Postgame Notes: UT 79, VU 49

March 1, 2015

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Number of Interest

Here are a few numbers of interest:

» Ariel Massengale made a career-high eight treys to join the ranks of Meighan Simmons for the program's most three-point field goals made in a game.

» Cierra Burdick dished out a personal SEC-high seven assists. The Lady Vols tallied 24 total assists.

» With the win over Vandy and South Carolina's loss to Kentucky, the Lady Vols earned its 18th regular season title as the 2015 SEC Co-Champion.

POSTGAME NOTES

THE SERIES

This is the second meeting between the two programs this season and 74th meeting overall.
Tennessee now has a 65-9 record in the series.
UT is 30-0 in Knoxville and is still undefeated at home.
The Lady Vols have won the last three meetings with the Commodores.
Holly Warlick is 5-1 vs. Vanderbilt as a head coach.
With the win, Tennessee has achieved 25 victories in a season for the 35th time in school history, the third-straight season under Holly Warlick and sixth in a row.
The 15-1 regular season is UT's best conference effort (and tie for second-highest SEC win total ever) since the 2010-11 squad went 16-0 in league play.

2015 SEC CO-CHAMPIONS

With today's win over Vanderbilt and South Carolina's loss to Kentucky, the Lady Vols are officially SEC Co-Champions of the regular season.
This marks the 18th SEC regular season title for Tennessee.
It is Holly Warlick's second title in three seasons.
This title is the fourth in the last six seasons for Tennessee.

FOR STARTERS

Today's starters: Bashaara Graves, Cierra Burdick, Jordan Reynolds, Andraya Carter, Ariel Massengale.
Not one single Lady Vol has started every game this season. Reynolds has started in all but one game.
With this group, Tennessee is 2-1.
The jump ball was controlled Tennessee.
The first points were scored by Ariel Massengale with a three-point shot.

CELEBRATING THE SENIORS

Today's game marked the final regular season home game and served as Senior Day. Isabelle Harrison, Ariel Massengale and Cierra Burdick were honored prior to the game for their four years of commitment to the program.
The attendance of 13,027 was the eighth crowd of 10,000-plus this season.
Tennessee's senior class is 7-2 vs. Vanderbilt and 4-0 in Knoxville.
Massengale and Burdick combined for 38 of the Lady Vol points.

OFF THE BENCH

Jaime Nared was the first Lady Vol in. She came in for Jordan Reynolds.
Nia Moore entered the game for the first time with 13:52 left in the first half.
Alexa Middleton was the third Lady Vol off the bench.
Kortney Dunbar came off the bench for six minutes, adding three points.
Tennessee and Vanderbilt both scored 22 points from the bench.

A-MASS MOVES UP THE RECORD BOOKS... AGAIN

Entering the game, Massengale needed three assists to become the third Lady Vol to record 500 assists and 1,000 points in her career at UT. Tonight, she dished out two, just one short of the record.
Massengale moved up the list for three-point field goals made once again. She began the game with 145 and shot a career-high eight tonight. She surpassed Shannon Bobbitt who had 147 for sole possession of the No. 7 spot in UT record books.
She is within reach of the No. 6 position which is currently held by Brittany Jackson who tallied up 161 from 2001-05.
Her career-high eight three-pointers in a game ties for most three-point field goals made in a game. It also tied for the most three-pointers made in a game in the SEC this season. Her eight treys ties the record in Thompson-Boling Arena.
Massengale has at least one three-pointer in 25 of 29 games, has 19 games of two or more treys and has knocked down four or more on five occasions.

ALMOST TO 1,000 POINTS FOR C-BIRD

Senior Cierra Burdick needed just 17 points to become the fourth Lady Vol this season to earn 1,000 career points. Burdick needs just five more points to reach the feat. She scored 12 vs. Vandy.

OFFENSIVELY SPEAKING

Ariel Massengale scored the first 11 points of the game with three of her shots coming from beyond the arc.
Massengale made a career-high eight three-pointers. She notched her third game with 20-plus points this season with a season-high total of 26. She tallied three rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Burdick has played five consecutive 10-plus point games. She produced 12 points to go with six rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and a steal. Her seven assists tie her SEC-high and marked a season-high.
Andraya Carter tallied 10 points, all of which she earned during the second half. She grabbed four rebounds and dished out a season-high five assists.
Jaime Nared scored a personal SEC-high 13 points in 20 minutes vs. Vandy. She added five rebounds, two assists and a steal.
The Lady Vols dished out 24 assists. Tennessee has dished out 20-plus assists on nine different occassions.

D-D-DEFENSE

Nia Moore racked up a career-high four steals against the Commodores.
Tennessee was responsible for 14 steals with Jordan Reynolds and Nia Moore each tallying four.
UT forced 25 turnovers, which is the most since forcing 38 vs. Tennessee State on Nov. 24, 2014.

AT THE HALF

The Lady Vols led the Commodores 39-24.
Tennessee shot 55.6 percent (15-27), which is its second consecutive game shooting over 50 percent in the first half. Vanderbilt shot 35.7 percent (10-28).
Tennessee outrebounded the Commodores, 16-14.
Ariel Massengale led all scorers with 17 points. She was 5-for-7 from beyond the arc.

UP NEXT

The Lady Vols will travel to Little Rock, Ark. to begin postseason play at the SEC Tournament. They will play the winner of the #7 Missouri and #10 Georgia game on Friday, March 6 at 6 p.m. CT/7 p.m. ET on SEC Network.

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