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Monday, March 24, 2014

Issue 47, Volume 125

OH ‘ZO SWEET

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“

We’re supposed to be here. (We’ve) got one of the best teams in the nation. ... We’re one of the 16 still standing. - Senior forward Jeronne Maymon

‘Tougher breed’ indeed: Vols rout Mercer, 83-63, advance to 7th ever Sweet 16 Steven Cook Copy Editor

RALEIGH, N.C. — No confetti was falling, but the significance of the moment was unmistakable. Cuonzo Martin bear-hugged by each Tennessee basketball player, one-by-one, at the center of the PNC Arena court. One postgame television interview later, Athletic Director Dave Hart was the next to embrace the oft-criticized Volunteers head coach. A 2013-2014 journey full of more ups and downs than could possibly be put into words will at least end with “Sweet 16” next to its name. The Tennessee Volunteers stomped No. 14-seeded Mercer, 83-63, Sunday evening to claim the seventh Sweet 16 in program history, the fourth in the last eight years and the first of Martin’s coaching career. “It’s sweet,” Josh Richardson said, shortly before chuckling when he noticed the coincidence. “Sweet – that was a good one.” Along with his usual defensive stopper responsibilities,

Richardson scored 26 points in the win, marking both the gamehigh and a career-high for the junior guard. He went 9-of-13 from the field, scoring 16 points in the first half alone and picking up the offense with Jordan McRae going just 4-of-12 with 14 points. “I felt like at halftime that I couldn’t miss,” Richardson said. “It’s nice to have a game like that.” With McRae — Tennessee’s typical offensive juggernaut — struggling to carry the load like he usually does, the Vols’ guards stepped up with Richardson and Antonio Barton (18 points) combining for six 3-pointers. The Vols are 9-0 when Barton hits at least three from deep. He canned four Sunday. “That’s big for us as a team, because now we have an insideoutside presence,” junior forward Jarnell Stokes said. “So it’s hard for teams to double-team (in the post) when we have guys who are hitting shots like that.” As for the inside, it was business as usual for Stokes, who amassed 17 points and 18 rebounds — one less than Mercer’s entire team. At one point, a quick look at

the box score showed Stokes outrebounding Mercer, 16-9. But with the burly Vols’ edge on the boards captivating the national audience, Tennessee’s players didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. “As a team, we’ve been doing that all year,” Stokes said of the rebounding prowess. “I feel like now that it’s in the NCAA tournament, it’s getting a lot more attention. “We always feel like we control the boards.” McRae agreed, giving an indication that things may not be so pretty when the pair of 260-pound big men, Stokes and senior leader Jeronne Maymon, leave Knoxville. “Anytime we have Jeronne and Jarnell wearing the Tennessee orange,” McRae said, “we feel like we always have the advantage.” The Vols didn’t seem to miss a beat from the opening tip, jumping out to an 8-0 lead before fans settled into their seats. But Mercer didn’t go quietly, quickly answering back and tying things up at 10 apiece. See GAME RECAP on Page 2

• Photo Courtesy of Wade Rackley of Tennessee Athletics INSIDE THE DAILY BEACON

@utkDailyBeacon www.utdailybeacon.com

3

Column: Martin disdain, Pearl petition helped fuel UT to Sweet 16

5

Diamond Vols avoid series sweep with offensive outburst

6

Lady Vols advance to second round of NCAA tourney

Page 2-3 Men’s Basketball Page 4 Spring Break Recap Page 5 Baseball/Softball Page 6 Women’s Basketball

2 • THE DAILY BEACON

Monday, March 24, 2014 Sports Editor Troy Provost-Heron

MEN’S BASKETBALL But as the Bears tried to claw back with their elusive offense, the Vols simply answered with scoring of their own and dominating the glass. The Vols shot 50 percent in the opening 20 minutes and held an undersized Bears squad to just four first-half rebounds — UT had 24 — as they assumed a 42-27 halftime lead. Any run Mercer made at the Vols’ lead in the second half was short-lived. The Bears couldn’t cut the deficit to less than 11 in the final frame, and every time the Cinderella of this year’s NCAA tournament threatened to cut it to single digits, the Vols simply answered with dagger after dagger. By the time the Vols blew open a 20-point lead late, the Mercer crowd’s raucous “I believe that we will win” chant proved less and less foretelling. And as the clock struck zero, reality sunk in for Martin

63 Mercer

• Photo Courtesy of Wade Rackley of Tennessee Athletics

continued from Page 1

and company. “It’s amazing to see these guys grow up right before my eyes throughout the course of a season,” Martin said. “[It’s] fun to be around. They took a lot of lumps, bumps along the way. They continued to work hard, continued to stay together and found a way to win games.” Given the adversity and criticism Vols’ players, coaches and the program in general have faced throughout the entire season, the moment didn’t weigh heavy on just Martin alone. For Stokes, being a part of the past two Vols’ teams that were bounced early in the NIT made it all the more sweeter. “It’s a great feeling, you can’t really explain it,” Stokes said. “NIT two straight years, I guess that’s what you call starting from the bottom.” The Vols will travel to Indianapolis and face No. 2-seed Michigan on Friday for a shot at either Kentucky or Louisville in the Elite Eight. Tip for the game is set for 7:15 p.m. on CBS.

msoutha1@utk.edu

Tennessee junior guard Josh Richardson hits a jumpshot over Mercer’s Matt Panaggio during the Vols’ 83-63 win over the Bears at PNC Arena on Sunday.

Vols ‘control the boards’ against Mercer • Photo Courtesy of Wade Rackley of Tennessee Athletics

GAME RECAP

tprovost@utk.edu

Assistant Sports Editor Dargan Southard

Tennessee 83

Raleigh, N.C. // PNC Arena // 18,712 24-53 (.453)

Field Goals

27-55 (.491)

8-22 (.364)

3-pointers

6-22 (.273)

7-9 (.778)

Free Throws

23-26 (.885)

19-7

Rebounds-Off

41-18

6

Turnovers

7

21

Fouls

14

-

Largest Lead

20

Individual Leaders L. Hall 15

Points

J. Richardson 26

I. Nwamu 4

Rebounds

J. Stokes 18

L. Hall 6

Assists

J. Stokes 5

3 tied, 1

Steals

A. Barton 2

D. Coursey 3

Blocks

-

Tennessee junior forward Jarnell Stokes dunks during the Vols’ 83-63 win over No. 14 seed Mercer in the second round of the NCAA tournament at PNC Arena on Sunday. Stokes tallied 17 points and 18 rebounds in the win.

Dargan Southard Assistant Sports Editor RALEIGH, N.C. — As the game turned: Although the Tennessee men’s basketball team owned a double-digit lead for a solid portion of the first half, Mercer seemed primed to carry momentum into the break with one final defensive showing at PNC Arena on Sunday. With the game clock approaching the final minute, Jarnell Stokes drove hard for a layup. Blocked. As he’s done countless times this season, the junior forward corralled the offensive rebound. Blocked again. The frustration was mounting. But instead of withering, the Vols displayed the hustle and persistence seen time-and-time again throughout their NCAA tournament run. Antonio Barton snagged another offensive board, and after Josh Richardson missed a 3-point jumper, Stokes followed suit with his second rebound in 15 seconds. Just moments later, on the fourth shot attempt of the possession, Jeronne Maymon finally converted a layup and extended the UT lead to 42-27 with 41 seconds remaining in the half.

Then came the defensive stop. On the ensuing Mercer possession, the Vols clamped down and forced a shot clock violation as the final seconds of the first half ticked off, jumpstarting a forceful celebration from the usually stone-faced Cuonzo Martin. “This whole experience he’s been loose,” senior Jordan McRae said of his head coach. “He’s just been fired up the whole time.” Hot topic: With Mercer’s 6-foot-11 senior Monty Brown — the Bears’ only true center on the roster — out with a concussion suffered in the Duke contest, an even larger size advantage down low emerged for the Vols heading into Sunday’s matchup. And it didn’t take long for that mismatch to take shape. In the first half, UT outrebounded the Bears 24-4 and 12-1 on the offensive glass. Nothing changed in the final 20 minutes as the Vols finished with an 41-19 rebound advantage over Mercer. Stokes, whose 18 boards set a UT NCAA tournament record and nearly trumped the entire Mercer team, simply viewed the rebound onslaught as just part of the game plan. “I feel like every game I have a physical advantage over the

team,” Stokes said. “I feel like now that’s it’s in the NCAA tournament it’s getting a lot more attention. We always feel like we control the boards. “That’s one thing that I always go into the game trying to make my imprint on.” Spotlight: Despite being consistently labeled a pivotal ingredient that ignited UT’s late regular season surge, the hot shooting and scoring success of Antonio Barton had all but disappeared once the Vols reached the postseason. In UT’s four tournament games — two SEC and two NCAA — Barton put up just 13 points on 3-of-23 shooting, including a dismal 2-of-15 from downtown. That cold streak abruptly ended Sunday night. The Memphis transfer knocked down four 3-pointers — his highest total in two weeks — and started the second half a perfect 4-of-4 from the field en route to an emphatic 18-point performance in the win. “My teammates did a good job of finding me,” Barton said, “and I did a good job of knocking down shots. “That’s a good team. They made it to the tournament, so they’re no slouch.” The other guys: Langston Hall finished with 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting to lead the Bears. Outside the box score: The Vols have now eclipsed the 80-point mark in consecutive games for the first time since beating Virginia 87-52 on Dec. 30 and Tusculum 98-51 on Jan. 4. Say something: Mercer head coach Bob Hoffman on the size of Stokes and Maymon: “They’ve got the biggest men in America. Wow. I mean, they just kept coming at us.” By the numbers 26: The Vols shot 26 free throws to Mercer’s nine. 81: UT’s starters scored 81 of its 83 points. 3: The Bears had just three second-chance points in the first half. Up next: UT advances to the Sweet 16 where they’ll face Michigan on Friday at 7:15 p.m. in Indianapolis.

Monday, March 24, 2014

THE DAILY BEACON • 3 Sports Editor Troy Provost-Heron

MEN’S BASKETBALL

tprovost@utk.edu

Assistant Sports Editor Dargan Southard • Photo Courtesy of Wade Rackley of Tennessee Athletics

msoutha1@utk.edu

Tennessee head coach Cuonzo Martin lets out a celebratory roar during the Vols’ 83-63 second-round NCAA tournament win over Mercer at PNC Arena on Sunday.

Vols ‘bought in’ to system, now reaping positive results Dargan Southard Assistant Sports Editor

RALEIGH, N.C. — The final horn sounded, but four players in white weren’t quite finished. Jordan McRae ventured toward the Westwood One Radio table. A few feet to the right, The Vol Network’s Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp beckoned for Antonio Barton to join them. And on the opposite side of the court, Jarnell Stokes and Josh Richardson joined their head coach for some camera time on TNT. Everyone wanted a sliver of the Tennessee pie that helped convincingly deliver an 83-63 demolition of 14-seed Mercer, sending the Volunteers into the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2010. And each piece was just as sweet as the next. The quartet all reached double figures Sunday night at PNC Arena, developing a potent and cohesive attack that left the Bears reeling. Richardson (26 points) took the initial swing, pouring in 11 points in the first 12 minutes en route to a career-high scoring performance. Barton (18 points) took the reigns in the second half, knocking down a trio of threes in less than six minutes that stifled any chance of a Bear comeback. And in between, Stokes (17 points, 18 rebounds) and McRae (14 points) — arguably the backbones of the UT squad — churned out yet another display of basketball consistency. The robust junior forward crashed the boards and muscled his way to yet another double-double, while the lanky senior guard overcame a slow shooting night by forcefully attacking the rim possession after possession. “There’s no magic tricks,” head coach Cuonzo Martin

said. “We haven’t changed anything. There’s nothing different. They just completely bought in and understood in order for us to be successful, this is what we have to do. “And they’re doing it.” But it didn’t always come this easy. At one point the Vols sat at just 6-4, dropping nonconference resume builders to Xavier, Wichita State and North Carolina State in the season’s first month. At another, following three SEC losses in a four-game stretch, they donned a lackluster conference record of 5-5. Although pinned with postseason aspirations, UT seemed to simply be a contributor to the SEC’s national reputation for mediocrity. The consensus low point, however, was after the Vols’ overtime road loss to Texas A&M on Feb. 22 – a defeat that to some knocked the Vols completely out of the NCAA tournament picture. But while the stunning loss to the Aggies could have ousted the Vols entirely, it instead provided the exact jolt the Vols needed to reel off yet another late season surge – one that’s included postseason stops in Atlanta,

Dayton, Raleigh and now Indianapolis. “That loss against Texas A&M – after that as a team, we came together and realized that our way wasn’t working,” Stokes said. “We just had to trust each other more. And no matter how much time you have, if you don’t play like a team and if you don’t play with confidence, there’s no way you’ll win.” “We just came together,” added Richardson. “We started playing so much more together and we stopped playing selfish defense. We started helping each other and trusting each other more.” That team continuity was in heavy force on Sunday, and although it may have taken longer than originally predicted, the current results aren’t surprising those who victoriously donned white on Sunday. “There ain’t really no (Cinderella) story here,” senior Jeronne Maymon said. “We’re supposed to be here. (We’ve) got one of the best teams in the nation. We just come out and play like it. We’re one of the 16 still standing.”

Petition to hire Pearl did wonders for Martin, propelled Vols to Sweet 16

Steven Cook Copy Editor

Sure, it looked good on paper — Jeronne Maymon was back in the fold and Jordan McRae and Jarnell Stokes were coming off monster seasons. But after losing point guard Trae Golden and replacing him with Memphis transfer Antonio Barton — who didn’t officially join the Vols until August — the speed bumps were bound to exist. That was only amplified by Maymon coming back from a 15-month absence and sporting knees that don’t even allow the 6-foot-8 big man to dunk open looks at the rim. The pieces to the puzzle were jagged and didn’t fit well right off the bat. And the noise from UT fans, along with that struggle to form chemistry, practically derailed the Vols’ season. But Martin was able to do something that Pearl couldn’t. When the Vols faced an unprecedented amount of outside chatter, they bounced back resiliently and won. Martin’s talent-loaded 2013-14 squad almost missed the NCAA tournament. Now, they’ve won eight of nine and Tennessee is the only group still dancing from the play-in games in Dayton, Ohio. Pearl saw his fair share of adversity in his final season with the hammer of NCAA sanctions looming. That came with a similarly talented roster, which squeaked into the Big Dance as a 9-seed and were beaten silly in a 30-point loss to Michigan in the opening round. That team had Tobias Harris and Scottie Hopson, if you want to talk disappointing finishes. But you won’t hear those 36,000 mention that. Instead, those 36,000 simply opted to make life as difficult as possible for Martin and the Vols to succeed this season while chasing a ridiculous dream. No 18-23-year-old is able to drown out the type of trash-talking fans were hurling toward Martin and this team, especially when those people can pull a phone out of their pocket and personally send ire to players and coaches on social media. And when they needed someone to turn to, they looked straight at the center of the criticism. “My approach is always consistent,” Martin said. “It’s really making our guys understand and believe.” So if you’re among those 36,000, keep hating. The Vols are feeding off it.

RALEIGH, N.C. — If you signed that godforsaken petition, go ahead and pat yourself on the back. You just might have helped Tennessee make the Sweet 16. And as you’re doing so, kindly remove any thought of jumping onto the bandwagon as it strolls into Indianapolis, because these Volunteers are thriving off your criticism. At least, that was one of many underlying feelings inside Tennessee’s locker room moments after the 11-seeded Vols throttled Mercer on Sunday night. “A lot of people doubted us,” Jarnell Stokes said in the understatement of the century. “And that makes the ride much better.” Criticism is nothing new for this team. They’ve faced criticism ever since the moment Cuonzo Martin was hired — a move that thousands of fans proclaimed as bone-headed as soon as they failed to recognize him as a household name. But the noise this season has been different. Very different. These players have had their backs against the wall — that wall representing a massive, vocal portion of their own fan base — ever since they lost at Xavier to open the season. That tune went from noticeable to deafening after the Vols fell to UTEP in the Bahamas. Even when they nearly beat Wichita State — the first team to start 35-0 in history — on the road, it was spun as a massive disappointment. Obviously, the Vols had their downs this season. Losses to UTEP, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M (twice) were enough to question whether this team would reach the pinnacle it set for itself before the season. But a petition for another coach? 36,000 signatures — enough to fill Thompson-Boling Arena twice? Good grief. “It’s nice to know that all the work we put in,” Josh Richardson said, “and all the sweat Steven Cook is a senior in journalism and the tears and all the blood. I know it’s and electronic media. He can be reached at cliché. “But when you put so much into it, to be scook21@utk.edu. able to prove all the doubters wrong is nice.”

4 • THE DAILY BEACON

Monday, March 24, 2014 Sports Editor Troy Provost-Heron

SPRING BREAK TIMELINE

tprovost@utk.edu

Assistant Sports Editor Dargan Southard msoutha1@utk.edu

SPRING BREAK SPORTS RECAP During UT’s Spring Break, it was the student-athletes among us who had the most fun. Here’s the run-down on everything you might have missed.

March 16

March 17

MEN’S BASKETBALL GETS INTO MADNESS

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GETS IN, TOO

The Tennessee Volunteer men’s basketball team kicked off Spring Break when they received a berth in the NCAA tournament as an 11 seed on Sunday. After a strong finish to the regular season and a trip to the semifinals in the SEC tournament, it wasn’t matter of “if” but “where” and “who” the Vols would be playing in their first game. The answer: the Iowa Hawkeyes in Dayton, Ohio, in the First Four.

Their selection into the NCAA tournament wasn’t as dramatic as the men’s, but the Tennessee Lady Volunteers still had their fair share of excitement on Monday, when they received the No. 1 seed in the Louisville region; they would meet their first round opponent, Northwestern State, in Knoxville. “It’s an indication of how we finished our season and how hard we played,” head coach Holly Warlick said. “I hope it’s about respect for this team.”

March 18 SOFTBALL WINS ON A WALKOFF, TOO

In a game where the Diamond Vols were looking to gather some rest, Tennessee was forced to play a thriller against Austin Peay on Tuesday. After grabbing an early 5-0 lead, Tennessee’s pitching staff wasn’t able to hold it up. UT managed to pull ahead again, but a blown save by Andy Cox in ninth forced the game into extras. The Vols escaped a midweek loss to the Govs when senior third baseman Taylor Smart hit a walkoff single in the bottom of the 12th.

The Vols, however, weren’t the only team to win in walk-off fashion on Tuesday. Trailing in the seventh against Middle Tennessee, the Lady Vol softball team needed a game-tying home run from Annie Aldrete to knot it up at eight. Sophomore Raney Gaffin proceeded to clinch the victory for the Lady Vols, hitting a walk-off single with the bases loaded. The win extended Tennessee’s winning streak over in-state rivals to 79.

Janie prathammavong • The Daily Beacon

BASEBALL WINS ON A WALKOFF

March 19

March 21

MEN’S BASKETBALL BLASTS IOWA

MEN’S BASKETBALL CRUISES PAST UMASS

The UT men’s basketball team heard the criticism regarding its play-in game selection against Iowa and responded in a big way. After a stiff first-half performance on Wednesday night, the Vols ended the game on a 12-7 run that pushed the contest into overtime. From there, it was all UT. The Vols outscored the Hawkeyes 14-1 in the extra period to grab a 78-65 win that gave UT its first NCAA tournament win since 2010.

EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief: R.J. Vogt Managing Editor: Melodi Erdogan Chief Copy Editor: Gage Arnold News Editor: Hanna Lustig Asst. News Editor: Emilee Lamb Sports Editor: Troy Provost-Heron Asst. Sports Editor: Dargan Southard Arts & Culture Editor: Claire Dodson Asst. Arts & Culture Editor: Cortney Roark Online Editor: Samantha Smoak

Photo Editor: Janie Prathammavong Asst. Photo Editor: Hayley Brundige Design Editors: Lauren Ratliff, Katrina Roberts Copy Editors: Jordan Achs, Steven Cook, Hannah Fuller, Liv McConnell, McCord Pagan, Kevin Ridder

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On Friday, the No. 11 seed BasketVols built upon their growing momentum by routing No. 6 seed UMass, 86-67, in Raleigh, N.C., in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Jarnell Stokes poured in a career-high 26 points to go along with 14 rebounds while a resurgent Josh Richardson added 16 points. A stifling Vol defense held the Minutemen to only 42 percent shooting from the floor while limiting star PG Chaz Williams to 12 points and five assists.

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Monday, March 24, 2014

THE DAILY BEACON • 5 Sports Editor Troy Provost-Heron

BASEBALL & SOFTBALL

tprovost@utk.edu

Assistant Sports Editor Dargan Southard msoutha1@utk.edu

Vols claw back, avoid sweep against Auburn Sports Editor

After a chilling couple of days with the bats Friday and Saturday, the Tennessee Volunteers baseball team decided to take it easy Sunday. When the time came for the Vols to come out and take batting practice, they didn’t, opting to stay inside and work with their coaches. The change in routine worked, as the Vols strung together 13 hits as they avoided their first sweep of the season, defeating the Auburn Tigers, 8-6, at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. “We struggled the last couple of games with the bats for whatever reason, but we got back to being us to today,� senior third baseman Taylor Smart said on Sunday. “We didn’t take BP today and got our work in the cage with our coaches and I think that played a huge role in it. “It kind of cleared our heads and let us get back to what we do.� Smart kicked off the offensive production for the Vols in the bottom of the second, when he hit a ringing double to left center with two outs to keep the inning alive. Five pitches later, sophomore catcher David Houser brought him home with a single. Tennessee’s fast start continued as two batters later, senior Scott Price, who went 6-of-13 (.462) in the series, hit a triple to right-center, scoring Houser and Will Maddox, who had singled one at-bat earlier. “It’s a lot easier for the pitchers to pitch with a lead,� Price said. “Hitting is contagious. It’s just one of those things where if some gets up there and gets a quality at-bat and putting good passes on balls; that seems to transfer from person to person and it helps out in the long run.�

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On this day, the hitting was contagious, especially with two outs, as the Vols managed to string together eight hits and seven of their eight RBI on the day with two gone, something that carried this team early on in the season. “That was a huge part of the success for the game today,� Smart said. “We were really rolling, and that was a huge part of it. We had a lot of twoout RBIs. It ended up being a good day for us and got back to being the Vols.� The two-out magic struck again in the third, as freshman first baseman Nathaniel Maggio drew a 3-2 walk, which allowed Smart to plate him and Nick Senzel, who doubled earlier in the inning. The Tigers, however, fought back, scoring off a Blake Austin three-run shot in the fourth and a Ryan Tella home run in the sixth. But Tennessee’s two-out resiliency shined again in the bottom half of the sixth when the Vols pushed across one on a triple by Maddox, which was followed up by a Price single on the very next pitch. UT’s two runs in the sixth, as well as its one run in the eighth, proved to be exactly what the Vols needed to avoid the sweep, as Andy Cox and Drake Owenby surrendered two runs in the ninth – both were given to Cox – and stranded two men. Two out hitting was the only thing going well for the bats on Sunday, however. The Vols got a big-time contribution from the bottom of the order – Smart, Houser and Maddox – who all combined to go 8-for-11 (.727) and drive in five runs, while crossing home plate six times. “I hit third all year last year, so when they are on – and I think that’s the way our lineup is set up – it’s just like I’m hitting third all over again,� said Price, who drove in three runs on Sunday. “They did

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Hayley Pennesi • The Daily Beacon

Troy Provost-Heron

a great job of getting on and fortunately enough, they were on when I got to hit.� Like Sunday, the bats played a large role in the first two games of the series. However, for the Vols, it was their absence that played a role in their two losses. The Vols opened up the series by losing 3-2 on Friday, but nearly clawed their way to victory. After scoring two runs in the eighth to draw within one, Tennessee loaded the bases with only one out in the ninth, but were unable to push any across. “You couldn’t have scripted the ninth inning any better for us,� freshman pitcher Kyle Serrano said on Friday. “We had the right guys on base, we had the right guys coming up, we just didn’t get the atbats we needed to come out on top.� Saturday’s contest was more of the same. Tennessee’s only two runs came in the eighth as Auburn’s

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before being relieved in the third inning by Erin Gabriel. A sophomore from Poland, Ohio, Gabriel (W, 5-0) delivered three onerun innings before giving way to Renfroe for the save. That’s when things got dicey for the Lady Vols. Alaynie Page and Ashlyn Masters hit solo home runs in the top half of the seventh for the Gamecocks off Renfroe, shrinking UT’s lead to one at 5-4. The senior, however, settled in and recorded her third save of the season. The Lady Vols completed the sweep of the Gamecocks in the series finale on Sunday by squeaking out a 6-5 win. Renfroe (17-0) was knocked around in her second matchup against South Carolina to the tune of five runs and eight walks in seven innings of work. However, the Lady Vols used a strong third inning to propel themselves to victory for a second consecutive game. Tennessee poured in five runs in the bottom of the third, led by senior left fielder Melissa Davin’s two-RBI double. The Lady Vols – 5-1 in conference play – are now tied with Georgia for second in the SEC. UT will host Florida (30-4, 5-4) for a threegame SEC series beginning Friday at 6 p.m.

The Lady Vols softball team kicked off its SEC home opener in strong fashion this weekend with a series sweep over South Carolina. On Friday night, Tennessee (28-3, 5-1 SEC) responded swiftly after two quick South Carolina (17-12, 2-7) scores in the top of the first inning. It was a senior and a sophomore, however, who powered the Lady Vols to their 11-2 win in Game One. Shortstop Madison Shipman’s grand slam and center fielder Haley Tobler’s two-run shot propelled UT to a seven-run third inning that eventually led to the run-ruled win for the Lady Vols. After a bumpy start, senior pitcher Ellen Renfroe settled in and struck out four Gamecocks en route to her 16th win of the season. In Game Two on Saturday, UT fought off a fierce South Carolina comeback down the stretch. After scoring five runs in the first inning, UT wouldn’t add another run to the scoreboard, but it was all the Lady Vols would need for their 5-4 win in seven innings. Cheyanne Tarango drew her first SEC start in the circle and pitched two innings, giving up three hits and one run

Tennessee right fielder Scott Price slides safely into third base against the Auburn Tigers on Sunday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The Vols beat Auburn 8-6.

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Lady Vols stay hot, sweep USC in SEC home opener

starting pitcher Keegan Thompson (5-0, 0.78 ERA) only allowed the Vols to scrap together five hits during his 7.1 innings on the mound, as the Tigers came away with a 4-2 victory. “He was pounding the outer half,� said sophomore outfielder Christin Stewart following Saturday’s loss. “He stayed consistent, low in the zone. They didn’t come in much unless it was a mistake.� With the sweep avoided, head coach Dave Serrano said he believes Sunday’s win will prove to be a bigger deal once the season nears it’s conclusion. “I think when we look back after 30 conference games that this was a big game,� Dave Serrano said. “Winning this game was huge. I commend our team. After being down the first two games, we came out and scrapped and clawed and had some much better atbats offensively.�

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6 • THE DAILY BEACON

Monday, March 24, 2014 Sports Editor Troy Provost-Heron

Janie Prathammavong • The Daily Beacon

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Junior forward Cierra Burdick drives past Northwestern State defenders during UT’s 70-46 NCAA tournament first round win over the Lady Demons at Thompson-Boling Arena on Saturday.

UT finds second-half remedy Lady Vols overcome shooting woes in 70-46 win over Northwestern State in first round matchup Troy Provost-Heron Sports Editor As Tennessee head coach Holly Warlick sat on the bench in the first half due to an illness that almost prevented her from making Saturday’s contest, she didn’t look well. The Lady Vols on the court didn’t look much better. Their first half play was shoddy, and Tennessee went into halftime with only a two point lead over their NCAA first round opponent Northwestern State, while shooting a measly 22.6 percent from the floor. In the second half, however, Warlick returned to a familiar position. An upright one, stomping and yelling just as she had in every game as head coach prior to her sickness. And just as their coach had rebounded, so did the Lady Vols, as they outscored their opponent 48-26 in the final 20 minutes en route to a 70-46 victory over the Northwestern State Lady Demons at Thompson-Boling Arena to advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament. “There was a lot more energy,” senior guard Meighan Simmons said. “Holly was up and she was moving, and I feel like when Holly is up and she’s moving and communicating and she’s positive and she’s getting into the game, it makes us play even harder. Everything else just fell into place after that. “Everybody just came out and played their role in the second half.” That final period resurgence

was fueled by an early run, as the Lady Vols scored 12 unanswered points and managed to keep Northwestern State off the board for a 5:08 stretch after the Lady Demons knotted it up at 22 at the 18:43 mark. From then on, Tennessee never let the lead get below double digits. “We got huge stops and that’s what we needed,” junior forward Cierra Burdick said. “That’s what is going to win these games and we know that. That’s why we’ve gotten this No. 1 seed, that’s why we won the (SEC) tournament, so it’s just a matter of keying into what we need to do and getting those defensive stops.” The first half, however, was not nearly as pretty. After jumping out to an 11-2 run and hitting on five of their first six field goal attempts, the Lady Vols let a game that looked to be firmly in their grasp get away from them. “I think we went away from our defensive assignments,” junior center Isabelle Harrison said, “and we might have gotten a little comfortable.” Following their hot start out the gates, the Lady Vols only made two shots in the final 16:01 of the opening period, but it didn’t prove costly as Northwestern State shot a lowly 28.6 percent in the first half, letting UT off the hook. “These kids were jacked up to play in this environment,” Northwestern State co-head coach Brooke Stoehr said. “When we settled down, I still think we got great looks, we just didn’t knock them down today.

70 Tennessee

Scoot (Stoehr) and I looked at each other at halftime and said we should be up. That was a little disappointing.” But even with UT not having its best shooting night, especially in the first half, the Lady Vols relied heavily on their size advantage to dominate the glass, something that Warlick believes got Tennessee rolling in the final stanza. “We rebounded the basketball and then pushed,” Warlick said. “That’s our game and we got the opportunity to do that when we crashed the boards. And we took good shots in the second half. We made layups, and we made jumpers. “It was a little bit of the nerves, and we played a good basketball team.” Tennessee’s slow start probably wasn’t helped by the fact that it hadn’t played since March 9, when the team defeated Kentucky for the SEC championship, something Burdick acknowledged following Saturday’s victory. “It’s something that every team has dealt with and we don’t want to make excuses, but I think it does play a part in it,” Burdick said. “Going two weeks without playing a game, we haven’t done that since the beginning of the season, so we were a little rusty. “It’s just a matter of dusting that rust off and getting back into it and coming out ready to play for a full 40 minutes on Monday.” As for Monday’s contest, Tennessee will host St. John’s, who hit a 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds remaining to defeat USC, for an opportunity to advance to the Sweet 16.

Northwestern St. 46

Knoxville, Tenn. // Thompson-Boling Arena // 7,128 25-62 (.403)

Field Goals

19-53 (.358)

3-11 (.273)

3-pointers

3-19 (.158)

17-18 (.944)

Free Throws

5-8 (.625)

47-17

Rebounds-Off

27-6

12

Turnovers

14

12

Fouls

18

25

Largest Lead

-

Individual Leaders 3 tied, 12

Points

T. Armstead 12

B. Graves 12

Rebounds

T. Armstead 6

4 tied, 3

Assists

C. Rogers 5

A. Carter 2

Steals

C. Rogers 3

4 tied, 1

Blocks

T. Armstead 1

tprovost@utk.edu

Assistant Sports Editor Dargan Southard msoutha1@utk.edu

Russell comes up large for Lady Vols in tourney opener Patrick MacCoon Staff Writer As the game turned: After leading by only two points over No. 16 seed Northwestern State at halftime the No. 1 seed Lady Vols basketball team came out much stronger in the second half. Their head coach did too. “We always kind of feed off of all of our coach’s energy,” freshman Mercedes Russell said. “We knew she was feeling down, and we knew we needed to finish strong.” After a dreadful first half of shooting the ball by both teams, in which they combined to shoot 15-of-59 (.254), Tennessee went on a 10-2 run that was capped off by Isabelle Harrison’s jumper to put the Lady Vols ahead 34-22 with 15:26 left in the game. Then, it was freshman center Mercedes Russell’s turn to take over. The former No. 1 recruit scored six of her 12 points in a span of just under two minutes as she took full control of the height advantage that Tennessee had over the Lady Demons, who had two players over six feet or taller compared to the Lady Vols’ six. Her second successful 3-point opportunity put her team up by 15 points, and from there on out UT continued its success at the free throw line and prevented the Lady Demons from making any runs. “The and-one opportunities were great,” Russell said. “(Assistant coach) Dean (Lockwood) is always telling me to go up strong and finish

the basket even when I get fouled. I’ve been working on my free throws a lot lately. I struggled a lot on them early on in the season and it’s something I’ve got together now.” In the final eight minutes of regulation, the Lady Vols shot 9-of-10 from the free throw line and missed only one in 18 attempts throughout the game. “We have struggled from the free throw line throughout the season and I’m glad we only missed one today, it speaks to the hard work we’ve been putting in,” said junior forward Cierra Burdick, who scored eight points and had seven rebounds. “It’s all about having confidence. I think we shoot so many in practice that we are finally having that confidence in ourselves when we step up to that line.” Spotlight: For the second time in her last three games, Russell scored in double figures, shooting 5-of-6 from the field and knocking down both of her free throw attempts in 18 minutes of action, which was her largest volume since receiving 20 minutes in a Feb. 23 match up with Missouri. “She stepped up big,” Burdick said. “She’s one of our go-to players inside and she did a great job of coming in and making an impact.” Russell, along with sophomore Nia Moore, gave Harrison and forward Bashaara Graves, who finished with a team-high 12 rebounds, the night off through the last 11:39 of the game. “The more playing time that Mercedes gets, the better that she is getting,” Warlick said. “We are going to need

her down the stretch. “I have a lot of confidence in her coming in and helping this basketball team, especially if Isabelle or Bashaara are struggling.” The other guys: Northwestern State’s Trudy Armstead finished her career with a strong performance, scoring 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting to go along with six rebounds, a steal and a block. Outside the box score: The Lady Vols avoided becoming the second team to lose to a No. 16 seed in the NCAA tournament. Harvard is the only team to have accomplished that task when they beat top-seeded Stanford in the 1998 NCAA tournament. Say something: Northwestern State co-head coach Brooke Stoehr on what this game accomplishes for the Lady Demons program: “It certainly won’t hurt it. What it does for those kids in our locker room, it tells them when you believe in something and you buy into it, you can do a lot of good things.” By the numbers 58.1%: After shooting 22.6 percent in the first half, the Lady Vols responded by shooting 58.1 percent from the floor in the second half. 94.4%: Tennessee shot 94.4 percent from the free throw line, the best they’ve posted from the charity stripe all season. 4: Four players had three or more assists for the Lady Vols. Up next: The Lady Vols will take on St. John’s in a second round matchup tonight at 9 p.m. inside Thompson-

Lady Vols preparing for ‘fast, athletic’ St. John’s Patrick MacCoon Staff Writer For the fifth consecutive season, the No. 1-seeded Lady Vols will try to advance to the Sweet 16, as they will face No. 8-seeded St. John’s, who advanced with a last-second 3-pointer from Briana Brown to defeat USC in Round 32 on Monday night. Despite not knowing if she’d even be able to coach her team’s first round game against Northwestern State, second-year head coach Holly Warlick and the Lady Vols toughed out a 70-46 win in the first round on Saturday at Thompson-Boling Arena and have won 14 of their past 15 games. Warlick, who has only missed two games in her coaching career due to health concerns, recovered in the second half and is back to full-force after battling a stomach bug. “I feel great and slept well,” she said. “It’s adrenaline and this is the best time of the year for myself and our team. I feel wonderful.” The game between the two teams, who will meet for the first time, will be Meighan Simmons’ final game playing on her home court, as she will try to help her team extend their winning streak at home in NCAA tournament play all-

time to 42 games. The lone senior, who ranks fifth on UT’s all-time scoring list, will attempt to get over a shooting slump and shake off a 4-for-15 shooting performance in the first round. “She has been a scorer all her life,” Warlick said. “That’s her mentality. I don’t want to change that, I just want to kind of corral it in a little bit and try to get her to recognize for her what is a good shot is and what a tough shot is.” Her shooting woes have been on display since the SEC tournament, in which she shot below 40 percent in every game, despite averaging 15.3 points per game and helping her team secure the programs’ 17th conference championship. “She is an outstanding offensive player, especially when she takes what I say is makeable shots,” Warlick said. “I’m not going to change her competitiveness. I love how she competes and I love how she gets into the game. I love her fire and I love her energy.” After a sluggish offensive performance in the first half in the opening round, which had UT shoot 2-of-25 after hitting five of their first six shots and only led by two at halftime, UT’s key to success against the Red Storm hinges on its ability to work the ball

inside and to open outside shots as well. Lady Vol guards combined to shoot just 10-of-32 from the field against the Red Storm. “It’s going to be huge,” said junior forward Cierra Burdick regarding the importance of starting strong against St. John’s. “You want to get that great start and carry the momentum throughout the entire game. We have to stick to our principles, playing the way we know we are capable of playing for a full for 40 minutes.” Aliyyah Handford led St. John’s in its 71-68 opening round win over Southern California with 27 points. The sophomore was 11-of-15 from the free throw line. Forward Amber Thompson also was a force for the Red Storm, as she scored 10 points and hauled in 17 rebounds. “They are extremely fast and athletic,” Burdick said. “They play fast basketball. They get after it and play with a lot of emotion, so we can’t get into a running game with them.” The Lady Vols will likely try to utilize their heigth advantage against the undersized Red Storm. “They really like to get out in transition, from what I saw last night,” Burdick said. “So it’s about just slowing down their transition play and really using our size against them.”

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