University of Tennessee Athletics
ROCKY TOP REWIND
December 04, 2011 | General
Dec. 4, 2011
Tennessee pulled away in the second half Sunday for a 73-57 women's basketball victory over Texas to highlight a busy athletics weekend in Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Lady Vols improved to 4-2 this season and won against Texas for the 19th time in the last 24 meetings. Shekinna Stricklen scored 20 points and Vicki Baugh added 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead Tennessee, which matched its season high with 11 made 3-point field goals.
The men's basketball team dropped a 61-56 decision Saturday to Pittsburgh as part of the SEC/Big East Challenge. Tennessee closed an eight-point deficit in the final minute to just two points and had the ball but couldn't get off a shot. The home loss dropped the Vols to 3-4.
Volleyball saw its season end Friday in the NCAA tournament's second round with a 3-2 loss to Ohio State. The SEC champions finished 28-4 and Friday's defeat was the first at home all season after 14 victories. The Lady Vols shattered their attendance records, with an average crowd this season of 1,190.
And congratulations go out to UT co-head softball coach Ralph Weekly, who Saturday was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame during ceremonies in Las Vegas. Weekly's 24-year coaching career includes 1,015 victories.
Named Tennessee's Player of the Game on Sunday after scoring 17 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in the 16-point victory over Texas.
Posted his first career double-double with 13 points and a collegiate best 10 rebounds in Saturday's game against Pittsburgh.
Scored 20 points, including a career-high 5-of-9 from behind the 3-point line, to lead Sunday's 73-57 win over Texas.
Clutch 3-point shooting and powerful rebounding lifted No. 8 Tennessee to a 73-57 victory over Texas on Sunday afternoon.
From 3-point range, Tennessee shot 52.4 percent, making 11-of-21. The Lady Vols were led by Shekinna Stricklen (20 points) and Meighan Simmons (10 points), who combined to make 8-of-16 from behind the arc. Stricklen made a career-high 5-of-9 from 3-point land. The Lady Vols (4-2) outrebounded the Longhorns (5-2) 49-38, led by Vicki Baugh's 11 boards.
Baugh (17 points) and Glory Johnson (11 points and 10 rebounds) both posted double-doubles. Ariel Massengale also scored in double-figures with 10 points while handling out five assists.
The Longhorns were led by Ashleigh Fontenette, who tallied 22 and Chassidy Fussell, who had 14 points.
The Lady Vols held Texas scoreless for 6:20 late in the game as the Lady Vols went on a 10-0 run while forcing the Longhorns into five turnovers during the spurt. Texas ended the draught on Fontenette's jumper with 2:40 left in the game, as the Longhorns had fallen behind by 16.
Next: Sunday vs. DePaul at the Maggie Dixon Classic, New York City, 1:30 p.m. // FULL SCHEDULE
A stingy Ohio State defense simply proved too much Friday, as 14th-seeded Tennessee saw its season come to a close with a hard-fought five-set loss, 25-23, 21-25, 23-25, 25-22, 12-15, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Thompson-Boling Arena.
"Ohio State played a great match," Lady Vols head coach Rob Patrick said. "They were very aggressive in all facets of the game, but I'm very proud of the way our players gave everything they had. The one thing I always tell our players is we can always walk off the court when we have given everything and left it on the court. We did that today."
The loss ends one of the most successful seasons in Lady Vols history as the Southeastern Conference champions finished with a 28-4 overall record, including a near-perfect 14-1 mark at home.
Defense was the key for the Buckeyes as they limited the Orange and White to their third-lowest hitting percentage of the season at .171. On the other side of the net, it was the Tennessee defense that kept it in the match, setting the single-match school record for an NCAA Tournament contest with 35 blocks.
Next: Season complete // FULL SCHEDULE
Ashton Gibbs and Nasir Robinson each scored 16 points as No. 17 Pittsburgh edged upset-minded Tennessee 61-56 Saturday night at Thompson-Boling Arena in the Big East/SEC Challenge.
The Panthers (7-1) appeared to be headed to a smooth victory after pulling away from the Vols (3-4) late in the game, but Tennessee battled back.
With Pitt leading by seven, Gibbs was called for a flagrant foul and Trae Golden made one free throw. Tennessee then got a layup from Cameron Tatum to cut it to 53-48 with 48 seconds remaining.
Tennessee began fouling, and the Panthers were unable to convert on the free throw line. A miss from the charity stripe gave UT the ball, and Golden drained a 3-pointer to make it 58-56 with 11.6 seconds on the clock.
Jeronne Maymon then fouled Pitt's Dante Taylor, but Taylor missed his free throw.
Golden sprinted down the court for the Vols, but Pitt's Gibbs swarmed to the ball and tied him up for a jump ball. The alternate possession gave Pitt the ball with 3.6 seconds left.
Next: Sunday vs. Austin Peay, Noon // FULL SCHEDULE
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - On Friday night in front of a sparkling combination of hundreds of coaching peers, former players from throughout all NCAA levels, USA Softball veterans and other softball dignitaries at the Paris Hotel, Casino and Resort in Las Vegas, Nev., Tennessee Co-Head Softball Coach Ralph Weekly joined Ithaca Head Coach Deb Pallozzi in induction into the prestigious National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Hall of Fame.
By virtue of their induction, Weekly and Pallozzi become just the 50th and 51st all-time members of an illustrious softball fraternity that includes among its membership legendary coaches such as former UCLA Head Coach Sue Enquist, current Michigan Head Coach Carol Hutchins and longtime Fresno State Head Coach and 1,400-game winner Margie Wright.
His wife and fellow Lady Vol Co-Head Coach Karen Weekly introduced her husband at the ceremony before he took to the podium to deliver a speech that thanked his both current and former coaching influences, staff members and players and members of his family that were in attendance.
