOLS' START

Eight of the first 10 points scored by the Lady Vols was by Bashaara Graves, including the first six to start the game on a 6-0 run.
For the first time in four games, Graves earned 10-plus points.
She ended the game with 10 points and 10 rebounds, for her SEC-leading, sixth double-double of the season.

DEFENSE AT A HIGH

In the last five games, the Lady Vols have held opponents to an average of 46.2 points per game.
In the first half, the Lady Vols defense held Stanford's leading guards Lili Thompson and Amber Orrange to nine combined points and to 3-for-11 from the field. Thompson has been averaging 18.4 points and 13.4 points for Orrange.
UT also forced a backcourt violation with Jordan Reynolds defending during the first half.
UT held Stanford to two different scoring droughts, each being at least 4:45.
The Lady Vols held #7 Stanford to 40 points, fewest by a top 10 opponent in history in 59-40. The previous low for a Top-10 foe was when the Lady Vols beat #3 Louisiana Tech, 67-44, on March 29, 1987.
Tennessee limited Stanford to 25.5 percent shooting from the floor.
It was the sixth time this season that the Lady Vols have forced at least 20 turnovers.

MASSENGALE, A SCORING MACHINE

Ariel Massengale was the first Lady Vol to hit double digits with two free throw shots and back-to-back shots from beyond the arc.
Massengale had two different series of shooting back-to-back three point shots.
It was her second game with four or more three point field-goals in a game. She had six against Winthrop.
Massengale's three assists brings her career total to 448, which is just one away from moving her into seventh-place on the all-time career assists list.
Michelle Marciniak currently sits in seventh-place with 449 career assists.

DOUBLE DIGIT SUCCESS

Three Lady Vols finished the game with 10-plus points, including Isabelle Harrison, Bashaara Graves, Ariel Massengale.
Graves earned her sixth double-double of the season and 19th of her career with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Harrison recorded her fifth game with at least 10 points.
Massengale earned 18 points including five treys.

FREE THROWS ARE GOOD

With an 88.9 percent free throw percentage against Stanford, the Lady Vols have shot 80 percent or better in six games this season.
On the season, Tennessee is shooting 73.7 percent from the line.
The Lady Vols free throw percentage leads the SEC.

REBOUNDS ON REBOUNDS

Since being outrebounded at #6/9 Texas on Nov. 30, 2014, the Lady Vols have outrebounded their opponents by a margin of +98.
In the five games since Texas, Tennessee has averaged 19.6 more rebounds per game than its opponent.

LOOKING FOR RUNS

The Lady Vols had their first run of 10-0 or more during the second half with the first eight of those points coming from Ariel Massengale.
In 11 games, UT has made 17 runs of 10-0 or longer this season.

TUCKER MAKES LADY VOL DEBUT

For the first time in two years, redshirt freshman Jannah Tucker stepped foot on The Summitt for her first game as a Lady Vol.
Tucker recorded a rebound in her two minutes on the floor.
It was the first time that Tucker had played in a basketball game since Aug. 16, 2012, when she injured her left knee in a Group A preliminary round game against Argentina while playing alongside (then) future UT teammate Bashaara Graves at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women in Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

#ONETENNESSEE

Earlier in the week, the Lady Vols cordially invited the men's basketball team and the TaxSlayer Bowl bound football team to the big game.
While the basketball team threw out shirts during a media timeout, the football team was honored for making it to a bowl game.
The game also marked a season-high attendance with 13,056 filling up Thompson-Boling Arena.

AT THE HALF

The Lady Vols were dominant leading for most of the duration of the first half, including by as much as 13.
Bashaara Graves led all scorers with eight points and four rebounds.
UT forced 12 turnovers in the first half. The Lady Vols had just five in the half and had nine assists.
UT shot 35.3 percent (12-34) while Stanford shot 23.8 percent (5-21).
Tennessee outrebounded the Cardinal 21-16.

UP NEXT

Tennessee will stay at home to finish off the final game of a three-game home series going up against #16/14 Oregon State on Sunday, Dec. 28 at 1 p.m. ET on SEC Network.

University of Tennessee Athletics