Top of the Key: WBB vs. No. 4 Tennessee

The women’s basketball team is Knoxville tonight to face the No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Net. You can also live in on 1320 AM in Columbia or on GamecocksOnline.com

South Carolina (7-6, 0-1 SEC) Notes

• The Gamecocks have one of the nation’s toughest schedules, ranking as high as No. 8 in strength of schedule. Only Tennessee (No. 2) has a higher strength of schedule in the SEC.
• Carolina has the fifth best RPI in the SEC – ranking at No. 45. Only Tennessee (3), Georgia (8), LSU (15), and Vanderbilt (39) are higher.
• South Carolina is 4th in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (.338) and sixth in field goal percentage defense (.291).
• Junior guard Valerie Nainima ranks 30th in the nation and 3rd in the SEC in scoring with 18.8 ppg.
• Freshman Kelsey Bone is 26th in the nation with 10.2 rebounds per game.
• The Gamecocks are looking for their first win over Tennessee since 1980.

Tennessee (12-1, 0-0 SEC) Notes

• The Lady Vols were picked to finish No. 1 in the SEC by the league’s coaches and No. 2 by the media.
• Junior guard Angie Bjorklund leads the team in scoring with 16 ppg – she shoots 48% from behind the arc.
• Sophomore forward Shekinna Stricklen recorded the program’s 2nd-ever triple double on Jan. 3 against No. 14/15 Oklahoma. Stricklen finished with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists.
• Tennessee is 26-5 in their first SEC game of the season. The last time the Lady Vols lost their opening game was in 1996 to Georgia.
• The Lady Vols have a nine-game home winning streaking coming into tonight’s game. They are averaging over 12,000 fans per game.

Detour Route for Knoxville

As I’m sure most of you have heard, there was a rock slide on I-40 that has shut down that part of the highway going into Tennessee. You can read a recap and see a photo of the rock slide here.

There’s a couple different ways you can take to get to Knoxville now:

From Columbia to Knoxville:

– I-26 West to Asheville, NC
– Continue on I-26W in Asheville, NC past I-40 West (in which I would normally go)
– Take Exit 19B (off I-26W in Asheville, NC) for US Route 25 North / US Route 70 West
– This will take back roads through Hot Springs to Newport, TN
– As you get into Newport, TN, US 25 & US 70 will merge with Route 9, Route 32, and Route 25
– Continue on these roads until it joins I-40W (Exit 432).

From Knoxville to Columbia:

– I-40 East to Exit 432A (Newport, TN)(I believe this exits on the LEFT side of the interstate)
– Follow signs for US Route 25 South / US Route 70 East
– This will take you through Newport, Hot Springs, and eventually to Asheville, NC
– This will eventually connect you to I-26 East at Exit 19.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is also recommending this route:

Motorists traveling eastbound on I-40 are being routed up Interstate 81 to Johnson City and back to I-40 via Interstate 26, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Motorists traveling on I-40 West are advised to use I-240 West, to I-26 West out of Asheville, to Johnson City, Tenn., then take I-81 South back to I-40.