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How Tennessee basketball turned Florida’s ‘disrespect’ into blowout win

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How Tennessee basketball turned Florida’s ‘disrespect’ into blowout win


Florida coach Todd Golden turned to the crowd, waved his arms and did the Gator Chomp.

The clock showed 45 seconds to play with Florida leading Tennessee basketball 69-41 in Gainesville, Florida. That was on Jan. 7 and the Vols didn’t forget it on Saturday.

“We had to take it personal,” Vols guard Jordan Gainey said. “We didn’t like what we saw. At that point, it just became personal with us.”

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The Vols were shown clips of how the Gators celebrated late in their 73-43 win in Gainesville, which only served to rile up No. 8 Tennessee (18-4, 5-4 SEC) and provide an extra boost for its shorthanded 64-44 beatdown of the No. 6 Gators (18-3, 5-3) at Food City Center.

Tennessee felt ‘disrespect’ from Florida

Vols guard Jahmai Mashack shared that the Tennessee coaches pointed to what they perceived as “disrespect” from Florida in the first meeting this season. They compiled videos to emphasize the point.

“We don’t take well to that,” Mashack said. “We’re a tough team. A team that plays hard every single game. … Knowing that, we all had a chip on our shoulders.”

The Vols responded with their best win of the season. They shut down Florida’s highly regarded offense, holding the Gators to 44 points. Florida’s previous low this season was 70 and it had only been held to less than 80 points four times in their first 20 games.

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UT limited Florida to 24.5% shooting and 14.8% 3-point shooting.

The Vols also performed at an elite level on the interior, outrebounding and outscoring Florida in the paint. UT had a 34-14 scoring edge in the paint after it was outdone by a 40-14 margin in Gainesville. UT lost the rebounding battle 55-38 in the loss, then won it 40-37 on Saturday.

The Vols were ‘fired up’ for Florida rematch

Chaz Lanier, who had a game-high 19 points, didn’t mind speaking for his teammates about the videos they saw.

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“Everybody was just fired up and ready to go for the game,” Lanier said. “Everybody was excited for this one.”

Tennessee’s defense was at its best again against a top offense like it was in a 53-51 loss at Auburn. It played a hard-fought first half before rolling the Gators in the second half despite being without guard Zakai Zeigler (right knee) and forward Igor Milicic Jr. (illness).

It got a helping hand from Florida in the process.

“Going through that experience, it helped us in the long run,” Mashack said.

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Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson or Bluesky @bymikewilson.bsky.social. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.





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Tennessee

Possible tornado kills mother and daughter in Tennessee

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Possible tornado kills mother and daughter in Tennessee


Possible tornado kills mother and daughter in Tennessee – CBS News

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A mother and daughter were killed and three others injured after severe storms tore through eastern Tennessee Friday morning. Morgan County officials are saying a possible tornado moved through the region. CBS News Philadelphia meteorologist Tammie Souza has more.

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No. 19 Tennessee defeats No. 5 UConn for first time in past 5 meetings

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No. 19 Tennessee defeats No. 5 UConn for first time in past 5 meetings


No. 19 Tennessee defeated No. 5 UConn in Knoxville on Thursday, winning the matchup between two of the most accomplished programs in women’s college basketball for the first time in their past five meetings.

The Lady Vols’ 80-76 victory over the Huskies was their first in the rivalry since 2007, but that’s deceiving because the two teams didn’t play again after that until 2020. UConn coach Geno Auriemma thought the rivalry had become too bitter between fanbases and wanted to take a break. Tennessee and UConn last played each other in January 2023.

The first 20 minutes of Thursday’s matchup were tight with the Huskies going into halftime with a narrow 39-37 lead led by Sarah Strong’s 12 points.

However, Tennessee created some separation with six minutes remaining in the third quarter on a jumper by Samara Spencer, who followed that up with a steal and another basket for a 49-45 lead. On Tennessee’s next possession, Sara Puckett hit a 3-pointer to create a seven-point margin.

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The Huskies took a four-point lead in the first two minutes of the third quarter and appeared to be taking control of the game. Tennessee then went on a 13-0 run capped by a Talaysia Cooper layup that built a nine-point margin.

UConn slowly chipped away at the Lady Vols’ lead and ended the third quarter down 59-54. Tennessee maintained its lead, but could never get further ahead than six points. The Huskies eventually tied the game twice, first at 69-69 on two free throws by Kaitlyn Chen then at 74-74 on a 3-pointer from Paige Bueckers.

Yet the Lady Vols weren’t shaken by UConn’s rally, quickly regained the lead on a jumper by Zee Spearman and stayed ahead until the end. Spearman’s basket out of a timeout with 15 seconds was the dagger, giving Tennessee an 80-76 lead. Azzi Fudd missed a layup and Bueckers misfired on a 3 as time expired.

Spearman led Tennessee with 16 points and seven rebounds, with Spencer adding 14 points. Jewel Spear tallied 12 points for the Lady Vols, who improved their record to 17-5 overall.

Strong scored a game-high 18 points for UConn with nine rebounds, followed by 14 from Bueckers. However, the Huskies star guard shot 5-of-16 from the floor. With the defeat, UConn dropped to 21-3 for the season.

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For new Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell, who gave birth to a son last month, the win over a longtime rival is the biggest of her first season in Knoxville. Previously, her team had lost its four games against opponents ranked in the top 10.

After defeating the No. 5 team in the nation, Tennessee takes on No. 6 LSU (23-1) in Baton Rouge on Saturday. UConn is again on the road for a matchup with Providence (10-15) on Sunday.



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What channel is UConn vs Tennessee today? Time, TV channel to watch women’s basketball game

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What channel is UConn vs Tennessee today? Time, TV channel to watch women’s basketball game


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A battle between blue bloods in UConn and Tennessee highlights Thursday night’s women’s college basketball slate.

First-year coach Kim Caldwell and the 19th-ranked Vols (16-5) host the No. 5 Huskies (21-2), led by 11-time national championship-winning coach Geno Auriemma and star guard Paige Bueckers, one of the best players in college basketball.

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Bueckers, a fourth-year senior, is averaging 19 points with four rebounds and 4.2 assists per game this season on 54.4% shooting. The 6-foot guard is also shooting a whopping 42.1% from 3-point range and is among the top contenders to be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming WNBA draft.

Watch Tennessee-UConn basketball live with Fubo (free trial)

Tennessee, which has lost three of its last five games, meanwhile is led by first-year transfer guard Talaysia Cooper, who’s averaging 17.9 points with 5.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game after transferring from South Carolina in the offseason.

Here’s how to watch the top 20 matchup between Tennessee and UConn on Thursday night:

What channel is Tennessee vs UConn on today?

Tennessee vs. UConn will air live on ESPN, with streaming options available on the ESPN app or Fubo, which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

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Tennessee vs UConn time today

  • Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
  • Date: Thursday, Feb. 6
  • Location: Food City Center (Knoxville, Tennessee)

Tennessee women’s basketball schedule 2024-25

Here are Tennessee basketball’s last five results. See the Vols’ full schedule here.

  • Feb. 2: Tennessee 76, Missouri 71
  • Jan. 27: South Carolina 70, Tennessee 63
  • Jan. 23: Texas 80, Tennessee 76
  • Jan. 19: Vanderbilt 71, Tennessee 70
  • Jan. 16: Tennessee 86, Mississippi State 73

UConn women’s basketball schedule 2024-25

Here are UConn basketball’s last five results. See the Huskies’ full schedule here.

  • Feb. 2: UConn 101, Butler 59
  • Jan. 29: UConn 84, DePaul 58
  • Jan. 25: UConn 72, Creighton 61
  • Jan. 22: UConn 100, Villanova 57
  • Jan. 19: UConn 96, Seton Hall 36

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