Postgame Notes: UT 75, UK 64

March 7, 2015

Number of Interest

Here are a few numbers of interest:

» Tennessee defeated Kentucky for the third time this season. UT also defeated Georgia three times this season in UT's win in the SEC quarterfinals.

» Cierra Burdick carded her seventh double-double of the season with 20 points and 11 rebounds.

» With the win over Kentucky in the semifinals, the Lady Vols will play in their 23rd SEC championship game on Sunday vs. South Carolina.

POSTGAME NOTES

THE SERIES

This is the third meeting between the two programs this season and 63rd meeting overall.
Tennessee now has a 53-10 record in the series.
Tennessee now has a 7-1 SEC tournament record vs. Kentucky.
UT is 10-0 vs. Kentucky at neutral sites and 9-0 in postseason games.
Holly Warlick has a 3-2 record vs. Kentucky.
Warlick is 24-14 vs. ranked teams.
This season, the Lady Vols are 9-3 vs. ranked teams. Three of their wins were against Kentucky.

UT'S SEC TOURNEY HISTORY

In the SEC tournament, the Lady Vols have a 75-18 all-time record and 17 titles in the previous 35 years.
The Lady Vols are 23-9 in semifinal play.
UT now has advanced to the championship game on 23 occasions, including five of the last six years with recent wins in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014.
The Lady Vols will play in its 23rd SEC championship game on Sunday.
UT is 17-5 in title games, winning five of the last seven and seven of the last 10 including last season.

DEFENDING THE TITLE

The Lady Vols are back in the championship game in back-to-back seasons.
In three seasons at the helm of the Tennessee program, Holly Warlick has helped lead the Lady Vols to at least one SEC trophy each season.
Last season, UT also entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed.
The Lady Vols defeated Kentucky in last year's championship game to take the title.

FOR STARTERS

Today's starters: Bashaara Graves, Cierra Burdick, Jordan Reynolds, Andraya Carter and 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 4-1.
The jump ball was controlled by Tennessee.
The first Tennessee points were scored by Bashaara Graves with a free throw.

OFF THE BENCH

Jaime Nared, was the first Lady Vol off the bench.
Nia Moore came into the game with 11:20 left in the first half.
Alexa Middle was the third UT player off the bench with 9:27 left in the first half.
Kortney Dunbar entered with under a minute to play.

A-MASS MOVES UP IN RECORD BOOKS

Just a game after earning her 500th assist, Ariel Massengale has once again moved up the record books. She dished out four assists vs. the Wildcats moving her career total to 506, which passes Alexis Hornbuckle (503).
Massengale is now in sole possession of the No. 5 position on Tennessee's career assists list.

OFFENSIVELY SPEAKING

The Lady Vols did not score for the first 4:16 of the game. It was the first time this season that UT's first score came off of a free throw.
Jordan Reynolds made her most treys since Florida on 2/8/15 and earned a new career high with three made shots from beyond the arc.
In four of the last six games, Cierra Burdick has scored at least 16 points.
Burdick carded her seventh double-double of the season and 19th overall. She produced 20 points and 11 rebounds. She also added three assists and a block.
Bashaara Graves dished out a career-high five assists while adding six points, nine rebounds and two blocks.

LADY VOL DEFENSE

Alexa Middleton blocked her first shot of her career in the first half.
Kentucky's Makayla Epps is averaging 14.6 points per game and was limited to 10 points after scoring 31 points vs. Mississippi St. in the quarterfinals.
UT forced 15 turnovers and accounted for four steals.
Both Bashaara Graves and Nia Moore blocked two shots apiece.

REBOUNDING ALWAYS A PRIORITY

AT THE HALF

Despite a slow start, the Lady Vols entered the half with a 31-24 lead.
Tennessee shot 42.9 percent (12-28) while Kentucky shot almost two percent better at 44.0 percent (11-25).
UT had 13 points off UK's 11 turnovers.
Cierra Burdick led all scorers with 12 points, including two treys.
The Lady Vols out-rebounded UK by just one, 14-13.

UP NEXT

The Lady Vols will move onto the final game of the SEC Tournament. They will play South Carolina on Sunday, March 8, at 2:30 p.m. CT/3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

University of Tennessee Athletics