Tennessee
No. 7 Tennessee runs past UT Martin to remain unbeaten
It started like many of Tennessee‘s home non-conference games have through the first month of the season.
The No. 7 Vols never trailed in its first game since two stellar outings at the Baha Mar Championship and its lead was never in question, but another defensive masterclass turned their game against UT Martin into a second half rout, producing a 78-35 victory at Food City Center on Wednesday.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
Tennessee (7-0) did it without the kind of shooting clinic it put on against Virginia and Baylor in the Bahamas last week, finishing less than 30% from three-point range. Chaz Lanier led the Vols in scoring with 16 points, while Zakai Zeigler scored 11 and Felix Okpara finished with 10 along with 11 rebounds for a double-double.
Tennessee held UT Martin (2-5) to 23% shooting from the field and allowed just 15 second half points from the Skyhawks, with their 35 total points the fewest allowed at Food City Center since it opened in 1987.
It started slow, then Zakai Zeigler hit a step-back 3-pointer nearly two minutes in.
UT Martin answered with a Matija Zuzic three to even the score before the Vols rattled off an 8-0 run that included 3-pointers from Igor Milicic Jr. and Chaz Lanier to open up an 11-3 lead with a little under 16 minutes left in the first half.
The Skyhawks evidently made the most of the first media timeout after the Vols’ early onslaught. Leading scorer Josue Grullon scored on back-to-back possessions, including an acrobatic three-point shot from the corner to trim Tennessee’s lead to 12-8.
The Vols clapped back with a score from Milicic and a put-back dunk from Cade Phillips, who was the first player off the bench alongside Jordan Gainey to extend the lead to 16-10 with 11:34 to go in the half.
On the defensive end, Tennessee held UT Martin scoreless for at two-plus minute stretch while Milicic and Lanier bolstered the Vols on offense before the Skyhawks ended their drought to cut the Vols lead to nine at 23-14 as the clock ticked inside of eight minutes.
Tennessee had its own stagnant stretch on offense with less than seven minutes left in the half, going cold from the field for a couple of minutes before Darlinstone Dubar, who has made an impact off of the bench since making his debut at the Baha Mar Championship last week, sunk a 3-pointer to up the Vols’ lead to 28-14.
UT Martin went nearly five minutes without a basket, the result of Tennessee getting hands on the ball and keeping it on the Skyhawks’ end of the floor. Grullon was fouled on a deep 3-pointer that fell through to again end a drought and narrow their deficit to 28-17.
Tennessee’s only points in a four-minute stretch late in the half came from a pair of free throws from Phillips and Stefano Faloppa made a 3-pointer to pull UT Martin within 10. But Felix Okpara gathered in a pass under the basket and finished with a dunk to send the Vols into the half up 35-20.
As sluggish as Tennessee’s ending to the first half was, the Vols grabbed their largest lead quickly in the second half after Zeigler tallied another three and Okpara tipped the ball in to go up 40-20.
Tennessee added two more scores from Gainey and Zeigler again before UT Martin scored its first points of the of the half more than four minutes into the period.
The Vols’ three-point shooting woes continued with Zeigler’s shot in the opening second the only one made of five attempts through the first eight minutes, but those struggles hardly mattered.
The defense gave the Skyhawks fits and Tennessee found other ways to score to maintain a 20-point cushion.
Lanier ended the Vols’ cold streak from deep with a three from the top of the of the key to go ahead 54-29 with 8:58 to go. He had a second on the next possession that rimmed out, but Okapra was there for the put-back.
Dubar scored in transition off of a turnover and Milicic pulled down Zeigler’s eighth assist for a dunk to highlight a 16-3 run over six minutes that upped Tennessee’s lead to a commanding 64-31 edge.
Tennessee will open December with another power conference test on its home floor.
The Vols host Syracuse in the ACC/SEC Challenge at Food City Center on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET (TV: ESPN) in a rematch of the Maui Invitational in Honolulu last November.
Tennessee won that game, 73-56.
The Vols played at North Carolina in the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge last season, coming up short in a second half comeback bid in Chapel Hill.
Syracuse is off to a 3-2 with wins over Le Moyne, Colgate and Youngstown State and losses to Texas and Texas Tech. The Orange play Cornell later tonight.
Tennessee
Tennessee AMC theater worker, 85, receives $146K from strangers for retirement after viral video
A viral Tennessee movie theater worker, 85, was surprised with $146K as strangers rallied together to help her “enjoy retirement.”
Mary Ellen Eron was seen hauling a heavy black garbage bag and pushing a cleaning cart during her shift at the theater in Maryville, Tenn., which has since been viewed more than 13 million times.
“Let’s secretly help retire this beautiful woman. No one deserves to work at this age,” movie customer Brooklyn Green, who filmed the video, captioned the post.
Green launched a fundraiser last weekend after watching Mary, who has been a movie theater staffer for 45 years, hard at work – even though she’s a stranger.
“I knew nothing about her. I didn’t even know her name when I went to the theater,” Green told WATE reported. “I just decided that she was working so hard, and I aspired to be like her one day.
“Her physical appearance didn’t look too comfortable, especially since the way she was working so hard.”
Green set a target of $200,000 – and she raised $146,317 before pausing donations. More than 7,500 people donated to the charitable cause.
On Wednesday, Green posted the moment that she presented Eron, who helps the homeless and her local church, with the total figures from the crowdfunding page.
“Oh my goodness. That’s a lot of money,” Eron said as she realized the number on the piece of paper.
“That’s a lot of money and you deserve every bit of it,” Green said.
The clip also featured a message from Eron, who addressed the people who had contributed.
“Thank you so very much to all the wonderful people that have donated money to the GoFundMe,” she said.
“I’m overwhelmed and certainly blessed by the Lord and you wonderful people. Thank you once more.”
The theater’s manager revealed it will be Eron’s decision when she retires.
The Tennessee Volunteers have had their fair share of bad news as of late when it comes to the college baseball transfer portal, but luckily, they have received some great news.
The great news that they have received is that they will be returning one of their breakout stars from this past college baseball season, as he has no intentions of entering the college baseball transfer portal.
Trent Grindlinger Will Return to Tennessee
The player who is set to return to Tennessee is Trent Grindlinger, who was electric this season and is expected to be a future top 10 MLB draft pick. This is expected for the first draft that he is eligible for, which is the 2027 MLB Draft rather than this upcoming draft that will feature multiple Vols, including Tennessee ACE, Tegan Kuhns.
Grindlinger finished last season with a batting average of .345, while hitting eight home runs and only striking out 28 times. This would be an electric season for the talented Volunteers’ batter, and he is set for a season that could and should be even better than that, which would be good enough to consider for some major college baseball end-of-the-season awards. He is just one of the few players who opted to stay and return rather than enter their name into the college baseball transfer portal, but if they were going to return anyone, he is the player they would want to return in the field.
Had he entered the transfer portal, there wouldn’t be a single college in the nation that wouldn’t want to add him, as every college would want to add the elite prospect. Not only that, but he would become the nation’s No. 1 player on the portal more than likely.
Luckily for the Vols, though, they don’t have to worry about that.
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Tennessee
Franklin police ticket 13-year-old after e-bike crash, and a new Tennessee law brings more changes July 1
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Franklin police cited a 13-year-old following a crash involving a motorized bike, and a new Tennessee law taking effect July 1 will bring additional restrictions for young riders.
On April 21, Franklin officers responded to a fender bender at the Interstate 65 off-ramp at the Goose Creek Bypass involving a 13-year-old on a motorized bike and a vehicle. Both the teen and the adult driver were waiting for officers when they arrived. The woman behind the wheel was visibly shaken and told officers the bike came out of nowhere while she was attempting to turn right on red.
The bike turned out to be more powerful than a standard e-bicycle. Under the law, it is not considered a bicycle at all — it is classified as a motor scooter, which falls under different laws than Class 1, 2, and 3 e-bikes.
“Downside is kids are about to get a bunch of tickets. He can’t ride that e-bike because it’s not just an e-bike — too much voltage, it’s a motor scooter,” Officer Spry with the Franklin Traffic Unit said.
“He can’t be on a sidewalk, he has to be in a bike lane, and it can’t be more than 28 miles an hour,” Spry said.
The driver of the car was cited for failure to exercise due care. The 13-year-old was cited for several violations, including not having a driver’s license, insurance, or registration. Franklin police say the citations issued to the teen are all appropriate under current law. Officers told the teen’s parent the citations would need to be answered in juvenile court. The family promised to trade the bike in for something safer.
Spry made clear this is not an isolated case.
“You’re not the only one that I’ve written this ticket to,” Spry said.
“This is probably one of the greatest opportunities for us to provide safety and save a life that we’ll ever see,” Franklin Alderman Greg Caesar said.
Starting July 1, only those 16 years and older will be legally allowed to ride Class 3 e-bikes, which can reach speeds of 28 miles per hour. The new law changes the age of those allowed to operate Class 3 e-bikes and does not affect the motor scooter classification that applied in this case.
Franklin city leaders are debating changes to local e-bike laws. Alderman Greg Caesar described it as a nuanced problem but said educating parents should start now.
“It needs to be considered, as some of these e-bikes and riders can do real and significant damage,” Caesar said.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com
This story was reported on-air by Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Students help relaunch donation drive for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
Young or old, we all love to play board and card games! Those games become even more important when you are indoors and don’t have the ability to get outside, like patients in a hospital. Austin Pollack shares the story of students in a Nashville family who have helped re-launch the Red Wagon project to collect games for patients at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
– Lelan Statom
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