Tennessee
LIVE UPDATES: Tennessee trails Alabama at the half
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – Tennessee and Alabama enter Saturday night’s contest both at 11-3 in the SEC. The winner will take over sole possession of first place in the regular season standings with just two regular season contests remaining.
Live updates will begin when the game tips off at 8:00 EST.
FIRST HALF
After his best game of the season came on the road earlier this year at Kentucky, Josiah-Jordan James got off to a hot start in Tuscaloosa, hitting a corner three to give the Vols an early 6-4 lead.
With a 7-5 lead, Dalton Knecht quieted the crowd with a slam dunk off a Santiago Vescovi steal.
Jonas Aidoo found himself in foul trouble early, picking up his second at the 15:23 mark of the first half.
15:23 FIRST HALF | TENNESSEE 9, ALABAMA 5
Dalton Knecht opened the night hitting three of his first four shots to give the Vols a 13-10 lead.
Zakai Zeigler hit Tennessee’s second three of the night to extend the lead to 18-12.
Santiago Vescovi made the Vols’ third three to give UT its largest lead at 21-12.
Tobe Awaka also picked up his second foul, giving both he and Jonas Aidoo two fouls early on.
11:43 FIRST HALF | TENNESSEE 21, ALABAMA 12
The Vols forced Mark Sears to pick up his second foul just before the under-8 media timeout.
Jordan Gainey began the game with seven quick points to lead the Vols in scoring.
Alabama’s three point shooting allowed the Tide to pull within six points at the under-8 timeout.
7:20 FIRST HALF | TENNESSEE 28, ALABAMA 22
In the blink of an eye, Tennessee’s double-digit advantage turned into just a four point lead thanks to Alabam’s high-powered offense.
A corner three from Davin Cosby Jr. cut the lead to one at 30-29.
Off a Dalton Knecht offensive rebound, Jahmai Mashack made his first shot of the evening, a corner three to give Tennessee a 36-29 lead.
4:22 FIRST HALF | TENNESSEE 36, ALABAMA 29
Out of the media timeout, Josiah-Jordan James’ second three of the night extended a Vol run to 9-0, giving Tennessee a 39-29 lead.
Dalton Knecht picked up his second foul of the night on an offensive foul. Two of Tennessee’s five starters sat at two fouls late in the first half.
Alabama followed Tennessee’s 9-0 run with an 8-0 run of its own, to pull within two points.
1:34 FIRST HALF | TENNESSEE 39, ALABAMA 37
Josiah-Jordan James became the third UT starter to pick up two first half fouls.
Alabama closed the half on a 12-0 run to take a 41-39 lead into the locker room.
HALFTIME | ALABAMA 41, TENNESSEE 39
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Tennessee
Why first quarter was ‘crucial’ in Mississippi State’s loss to Tennessee
Sam Purcell felt good about the game plan for Mississippi State women’s basketball’s matchup with Tennessee.
But the Bulldogs gave up 26 points in the first quarter and trailed by seven points. It was a deficit they never recovered from in a 90-80 loss to the Lady Vols at Humphrey Coliseum on Jan. 8.
“You look at that that first quarter, I thought it was crucial. We had a great scout, a great game plan, but we didn’t talk on ball screens,” Purcell said. “Their largest quarter was that first quarter, and we’re going to watch back and go, dang it, we need to be more vocal. And you got to give them credit – top to bottom, they’re probably as good as anybody in the country with athleticism. So you can’t let those athletic kids turn the corner for wide open layups, and we did.”
Kharyssa Richardson and Madison Francis led the Bulldogs with 22 points each, but MSU didn’t have enough defense to pull off the upset.
Had Mississippi State been able to slow down Tennessee’s drivers in the first quarter, it may have been a different result. But once the Bulldogs started slowing that down, the Lady Vols were “phenomenal hitting some big-time shots,” Purcell said.
Tennessee only had the edge in points in the paint, 42-40, but it also went 10-for-27 on 3-pointers, which was an area Mississippi State couldn’t match. The Bulldogs shot 2-for-13 from deep.
MSU also couldn’t stop Tennessee freshman point guard Mia Pauldo, who scored a game-high 26 points on 8-for-12 shooting. The Bulldogs sent her to the foul line time and time again, and she went 8-for-9 on free throws.
“I thought (Pauldo) was poised, she was clutch,” Purcell said. “Obviously, that’s what you need in games like this that are gonna come down the to the wire. You need players to step up, and I thought she was the X factor for them.”
Tennessee
Former Tennessee Football Legend Accepts SEC Coaching Gig
The Tennessee Volunteers have been one of the main teams when it comes to producing talent and sending talent to the NFL, which is something that has often been discovered as a standard for the football program. This is something that has been going on for quite some time and isn’t anything new to the news cycle, as the Vols have been able to produce plenty of talented prospects.
Tennessee is the home of many stars, including some of the best defensive players in SEC history. Guys like Eric Berry have found their way through the Tennessee program and onto the NFL, where they would have legendary careers. However, the defensive side of the football is the only side that has produced plenty of talent, as Tennessee has produced a lot of offensive talent as well. With the likes of Peyton Manning and company, the Vols have shown a great track record in getting talent drafted.
The Vols have produced someone who could be considered as one of the best players to play the Tide end position, as the Knoxville, Tennessee program is the home to Dallas Cowboys legend, Jason Witten. Witten is someone who made the most of his career and has been viewed as a top player at the Tide in position, and someone who is often referred to as a legend for the Cowboys, along with being a legend in the game of football as a whole.
Jason Witten Accepts TE Coach Position For Oklahoma
Witten is now taking a new gig, which has him in a huge role inside the Southeastern Conference. The Vols legend is now the tight end coach for the Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners have had some success out of their tight ends in the past, but the sky is the limit with a guy like Witten coaching up the players. Witten has the opportunity to do really well, as coaching tight ends won’t be an issue, and you have to imagine that he will be able to recruit very well, considering he has a huge name around him, as this is something that we have seen from positional coaches as well as head coaches who have done great work in the league. You have to imagine that the Vols will now have stiff competition for his son, Cooper, who is a five-star recruit for the upcoming 2027 class at the linebacker position.
More Vols News
Tennessee
Tennessee Football DB Transfer Boo Carter Visits the Vols Rival
The Tennessee Volunteers are looking to land many of the nation’s best players in the transfer portal to replace the players who have already announced they are transferring away from Tennessee. One of the players they lost very early on to the portal, and his plans of entering the portal is Boo Carter.
Carter is someone who has quickly made a name for himself, as he played for the Vols as a freshman. He also played for the Tennessee Vols this past season before suffering an injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season. Carter entered the portal and left an announcement on his X page for those interested. Here is what was said.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank The University of Tennessee Coaches, administrators and fans for a wonderful 2 years. Unfortunately my season has been cut short due to injury. I have decided to enter the transfer portal and I am excited about the opportunities going forward!-Boo Carter”
Boo Carter Visits Vanderbilt
Now that the portal is here, he has started to hear from many teams, including a team many anticipated to be in the picture. The Vols DB heard from the Vanderbilt staff and is now reportedly visiting them. This is a school where many of his friends go currently, and a school that has been doing well, but it is no secret that this is one of the Vols’ biggest rivalries.
He is undecided on a possible commitment somewhere, but the reports have started to indicate that the Commodores are a team to watch moving forward. This will be one to watch for the Vols, as there is a good chance they may see Carter next season.
“Dynamic athlete who quickly made an impact on defense and special teams as a true freshman … Earned the starting STAR position and shined while becoming a dangerous weapon as a punt returner as a true freshman in 2024 … Saw action as a slot receiver as well during 2025 spring practices … Early enrollee in January 2024 who participated in Citrus Bowl practices and spring practice before his true freshman season … Has compiled 63 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles, three pass breakups and one interception on defense in his career … Dynamic punt returner who averages 16.0 yards per return in his career … Played in 21 career games and made five starts,” the Tennessee Vols athletics website stated.
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