No. 12/12 Tennessee (2-1) faces its third straight opponent from the Volunteer State, as Belmont (1-1) comes to Knoxville for a 7 p.m. contest on Thursday at Food City Center.
The game will be televised by SEC Network and carried on the Lady Vol Radio Network and SiriusXM Satellite Radio (Channels 117 or 190).
Thursday’s match-up is the UT women’s basketball Salute To Service game, honoring active military members and veterans for their commitment and personal sacrifice for our nation.
The Lady Vols carry a two-game winning streak into Thursday, defeating East Tennessee State at home last Friday, 97-47, and winning at UT Martin, 72-61, on Sunday in the Pat Summitt Heritage Classic.
After challenging No. 6/7 Oklahoma in the opener before falling, 84-67, in Norman on Nov. 3, Belmont evened its record at 1-1 on the season with an 83-61 home blowout of Brown last Friday.
The Lady Vols and Bruins will meet for the 12th time, with BU possessing a 6-5 lead in the series.
BROADCAST DETAILS
- Sam Gore (play-by-play) and Carolyn Peck (analyst) will describe the action for the SEC Network broadcast.
- All of the games included in the ESPN package (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU) will be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
- The contest also can be heard on Lady Vol Network stations and by audio stream, with Brian Rice providing play-by-play and Jay Lifford serving as studio host.
- A link to the live audio stream can be found on the WBB Preview page or the schedule on UTSports.com.
- For a list of Lady Vol Network affiliates, please click the Fans tab at the top of UTSports.com, select Vol Network and then click on the Vol Network Affiliates tab.
- Air-time generally occurs 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
- The Lady Vol Network broadcast also will be available on SiriusXM Satellite Radio channels 117 or 190.
GAME PROMOTIONS
- Salute To Service: Current military members and veterans who present their Military ID or DD214 at the ticket window upon entry will receive free tickets for them and their immediate family (up to 6 total tickets).
- VOLoween vouchers will be accepted for this game.
LAST TIME OUT
- No. 8/9 Tennessee survived a sluggish first half and a determined opponent, holding off upset-minded UT Martin, 72-61, in the Pat Summitt Heritage Classic on Sunday at a sold-out Elam Center.
- The Skyhawks (0-2), playing on a court named for the UTM alum and legendary Lady Vols coach, made six of nine three-pointers in the first half and seized an eight-point, second-quarter lead. The Lady Vols (2-1), facing their second game in two days and third last week, finally sprung to life after the intermission, outscoring the hosts 39-28 over the final 20 minutes to claim a hard-earned victory.
- Senior guard Nya Robertson stepped up with her best outing as a Lady Vol, firing in 17 points to lead the Big Orange. Freshman guard Jaida Civil contributed 13 points, while senior forward Janiah Barker added 11 and redshirt junior Talaysia Cooper tossed in 10. Barker and senior forward Zee Spearman pulled down eight rebounds to pace UT on the glass.
- Grace Billington set the tone for UT Martin, knocking down four shots beyond the arc to tally 20 points.
A LOOK AT THE LADY VOLS
- The Lady Vols stand at 2-1 after playing three games in a span of six days last week, including at home on Friday (ETSU) and on the road Sunday (UTM).
- Four players average double digits in scoring for Tennessee, led by 6-0 redshirt junior guard Talaysia Cooper (17.0 ppg., 57% FG, 47% 3FG, 8 3FGs), a preseason All-SEC First Team pick and national player of the year candidate.
- Six-foot-four senior forwards Janiah Barker (13.7 ppg., 5.0 rpg., 4 3FGs) and Zee Spearman (12.0 ppg., 7.7 rpg., 4 3FGs) can score inside and outside.
- Freshman guards Jaida Civil (11.3 ppg., 3.3 rpg., 2.3 apg., 1.3 spg.) and Mia Pauldo (9.7 ppg., 3.3 rpg., 1.7 apg., 1.3 spg., 6 3FGs) have been immediate contributors, with each starting two contests.
- SMU transfer Nya Robertson (8.7 ppg., 3.7 rpg., 3 3FGs) broke out vs. UT Martin, hitting three treys and netting 17 points.
- Tennessee is averaging 10.0 three-pointers made per game thus far.
- UT forces 19.7 turnovers per contest.
- The Lady Vols are averaging 25.3 points off turnovers per game.
LADY VOLS VS. IN-STATE FOES
- The Tennessee women are 268-64-1 all-time vs. four-year college teams from the Volunteer State through the UT Martin game.
- The Lady Vols, who are 2-0 this season vs. in-state foes, are in the midst of a four-game run vs. Tennessee schools, including East Tennessee State (Nov. 7), UT Martin (Nov. 9) and Belmont at home (Nov. 13) and on the road at Middle Tennessee (Nov. 20).
- They are also slated to entertain Vanderbilt on March 1 in the regular-season finale.
- The Lady Vols were 3-2 last season after beating UT Martin (Nov. 7) and MTSU (Nov. 12) at home and Memphis on the road (Dec. 18), and losing at Vandy (Jan. 19) and vs. Vandy in the SEC Tournament (Mar. 6).
- UT has won 40 of the last 44 over schools from within the state border, with the lone setbacks during that run being a 76-69 loss to Vanderbilt in Knoxville on Feb. 28, 2019, a 73-62 loss to Middle Tennessee in Huntsville, Ala., on Dec. 6, 2023, a 71-70 loss to Vandy in Nashville on Jan. 19, 2025, and an 84-76 defeat by Vanderbilt on March 6, 2025, at the SEC Tournament.
FAMILIAR FACES ON THE OTHER BENCH
- For the second straight game, Tennessee will face a former Lady Vol on the opposite bench.
- Belmont features former Lady Vol and Knoxville native Avery Strickland, who has started both games for the Bruins and is averaging 9.0 ppg., 2.0 rpg. and 2.0 apg. thus far. She had 11 points in BU’s game vs. Brown on Nov. 7.
- Additionally, former Lady Vol team manager Virginia Stuart is a graduate assistant for basketball operations at Belmont.
- When the Lady Vols played at UT Martin, guard Destinee Wells (at Tennessee from 2023-25) was a member of the Skyhawks’ roster. Prior to transferring to UT, Wells starred at Belmont from 2020-23.
FRESH STARTING FIVES EACH GAME
- Tennessee has opened the year with three different starting lineup combinations in as many games.
- Janiah Barker, Talaysia Cooper and Zee Spearman have started all three contests.
- Freshmen Jaida Civil and Mia Pauldo have each started two games, including Pauldo in the opener vs. NC State.
- Mia Pauldo was the first freshman to start for Tennessee in an opener since Marta Suarez did so on Nov. 28, 2020, and the 24th to do so all time.
- Nya Robertson started the first two games but came off the bench vs. UT Martin.
- UT used 17 different starting lineup combos a year ago.
LADY VOL NATION SHOWING OUT
- The Nov. 7 attendance of 10,671 vs. ETSU was the largest in a home opener for Tennessee since 10,913 were on hand on Nov. 15, 2012, against Rice.
- This comes after Tennessee averaged 10,647 last season, which ranked fifth nationally.
- The Lady Vols rank No. 3 nationally thus far in attendance at 10,671, standing behind South Carolina (16,125) and Iowa (14,998).
- UT’s exhibition game attendance of 10,159 vs. Columbus State on Oct. 29, 2025, was the most since 10,507 fans were on hand for the Nov. 4, 2013, exhibition vs. Carson-Newman.
UT/BU SERIES NOTES
- Belmont leads the all-time series, 6-5, but Tennessee has won the last three contests.
- This will mark only the third meeting between these programs since the turn of the century.
- These schools last met on March 21, 2022, in the NCAA Second Round in Knoxville, where the Lady Vols held off an upset bid by the Bruins, 70-67.
- Tennessee and Belmont are slated to meet next season in Nashville.
A LOOK AT BELMONT
- The Bruins (1-1) are led by the trio of Jailyn Banks (14.5 ppg.), Hilary Fuller (14.5 ppg., 6.0 rpg.) and Sanaa Tripp (11.5 ppg.).
- Quinn Eubank and Avery Strickland are just shy of double-figure scoring, each putting up 9.0 ppg.
- BU is averaging 10.5 three-pointers per game, making 21 in two games to its foes’ eight.
- Tripp leads with five treys and Eubank has four.
- Belmont only turns the ball over 12.0 times per game but forces 18.5, with 11.5 coming via steals.
ABOUT THE HEAD COACH
- Bart Brooks is in his ninth season at the helm of the Bruins.
- He has a 199-69 career record, all at Belmont.
- Brooks has guided BU to five regular season conference titles (4 OVC, 1 MVC) and four tourney crowns (4 OVC).
- His squads have earned four NCAA Tourney bids, advancing to the second round in 2021 and 2022.
THE BRUINS’ LAST GAME
- In its home opener on Friday, Belmont scored 48 second-half points to defeat Brown, 83-61, for the Bruins’ first victory of the season.
- Belmont (1-1) doubled the Bears (0-1) across the second 20 minutes of play and outscored Brown 27-9 in the fourth quarter.
- Quinn Eubank had a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double to lead the, way, while Hilary Fuller (17), Tuti Jones (14), Jailyn Banks, Avery Strickland (11) and Sanaa Tripp (10) made it six scoring in double digits.
LAST TIME UT & BU MET
- No. 18/17 Tennessee advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 on March 21, 2022, defeating in-state foe Belmont in Knoxville, 70-67.
- The fourth-seeded Lady Vols (25-8) were led by graduate Alexus Dye who posted a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Junior Tamari Key and freshman Sara Puckett were also in double figures with 18 and 12, respectively.
- Puckett hit a corner-three with just under 18 seconds remaining to put the Lady Vols ahead for good.
- Destinee Wells was the high scorer for the 12th-seeded Bruins (23-8) with 22, while Madison Bartley contributed 16.
NEXT UP
- Tennessee will play its fourth consecutive game vs. an in-state opponent, as it travels to Murfreesboro to take on Middle Tennessee next Thursday night.
- The Lady Vols and Blue Raiders will meet at 6:30 p.m. CT (7:30 p.m. ET) at the Murphy Center (11,520).
- The contest will be streamed on ESPN+ and can be heard on Lady Vol Radio Network stations statewide and via live stream on UTSports.com.
- Tennessee and MTSU will meet for the 25th time in series history, with UT holding a 23-1 all-time record.
- After Middle Tennessee claimed its first victory in the series, 73-62, in Huntsville, Ala., on Dec. 6, 2023, the Lady Vols responded with an 89-75 triumph in Knoxville on Nov. 12, 2024, in Kim Caldwell‘s first season.
