PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The return of senior Cappie Pondexter to the Rutgers' lineup was upstaged by two freshman who helped the Scarlet Knights hand Pat Summitt one of her worst losses at Tennessee.
Matee Ajavon scored 20 points and fellow freshman Essence Carson added 14 points and 13 rebounds as No. 24 Rutgers held eighth-ranked Tennessee to 16 first-half points in a 65-51 victory Wednesday.
``The freshmen grew up a lot and we as a team grew up a lot,'' Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer said after besting Summitt in the game that pitted two of the four women coaches with 700 career wins. ``We learned how to win.''
Rutgers (7-2) not only won, it embarrassed Tennessee (8-3) on a day Pondexter played for the first time this season. Pondexter, Rutgers' leading scorer the past two seasons, had one point in 15 minutes. She missed the first eight games for reasons that have not been disclosed.
She enjoyed played with Ajavon and Carson.
``I think tonight they showed they are one of the best classes in the country,'' said Pondexter, who missed all five of her shots.
The Scarlet Knights will have a chance to build off this win. They are at No. 4 Texas on Sunday and return here Wednesday to play top-ranked LSU.
The 51 points tied for the second-fewest scored by Tennessee in a game, matching totals against Georgia in 2000 and Long Beach State in 1983. The Lady Vols' record low is 46 against Louisiana Tech in 1982.
The first-half total was two points shy of the Lady Vols' record low set against Virginia in 1996.
``We weren't good in any aspect of our game tonight,'' said Summitt, whose freshman recruiting class was considered the best in the country this season although Candace Parker -- the best of the group -- is just returning from a knee injury.
Facing a 17-point halftime deficit, a frustrated Summitt admitted to breaking her clipboard.
``I didn't say a lot,'' Summitt said. ``I didn't throw anything. That's not my style. I did think about it though.''
Shyra Ely had 13 points and Nikki Anosike 12 for Tennessee, which had won four games in a row. This one was all but over by halftime, with Rutgers ahead 33-16 at the break.
The 17-point halftime deficit tied for the third-highest in Tennessee history. It was exceeded only by the 19-point deficits against Mississippi in 1996 and Southern California in 1986.
Rutgers led by as many as 23 points in the second half and the 14-point final margin was the closest Tennessee got in roughly the final 24 minutes.
The Lady Vols simply had no answers for Rutgers' defenses, particularly in the first half. They hit made just four of 20 shots and had 13 turnovers. Tennessee even struggled from the foul line, making eight of 14.
Tennessee, which has struggled with its offense all season, finished 15 of 54 for 27.8 percent. The Lady Vols made just one of nine 3-point attempts.
``I think they were surprised how hard we came out from the beginning,'' said Rutgers center Michelle Campbell, who added 13 points. ``I think it kind of stunned them. Thy weren't expecting us to be so close on defense, right in their face on every shot.''
The only thing that kept the game from being a blowout was that Rutgers struggled with its shooting. The Lady Knights made 24 of 61 for 39.3 percent.
Tennessee opened a 6-2 lead in the opening three-plus minutes, then scored only six points in the next 16 to fall behind 31-12.
Ajavon matched Tennessee's total in that span. Carson added eight points in the 29-6 surge during which Summitt substituted freely looking for the right combination. She never found one.
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
No. 24 Rutgers Upsets No. 8 Tennessee
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Freshman Matee Ajavon scored 20 points, and No. 24 Rutgers held eighth-ranked Tennessee to just 16 first-half points in a 65-51 victory Wednesday.
Fellow freshman Essence Carson added 14 points and 13 rebounds as the Scarlet Knights (7-2) handed Tennessee coach Pat Summitt one of the most embarrassing losses of her 31-year career.
The 51 points tied for the second-fewest scored by Tennessee in a game, matching totals against Georgia in 2000 and Long Beach State in 1983. The Lady Vols' record low is 46 against Louisiana Tech in 1982.
The first-half total was two points shy of the Lady Vols' record low set against Virginia in 1996.
Michelle Campbell added 13 points in helping Rutgers' C. Vivian Stringer get the best of Summitt in the game that paired two of the four women coaches with 700 career wins.
Shyra Ely had 13 points and Nikki Anosike 12 for Tennessee (8-3), which had won four games in a row. This one was all but over by halftime, with Rutgers ahead 33-16 at the break.
The 17-point halftime deficit tied for the third-highest in Tennessee history. It was exceeded only by the 19-point deficits against Mississippi in 1996 and Southern California in 1986.
The Lady Vols simply had no answers for Rutgers' defenses, particularly in the first half. They made just four of 20 shots and had 13 turnovers. Tennessee even struggled from the foul line, making eight of 14.
Tennessee, which has struggled with its offense all season, finished 15 of 54 for 27.8 percent. The Lady Vols made just one of nine 3-point attempts.
The only thing that kept the game from being a blowout was that Rutgers struggled with its shooting. The Lady Knights made 24 of 61 for 39.3 percent.
Tennessee opened a 6-2 lead in the opening three-plus minutes, then scored only six points in the next 16 to fall behind 31-12.
Ajavon matched Tennessee's total in that span. Carson added eight points in the 29-6 run during which Summitt substituted freely looking for the right combination. She never found one.
Fellow freshman Essence Carson added 14 points and 13 rebounds as the Scarlet Knights (7-2) handed Tennessee coach Pat Summitt one of the most embarrassing losses of her 31-year career.
The 51 points tied for the second-fewest scored by Tennessee in a game, matching totals against Georgia in 2000 and Long Beach State in 1983. The Lady Vols' record low is 46 against Louisiana Tech in 1982.
The first-half total was two points shy of the Lady Vols' record low set against Virginia in 1996.
Michelle Campbell added 13 points in helping Rutgers' C. Vivian Stringer get the best of Summitt in the game that paired two of the four women coaches with 700 career wins.
Shyra Ely had 13 points and Nikki Anosike 12 for Tennessee (8-3), which had won four games in a row. This one was all but over by halftime, with Rutgers ahead 33-16 at the break.
The 17-point halftime deficit tied for the third-highest in Tennessee history. It was exceeded only by the 19-point deficits against Mississippi in 1996 and Southern California in 1986.
The Lady Vols simply had no answers for Rutgers' defenses, particularly in the first half. They made just four of 20 shots and had 13 turnovers. Tennessee even struggled from the foul line, making eight of 14.
Tennessee, which has struggled with its offense all season, finished 15 of 54 for 27.8 percent. The Lady Vols made just one of nine 3-point attempts.
The only thing that kept the game from being a blowout was that Rutgers struggled with its shooting. The Lady Knights made 24 of 61 for 39.3 percent.
Tennessee opened a 6-2 lead in the opening three-plus minutes, then scored only six points in the next 16 to fall behind 31-12.
Ajavon matched Tennessee's total in that span. Carson added eight points in the 29-6 run during which Summitt substituted freely looking for the right combination. She never found one.
(8) Tennessee (8-2) vs. (24) Rutgers (6-2)
Game Info: 5:00 pm EST Wed Dec 29, 2004
Tennessee freshman phenom Candace Parker may finally see her first action.
The eighth-ranked Lady Vols could have their star recruit on the court when they visit No. 24 Rutgers on Wednesday.
Parker underwent a pair of surgeries to repair loose cartilage in her left knee in the offseason. The 6-foot-3 freshman missed the first six weeks of her 2003-04 season in high school while recovering from surgery that July.
Tennessee team orthopedist Dr. William T. Youmans cleared Parker to begin practicing on Sunday after she underwent an MRI on Dec. 20. Coach Pat Summitt has not indicated when Parker will play.
``I have no idea. I'm just excited,'' Summitt said.
Parker is a McDonald's All-American who won a high school dunk contest, defeating five men in the process, including New Orleans Hornets rookie J.R. Smith. She averaged 24.3 points and 11.5 rebounds in her senior season.
Tennessee (8-2) is coming off one of its most exciting wins of the season -- a 70-67 victory over No. 5 Stanford last Tuesday. Shanna Zolman drained a running 3-pointer from 25 feet out at the buzzer.
``I saw there were four seconds left and I was at halfcourt, so I took a couple of dribbles and let it fly,'' Zolman said. ``I think coach said it was the most open shot I had all night.''
It was just Zolman's second basket of the game. Shyra Ely scored 16 points and Tye'sha Fluker added 13 for Tennessee.
The Lady Vols improved to 2-2 against ranked teams. Tennessee is beginning a stretch of three straight games on the road that includes trips to Old Dominion and No. 11 Connecticut.
``After Christmas, we've got Rutgers, Old Dominion, and Connecticut in that order,'' Summitt said. ``It's a big challenge. I'm not as concerned about how we do in November, December and January. I'm more concerned about how we do in March.''
While Parker may return for Tennessee, Rutgers (6-2) is getting its star player back. Cappie Pondexter, the team's leading scorer from last season, is expected to see her first action Wednesday.
``The impact of having Cappie on the floor with us cannot be overestimated,'' Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer said. ``Her presence is an air of confidence she'll bring.''
Pondexter, a third-team All-American last season, has not been with the team for personal reasons. She practiced for just the second time on Tuesday and Stringer said she will use her off the bench.
Rutgers has not seen action since a 66-51 win over Clemson on Dec. 18. Chelsea Newton scored 17 points to lead the Scarlet Knights, who forced 24 turnovers.
The Knights are starting a stretch in which they will also play No. 4 Texas and top-ranked LSU.
Tennessee is 10-2 against Rutgers, including five straight wins in the series. The Lady Vols are making their first trip to Rutgers since an 87-77 loss on Jan. 17, 1994 -- the Scarlet Knights' last win in the series.
Tennessee freshman phenom Candace Parker may finally see her first action.
The eighth-ranked Lady Vols could have their star recruit on the court when they visit No. 24 Rutgers on Wednesday.
Parker underwent a pair of surgeries to repair loose cartilage in her left knee in the offseason. The 6-foot-3 freshman missed the first six weeks of her 2003-04 season in high school while recovering from surgery that July.
Tennessee team orthopedist Dr. William T. Youmans cleared Parker to begin practicing on Sunday after she underwent an MRI on Dec. 20. Coach Pat Summitt has not indicated when Parker will play.
``I have no idea. I'm just excited,'' Summitt said.
Parker is a McDonald's All-American who won a high school dunk contest, defeating five men in the process, including New Orleans Hornets rookie J.R. Smith. She averaged 24.3 points and 11.5 rebounds in her senior season.
Tennessee (8-2) is coming off one of its most exciting wins of the season -- a 70-67 victory over No. 5 Stanford last Tuesday. Shanna Zolman drained a running 3-pointer from 25 feet out at the buzzer.
``I saw there were four seconds left and I was at halfcourt, so I took a couple of dribbles and let it fly,'' Zolman said. ``I think coach said it was the most open shot I had all night.''
It was just Zolman's second basket of the game. Shyra Ely scored 16 points and Tye'sha Fluker added 13 for Tennessee.
The Lady Vols improved to 2-2 against ranked teams. Tennessee is beginning a stretch of three straight games on the road that includes trips to Old Dominion and No. 11 Connecticut.
``After Christmas, we've got Rutgers, Old Dominion, and Connecticut in that order,'' Summitt said. ``It's a big challenge. I'm not as concerned about how we do in November, December and January. I'm more concerned about how we do in March.''
While Parker may return for Tennessee, Rutgers (6-2) is getting its star player back. Cappie Pondexter, the team's leading scorer from last season, is expected to see her first action Wednesday.
``The impact of having Cappie on the floor with us cannot be overestimated,'' Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer said. ``Her presence is an air of confidence she'll bring.''
Pondexter, a third-team All-American last season, has not been with the team for personal reasons. She practiced for just the second time on Tuesday and Stringer said she will use her off the bench.
Rutgers has not seen action since a 66-51 win over Clemson on Dec. 18. Chelsea Newton scored 17 points to lead the Scarlet Knights, who forced 24 turnovers.
The Knights are starting a stretch in which they will also play No. 4 Texas and top-ranked LSU.
Tennessee is 10-2 against Rutgers, including five straight wins in the series. The Lady Vols are making their first trip to Rutgers since an 87-77 loss on Jan. 17, 1994 -- the Scarlet Knights' last win in the series.
Monday, December 27, 2004
Lady Vols Visit Rutgers to End 2004
Tennessee is 10-2 all-time against Rutgers
THE GAME
The #8/10-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols travel to #24 Rutgers for its first appearance in the Louis Brown Athletic Center, a.k.a. RAC, for the first time in a decade. Unranked Rutgers ambushed #1-ranked Tennessee, 87-77, as an ice storm raged across the New Brunswick landscape in that last Garden State meeting between the two teams on Jan. 17, 1994.
LADY VOLS AT A GLANCE
This is the Lady Vols' 31st season under Head Coach Pat Summitt...She has compiled a staggering 860-169 overall record...Needs just 20 wins to become the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history...Her 2003-04 squad finished as the NCAA runner-up with a 31-4 record...UT also is the seven-time-consecutive defending SEC regular season champion, and has been picked by both the media and the coaches to finish first in this year's SEC race as well.
Tennessee returns seven letterwinners and welcomes eight newcomers to the lineup...Rookie Alex Fuller (Shelbyville, Tenn.) will redshirt this season after undergoing surgery in October...After a rocky start, the Lady Vols appear to be on the upswing in the four most recent games...In UT's last contest, the Lady Vols hit a buzzer-beater to knock off #2 Stanford, 70-67 in Knoxville...More good news emerged at halftime of the game...Team doctors have cleared rookie standout Candace Parker to begin practice...In recent weeks, the Lady Vols scored a season-high 82 points against TCU...Following the 70-59 win at Louisiana Tech and a 78-63 win over #15 DePaul -- It marked the first time this season the Lady Vols scored 70-points or better in consecutive games...In the last four contests, the Lady Vols have outscored their opponents 75.0-61.0, shot 43.7 percent from the floor and 70 percent from the line compared to the first six game averages of 61.8-51.7 (scoring), 36.9%(field) and 60.8 % (FT).
SCARLET KNIGHTS AT A GLANCE
Rutgers is 6-2 this season following a 66-51 victory against Clemson Dec. 18. The Scarlet Knights were ranked 24th in the AP poll (Dec. 27). RU also received 58 points to rate as the second-highest team "receiving votes" in the WBCA/ESPN/USA Today Poll (12-20). Rutgers is led by 6-2 forward Michelle Campbell who is averaging a team-best 14.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Senior guard Chelsea Newton is contributing 11.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 3.1 assists, while rookie guard Matee Ajavon is adding 11.1 ppg and 3.3 rpg. Redshirt senior guard Nikki Jett rounds out the double-digit scorers with 10.6 tallies per game. RU returned eight letterwinners and three starters from a 2004 team that finished 21-12 overall and a 10-6 mark in the BIG EAST. Rutgers finished as the runner-up at the 2004 BIG EAST Championship and secured its sixth NCAA Tournament bid in a seven-year span.
THE SERIES
Tennessee and Rutgers have faced each other a total of 12 times over the years, with the first contest occurring in 1979. The Lady Vols won an AIAW East Regional semifinal game on March 16 played on Fordham University's home court in the Bronx, N.Y., 79-69. The teams would meet again in 1982, with the Scarlet Knights getting the victory at home, 68-57, on Jan 23. The Orange and White would serve Rutgers a cold dish the following season, as they avenged the earlier loss by notching a 20-point home victory (81-61) in Stokely Athletics Center on Jan. 19, 1983. The teams would not meet again until five years later, when UT accepted an invitation to play in the Bell Atlantic-Rutgers Invitational in 1988. UT ran away from RU, winning the game on Dec. 30, 93-53. In the fifth game of the series, the Lady Vols continued their winning ways, blowing out Rutgers, 97-56, on March 21, 1992, in the first round of the NCAA tournament. RU would follow that performance up by closing the gap slightly in another loss, 93-74, on Jan. 19, 1993, in Knoxville. The following season would prove sweet for Rutgers, however, as the Lady Vols fell in Piscataway, N.J., 87-77, on Jan. 17, 1994. At the time, UT was ranked number one and Rutgers was not ranked. To this day, it marks the only time an unranked team knocked off the nation's #1. The two schools would meet again, in 1998, this time with head coach C. Vivian Stringer at the helm. UT defeated Rutgers 92-60 in the NCAA Mideast Regional semifinal in Nashville, Tenn., on March 21. On Jan. 3, 1999, the two teams played in front of the then-largest crowd ever to see a women's collegiate game in Madison Square Garden. Again, UT came away victorious, 68-54. The next meeting came in the 2000 NCAA Final Four semifinal contest where UT won narrowly, 64-54
AVERAGE SCORE
The average score of a UT-Rutgers game is a double-figure differential margin (15.2) - 76.5 for UT and 61.3 for Rutgers. Tennessee has scored 918 points in the series while Rutgers has totaled 736 points in 12 games.
OUR LAST MEETING WITH RUTGERS
The #2-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols had to overcome deficits in both halves en route to its 59-49 victory over #25 Rutgers on Dec. 11, 2003, at Thompson-Boling Arena. After having defeated its first three opponents by an average margin of 25 points, the Scarlet Knights stood toe-to-toe as UT improved its record to 4-0, with its last three wins coming versus ranked opponents. Junior Shyra Ely, the reigning SEC Player of the Week, earned her second-straight double-double and the eighth of her career with an 18-point, 12-rebound effort. The only other Lady Vol to record a double-digit point total was sophomore Shanna Zolman, who posted 14 points and connected on four of eight three-pointers. On the defensive end, senior Ashley Robinson showed why she is considered one of the SEC's premier post defenders, as she became UT's single-game record holder for blocked shots with eight, eclipsing the previous mark of seven set by Michelle Snow (3-31-00 vs. Rutgers). Despite the 10-point triumph, UT was tested by the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers capitalized on the Lady Vols' poor first-half shooting (35 percent) and took a three-point lead with 1:01 remaining in the opening frame. Tennessee would even the score at 25 after Ely connected on a conventional three-point play, but RU notched the last bucket of the half to lead 27-25 at the break, marking the first time UT had trailed at the intermission in the 2003-04 season. As UT still struggled from the field in the opening minutes of the second half, RU went up by six points, 40-34, with 11:41 remaining. However, the orange responded as Ely exploded for seven consecutive points and Zolman followed with two straight treys to go ahead 47-46. Thanks to Robinson's stellar interior defense (three consecutive blocks on one series) and steady play at the offensive end, UT closed out the contest on a 12-3 run over the last 7:41 to keep its perfect record intact. On the night, the Lady Vols shot 42 percent (23-55) from the floor, while Rutgers hit on just 37 percent (22-60) of its attempts. For the first time in the 03-04 campaign, UT was out-rebounded 39-37.
UT VS. THE BIG EAST
Tennessee has amassed an all-time record of 54-15 (.790) versus teams from the BIG EAST. The Lady Vols have a winning record against every team in the conference it has played, with the exception of Connecticut. The only other BIG EAST squad to defeat UT is Rutgers.
HALL OF FAMERS
C. Vivian Stringer joined Pat Summitt in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame as she was inducted in 2001 in Knoxville, Tenn.
OLYMPIC GOLD
C. Vivian Stringer served as assistant head coach of the 2004 United States Olympic Women's Basketball Team that won the gold medal in Athens, Greece. She helped to guide the Olympic Team to an unblemished record. Former Lady Vol Tamika Catchings was a member of the squad. Internationally acclaimed as well, Pat Summitt boasts an all-time international record of 63-4 (.940) during her time at the helm of the national squad. She served as head coach of the 1984 United States Olympic Women's Basketball Team that won the gold medal in Los Angeles, Calif.
SUMMITT AND STRINGER
Pat Summitt's Tennessee teams have faced C. Vivian Stringer while she was the head coach of Cheyney, Iowa and Rutgers. Summitt is 1-0 against Stringer at Cheyney, 2-1 against her at Iowa and 5-0 at Rutgers. Stringer is the second youngest women's coach (second only to Summitt) to reach the 500-career victory milestone (Jan. 28, 1994). She surpassed the 600-win plateau on Dec. 18, 1999, in a victory over Texas and reached the "700 Club" with a win over Princeton on Dec. 8, 2004.
SUMMITT AND STRINGER - ALMOST 2,000 GAMES
Together, Pat Summitt and C. Vivian Stringer are a combined 1,561-410 (1,971 total games) for a staggering .792 winning percentage in a combined 64 years of women's hoops. Either Summitt or Stringer has been at 17 of the 23 Final Fours with their respective teams since the inception of the NCAA Women's Tournament in 1982.
A LITTLE SCOOP ON UT AND RUTGERS
The Lady Vols have faced four ranked teams thus far and have a 2-2 record. Tennessee has faced the #2, #4, #10/9 and #15 ranked teams in the country. December opponents Louisiana Tech and TCU have both been ranked this season but were not at the time of our meeting.
Conversely, #8/10-ranked Tennessee will be Rutgers' first ranked opponent of the 2004-05 season.
In Tennessee's eight wins this season, the Lady Vols have averaged an anemic 69.4 ppg, while allowing a stingy 52.6 ppg. UT shoots a sizzling .418 in its wins while holding the opposition to a mere .325. UT outrebounds the opposition 43.6 to 37.0.
In Rutgers' six victories, the Scarlet Knights have averaged 74.0 points scored, allowed an average of 50.3 points, shot an average of 20.7 free throws compared to the opponents' 15.2, and were whistled for an average of 17.3 fouls per game compared to the opponents' 18.7.
In the Lady Vols' two losses this season (#4 Texas and #10/9 Duke), UT has managed just 58.0 ppg, while giving up 66.5 ppg...Tennessee has been "out-everythinged"... FG% -- UT .303, Opponents .486; 3FG% -- UT .344, Opponents .389; FT% -- UT .548, Opponents .611, Rebounds - UT 41.0 rpg, Opponents 45.5. A strange stat exists here --- in UT's two losses, the Lady Vols have averaged just 15 turnovers per game (30 total in two losses) while the victorious opponents have committed 46 miscues - 23.0 per game.
In RU's two losses, the Scarlet Knights scored an average of 60.5 points, allowed an average of 70.0 points, shot an average of 17.0 free throws compared to the opponents' 38.5, and were whistled for an average of 27.0 fouls per game compared to the opponents' 14.5.
In the last "Back East" meeting between the two squads on Jan. 2, 2001, the game featured the infamous Tamika Catchings' "Blood Jersey" incident ...Catchings' jersey was stolen from the team's Connecticut hotel following the Lady Vols' game against the Huskies in Hartford and in her very next game against Rutgers in the Garden, Catchings was forced to wear the spare "blood" jersey...UT won, 58-51.
LOOKING AHEAD TO OLD DOMINION
In their last outing, Old Dominion rookie Tiffany Green (Chesapeake, Va.) notched her first career double-double with 12 points and 11 boards as the Lady Monarch women's basketball returned home to the Ted Constant Convocation Center to an 83-55 non-conference victory over Harvard on Dec. 22, 2004. . ODU returned to the win column after a two-game slide to improve to 4-3. Four Lady Monarchs finished the afternoon with double figures. Junior Lawona Davis (Port St. Lucie, Fla.), who had just two points against Virginia and was held scoreless against Penn State in ODU's last two games, rebounded with a season and team-high 16 points. She shot 6-of-9 from the floor, 4-of-4 from the free throw line and added eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Also scoring in double figures was ODU leading scorer Shareese Grant (Va. Beach, Va.) with 16 points and sophomore Tish Lyons (Newport News, Va.) who tied her career-high with 12 points. The Lady Monarchs never trailed in the game and built up a 20-point lead with 7:33 left in the first half. ODU, who shot a season-low 38.9 percent from the free throw line in their last outing against Penn State, vastly improved against Harvard. The Lady Monarchs finished sinking 13-of-17 from the line to shoot, 76.5 percent for the game. In the first half alone, Old Dominion shot and sank all ten of their attempts. Davis, who was one of three Lady Monarchs to go perfect from the charity stripe, is still shooting perfectly from the line having connecting on all 14 of her shots. The Lady Monarchs shot 50 percent for the game and limited Harvard to just seven field goals in the first half and eight in the second. On the boards, Old Dominion outrebounded the Crimson by 33, holding a 58-25 advantage. The Lady Monarchs return to action on Thursday, December 30th at #6 North Carolina at 4:00 p.m. The game will be played at the Dean E. Smith Center.
PARKER CLEARED TO PRACTICE
Jenny Moshak, University of Tennessee Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Medicine, announced on Dec. 21 that Lady Vol rookie basketball standout Candace Parker had been reevaluated by Dr. William T. Youmans, UT Team Orthopedist.
"Candace had an MRI and x-rays on Dec. 20. This evening, Dr. Youmans read the reports and examined her knee," said Moshak. "He has cleared her to begin practice with the team on Dec. 26."
Parker, a 6'3" freshman forward from Napierville, Ill., took the good news by changing into her uniform and warm-ups and joining her team on the floor at halftime of the #9/10-ranked Tennessee vs.#2 Stanford game.
Parker is considered to be the most highly decorated female prepster ever to enter the collegiate ranks. A multi-named National Player of the Year, Parker missed the first six weeks of her 2003-04 senior season at Napierville Central H.S., while recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered the summer prior to her senior campaign. Nevertheless, Parker led Naperville to a 33-2 record and a second straight Class AA state championship, despite missing 11 games. The dunking phenom averaged 24.3 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 3.5 blocked shots and 3.3 spg. "
starting classes in August, Candace experienced swelling in her left knee and, upon further diagnostic testing, it was determined that she needed to undergo arthroscopic surgery to assess the source of the swelling," indicated Moshak. "Her surgery on Aug. 26, involved removing loose cartilage fragments. Her follow-up surgery on Sept. 8th, was to repair both the lateral meniscus and the lateral articular cartilage in her left knee. "Dr. Youmans indicated that Candace's ACL, from her prior surgery in July 2003, was in excellent condition," said Moshak.
Following her senior season, Parker became the first woman ever to win a slam-dunk contest, capturing the PowerAde Jam Fest that was part of the McDonald's High School All-American Game festivities. In the process, she defeated five men, including high-flying New Orleans Hornet J.R. Smith and Connecticut-bound Rudy Gay.
Prior to arriving at UT to start fall classes, Parker led the USA Women's Junior World Championship Qualifying Team to a gold medal in Puerto Rico with a perfect 5-0 record. She led Team USA in virtually every category, tallying 16.6 ppg, 8.8 rpg and held team high-water marks in assists (24), steals (17) and blocked shots (12).
THE GAME
The #8/10-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols travel to #24 Rutgers for its first appearance in the Louis Brown Athletic Center, a.k.a. RAC, for the first time in a decade. Unranked Rutgers ambushed #1-ranked Tennessee, 87-77, as an ice storm raged across the New Brunswick landscape in that last Garden State meeting between the two teams on Jan. 17, 1994.
LADY VOLS AT A GLANCE
This is the Lady Vols' 31st season under Head Coach Pat Summitt...She has compiled a staggering 860-169 overall record...Needs just 20 wins to become the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history...Her 2003-04 squad finished as the NCAA runner-up with a 31-4 record...UT also is the seven-time-consecutive defending SEC regular season champion, and has been picked by both the media and the coaches to finish first in this year's SEC race as well.
Tennessee returns seven letterwinners and welcomes eight newcomers to the lineup...Rookie Alex Fuller (Shelbyville, Tenn.) will redshirt this season after undergoing surgery in October...After a rocky start, the Lady Vols appear to be on the upswing in the four most recent games...In UT's last contest, the Lady Vols hit a buzzer-beater to knock off #2 Stanford, 70-67 in Knoxville...More good news emerged at halftime of the game...Team doctors have cleared rookie standout Candace Parker to begin practice...In recent weeks, the Lady Vols scored a season-high 82 points against TCU...Following the 70-59 win at Louisiana Tech and a 78-63 win over #15 DePaul -- It marked the first time this season the Lady Vols scored 70-points or better in consecutive games...In the last four contests, the Lady Vols have outscored their opponents 75.0-61.0, shot 43.7 percent from the floor and 70 percent from the line compared to the first six game averages of 61.8-51.7 (scoring), 36.9%(field) and 60.8 % (FT).
SCARLET KNIGHTS AT A GLANCE
Rutgers is 6-2 this season following a 66-51 victory against Clemson Dec. 18. The Scarlet Knights were ranked 24th in the AP poll (Dec. 27). RU also received 58 points to rate as the second-highest team "receiving votes" in the WBCA/ESPN/USA Today Poll (12-20). Rutgers is led by 6-2 forward Michelle Campbell who is averaging a team-best 14.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Senior guard Chelsea Newton is contributing 11.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 3.1 assists, while rookie guard Matee Ajavon is adding 11.1 ppg and 3.3 rpg. Redshirt senior guard Nikki Jett rounds out the double-digit scorers with 10.6 tallies per game. RU returned eight letterwinners and three starters from a 2004 team that finished 21-12 overall and a 10-6 mark in the BIG EAST. Rutgers finished as the runner-up at the 2004 BIG EAST Championship and secured its sixth NCAA Tournament bid in a seven-year span.
THE SERIES
Tennessee and Rutgers have faced each other a total of 12 times over the years, with the first contest occurring in 1979. The Lady Vols won an AIAW East Regional semifinal game on March 16 played on Fordham University's home court in the Bronx, N.Y., 79-69. The teams would meet again in 1982, with the Scarlet Knights getting the victory at home, 68-57, on Jan 23. The Orange and White would serve Rutgers a cold dish the following season, as they avenged the earlier loss by notching a 20-point home victory (81-61) in Stokely Athletics Center on Jan. 19, 1983. The teams would not meet again until five years later, when UT accepted an invitation to play in the Bell Atlantic-Rutgers Invitational in 1988. UT ran away from RU, winning the game on Dec. 30, 93-53. In the fifth game of the series, the Lady Vols continued their winning ways, blowing out Rutgers, 97-56, on March 21, 1992, in the first round of the NCAA tournament. RU would follow that performance up by closing the gap slightly in another loss, 93-74, on Jan. 19, 1993, in Knoxville. The following season would prove sweet for Rutgers, however, as the Lady Vols fell in Piscataway, N.J., 87-77, on Jan. 17, 1994. At the time, UT was ranked number one and Rutgers was not ranked. To this day, it marks the only time an unranked team knocked off the nation's #1. The two schools would meet again, in 1998, this time with head coach C. Vivian Stringer at the helm. UT defeated Rutgers 92-60 in the NCAA Mideast Regional semifinal in Nashville, Tenn., on March 21. On Jan. 3, 1999, the two teams played in front of the then-largest crowd ever to see a women's collegiate game in Madison Square Garden. Again, UT came away victorious, 68-54. The next meeting came in the 2000 NCAA Final Four semifinal contest where UT won narrowly, 64-54
AVERAGE SCORE
The average score of a UT-Rutgers game is a double-figure differential margin (15.2) - 76.5 for UT and 61.3 for Rutgers. Tennessee has scored 918 points in the series while Rutgers has totaled 736 points in 12 games.
OUR LAST MEETING WITH RUTGERS
The #2-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols had to overcome deficits in both halves en route to its 59-49 victory over #25 Rutgers on Dec. 11, 2003, at Thompson-Boling Arena. After having defeated its first three opponents by an average margin of 25 points, the Scarlet Knights stood toe-to-toe as UT improved its record to 4-0, with its last three wins coming versus ranked opponents. Junior Shyra Ely, the reigning SEC Player of the Week, earned her second-straight double-double and the eighth of her career with an 18-point, 12-rebound effort. The only other Lady Vol to record a double-digit point total was sophomore Shanna Zolman, who posted 14 points and connected on four of eight three-pointers. On the defensive end, senior Ashley Robinson showed why she is considered one of the SEC's premier post defenders, as she became UT's single-game record holder for blocked shots with eight, eclipsing the previous mark of seven set by Michelle Snow (3-31-00 vs. Rutgers). Despite the 10-point triumph, UT was tested by the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers capitalized on the Lady Vols' poor first-half shooting (35 percent) and took a three-point lead with 1:01 remaining in the opening frame. Tennessee would even the score at 25 after Ely connected on a conventional three-point play, but RU notched the last bucket of the half to lead 27-25 at the break, marking the first time UT had trailed at the intermission in the 2003-04 season. As UT still struggled from the field in the opening minutes of the second half, RU went up by six points, 40-34, with 11:41 remaining. However, the orange responded as Ely exploded for seven consecutive points and Zolman followed with two straight treys to go ahead 47-46. Thanks to Robinson's stellar interior defense (three consecutive blocks on one series) and steady play at the offensive end, UT closed out the contest on a 12-3 run over the last 7:41 to keep its perfect record intact. On the night, the Lady Vols shot 42 percent (23-55) from the floor, while Rutgers hit on just 37 percent (22-60) of its attempts. For the first time in the 03-04 campaign, UT was out-rebounded 39-37.
UT VS. THE BIG EAST
Tennessee has amassed an all-time record of 54-15 (.790) versus teams from the BIG EAST. The Lady Vols have a winning record against every team in the conference it has played, with the exception of Connecticut. The only other BIG EAST squad to defeat UT is Rutgers.
HALL OF FAMERS
C. Vivian Stringer joined Pat Summitt in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame as she was inducted in 2001 in Knoxville, Tenn.
OLYMPIC GOLD
C. Vivian Stringer served as assistant head coach of the 2004 United States Olympic Women's Basketball Team that won the gold medal in Athens, Greece. She helped to guide the Olympic Team to an unblemished record. Former Lady Vol Tamika Catchings was a member of the squad. Internationally acclaimed as well, Pat Summitt boasts an all-time international record of 63-4 (.940) during her time at the helm of the national squad. She served as head coach of the 1984 United States Olympic Women's Basketball Team that won the gold medal in Los Angeles, Calif.
SUMMITT AND STRINGER
Pat Summitt's Tennessee teams have faced C. Vivian Stringer while she was the head coach of Cheyney, Iowa and Rutgers. Summitt is 1-0 against Stringer at Cheyney, 2-1 against her at Iowa and 5-0 at Rutgers. Stringer is the second youngest women's coach (second only to Summitt) to reach the 500-career victory milestone (Jan. 28, 1994). She surpassed the 600-win plateau on Dec. 18, 1999, in a victory over Texas and reached the "700 Club" with a win over Princeton on Dec. 8, 2004.
SUMMITT AND STRINGER - ALMOST 2,000 GAMES
Together, Pat Summitt and C. Vivian Stringer are a combined 1,561-410 (1,971 total games) for a staggering .792 winning percentage in a combined 64 years of women's hoops. Either Summitt or Stringer has been at 17 of the 23 Final Fours with their respective teams since the inception of the NCAA Women's Tournament in 1982.
A LITTLE SCOOP ON UT AND RUTGERS
The Lady Vols have faced four ranked teams thus far and have a 2-2 record. Tennessee has faced the #2, #4, #10/9 and #15 ranked teams in the country. December opponents Louisiana Tech and TCU have both been ranked this season but were not at the time of our meeting.
Conversely, #8/10-ranked Tennessee will be Rutgers' first ranked opponent of the 2004-05 season.
In Tennessee's eight wins this season, the Lady Vols have averaged an anemic 69.4 ppg, while allowing a stingy 52.6 ppg. UT shoots a sizzling .418 in its wins while holding the opposition to a mere .325. UT outrebounds the opposition 43.6 to 37.0.
In Rutgers' six victories, the Scarlet Knights have averaged 74.0 points scored, allowed an average of 50.3 points, shot an average of 20.7 free throws compared to the opponents' 15.2, and were whistled for an average of 17.3 fouls per game compared to the opponents' 18.7.
In the Lady Vols' two losses this season (#4 Texas and #10/9 Duke), UT has managed just 58.0 ppg, while giving up 66.5 ppg...Tennessee has been "out-everythinged"... FG% -- UT .303, Opponents .486; 3FG% -- UT .344, Opponents .389; FT% -- UT .548, Opponents .611, Rebounds - UT 41.0 rpg, Opponents 45.5. A strange stat exists here --- in UT's two losses, the Lady Vols have averaged just 15 turnovers per game (30 total in two losses) while the victorious opponents have committed 46 miscues - 23.0 per game.
In RU's two losses, the Scarlet Knights scored an average of 60.5 points, allowed an average of 70.0 points, shot an average of 17.0 free throws compared to the opponents' 38.5, and were whistled for an average of 27.0 fouls per game compared to the opponents' 14.5.
In the last "Back East" meeting between the two squads on Jan. 2, 2001, the game featured the infamous Tamika Catchings' "Blood Jersey" incident ...Catchings' jersey was stolen from the team's Connecticut hotel following the Lady Vols' game against the Huskies in Hartford and in her very next game against Rutgers in the Garden, Catchings was forced to wear the spare "blood" jersey...UT won, 58-51.
LOOKING AHEAD TO OLD DOMINION
In their last outing, Old Dominion rookie Tiffany Green (Chesapeake, Va.) notched her first career double-double with 12 points and 11 boards as the Lady Monarch women's basketball returned home to the Ted Constant Convocation Center to an 83-55 non-conference victory over Harvard on Dec. 22, 2004. . ODU returned to the win column after a two-game slide to improve to 4-3. Four Lady Monarchs finished the afternoon with double figures. Junior Lawona Davis (Port St. Lucie, Fla.), who had just two points against Virginia and was held scoreless against Penn State in ODU's last two games, rebounded with a season and team-high 16 points. She shot 6-of-9 from the floor, 4-of-4 from the free throw line and added eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Also scoring in double figures was ODU leading scorer Shareese Grant (Va. Beach, Va.) with 16 points and sophomore Tish Lyons (Newport News, Va.) who tied her career-high with 12 points. The Lady Monarchs never trailed in the game and built up a 20-point lead with 7:33 left in the first half. ODU, who shot a season-low 38.9 percent from the free throw line in their last outing against Penn State, vastly improved against Harvard. The Lady Monarchs finished sinking 13-of-17 from the line to shoot, 76.5 percent for the game. In the first half alone, Old Dominion shot and sank all ten of their attempts. Davis, who was one of three Lady Monarchs to go perfect from the charity stripe, is still shooting perfectly from the line having connecting on all 14 of her shots. The Lady Monarchs shot 50 percent for the game and limited Harvard to just seven field goals in the first half and eight in the second. On the boards, Old Dominion outrebounded the Crimson by 33, holding a 58-25 advantage. The Lady Monarchs return to action on Thursday, December 30th at #6 North Carolina at 4:00 p.m. The game will be played at the Dean E. Smith Center.
PARKER CLEARED TO PRACTICE
Jenny Moshak, University of Tennessee Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Medicine, announced on Dec. 21 that Lady Vol rookie basketball standout Candace Parker had been reevaluated by Dr. William T. Youmans, UT Team Orthopedist.
"Candace had an MRI and x-rays on Dec. 20. This evening, Dr. Youmans read the reports and examined her knee," said Moshak. "He has cleared her to begin practice with the team on Dec. 26."
Parker, a 6'3" freshman forward from Napierville, Ill., took the good news by changing into her uniform and warm-ups and joining her team on the floor at halftime of the #9/10-ranked Tennessee vs.#2 Stanford game.
Parker is considered to be the most highly decorated female prepster ever to enter the collegiate ranks. A multi-named National Player of the Year, Parker missed the first six weeks of her 2003-04 senior season at Napierville Central H.S., while recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered the summer prior to her senior campaign. Nevertheless, Parker led Naperville to a 33-2 record and a second straight Class AA state championship, despite missing 11 games. The dunking phenom averaged 24.3 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 3.5 blocked shots and 3.3 spg. "
starting classes in August, Candace experienced swelling in her left knee and, upon further diagnostic testing, it was determined that she needed to undergo arthroscopic surgery to assess the source of the swelling," indicated Moshak. "Her surgery on Aug. 26, involved removing loose cartilage fragments. Her follow-up surgery on Sept. 8th, was to repair both the lateral meniscus and the lateral articular cartilage in her left knee. "Dr. Youmans indicated that Candace's ACL, from her prior surgery in July 2003, was in excellent condition," said Moshak.
Following her senior season, Parker became the first woman ever to win a slam-dunk contest, capturing the PowerAde Jam Fest that was part of the McDonald's High School All-American Game festivities. In the process, she defeated five men, including high-flying New Orleans Hornet J.R. Smith and Connecticut-bound Rudy Gay.
Prior to arriving at UT to start fall classes, Parker led the USA Women's Junior World Championship Qualifying Team to a gold medal in Puerto Rico with a perfect 5-0 record. She led Team USA in virtually every category, tallying 16.6 ppg, 8.8 rpg and held team high-water marks in assists (24), steals (17) and blocked shots (12).
Thursday, December 23, 2004
Parker eager to join Lady Vols in practice
KNOXVILLE — Lady Vols freshman Candace Parker was so excited about getting cleared to practice yesterday that she threw on her uniform and warm-up jersey for the second half of the Lady Vols' 70-67 win over No. 2 Stanford.
''I almost put her in late,'' Coach Pat Summitt joked.
One of the highest-profile recruits in Lady Vols history, Parker had arthroscopic knee surgery on Aug. 26 and Sept. 8. She met with UT team orthopedist Dr. William Youmans yesterday and was given the OK to start practicing when she came into the locker room at halftime.
At the time of the first knee surgery, Summitt said Parker could miss one year.
When the Lady Vols reconvene on Sunday, Parker will practice in a limited role, Lady Vol athletic trainer Jenny Moshak said yesterday.
Moshak said Parker still has a long way to go in the recovery process, and that there is no timetable set on when she will see her first collegiate minutes.
''I don't want to say that she is back yet,'' Moshak said. ''We're going to progress slowly, and we're going to see. If she has any swelling, we're pulling her. But she's worked hard. She's earned it.
''The last thing that we want to do is throw her into a game prematurely without having a good analysis of what we've got here, and then ruining the rest of the year by one game.''
The 6-foot-3 native of Naperville, Ill., won the slam-dunk contest at the McDonald's High School All-American game last spring — beating out five men. But Summitt said she's not going to even guess when Parker will get on the floor.
''Don't even go there,'' Summitt said. ''I'm just excited Dr. Youmans gave her the green light (to practice).''
Parker was allowed to start jumping while she worked out with Moshak this past week, but Moshak said she has known for about a month that the chance of Parker returning this season was pretty good.
Once the Lady Vols get back from holiday break, they will spend two weeks on the road.
''The good news is we're pretty much limited on our time for practices on the road, so we won't have the gym for so much time,'' Moshak said. ''That's going to help us. I'm going to go over the practice plan with Pat and see how much up-and-down we're actually going to do.''
''I almost put her in late,'' Coach Pat Summitt joked.
One of the highest-profile recruits in Lady Vols history, Parker had arthroscopic knee surgery on Aug. 26 and Sept. 8. She met with UT team orthopedist Dr. William Youmans yesterday and was given the OK to start practicing when she came into the locker room at halftime.
At the time of the first knee surgery, Summitt said Parker could miss one year.
When the Lady Vols reconvene on Sunday, Parker will practice in a limited role, Lady Vol athletic trainer Jenny Moshak said yesterday.
Moshak said Parker still has a long way to go in the recovery process, and that there is no timetable set on when she will see her first collegiate minutes.
''I don't want to say that she is back yet,'' Moshak said. ''We're going to progress slowly, and we're going to see. If she has any swelling, we're pulling her. But she's worked hard. She's earned it.
''The last thing that we want to do is throw her into a game prematurely without having a good analysis of what we've got here, and then ruining the rest of the year by one game.''
The 6-foot-3 native of Naperville, Ill., won the slam-dunk contest at the McDonald's High School All-American game last spring — beating out five men. But Summitt said she's not going to even guess when Parker will get on the floor.
''Don't even go there,'' Summitt said. ''I'm just excited Dr. Youmans gave her the green light (to practice).''
Parker was allowed to start jumping while she worked out with Moshak this past week, but Moshak said she has known for about a month that the chance of Parker returning this season was pretty good.
Once the Lady Vols get back from holiday break, they will spend two weeks on the road.
''The good news is we're pretty much limited on our time for practices on the road, so we won't have the gym for so much time,'' Moshak said. ''That's going to help us. I'm going to go over the practice plan with Pat and see how much up-and-down we're actually going to do.''
UT’s Zolman beats the buzzer, Stanford
KNOXVILLE — It's not often that Shanna Zolman is held to two points for the first 39 minutes and 59 seconds of a game.
But if she scores three points in the final second of every game, the Lady Vols might take it.
The junior guard did not have one of her better games, but made a 30-footer as time expired to lift ninth-ranked Tennessee to a 70-67 win over No. 2 Stanford last night. Zolman was just 2-of-6 from the field.
''I really just let it fly,'' Zolman said. ''I ain't gonna lie. It just felt like a normal shot. As soon as I let it go, I knew it was going in.''
Stanford guard Kelley Suminksi had made a 3-pointer to tie the game with five seconds left. Zolman ran down the floor unguarded and was able to get a decent look at the basket, despite it being from the ''T'' on the ''Tennessee'' halfcourt logo.
Suminski led the Cardinal (8-1) with 21 points. Senior Shyra Ely led Tennessee (8-2) with 16.
''I would say that people got their money's worth,'' Stanford Coach Tara VanDerveer said.
UT Coach Pat Summitt considered calling a timeout after Suminski's shot, but she said once she saw the ball moving up the floor so fast, she wasn't going to stop Zolman with the ball in her hands.
''She could be 0-for-15 and say, 'Coach, let me shoot the last shot,''' Summitt said. ''That's probably the most open look she got the whole game.''
In order for the Cardinal to threaten overtime, it had to claw its way back from a double-digit deficit.
Lady Vol senior Brittany Jackson scored seven consecutive points in the second half that gave Tennessee a 51-46 lead. A jumper by freshman Alexis Hornbuckle gave the Lady Vols a 59-48 advantage.
But Stanford slowly worked its way back into the game, coming within 67-64 on a layup by Candice Wiggins. Jackson then missed two free throws to set up Suminski's shot.
Tennessee got a boost from starting center Tye'sha Fluker, who scored 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting in her best outing of the season.
''Fortunately for us, Tye Fluker decided to show up,'' Summitt said. ''It makes all the difference to have an anchor inside.''
But if she scores three points in the final second of every game, the Lady Vols might take it.
The junior guard did not have one of her better games, but made a 30-footer as time expired to lift ninth-ranked Tennessee to a 70-67 win over No. 2 Stanford last night. Zolman was just 2-of-6 from the field.
''I really just let it fly,'' Zolman said. ''I ain't gonna lie. It just felt like a normal shot. As soon as I let it go, I knew it was going in.''
Stanford guard Kelley Suminksi had made a 3-pointer to tie the game with five seconds left. Zolman ran down the floor unguarded and was able to get a decent look at the basket, despite it being from the ''T'' on the ''Tennessee'' halfcourt logo.
Suminski led the Cardinal (8-1) with 21 points. Senior Shyra Ely led Tennessee (8-2) with 16.
''I would say that people got their money's worth,'' Stanford Coach Tara VanDerveer said.
UT Coach Pat Summitt considered calling a timeout after Suminski's shot, but she said once she saw the ball moving up the floor so fast, she wasn't going to stop Zolman with the ball in her hands.
''She could be 0-for-15 and say, 'Coach, let me shoot the last shot,''' Summitt said. ''That's probably the most open look she got the whole game.''
In order for the Cardinal to threaten overtime, it had to claw its way back from a double-digit deficit.
Lady Vol senior Brittany Jackson scored seven consecutive points in the second half that gave Tennessee a 51-46 lead. A jumper by freshman Alexis Hornbuckle gave the Lady Vols a 59-48 advantage.
But Stanford slowly worked its way back into the game, coming within 67-64 on a layup by Candice Wiggins. Jackson then missed two free throws to set up Suminski's shot.
Tennessee got a boost from starting center Tye'sha Fluker, who scored 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting in her best outing of the season.
''Fortunately for us, Tye Fluker decided to show up,'' Summitt said. ''It makes all the difference to have an anchor inside.''
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Zolman and Lady Vols Send Home No. 2 Stanford with First Loss, 70-67
Shanna Zolman hit a game winning three-pointer with seconds left on the clock
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - When Stanford tied Tennessee with 5 seconds to go, Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt thought about calling a timeout.
Her decision to let the game continue uninterrupted turned out to be for the best.
Shanna Zolman hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give ninth-ranked Tennessee a 70-67 victory over second-ranked Stanford on Tuesday night.
The Cardinal (8-1) had whittled Tennessee's 11-point lead with 6:51 remaining to 67-64 with 15.8 seconds to go to set up the dramatic finish.
Then Stanford's Kelley Suminski hit a 3 with 5.6 seconds left, and the game appeared on its way to overtime.
But the Lady Vols had another idea. While Summitt contemplated calling a timeout, Zolman was speeding down the middle of the court with the ball.
"Once I saw the ball coming up the floor at a pretty rapid pace, then I just looked the other way," Summitt said.
Zolman threw up the ball from about 25 feet away as the buzzer sounded.
The Lady Vols ran onto the court to celebrate while officials reviewed the play to make sure it counted. They ruled it did, and orange and white streamers fell from the ceiling as Tennessee resumed celebrating.
The Lady Vols handed Stanford its first loss of the season and beat the Cardinal for the ninth straight time.
Stanford hasn't beaten Tennessee since 1996, and each of the last three years the Lady Vols have handed the Cardinal their first loss.
"As hard as it is right now, I think it will pay off big dividends for us down the road," Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. "It was a great game. Honestly, I think you saw an NCAA tournament game. This is what it is like in the tournament."
Shyra Ely led the Lady Vols with 16 points. Suminski had 21 for Stanford.
Zolman finished with only 5, and the usually lethal long-range shooter was held to just 1-of-2 from beyond the arc.
"I didn't look over to the bench so I didn't know if she was calling timeout or not," Zolman said about the end of the game. "I saw there were 4 seconds left and I was at halfcourt, so I took a couple of dribbles and let it fly. I think Coach said it was the most open shot I had all night."
The frantic ending overshadowed strong defensive efforts by both teams.
"I don't think the numbers the teams put up really reflect the intensity of the defense that both teams played," Summitt said.
Tennessee looked in control after a 15-2 run that gave it a 59-48 lead with 6:51 remaining, but Stanford didn't give up and got back in it with a 9-2 run.
Candice Wiggins got a steal and layup that cut the lead to four points with 4:38 left, and the Cardinal kept the score close. Tennessee couldn't pull away, and Wiggins sank a free throw to cut it to three with 42.6 seconds left.
Wiggins then missed a free throw, and Ely made a pair that appeared to seal it for the Lady Vols with 29.8 seconds left.
But Wiggins scored again to cut the deficit to 67-64, and Tennessee's Brittany Jackson missed two free throws that gave Stanford another chance.
That's when Suminski tied with with her fourth 3-pointer of the game. She was 7-of-17 from the floor and 4-of-8 from long range with three assists and three steals.
"I thought Kelley was the best player on the floor today," VanDerveer said.
Tye'sha Fluker added 13 points, and Jackson and Alexis Hornbuckle had 11 apiece for Tennessee.
Jackson scored all of her points in the second half, including nine during Tennessee's big run after the break.
Wiggins finished with 15 points, T'nae Thiel 11 and Brooke Smith 10 for Stanford.
Tennessee shot only 37 percent (22-of-59) but was 23-of-27 from the free throw line.
Stanford overcame its 13 turnovers in the first half and outscored the Lady Vols 9-0 in the remaining 1:39 to take a 31-29 lead at the break.
The Cardinal finished with 21 turnovers and were 47 percent from the field (26-of-55).
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - When Stanford tied Tennessee with 5 seconds to go, Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt thought about calling a timeout.
Her decision to let the game continue uninterrupted turned out to be for the best.
Shanna Zolman hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give ninth-ranked Tennessee a 70-67 victory over second-ranked Stanford on Tuesday night.
The Cardinal (8-1) had whittled Tennessee's 11-point lead with 6:51 remaining to 67-64 with 15.8 seconds to go to set up the dramatic finish.
Then Stanford's Kelley Suminski hit a 3 with 5.6 seconds left, and the game appeared on its way to overtime.
But the Lady Vols had another idea. While Summitt contemplated calling a timeout, Zolman was speeding down the middle of the court with the ball.
"Once I saw the ball coming up the floor at a pretty rapid pace, then I just looked the other way," Summitt said.
Zolman threw up the ball from about 25 feet away as the buzzer sounded.
The Lady Vols ran onto the court to celebrate while officials reviewed the play to make sure it counted. They ruled it did, and orange and white streamers fell from the ceiling as Tennessee resumed celebrating.
The Lady Vols handed Stanford its first loss of the season and beat the Cardinal for the ninth straight time.
Stanford hasn't beaten Tennessee since 1996, and each of the last three years the Lady Vols have handed the Cardinal their first loss.
"As hard as it is right now, I think it will pay off big dividends for us down the road," Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. "It was a great game. Honestly, I think you saw an NCAA tournament game. This is what it is like in the tournament."
Shyra Ely led the Lady Vols with 16 points. Suminski had 21 for Stanford.
Zolman finished with only 5, and the usually lethal long-range shooter was held to just 1-of-2 from beyond the arc.
"I didn't look over to the bench so I didn't know if she was calling timeout or not," Zolman said about the end of the game. "I saw there were 4 seconds left and I was at halfcourt, so I took a couple of dribbles and let it fly. I think Coach said it was the most open shot I had all night."
The frantic ending overshadowed strong defensive efforts by both teams.
"I don't think the numbers the teams put up really reflect the intensity of the defense that both teams played," Summitt said.
Tennessee looked in control after a 15-2 run that gave it a 59-48 lead with 6:51 remaining, but Stanford didn't give up and got back in it with a 9-2 run.
Candice Wiggins got a steal and layup that cut the lead to four points with 4:38 left, and the Cardinal kept the score close. Tennessee couldn't pull away, and Wiggins sank a free throw to cut it to three with 42.6 seconds left.
Wiggins then missed a free throw, and Ely made a pair that appeared to seal it for the Lady Vols with 29.8 seconds left.
But Wiggins scored again to cut the deficit to 67-64, and Tennessee's Brittany Jackson missed two free throws that gave Stanford another chance.
That's when Suminski tied with with her fourth 3-pointer of the game. She was 7-of-17 from the floor and 4-of-8 from long range with three assists and three steals.
"I thought Kelley was the best player on the floor today," VanDerveer said.
Tye'sha Fluker added 13 points, and Jackson and Alexis Hornbuckle had 11 apiece for Tennessee.
Jackson scored all of her points in the second half, including nine during Tennessee's big run after the break.
Wiggins finished with 15 points, T'nae Thiel 11 and Brooke Smith 10 for Stanford.
Tennessee shot only 37 percent (22-of-59) but was 23-of-27 from the free throw line.
Stanford overcame its 13 turnovers in the first half and outscored the Lady Vols 9-0 in the remaining 1:39 to take a 31-29 lead at the break.
The Cardinal finished with 21 turnovers and were 47 percent from the field (26-of-55).
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Candace Parker cleared to practice by doctors
KNOXVILLE, TENN. --- Jenny Moshak, University of Tennessee Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Medicine, announced this evening that Lady Vol rookie basketball standout Candace Parker had been reevaluated by Dr. William T. Youmans, UT Team Orthopedist.
"Candace had an MRI and x-rays yesterday. This evening, Dr. Youmans read the reports and examined her knee," said Moshak. "He has cleared her to begin practice with the team on Dec. 26."
Parker, a 6'3" freshman forward from Napierville, Ill., took the good news by changing into her uniform and warm-ups and joining her team on the floor at halftime of the #9/10-ranked Tennessee vs.#2 Stanford game.
Parker is considered to be the most highly decorated female prepster ever to enter the collegiate ranks. A multi-named National Player of the Year, Parker missed the first six weeks of her 2003-04 senior season at Napierville Central H.S., while recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered the summer prior to her senior campaign. Nevertheless, Parker led Naperville to a 33-2 record and a second straight Class AA state championship, despite missing 11 games. The dunking phenom averaged 24.3 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 3.5 blocked shots and 3.3 spg.
"After starting classes in August, Candace experienced swelling in her left knee and, upon further diagnostic testing, it was determined that she needed to undergo arthroscopic surgery to assess the source of the swelling," indicated Moshak. "Her surgery on Aug. 26, involved removing loose cartilage fragments. Her follow-up surgery on Sept. 8th, was to repair both the lateral meniscus and the lateral articular cartilage in her left knee. "Dr. Youmans indicated that Candace's ACL, from her prior surgery in July 2003, was in excellent condition," said Moshak.
Following her senior season, Parker became the first woman ever to win a slam-dunk contest, capturing the PowerAde Jam Fest that was part of the McDonald's High School All-American Game festivities. In the process, she defeated five men, including high-flying New Orleans Hornet J.R. Smith and Connecticut-bound Rudy Gay.
Prior to arriving at UT to start fall classes, Parker led the USA Women's Junior World Championship Qualifying Team to a gold medal in Puerto Rico with a perfect 5-0 record. She led Team USA in virtually every category, tallying 16.6 ppg, 8.8 rpg and held team high-water marks in assists (24), steals (17) and blocked shots (12).
"Candace had an MRI and x-rays yesterday. This evening, Dr. Youmans read the reports and examined her knee," said Moshak. "He has cleared her to begin practice with the team on Dec. 26."
Parker, a 6'3" freshman forward from Napierville, Ill., took the good news by changing into her uniform and warm-ups and joining her team on the floor at halftime of the #9/10-ranked Tennessee vs.#2 Stanford game.
Parker is considered to be the most highly decorated female prepster ever to enter the collegiate ranks. A multi-named National Player of the Year, Parker missed the first six weeks of her 2003-04 senior season at Napierville Central H.S., while recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered the summer prior to her senior campaign. Nevertheless, Parker led Naperville to a 33-2 record and a second straight Class AA state championship, despite missing 11 games. The dunking phenom averaged 24.3 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 3.5 blocked shots and 3.3 spg.
"After starting classes in August, Candace experienced swelling in her left knee and, upon further diagnostic testing, it was determined that she needed to undergo arthroscopic surgery to assess the source of the swelling," indicated Moshak. "Her surgery on Aug. 26, involved removing loose cartilage fragments. Her follow-up surgery on Sept. 8th, was to repair both the lateral meniscus and the lateral articular cartilage in her left knee. "Dr. Youmans indicated that Candace's ACL, from her prior surgery in July 2003, was in excellent condition," said Moshak.
Following her senior season, Parker became the first woman ever to win a slam-dunk contest, capturing the PowerAde Jam Fest that was part of the McDonald's High School All-American Game festivities. In the process, she defeated five men, including high-flying New Orleans Hornet J.R. Smith and Connecticut-bound Rudy Gay.
Prior to arriving at UT to start fall classes, Parker led the USA Women's Junior World Championship Qualifying Team to a gold medal in Puerto Rico with a perfect 5-0 record. She led Team USA in virtually every category, tallying 16.6 ppg, 8.8 rpg and held team high-water marks in assists (24), steals (17) and blocked shots (12).
Tennessee Plays Underdog to Stanford
THE GAME
The #9/10-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols play their final game prior to the Christmas holiday and host #2-ranked Stanford this evening in Thompson- Boling Arena. Tennessee is 243-14 all-time at TBA.
LADY VOLS AT A GLANCE
This is the Lady Vols' 31st season under Head Coach Pat Summitt...She has compiled a staggering 859-169 overall record...Needs just 21 wins to become the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history...Her 2003-04 squad finished as the NCAA runner-up with a 31-4 record...UT also is the seven-timeconsecutive defending SEC regular season champion, and has been picked by both the media and the coaches to finish first in this year's SEC race as well.
Tennessee returns seven letterwinners and welcomes eight newcomers to the lineup...Rookie Alex Fuller (Shelbyville, Tenn.) will redshirt this season after undergoing surgery in October...Fellow rookie standout Candace Parker (Naperville, Ill.) is also currently sidelined...
After a rocky start, the Lady Vols appear to be on the upswing in the three most recent games... The Lady Vols scored a season-high 82 points against TCU...Following the 70-59 win at Louisiana Tech and a 78-63 win over #15 DePaul -- It marked the first time this season the Lady Vols scored 70-points or better in consecutive games...In the last three contests, the Lady Vols are outscoring their opponents 76.7-59.0, shooting 44.5 percent from the floor and 65 percent from the line compared to the first six game averages of 61.8-51.7 (scoring), 36.9 percent from the field and 60.8 percent from the charity stripe...In the last five minutes of all nine UT games, rookie Alexis Hornbuckle is UT's leading scorer with 20 points...During crunch time, in the final five minutes, the team is shooting an impressive 53.7 percent from the field.
STANFORD AT A GLANCE
Stanford has started the season with an 8-0 mark and a #2-ranking in the polls. Four Cardinal players are scoring in double digits and nine are playing doubledigit minutes. Stanford is ranked in the top-25 nationally in scoring offense (75.0 ppg) and steals (12.6 spg)...The Cardinal is proving itself on the defensive end of the floor as well, in the nation's top 10 in scoring defense (49.1 ppg), scoring margin (+25.9 ppg) and registers just 13.3 turnovers per game. One key for the Cardinal this season is depth. With 14 healthy players on the roster, nine are averaging at least 12 minutes per game. All 14 are averaging some points and rebounds for the season.
LADY VOLS ON TV
Seventeen Lady Vol regular season games are slated for television this season. Upcoming games on TV: Stanford (CSS) and Rutgers (CSTV).
ON THIS DAY
Tennessee is 5-1 in their history when playing on Dec. 21. The Lady Vols are 2-0 at home, 3- 1 on the road, and 0-0 on neutral courts. The last time out on the 21st, the Lady Vols defeated Oklahoma, 71-55, in Norman in 2003.
LOOKING BACK
Last year at this time, the Lady Vols (7-0) had just defeated Oklahoma, 71-55, on the road.
THE COUNTDOWN - 21 TO GO
Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt is just 21 wins away from passing Dean Smith (879) as the winningest coach in NCAA basketball. Summitt now has 859 wins.
SUMMITT`S TELECONFERENCE --
Coach Pat Summitt's regularly scheduled weekly teleconference will be on Jan. 5, 2005, at 11:00 a.m.. Members of the media will be notified of the dial-in number via fax and email. During the weeks of Dec. 22- Jan.3, some Summitt note capsules regarding upcoming games will be available at utladyvols.com.
JUMP SHOTS
A record eight Lady Vol basketball players earned Dean's List honors for the Fall term at Tennessee...Lady Vol starting junior center Tye'sha Fluker recorded a perfect 4.0 GPA in Retail and Consumer Science...She was joined on the Dean's List by senior Shyra Ely (3.42 GPA -- Retail and Consumer Science), junior Shanna Zolman (3.50 GPA - Broadcasting), sophomore Sidney Spencer (3.64 GP - Sport Management), and a quartet of rookies - Abby Canon (3.69 GPA), Nicky Anosike (3.65 GPA), Candace Parker (3.46 GPA), and Alex Fuller (3.0 GPA). All rookies are classified in the School of Arts and Sciences. Lady Vol fans got their first look at #15 in the TCU game - heralded rookie Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood (SWG)...SWG was cleared to play by Jenny Moshak on Thursday... She dazzled the Lady Vol fans...In 21 minutes of action, she canned three treys, grabbed four steals and dished out four assists...Four more of her blind-bullet-passes should of led to more assists were bobbled by her surprised teammates... SWG was to join the team on the floor last week, after sitting-out due to patella tendonitis...But missed dressing for DePaul and LaTech due to violation of team rules...Her addition will give the Lady Vols needed depth at guard...Fellow rookie Alexis Hornbuckle is starting at point guard for Loree Moore who had her tonsils removed on Dec. 10...
STANFORD SERIES
This marks the 21st meeting between the two schools dating back to the 1988 season. UT and Stanford have developed a strong highranking intersectional rivalry in a series contested at least once annually for the last 16 years. UT has controlled the recent matchups, amazingly having taken the last eight. Stanford has won consecutive meetings over the Lady Vols only once.
AVERAGE SCORE
The average score of a UT-Stanford game is a narrow margin -- 78.8 for UT and 71.6 for Stanford. Tennessee has scored 1576 points in the series while Stanford has totaled 1433 points in 20 games.
LOTS OF WINS
Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt and Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer are a combined 1469-337 for a staggering .813 winning percentage. While Summitt is chasing 900 career wins, VanDerveer registered 600 career victories last season and is 90 wins away from the 700 Club. Since the inception of the NCAA Women's Final Four in 1982, UT and Stanford have made a combined 21 trips and collected 8 NCAA titles. The Lady Vols have made 15 visits and grabbed six titles, while the Cardinal has two titles in six trips.
ANOTHER SUMMITT MARK
With the Lady Vols' contest against Stanford last season in the NCAA Midwest Regional Championship game, Tennessee's Pat Summitt coached in her 100th NCAA Tournament game in her career. Over the 23-year NCAA Tournament span, Summitt is an outstanding 85-17 (.835) in NCAA battles.
OUR LAST MEETING WITH STANFORD
For the second consecutive game, senior Tasha Butts connected on the gamewinning bucket in the waning seconds of regulation, and the top-seeded and #2/3- ranked Tennessee Lady Vols advanced to their record-setting 15th NCAA Final Four with a 62-60 victory over sixth-seeded Stanford in the NCAA Midwest Region final in Norman, OK, on Mar. 30, 2004. The triumph was UT's second against the Cardinal in the 2003-04 season, as UT prevailed in overtime, 70-66, at Stanford on Dec. 14. Early in the contest, both teams were in rhythm at the offensive end as the Big Orange hit four of its first seven shots and Stanford opened with 5-of-6 shooting. However, SU was able to capitalize more often and took an eight-point lead, 26-18, with 8:26 remaining in the half. Coach Pat Summitt's club responded, though, and held the Cardinal scoreless for nearly six minutes en route to an 11-0 run to take a 29-26 advantage. SU closed the opening stanza with a 5-0 spurt of its own and took a 31-29 lead into the locker room. In the first frame, the Lady Vols shot just 38 percent while SU connected on 48 percent of its tries. However, the Orange and White held a narrow edge on the boards, 19-18. While the Cardinal struck first in the second half with a 3-pointer by Nicole Powell, Tennessee answered by scoring 12 of the next 14 points to take its biggest lead of the game, 41-36, with 14:41 showing. Additionally, UT connected on seven of its first nine shots to open the second stanza. However, Stanford hung on and reclaimed the lead, 56-55, following another 3-pointer by Powell with 3:22 remaining. Still leading by one point minutes later, Butts drained a long ball to give the Lady Vols a twopoint lead with just more than a minute remaining. After a game-tying bucket by Powell with 44 seconds left, Butts connected on a scoop layup from the left side with 1.7 seconds on the clock to send Tennessee to its third straight Final Four. UT was led by Butts, junior Shyra Ely and senior LaToya Davis, who recorded, 14, 12 and 10 points, respectively. All three were named to the Midwest All-Regional Team. Freshman Sidney Spencer just missed double figures with nine points. On the night, Tennessee shot 47 percent (25-53) while Stanford connected on 49 percent (28-57) of its attempts. Despite being out-shot, the Lady Vols held the edge on the boards, 30-29, and committed just 11 turnovers.
UT VS. PACIFIC 10
Tennessee has taken on nine teams from the Pacific 10 all-time and sports a 47-12 record. Only three teams have claimed victories over UT - Southern California (seven times), Stanford (four) and UCLA (once). The Lady Vols have not lost to a team that currently competes in the Pac-10 since Dec. 15, 1996, when Stanford came away from Knoxville with an 82-65 win over UT. Tennessee's last meeting with a Pac-10 opponent came on Mar. 30, 2004, against Stanford in Norman, OK. The #2/3-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols advanced to their record-setting 15th NCAA Final Four with a 62-60 victory over sixth-seeded Stanford in the NCAA Midwest Region final in Norman, OK, on Mar. 30, 2004. Tennessee has played nine of the 10 basketball playing schools in the Pac-10. UT has yet to face California.
HALL OF FAMERS
Tara VanDerveer joined Pat Summitt in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame as she was inducted in April 2002 in Knoxville, Tenn.
OLYMPIC GOLD
Tara VanDerveer served as head coach of the 1996 United States Olympic Women's Basketball Team that won the gold medal in Atlanta, Ga. She guided the Olympic Team to an unblemished 60-0 record from 1995-96 and owns an all-time international head coaching record of 88-8 (.917), while coaching a pair of Lady Vols (Nikki McCray and Carla McGhee) on the squad. Meanwhile, Pat Summitt boasts an all-time international record of 63-4 (.940) during her time at the helm of the national squad. She served as head coach of the 1984 United States Olympic Women's Basketball Team that won the gold medal in Los Angeles, Calif.
OUR LAST REGULAR SEASON MEETING WITH STANFORD
The #2-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols pulled one out of the fire at #6/5-ranked Stanford on Dec. 14, 2003, winning an overtime thriller, 70-66. Both teams were knotted at 56-all at the end of regulation after UT staged a furious second half rally coming back from 14 points down. Sophomore Shanna Zolman led the Lady Vols in scoring (for the first time in her career) with 18 points, as junior Shyra Ely and senior Ashley Robinson each chipped in 16 points. A capacity crowd of 7,319 was on hand and the atmosphere was March-like at Maples Pavilion as the two teams crept out to an early 6-6 tie at 12:46. A series of Stanford mini-runs culminated in a 10-point advantage, 20-10 with 6:36 showing. The Cardinal would eventually lead by 13 in the opening stanza before taking an 11-point lead into the lockerroom at the break, 29-18. UT's 18 halftime points was the third fewest scored in Lady Vol history. Calmly confident going into the second stanza, UT would eventually trail by as many as 14-points, 41-27 with 15:09 to go, before eventually whittling down the Cardinal lead. A huge trey by rookie Dominique Redding at the 5:50 mark cut SU's lead to eight points. UT senior LaToya Davis completed the comeback with a steal and a lay-up with 19 seconds to go to knot the score at 56-all. In the overtime, Zolman led the Lady Vols with five points as a team who struggled to 18 points in the first 20 minutes of the game tallied 14 in a five-minute OT. Ely turned in a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. For the game, the Lady Vols shot just 39 percent FG and a horrific 55 percent FT. SU outrebounded UT, 45-44, but the Lady Vols collected 13 steals and committed just 11 miscues. OUR LAST MEETING WITH STANFORD IN KNOXVILLE The #4-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols continued its string of big early-season victories with a 71-56 triumph over the #5-ranked Stanford Cardinal on Dec. 18, 2002, in front of 13,560 fans at the Thompson-Boling Arena. The win in the series between the two longtime rivals marked UT's sixth in a row over the Cardinal and moved the record against Stanford at the Thompson-Boling Arena to a sparkling 7-1. In the contest, Tennessee had four players in double-figures, led by senior forward Gwen Jackson who posted 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Senior Kara Lawson posted a dozen tallies and both Ashley Robinson and Shanna Zolman had 10 points each. UT, and especially Lawson, seemed to come out of the locker room with a purpose as the squad roared to a 9-2 start behind seven straight points from the senior guard. Stanford utilized threepointers from Sebnem Kimyacioglu and Kelley Suminski to claw back to within 11-10 with 11:35 remaining before another UT spurt, this one ignited by a Gwen Jackson putback, moved the Lady Vols back in front by nine at 22-13. The Cardinal would get as close as five points at 24-19 after another three-pointer by Kimyacioglu with 6:44 to play, but the Lady Vols would close out the frame with a 12-4 run, highlighted by a fourpoint play from Zolman to go to the break up 36-23. The second half began with the teams basically trading buckets until the 16:05 mark when a Loree Moore three-pointer boosted UT to a 17-point advantage at 48-31. The lead grew to as much as 22 points twice in the second half at 56-34 with 12:46 to play and 60-38 with 10:06 left before the Cardinal managed to cut the final score to 71-56. On the night, UT shot 43.3% from the field on 29-of-67 shooting, while holding the Cardinal to only 36.7%. The Lady Vols won the rebounding war 41-33 and hustled for an impressive 16 boards on the offensive end. Robinson barely missed a double-double with nine boards to lead UT. The orange also held down its turnovers in the game by posting only 11.
LOOKING AHEAD TO RUTGERS
Rutgers is off until Dec. 29, when it welcomes #9/10-ranked Tennessee to the Louis Brown Athletic Center (RAC). Tip-off is slated for 5:00 p.m., and the game can be seen live on College Sports Television (CSTV). In their last outing, the #22-ranked Rutgers Scarlet Knights (6-2) forced 24 Clemson turnovers and pulled away late in the second half for a hard-fought 66-51 victory over the Lady Tigers (5-5) on Dec. 18 at the RAC. Senior guard Chelsea Newton led three Rutgers players in double figures with 17 points and five rebounds. Redshirt senior Nikki Jett had 15 points, while junior forward Michelle Campbell added 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Jett matched her career high with seven assists. Ahead by just five points (43-38) with 9:30 to play, Rutgers went on an 11-4 run to take a 52-42 lead with just over four minutes remaining in regulation. The Scarlet Knights put the game out of reach by making eight of their 10 free-throw attempts in the final minute of play. With the win, Rutgers is now 3-0 at home this year and has won 18 of its last 20 games at the RAC. The Scarlet Knights are winning by an average margin of 28 points per game on their home floor. The Scarlet Knights used their fourth different starting lineup this season, as Michelle Campbell, Essence Carson, Nikki Jett, Matee Ajavon and Chelsea Newton made up RU's fourguard attack. Collectively, they combined for 55 of Rutgers' 66 points. Jett contributed 15 points and tied her career high with seven assists vs. Rutgers. Jett scored in double figures in four of Rutgers' last five games and is averaging 12.8 points per game over that span.
The #9/10-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols play their final game prior to the Christmas holiday and host #2-ranked Stanford this evening in Thompson- Boling Arena. Tennessee is 243-14 all-time at TBA.
LADY VOLS AT A GLANCE
This is the Lady Vols' 31st season under Head Coach Pat Summitt...She has compiled a staggering 859-169 overall record...Needs just 21 wins to become the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history...Her 2003-04 squad finished as the NCAA runner-up with a 31-4 record...UT also is the seven-timeconsecutive defending SEC regular season champion, and has been picked by both the media and the coaches to finish first in this year's SEC race as well.
Tennessee returns seven letterwinners and welcomes eight newcomers to the lineup...Rookie Alex Fuller (Shelbyville, Tenn.) will redshirt this season after undergoing surgery in October...Fellow rookie standout Candace Parker (Naperville, Ill.) is also currently sidelined...
After a rocky start, the Lady Vols appear to be on the upswing in the three most recent games... The Lady Vols scored a season-high 82 points against TCU...Following the 70-59 win at Louisiana Tech and a 78-63 win over #15 DePaul -- It marked the first time this season the Lady Vols scored 70-points or better in consecutive games...In the last three contests, the Lady Vols are outscoring their opponents 76.7-59.0, shooting 44.5 percent from the floor and 65 percent from the line compared to the first six game averages of 61.8-51.7 (scoring), 36.9 percent from the field and 60.8 percent from the charity stripe...In the last five minutes of all nine UT games, rookie Alexis Hornbuckle is UT's leading scorer with 20 points...During crunch time, in the final five minutes, the team is shooting an impressive 53.7 percent from the field.
STANFORD AT A GLANCE
Stanford has started the season with an 8-0 mark and a #2-ranking in the polls. Four Cardinal players are scoring in double digits and nine are playing doubledigit minutes. Stanford is ranked in the top-25 nationally in scoring offense (75.0 ppg) and steals (12.6 spg)...The Cardinal is proving itself on the defensive end of the floor as well, in the nation's top 10 in scoring defense (49.1 ppg), scoring margin (+25.9 ppg) and registers just 13.3 turnovers per game. One key for the Cardinal this season is depth. With 14 healthy players on the roster, nine are averaging at least 12 minutes per game. All 14 are averaging some points and rebounds for the season.
LADY VOLS ON TV
Seventeen Lady Vol regular season games are slated for television this season. Upcoming games on TV: Stanford (CSS) and Rutgers (CSTV).
ON THIS DAY
Tennessee is 5-1 in their history when playing on Dec. 21. The Lady Vols are 2-0 at home, 3- 1 on the road, and 0-0 on neutral courts. The last time out on the 21st, the Lady Vols defeated Oklahoma, 71-55, in Norman in 2003.
LOOKING BACK
Last year at this time, the Lady Vols (7-0) had just defeated Oklahoma, 71-55, on the road.
THE COUNTDOWN - 21 TO GO
Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt is just 21 wins away from passing Dean Smith (879) as the winningest coach in NCAA basketball. Summitt now has 859 wins.
SUMMITT`S TELECONFERENCE --
Coach Pat Summitt's regularly scheduled weekly teleconference will be on Jan. 5, 2005, at 11:00 a.m.. Members of the media will be notified of the dial-in number via fax and email. During the weeks of Dec. 22- Jan.3, some Summitt note capsules regarding upcoming games will be available at utladyvols.com.
JUMP SHOTS
A record eight Lady Vol basketball players earned Dean's List honors for the Fall term at Tennessee...Lady Vol starting junior center Tye'sha Fluker recorded a perfect 4.0 GPA in Retail and Consumer Science...She was joined on the Dean's List by senior Shyra Ely (3.42 GPA -- Retail and Consumer Science), junior Shanna Zolman (3.50 GPA - Broadcasting), sophomore Sidney Spencer (3.64 GP - Sport Management), and a quartet of rookies - Abby Canon (3.69 GPA), Nicky Anosike (3.65 GPA), Candace Parker (3.46 GPA), and Alex Fuller (3.0 GPA). All rookies are classified in the School of Arts and Sciences. Lady Vol fans got their first look at #15 in the TCU game - heralded rookie Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood (SWG)...SWG was cleared to play by Jenny Moshak on Thursday... She dazzled the Lady Vol fans...In 21 minutes of action, she canned three treys, grabbed four steals and dished out four assists...Four more of her blind-bullet-passes should of led to more assists were bobbled by her surprised teammates... SWG was to join the team on the floor last week, after sitting-out due to patella tendonitis...But missed dressing for DePaul and LaTech due to violation of team rules...Her addition will give the Lady Vols needed depth at guard...Fellow rookie Alexis Hornbuckle is starting at point guard for Loree Moore who had her tonsils removed on Dec. 10...
STANFORD SERIES
This marks the 21st meeting between the two schools dating back to the 1988 season. UT and Stanford have developed a strong highranking intersectional rivalry in a series contested at least once annually for the last 16 years. UT has controlled the recent matchups, amazingly having taken the last eight. Stanford has won consecutive meetings over the Lady Vols only once.
AVERAGE SCORE
The average score of a UT-Stanford game is a narrow margin -- 78.8 for UT and 71.6 for Stanford. Tennessee has scored 1576 points in the series while Stanford has totaled 1433 points in 20 games.
LOTS OF WINS
Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt and Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer are a combined 1469-337 for a staggering .813 winning percentage. While Summitt is chasing 900 career wins, VanDerveer registered 600 career victories last season and is 90 wins away from the 700 Club. Since the inception of the NCAA Women's Final Four in 1982, UT and Stanford have made a combined 21 trips and collected 8 NCAA titles. The Lady Vols have made 15 visits and grabbed six titles, while the Cardinal has two titles in six trips.
ANOTHER SUMMITT MARK
With the Lady Vols' contest against Stanford last season in the NCAA Midwest Regional Championship game, Tennessee's Pat Summitt coached in her 100th NCAA Tournament game in her career. Over the 23-year NCAA Tournament span, Summitt is an outstanding 85-17 (.835) in NCAA battles.
OUR LAST MEETING WITH STANFORD
For the second consecutive game, senior Tasha Butts connected on the gamewinning bucket in the waning seconds of regulation, and the top-seeded and #2/3- ranked Tennessee Lady Vols advanced to their record-setting 15th NCAA Final Four with a 62-60 victory over sixth-seeded Stanford in the NCAA Midwest Region final in Norman, OK, on Mar. 30, 2004. The triumph was UT's second against the Cardinal in the 2003-04 season, as UT prevailed in overtime, 70-66, at Stanford on Dec. 14. Early in the contest, both teams were in rhythm at the offensive end as the Big Orange hit four of its first seven shots and Stanford opened with 5-of-6 shooting. However, SU was able to capitalize more often and took an eight-point lead, 26-18, with 8:26 remaining in the half. Coach Pat Summitt's club responded, though, and held the Cardinal scoreless for nearly six minutes en route to an 11-0 run to take a 29-26 advantage. SU closed the opening stanza with a 5-0 spurt of its own and took a 31-29 lead into the locker room. In the first frame, the Lady Vols shot just 38 percent while SU connected on 48 percent of its tries. However, the Orange and White held a narrow edge on the boards, 19-18. While the Cardinal struck first in the second half with a 3-pointer by Nicole Powell, Tennessee answered by scoring 12 of the next 14 points to take its biggest lead of the game, 41-36, with 14:41 showing. Additionally, UT connected on seven of its first nine shots to open the second stanza. However, Stanford hung on and reclaimed the lead, 56-55, following another 3-pointer by Powell with 3:22 remaining. Still leading by one point minutes later, Butts drained a long ball to give the Lady Vols a twopoint lead with just more than a minute remaining. After a game-tying bucket by Powell with 44 seconds left, Butts connected on a scoop layup from the left side with 1.7 seconds on the clock to send Tennessee to its third straight Final Four. UT was led by Butts, junior Shyra Ely and senior LaToya Davis, who recorded, 14, 12 and 10 points, respectively. All three were named to the Midwest All-Regional Team. Freshman Sidney Spencer just missed double figures with nine points. On the night, Tennessee shot 47 percent (25-53) while Stanford connected on 49 percent (28-57) of its attempts. Despite being out-shot, the Lady Vols held the edge on the boards, 30-29, and committed just 11 turnovers.
UT VS. PACIFIC 10
Tennessee has taken on nine teams from the Pacific 10 all-time and sports a 47-12 record. Only three teams have claimed victories over UT - Southern California (seven times), Stanford (four) and UCLA (once). The Lady Vols have not lost to a team that currently competes in the Pac-10 since Dec. 15, 1996, when Stanford came away from Knoxville with an 82-65 win over UT. Tennessee's last meeting with a Pac-10 opponent came on Mar. 30, 2004, against Stanford in Norman, OK. The #2/3-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols advanced to their record-setting 15th NCAA Final Four with a 62-60 victory over sixth-seeded Stanford in the NCAA Midwest Region final in Norman, OK, on Mar. 30, 2004. Tennessee has played nine of the 10 basketball playing schools in the Pac-10. UT has yet to face California.
HALL OF FAMERS
Tara VanDerveer joined Pat Summitt in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame as she was inducted in April 2002 in Knoxville, Tenn.
OLYMPIC GOLD
Tara VanDerveer served as head coach of the 1996 United States Olympic Women's Basketball Team that won the gold medal in Atlanta, Ga. She guided the Olympic Team to an unblemished 60-0 record from 1995-96 and owns an all-time international head coaching record of 88-8 (.917), while coaching a pair of Lady Vols (Nikki McCray and Carla McGhee) on the squad. Meanwhile, Pat Summitt boasts an all-time international record of 63-4 (.940) during her time at the helm of the national squad. She served as head coach of the 1984 United States Olympic Women's Basketball Team that won the gold medal in Los Angeles, Calif.
OUR LAST REGULAR SEASON MEETING WITH STANFORD
The #2-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols pulled one out of the fire at #6/5-ranked Stanford on Dec. 14, 2003, winning an overtime thriller, 70-66. Both teams were knotted at 56-all at the end of regulation after UT staged a furious second half rally coming back from 14 points down. Sophomore Shanna Zolman led the Lady Vols in scoring (for the first time in her career) with 18 points, as junior Shyra Ely and senior Ashley Robinson each chipped in 16 points. A capacity crowd of 7,319 was on hand and the atmosphere was March-like at Maples Pavilion as the two teams crept out to an early 6-6 tie at 12:46. A series of Stanford mini-runs culminated in a 10-point advantage, 20-10 with 6:36 showing. The Cardinal would eventually lead by 13 in the opening stanza before taking an 11-point lead into the lockerroom at the break, 29-18. UT's 18 halftime points was the third fewest scored in Lady Vol history. Calmly confident going into the second stanza, UT would eventually trail by as many as 14-points, 41-27 with 15:09 to go, before eventually whittling down the Cardinal lead. A huge trey by rookie Dominique Redding at the 5:50 mark cut SU's lead to eight points. UT senior LaToya Davis completed the comeback with a steal and a lay-up with 19 seconds to go to knot the score at 56-all. In the overtime, Zolman led the Lady Vols with five points as a team who struggled to 18 points in the first 20 minutes of the game tallied 14 in a five-minute OT. Ely turned in a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. For the game, the Lady Vols shot just 39 percent FG and a horrific 55 percent FT. SU outrebounded UT, 45-44, but the Lady Vols collected 13 steals and committed just 11 miscues. OUR LAST MEETING WITH STANFORD IN KNOXVILLE The #4-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols continued its string of big early-season victories with a 71-56 triumph over the #5-ranked Stanford Cardinal on Dec. 18, 2002, in front of 13,560 fans at the Thompson-Boling Arena. The win in the series between the two longtime rivals marked UT's sixth in a row over the Cardinal and moved the record against Stanford at the Thompson-Boling Arena to a sparkling 7-1. In the contest, Tennessee had four players in double-figures, led by senior forward Gwen Jackson who posted 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Senior Kara Lawson posted a dozen tallies and both Ashley Robinson and Shanna Zolman had 10 points each. UT, and especially Lawson, seemed to come out of the locker room with a purpose as the squad roared to a 9-2 start behind seven straight points from the senior guard. Stanford utilized threepointers from Sebnem Kimyacioglu and Kelley Suminski to claw back to within 11-10 with 11:35 remaining before another UT spurt, this one ignited by a Gwen Jackson putback, moved the Lady Vols back in front by nine at 22-13. The Cardinal would get as close as five points at 24-19 after another three-pointer by Kimyacioglu with 6:44 to play, but the Lady Vols would close out the frame with a 12-4 run, highlighted by a fourpoint play from Zolman to go to the break up 36-23. The second half began with the teams basically trading buckets until the 16:05 mark when a Loree Moore three-pointer boosted UT to a 17-point advantage at 48-31. The lead grew to as much as 22 points twice in the second half at 56-34 with 12:46 to play and 60-38 with 10:06 left before the Cardinal managed to cut the final score to 71-56. On the night, UT shot 43.3% from the field on 29-of-67 shooting, while holding the Cardinal to only 36.7%. The Lady Vols won the rebounding war 41-33 and hustled for an impressive 16 boards on the offensive end. Robinson barely missed a double-double with nine boards to lead UT. The orange also held down its turnovers in the game by posting only 11.
LOOKING AHEAD TO RUTGERS
Rutgers is off until Dec. 29, when it welcomes #9/10-ranked Tennessee to the Louis Brown Athletic Center (RAC). Tip-off is slated for 5:00 p.m., and the game can be seen live on College Sports Television (CSTV). In their last outing, the #22-ranked Rutgers Scarlet Knights (6-2) forced 24 Clemson turnovers and pulled away late in the second half for a hard-fought 66-51 victory over the Lady Tigers (5-5) on Dec. 18 at the RAC. Senior guard Chelsea Newton led three Rutgers players in double figures with 17 points and five rebounds. Redshirt senior Nikki Jett had 15 points, while junior forward Michelle Campbell added 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Jett matched her career high with seven assists. Ahead by just five points (43-38) with 9:30 to play, Rutgers went on an 11-4 run to take a 52-42 lead with just over four minutes remaining in regulation. The Scarlet Knights put the game out of reach by making eight of their 10 free-throw attempts in the final minute of play. With the win, Rutgers is now 3-0 at home this year and has won 18 of its last 20 games at the RAC. The Scarlet Knights are winning by an average margin of 28 points per game on their home floor. The Scarlet Knights used their fourth different starting lineup this season, as Michelle Campbell, Essence Carson, Nikki Jett, Matee Ajavon and Chelsea Newton made up RU's fourguard attack. Collectively, they combined for 55 of Rutgers' 66 points. Jett contributed 15 points and tied her career high with seven assists vs. Rutgers. Jett scored in double figures in four of Rutgers' last five games and is averaging 12.8 points per game over that span.
Lady Vols Face Unbeaten Stanford
UT has controlled the recent matchups, amazingly having taken the last eight.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee has a habit of knocking unbeaten Stanford into the loss column.
The second-ranked Cardinal (8-0) will look to avoid its ninth straight defeat to the ninth-ranked Lady Vols (7-2) when it continues a five-game road trip on Tuesday.
In the past three seasons, Stanford has entered its regular season matchup with Tennessee undefeated only to suffer its first loss. The last time the Cardinal started the season 8-0, it fell 68-62 at Thompson-Boling Arena on Dec. 16, 2001.
Stanford also had its 5-0 and 6-0 starts spoiled in 2002 and 2003, respectively, and has lost eight straight against Tennessee since an 82-65 victory at Knoxville on Dec. 15, 1996 - their lone win in eight games on the Lady Vols' home court.
Stanford trails the all-time series 16-4, including a 62-60 loss in the regional finals of the NCAA tournament last season as Tennessee reached the championship game before losing to Connecticut. Two of the Cardinal's wins against the Lady Vols came on the way to championships in 1990 and 1992.
Stanford, one of three unbeaten teams in the rankings along with No. 1 Louisiana State and No. 18 Iowa, is coming off a 71-55 win at Missouri on Saturday.
Freshman guard Candice Wiggins had 12 points and five rebounds and Brooke Smith led the Cardinal with 16 points. Kelley Suminski added 13 points and hit three 3-pointers as Stanford finished 7-for-16 from the perimeter.
The Cardinal has only faced one ranked team this season, beating No. 12 Texas Tech 61-58 on Nov. 28. It averages 75 points per game while holding opponents to 49.1 points a contest.
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt spent some time recruiting Wiggins, a freshman standout who paces the Cardinal with 16.5 points and has a team-high 25 steals.
"I love her game," Summitt said. "She can handle, she can shoot, she is a playmaker, she creates for everyone else and makes everyone else alert and better on the floor."
Despite Tennessee's dominance, Summitt will not take Stanford lightly.
"It is going to be another big challenge," she said. "They are good on the defensive end, and we are concerned their inside game is better. They have so many three-point weapons, and they are another team that stretches you and forces you to defend beyond the arc."
Tennessee has emerging talent in its own backcourt. Freshman point guard Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood came off the bench to hit three 3-pointers in her collegiate debut and help the Lady Vols to an 82-55 win over Texas Christian at home on Sunday.
Senior forward Shyra Ely scored 23 points and Alexis Hornbuckle, the starting point guard, added 15 for the Lady Vols who have won three straight since a 59-57 loss to third-ranked Duke on Dec. 2 at home.
Wiley-Gatewood and Hornbuckle, another freshman, were put in charge of Tennessee's offense in place of Loree Moore, who is recovering from a tonsillectomy. Hornbuckle also had six assists and five steals while Wiley-Gatewood finished with nine points, four assists and four steals.
Tennessee is averaging 76.7 points in its last three games, after managing just 61.8 in its first six - which included a 74-59 loss at No. 4 Texas on Nov. 25.
The Lady Vols are 243-14 all-time at Thompson-Boling Arena.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee has a habit of knocking unbeaten Stanford into the loss column.
The second-ranked Cardinal (8-0) will look to avoid its ninth straight defeat to the ninth-ranked Lady Vols (7-2) when it continues a five-game road trip on Tuesday.
In the past three seasons, Stanford has entered its regular season matchup with Tennessee undefeated only to suffer its first loss. The last time the Cardinal started the season 8-0, it fell 68-62 at Thompson-Boling Arena on Dec. 16, 2001.
Stanford also had its 5-0 and 6-0 starts spoiled in 2002 and 2003, respectively, and has lost eight straight against Tennessee since an 82-65 victory at Knoxville on Dec. 15, 1996 - their lone win in eight games on the Lady Vols' home court.
Stanford trails the all-time series 16-4, including a 62-60 loss in the regional finals of the NCAA tournament last season as Tennessee reached the championship game before losing to Connecticut. Two of the Cardinal's wins against the Lady Vols came on the way to championships in 1990 and 1992.
Stanford, one of three unbeaten teams in the rankings along with No. 1 Louisiana State and No. 18 Iowa, is coming off a 71-55 win at Missouri on Saturday.
Freshman guard Candice Wiggins had 12 points and five rebounds and Brooke Smith led the Cardinal with 16 points. Kelley Suminski added 13 points and hit three 3-pointers as Stanford finished 7-for-16 from the perimeter.
The Cardinal has only faced one ranked team this season, beating No. 12 Texas Tech 61-58 on Nov. 28. It averages 75 points per game while holding opponents to 49.1 points a contest.
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt spent some time recruiting Wiggins, a freshman standout who paces the Cardinal with 16.5 points and has a team-high 25 steals.
"I love her game," Summitt said. "She can handle, she can shoot, she is a playmaker, she creates for everyone else and makes everyone else alert and better on the floor."
Despite Tennessee's dominance, Summitt will not take Stanford lightly.
"It is going to be another big challenge," she said. "They are good on the defensive end, and we are concerned their inside game is better. They have so many three-point weapons, and they are another team that stretches you and forces you to defend beyond the arc."
Tennessee has emerging talent in its own backcourt. Freshman point guard Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood came off the bench to hit three 3-pointers in her collegiate debut and help the Lady Vols to an 82-55 win over Texas Christian at home on Sunday.
Senior forward Shyra Ely scored 23 points and Alexis Hornbuckle, the starting point guard, added 15 for the Lady Vols who have won three straight since a 59-57 loss to third-ranked Duke on Dec. 2 at home.
Wiley-Gatewood and Hornbuckle, another freshman, were put in charge of Tennessee's offense in place of Loree Moore, who is recovering from a tonsillectomy. Hornbuckle also had six assists and five steals while Wiley-Gatewood finished with nine points, four assists and four steals.
Tennessee is averaging 76.7 points in its last three games, after managing just 61.8 in its first six - which included a 74-59 loss at No. 4 Texas on Nov. 25.
The Lady Vols are 243-14 all-time at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Lady Vols, Stanford change styles
KNOXVILLE — There aren't many women's basketball programs in the country that can lose an All-American and actually be better the next year.
The two programs that meet here tonight are in that select few.
The ninth-ranked Lady Vols (7-2) haven't had to do that this season, but No. 2 Stanford (8-0) comes to Thompson-Boling arena with a much different team than a year ago.
Stanford has not had the services of All-America Nicole Powell, the third overall pick in this spring's WNBA draft, but the Cardinal has flourished in her absence.
''We're playing a different style,'' Stanford Coach Tara VanDerveer said. ''We're a more balanced team. (Powell) had the ball in her hands a lot, and it made for a tendency for other people to stand around.''
Powell scored 63 of Stanford's 126 points in the Cardinal's two close losses to Tennessee last year. She missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have sent Stanford to the Final Four instead of the Lady Vols.
''They ran everything through Powell last year,'' UT Coach Pat Summitt said. ''You knew it was going to be Powell and company. This is a different look in that they appear to be more team-oriented and more balanced in their attack.
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The two programs that meet here tonight are in that select few.
The ninth-ranked Lady Vols (7-2) haven't had to do that this season, but No. 2 Stanford (8-0) comes to Thompson-Boling arena with a much different team than a year ago.
Stanford has not had the services of All-America Nicole Powell, the third overall pick in this spring's WNBA draft, but the Cardinal has flourished in her absence.
''We're playing a different style,'' Stanford Coach Tara VanDerveer said. ''We're a more balanced team. (Powell) had the ball in her hands a lot, and it made for a tendency for other people to stand around.''
Powell scored 63 of Stanford's 126 points in the Cardinal's two close losses to Tennessee last year. She missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have sent Stanford to the Final Four instead of the Lady Vols.
''They ran everything through Powell last year,'' UT Coach Pat Summitt said. ''You knew it was going to be Powell and company. This is a different look in that they appear to be more team-oriented and more balanced in their attack.
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Monday, December 20, 2004
Lady Vols Remain at No. 9 in AP Poll
Tennessee takes on No. 2 Stanford on Tuesday
Utah took advantage of several losses by Top 25 teams and squeezed back into The Associated Press women's basketball poll Monday while LSU remained a unanimous No. 1.
There was some shuffling after five ranked teams lost to unranked opponents during the past week, but Utah was the only newcomer.
Arizona State, which had been 23rd, dropped out after being ranked for just one week.
LSU (10-0) beat No. 13 Minnesota and Southwest Missouri State during a swing through the Midwest and received all 45 first-place votes from a national media panel.
It was the fourth straight No. 1 ranking for the Lady Tigers and the third consecutive time they've been unanimous.
Stanford (8-0), the only other unbeaten team in the Top 10, remained second after beating Missouri 71-55 in its lone game last week. The Cardinal, who are getting outstanding play from freshman Candice Wiggins, face their most challenging game to date Tuesday night at No. 9 Tennessee.
Duke (10-1), which has won eight straight since a Nov. 17 loss at Notre Dame, stayed at No. 3 - 62 points behind Stanford. The Blue Devils' latest victory was an 18-point win over then-No. 20 Purdue.
Texas was fourth and Baylor fifth, followed by North Carolina, Notre Dame, Connecticut, Tennessee and Ohio State. This was the third straight week the Top Ten had the same teams.
No. 11 Michigan State, No. 12 Texas Tech, No. 13 Minnesota and No. 14 Boston College all held the positions from last week. Then it was Georgia, Vanderbilt and Maryland, followed by Iowa, DePaul and UCLA.
Purdue, Houston, Kansas State, Rutgers and Utah held the final five places.
Utah (8-2) has won seven straight after a 1-2 start that included narrow losses to Stanford and Michigan State. The Utes are coming off a stifling defensive performance, holding Loyola Marymount to nine second-half points in a 56-33 victory.
Utah was ranked for nine weeks last season, making its final appearance at No. 25 the week of Feb. 16.
Iowa (9-0), which joined the poll last week, made the biggest jump, going from 24th to 18th after beating Drake 80-69 in its only game.
Rutgers fell six places for the biggest drop, tumbling to 24th after losing to Temple and beating Clemson.
UCLA fell four spots to 20th after losing at Illinois, while Houston dropped from 19th to 22nd after a loss to Wake Forest.
A 61-45 loss at New Mexico knocked Arizona State (7-2) out of the Top 25.
Because of Christmas, this is another light week for games. The only other game involving two ranked teams is UCLA at Ohio State on Tuesday night. Utah could get a test at home Tuesday against Oklahoma, which was ranked in the first three polls this season.
Utah is the first team from the Mountain West to be ranked this season. The Big Ten leads with five teams in the Top 25 - Ohio State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Iowa and Purdue.
The Big East, Big 12 and SEC each has four ranked teams.
Utah took advantage of several losses by Top 25 teams and squeezed back into The Associated Press women's basketball poll Monday while LSU remained a unanimous No. 1.
There was some shuffling after five ranked teams lost to unranked opponents during the past week, but Utah was the only newcomer.
Arizona State, which had been 23rd, dropped out after being ranked for just one week.
LSU (10-0) beat No. 13 Minnesota and Southwest Missouri State during a swing through the Midwest and received all 45 first-place votes from a national media panel.
It was the fourth straight No. 1 ranking for the Lady Tigers and the third consecutive time they've been unanimous.
Stanford (8-0), the only other unbeaten team in the Top 10, remained second after beating Missouri 71-55 in its lone game last week. The Cardinal, who are getting outstanding play from freshman Candice Wiggins, face their most challenging game to date Tuesday night at No. 9 Tennessee.
Duke (10-1), which has won eight straight since a Nov. 17 loss at Notre Dame, stayed at No. 3 - 62 points behind Stanford. The Blue Devils' latest victory was an 18-point win over then-No. 20 Purdue.
Texas was fourth and Baylor fifth, followed by North Carolina, Notre Dame, Connecticut, Tennessee and Ohio State. This was the third straight week the Top Ten had the same teams.
No. 11 Michigan State, No. 12 Texas Tech, No. 13 Minnesota and No. 14 Boston College all held the positions from last week. Then it was Georgia, Vanderbilt and Maryland, followed by Iowa, DePaul and UCLA.
Purdue, Houston, Kansas State, Rutgers and Utah held the final five places.
Utah (8-2) has won seven straight after a 1-2 start that included narrow losses to Stanford and Michigan State. The Utes are coming off a stifling defensive performance, holding Loyola Marymount to nine second-half points in a 56-33 victory.
Utah was ranked for nine weeks last season, making its final appearance at No. 25 the week of Feb. 16.
Iowa (9-0), which joined the poll last week, made the biggest jump, going from 24th to 18th after beating Drake 80-69 in its only game.
Rutgers fell six places for the biggest drop, tumbling to 24th after losing to Temple and beating Clemson.
UCLA fell four spots to 20th after losing at Illinois, while Houston dropped from 19th to 22nd after a loss to Wake Forest.
A 61-45 loss at New Mexico knocked Arizona State (7-2) out of the Top 25.
Because of Christmas, this is another light week for games. The only other game involving two ranked teams is UCLA at Ohio State on Tuesday night. Utah could get a test at home Tuesday against Oklahoma, which was ranked in the first three polls this season.
Utah is the first team from the Mountain West to be ranked this season. The Big Ten leads with five teams in the Top 25 - Ohio State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Iowa and Purdue.
The Big East, Big 12 and SEC each has four ranked teams.
Freshmen step up big in Lady Vols' victory
KNOXVILLE — So this is what the hype was all about.
It took a month and the addition of another point guard, but the Lady Vols' Super Six recruiting class is finally starting to look like it might be super for a long, long time.
Freshmen guards Alexis Hornbuckle and Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood wowed the Thompson-Boling Arena crowd in the first half, and senior forward Shyra Ely took over in the second as the ninth-ranked Lady Vols (7-2) eased past Texas Christian (7-4) 82-55 yesterday.
''It is exciting to think about the future that these young players have here at Tennessee,'' Coach Pat Summitt said. ''I sleep a lot better at night. I'll have a good night's sleep tonight after watching Gatewood.''
In her first game as a Lady Vol, Wiley-Gatewood played 21 minutes. She and Hornbuckle led a fast-paced offense with several no-look passes that even surprised their teammates.
They combined for 24 points, 10 assists, nine rebounds and nine steals.
''We're so athletic that if we can just run for 20 minutes in the first half and 20 minutes in the second half, it'll open up some doors,'' Hornbuckle said. ''And that's exactly what we did with about 10 minutes left in the first half, we just came out and started running.''
Ely had her best game of the season with 23 points and seven rebounds. More importantly, she was 9-of-12 from the floor.
Ely played power forward more than she has all year, and she said she thinks she will play both forward positions as the season continues.
''With Sa'de, I don't know that I'm open, but she thinks I'm open,'' Ely said. ''So I have to be ready for the ball at all times, and with Alexis, too. They did a great job pushing the ball, and I just got a lot of easy buckets underneath.''
All-America Sandora Irvin led TCU with 21 points and 16 rebounds, but 11 of those points came from the free throw line.
Tennessee's freshman class, which was called the best in women's basketball history by some recruiting services, has not always had it easy this year. Wiley-Gatewood came in with tendinitis, then disappeared last week for a few days to go home to Pomona, Calif., without notifying the coaching staff.
Shelbyville Central standout Alex Fuller will not play this year because of knee surgeries, and Candace Parker, the centerpiece of the class, is still out because of the knee surgery she had in the preseason.
Yesterday though, they weren't missed.
With TCU holding a 22-21 lead in the first half, Wiley-Gatewood and Hornbuckle sparked a 27-7 run where the Lady Vols looked more impressive on offense than they have all season.
''On paper, they were very individually talented, but yet they were a little bit out of sync,'' TCU Coach Jeff Mittie said. ''But offensively today, they looked very good.''
On one play in the second half, Wiley-Gatewood and Hornbuckle combined to force a steal. When Wiley-Gatewood came out with the ball, she fell backward. However, she still managed to flip the ball out in front of Hornbuckle, who made a lay-up and was fouled.
''When I first got out there, I was nervous,'' Wiley-Gatewood said. ''I was so nervous. Like the first two minutes that I was in, I got in a rhythm with my teammates. By me passing to them, it gave me a rhythm.''
Tennessee hopes to keep that rhythm when it hosts No. 2 Stanford (7-0) at 6 p.m. tomorrow.
It took a month and the addition of another point guard, but the Lady Vols' Super Six recruiting class is finally starting to look like it might be super for a long, long time.
Freshmen guards Alexis Hornbuckle and Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood wowed the Thompson-Boling Arena crowd in the first half, and senior forward Shyra Ely took over in the second as the ninth-ranked Lady Vols (7-2) eased past Texas Christian (7-4) 82-55 yesterday.
''It is exciting to think about the future that these young players have here at Tennessee,'' Coach Pat Summitt said. ''I sleep a lot better at night. I'll have a good night's sleep tonight after watching Gatewood.''
In her first game as a Lady Vol, Wiley-Gatewood played 21 minutes. She and Hornbuckle led a fast-paced offense with several no-look passes that even surprised their teammates.
They combined for 24 points, 10 assists, nine rebounds and nine steals.
''We're so athletic that if we can just run for 20 minutes in the first half and 20 minutes in the second half, it'll open up some doors,'' Hornbuckle said. ''And that's exactly what we did with about 10 minutes left in the first half, we just came out and started running.''
Ely had her best game of the season with 23 points and seven rebounds. More importantly, she was 9-of-12 from the floor.
Ely played power forward more than she has all year, and she said she thinks she will play both forward positions as the season continues.
''With Sa'de, I don't know that I'm open, but she thinks I'm open,'' Ely said. ''So I have to be ready for the ball at all times, and with Alexis, too. They did a great job pushing the ball, and I just got a lot of easy buckets underneath.''
All-America Sandora Irvin led TCU with 21 points and 16 rebounds, but 11 of those points came from the free throw line.
Tennessee's freshman class, which was called the best in women's basketball history by some recruiting services, has not always had it easy this year. Wiley-Gatewood came in with tendinitis, then disappeared last week for a few days to go home to Pomona, Calif., without notifying the coaching staff.
Shelbyville Central standout Alex Fuller will not play this year because of knee surgeries, and Candace Parker, the centerpiece of the class, is still out because of the knee surgery she had in the preseason.
Yesterday though, they weren't missed.
With TCU holding a 22-21 lead in the first half, Wiley-Gatewood and Hornbuckle sparked a 27-7 run where the Lady Vols looked more impressive on offense than they have all season.
''On paper, they were very individually talented, but yet they were a little bit out of sync,'' TCU Coach Jeff Mittie said. ''But offensively today, they looked very good.''
On one play in the second half, Wiley-Gatewood and Hornbuckle combined to force a steal. When Wiley-Gatewood came out with the ball, she fell backward. However, she still managed to flip the ball out in front of Hornbuckle, who made a lay-up and was fouled.
''When I first got out there, I was nervous,'' Wiley-Gatewood said. ''I was so nervous. Like the first two minutes that I was in, I got in a rhythm with my teammates. By me passing to them, it gave me a rhythm.''
Tennessee hopes to keep that rhythm when it hosts No. 2 Stanford (7-0) at 6 p.m. tomorrow.
Shyra Ely and the Lady Vols Blast TCU, 82-55
Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood scores 9 in her UT debut
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Shyra Ely scored 23 points and freshman point guard Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood hit three 3-pointers in her collegiate debut, leading No. 9 Tennessee to an 82-55 victory over TCU on Sunday.
Alexis Hornbuckle added 15 points, Shanna Zolman had 11 and Brittany Jackson 10 for the Lady Vols (7-2), who have won three straight since losing to No. 3 Duke earlier this month.
Sandora Irvin, who became the all-time leading scorer for the Lady Frogs (7-4) last week, had 21 points and 16 rebounds.
TCU fell out of the Top 25 after losing at Arkansas State and Utah and is still looking for its first road win of the season. The Lady Frogs are 0-4 against Tennessee.
Wiley-Gatewood and Hornbuckle - both high school All-Americas - were put in charge of Tennessee's offense in place of senior Loree Moore, who had her tonsils out this month and is expected to be out a few more weeks.
Wiley-Gatewood missed the first six games because of patellar tendinitis and the last two games for breaking team rules.
Hornbuckle started, and Wiley-Gatewood came off the bench to score nine points - all on the 3-pointers. At times, they were both on the court.
The Lady Vols pulled away in the first half. The teams traded the lead six times before halftime with 22-21 being TCU's last lead with 8:55 remaining.
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt immediately called a timeout, and the Lady Vols responded by outscoring the Lady Frogs 27-9 the rest of the way and led by as many as 19 during their run.
Wiley-Gatewood showed off her passing and shooting skills during the spurt.
She hit two 3-pointers and had some no-look passes that jazzed up Tennessee's offense.
Wiley-Gatewood drove into the lane and passed to a cutting Dominique Redding for an easy basket.
Not to be outdone, Hornbuckle also showed some flash.
Brittany Jackson got a steal but missed the layup at the other end. Hornbuckle got the rebound and passed the ball behind her back to Jackson. She missed, but the partisan crowd roared in appreciation of the effort.
Tennessee led 48-31 at halftime, the most points the Lady Vols had scored in the first half this season.
The Lady Frogs had 32 turnovers, 19 steals by Tennessee. The Lady Vols had 22 turnovers.
Tennessee vs. TCU Post Game Quotes
TENNESSEE HEAD COACH Pat Summitt
(opening remarks) "I thought our defensive intensity gave us the ability to generate offense, and that was huge in the first half. In the second half, we were not as aggressive. We got great play off our bench. Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood is a great addition. She sees the open player. Her court awareness and passing skills enable us to be a better team. With Alexis (Hornbuckle) and Wiley-Gatewood together, it picks up our offense. I thought (Shyra) Ely played very well. She settled down and played with composure. She played more inside today. She handled herself well and knocked down open shots."
(on the improvement in Tennessee's offensive play the past few games) "I think that starts with point guard play. That simplifies what you have to do offensively. Alexis showed her ability to get the ball inside against Louisiana Tech and to get her teammates involved. With Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood, our players have to understand that when she has the ball, they have to be ready to receive the ball at anytime."
"Anytime you have players like Alexis (Hornbuckle) and Sa'de (Wiley-Gatewood) who are unselfish, others want to be involved. That can be contagious. Those two are very unselfish. Our wing players could do a better job of feeding our posts. Shanna (Zolman) has got to get better at that. Feeding the post from the wing has to be a priority."
(on whether there is too much talent in the Tennessee backcourt) "That's the best problem that I've had all year. I'll figure it out. What's difficult is not having enough players. Against Louisiana Tech, I looked down the bench, and we had just one guard substitute. I had to use Dominique Redding at the guard spot. With Alexis (Hornbuckle), Sa'de (Wiley-Gatewood), Brittany (Jackson), and Shanna (Zolman), that's not a problem. That's a great asset. And when Loree Moore gets back, that gives us five guards."
(on Shyra Ely playing more inside against TCU) "TCU played so much zone. We wanted our three-point shooters on the perimeter. Shyra gets in the gap. Today, she was playing within our system. She feels less pressure to carry the team because of our guard play."
(on the play of TCU senior Sandora Irvin) "Sandora was 1-of-5 from the floor in the first half and 7-of-12 from the line. We fouled her too much. We had fouls to waste, but that was not our strategy. She had to work for everything that she got. I'm not sure that she was 100 percent. One of our assistants said that she was sick coming into the game. She got her points. She's a fine player. She's the best inside player I'd seen on tape this season coming into this game."
(on the play of Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood) "With her healthy, she gives us a different look. We don't want to rush any player with an injury. We didn't want to rush Sa'de, and we don't want to rush Candace (Parker). I'm excited to think about our future. I can sleep a lot better at night."
Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood
"When I first came in, I was nervous. After the first two minutes, I got into a rhythm with my teammates with my passing then my shooting. It was fun."
"I didn't expect to play as many minutes as I did."
"Practice helps you to get ready for the games. I practiced four or five days. I was out of shape. It was good that I didn't go with the team to Louisiana Tech. I stayed back to condition. That helped me to get ready for this game."
Shyra Ely
(on improved offensive play) "Did you see my shooting percentage? They're (Alexis Hornbuckle and Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood) great about seeing the floor. You have to be ready for the ball when they're in the game. I got some easy baskets. That kept me in the flow of the game. Today, I tried to focus on defense."
Alexis Hornbuckle
(on the team's cohesiveness) "We're starting to click. We're playing together. We're knocking down shots. We've been practicing game-tempo shots, and that's starting to transfer over to the game."
(on running the fast break) "We started running. We're a running team. That opens doors. We have to execute in either man or zone. It took a while to get into it."
TCU HEAD COACH JEFF MITTIE
(on the game) "I thought from our standpoint that this game was very disappointing. We played 12 minutes of good basketball. We had a lot of players play badly. Give credit to Tennessee; their defense forced that. We just kept getting further and further from the basket. You know that from Sandora (Irvin), you get 20 (points) and 10 (rebounds) every night. You need some help from the support players. Today we got none."
(on Tennessee's offense) "Tennessee looked in sync offensively today. On tape I watched some of their games and that wasn't true. One player would zig when another player thought she would zag. Today they were all on the same page. But we have let a lot of teams look in sync this season."
(on Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood) "I knew she was talented, but you don't know how much she had been practicing. She was highly recruited, and she had great court vision and can score."
(on TCU's 0-4 road record) "Next season we are going to schedule all of our games at home and at neutral sites."
SANDORA IRVIN
(on her play) "They did a good job of keeping me from the block. I missed some shots that I shouldn't have, but I went to the line a lot. I get fouled almost every time I get the ball."
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Shyra Ely scored 23 points and freshman point guard Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood hit three 3-pointers in her collegiate debut, leading No. 9 Tennessee to an 82-55 victory over TCU on Sunday.
Alexis Hornbuckle added 15 points, Shanna Zolman had 11 and Brittany Jackson 10 for the Lady Vols (7-2), who have won three straight since losing to No. 3 Duke earlier this month.
Sandora Irvin, who became the all-time leading scorer for the Lady Frogs (7-4) last week, had 21 points and 16 rebounds.
TCU fell out of the Top 25 after losing at Arkansas State and Utah and is still looking for its first road win of the season. The Lady Frogs are 0-4 against Tennessee.
Wiley-Gatewood and Hornbuckle - both high school All-Americas - were put in charge of Tennessee's offense in place of senior Loree Moore, who had her tonsils out this month and is expected to be out a few more weeks.
Wiley-Gatewood missed the first six games because of patellar tendinitis and the last two games for breaking team rules.
Hornbuckle started, and Wiley-Gatewood came off the bench to score nine points - all on the 3-pointers. At times, they were both on the court.
The Lady Vols pulled away in the first half. The teams traded the lead six times before halftime with 22-21 being TCU's last lead with 8:55 remaining.
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt immediately called a timeout, and the Lady Vols responded by outscoring the Lady Frogs 27-9 the rest of the way and led by as many as 19 during their run.
Wiley-Gatewood showed off her passing and shooting skills during the spurt.
She hit two 3-pointers and had some no-look passes that jazzed up Tennessee's offense.
Wiley-Gatewood drove into the lane and passed to a cutting Dominique Redding for an easy basket.
Not to be outdone, Hornbuckle also showed some flash.
Brittany Jackson got a steal but missed the layup at the other end. Hornbuckle got the rebound and passed the ball behind her back to Jackson. She missed, but the partisan crowd roared in appreciation of the effort.
Tennessee led 48-31 at halftime, the most points the Lady Vols had scored in the first half this season.
The Lady Frogs had 32 turnovers, 19 steals by Tennessee. The Lady Vols had 22 turnovers.
Tennessee vs. TCU Post Game Quotes
TENNESSEE HEAD COACH Pat Summitt
(opening remarks) "I thought our defensive intensity gave us the ability to generate offense, and that was huge in the first half. In the second half, we were not as aggressive. We got great play off our bench. Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood is a great addition. She sees the open player. Her court awareness and passing skills enable us to be a better team. With Alexis (Hornbuckle) and Wiley-Gatewood together, it picks up our offense. I thought (Shyra) Ely played very well. She settled down and played with composure. She played more inside today. She handled herself well and knocked down open shots."
(on the improvement in Tennessee's offensive play the past few games) "I think that starts with point guard play. That simplifies what you have to do offensively. Alexis showed her ability to get the ball inside against Louisiana Tech and to get her teammates involved. With Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood, our players have to understand that when she has the ball, they have to be ready to receive the ball at anytime."
"Anytime you have players like Alexis (Hornbuckle) and Sa'de (Wiley-Gatewood) who are unselfish, others want to be involved. That can be contagious. Those two are very unselfish. Our wing players could do a better job of feeding our posts. Shanna (Zolman) has got to get better at that. Feeding the post from the wing has to be a priority."
(on whether there is too much talent in the Tennessee backcourt) "That's the best problem that I've had all year. I'll figure it out. What's difficult is not having enough players. Against Louisiana Tech, I looked down the bench, and we had just one guard substitute. I had to use Dominique Redding at the guard spot. With Alexis (Hornbuckle), Sa'de (Wiley-Gatewood), Brittany (Jackson), and Shanna (Zolman), that's not a problem. That's a great asset. And when Loree Moore gets back, that gives us five guards."
(on Shyra Ely playing more inside against TCU) "TCU played so much zone. We wanted our three-point shooters on the perimeter. Shyra gets in the gap. Today, she was playing within our system. She feels less pressure to carry the team because of our guard play."
(on the play of TCU senior Sandora Irvin) "Sandora was 1-of-5 from the floor in the first half and 7-of-12 from the line. We fouled her too much. We had fouls to waste, but that was not our strategy. She had to work for everything that she got. I'm not sure that she was 100 percent. One of our assistants said that she was sick coming into the game. She got her points. She's a fine player. She's the best inside player I'd seen on tape this season coming into this game."
(on the play of Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood) "With her healthy, she gives us a different look. We don't want to rush any player with an injury. We didn't want to rush Sa'de, and we don't want to rush Candace (Parker). I'm excited to think about our future. I can sleep a lot better at night."
Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood
"When I first came in, I was nervous. After the first two minutes, I got into a rhythm with my teammates with my passing then my shooting. It was fun."
"I didn't expect to play as many minutes as I did."
"Practice helps you to get ready for the games. I practiced four or five days. I was out of shape. It was good that I didn't go with the team to Louisiana Tech. I stayed back to condition. That helped me to get ready for this game."
Shyra Ely
(on improved offensive play) "Did you see my shooting percentage? They're (Alexis Hornbuckle and Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood) great about seeing the floor. You have to be ready for the ball when they're in the game. I got some easy baskets. That kept me in the flow of the game. Today, I tried to focus on defense."
Alexis Hornbuckle
(on the team's cohesiveness) "We're starting to click. We're playing together. We're knocking down shots. We've been practicing game-tempo shots, and that's starting to transfer over to the game."
(on running the fast break) "We started running. We're a running team. That opens doors. We have to execute in either man or zone. It took a while to get into it."
TCU HEAD COACH JEFF MITTIE
(on the game) "I thought from our standpoint that this game was very disappointing. We played 12 minutes of good basketball. We had a lot of players play badly. Give credit to Tennessee; their defense forced that. We just kept getting further and further from the basket. You know that from Sandora (Irvin), you get 20 (points) and 10 (rebounds) every night. You need some help from the support players. Today we got none."
(on Tennessee's offense) "Tennessee looked in sync offensively today. On tape I watched some of their games and that wasn't true. One player would zig when another player thought she would zag. Today they were all on the same page. But we have let a lot of teams look in sync this season."
(on Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood) "I knew she was talented, but you don't know how much she had been practicing. She was highly recruited, and she had great court vision and can score."
(on TCU's 0-4 road record) "Next season we are going to schedule all of our games at home and at neutral sites."
SANDORA IRVIN
(on her play) "They did a good job of keeping me from the block. I missed some shots that I shouldn't have, but I went to the line a lot. I get fouled almost every time I get the ball."
Sunday, December 19, 2004
Magic number for Lady Vols duo is 25
KNOXVILLE — Twenty-five.
That point combination is what Pat Summitt expects every outing for the rest of the season from Shanna Zolman and Sidney Spencer.
Summitt said that Zolman, a junior, hasn't been creating good shots for herself, and Spencer, a sophomore, just hasn't been taking them when she gets them.
So Summitt laid down the ultimatum to Zolman and Spencer, who are close friends off the court.
In the first game that Summitt had that number set — a 70-59 win over Louisiana Tech on Wednesday — they combined for 24.
It was close, but neither one is happy yet.
''It's us as part of this team, as two starters, as two key players for this team, knowing what we need to give to this team in order to be successful,'' Zolman said.
Their second opportunity comes today at 12:30 p.m., when the ninth-ranked Lady Vols (6-2) play host to Texas Christian (7-3) and one of the nation's best all-around players in Sandora Irvin.
''We've had meetings,'' Spencer said. ''I know what (Summitt) wants. That would be a waste of her coaching if she continues to have to talk about it.''
Zolman shot 43.7 percent from the floor last season and 42.6 percent from 3-point range. This year, she has dropped to 33.3 and 34.3.
''We talked about her being one of the easiest players on our team to defend,'' Summitt said. ''We try to shut down a lot of players, but very few players that really play well without the ball can be shut down.''
Zolman has taken some advice from assistant coach Nikki Caldwell and has been looking to play more like Richard Hamilton of the Detroit Pistons, who is known for being great without the ball in his hands.
''He's constantly moving, reading screens, moving on his own, backdoor cuts,'' Zolman said.
Spencer's 3-point percentage (50.0) leads the team, and her field goal shooting is second on the team (51.0).
But Spencer hasn't always taken the shots when they've been there.
''When she does, it usually goes in,'' Zolman said.
Summitt hopes a couple of big names might encourage Spencer to be more aggressive.
The Lady Vols will add freshman point guard Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood to the bench rotation today. She has been out with tendinitis since the preseason.
Tennessee is also still hoping to get Candace Parker on the court this season. Parker, the nation's most decorated high school player in 2004, had knee surgery this fall.
''I told (Spencer), 'When we get some people healthy, you're not going to move forward,' '' Summitt said.
'' 'You're either going to stand still or somebody's going to go ahead of you.' ''
The Lady Vols have been impressed with what Wiley-Gatewood has done in the little practice time that she has had.
In addition to recovering from the injury, she has also been in Summitt's doghouse.
She went home to Pomona, Calif., last week without notifying the coaching staff, but Summitt said she has been pleased with the freshman's attitude since she returned. The players agree.
''Her eyesight, her vision on the floor is unbelievable,'' Zolman said.
''Sometimes it's funny because she nails people in the head with a ball. They're just not ready for her passes yet.''
That point combination is what Pat Summitt expects every outing for the rest of the season from Shanna Zolman and Sidney Spencer.
Summitt said that Zolman, a junior, hasn't been creating good shots for herself, and Spencer, a sophomore, just hasn't been taking them when she gets them.
So Summitt laid down the ultimatum to Zolman and Spencer, who are close friends off the court.
In the first game that Summitt had that number set — a 70-59 win over Louisiana Tech on Wednesday — they combined for 24.
It was close, but neither one is happy yet.
''It's us as part of this team, as two starters, as two key players for this team, knowing what we need to give to this team in order to be successful,'' Zolman said.
Their second opportunity comes today at 12:30 p.m., when the ninth-ranked Lady Vols (6-2) play host to Texas Christian (7-3) and one of the nation's best all-around players in Sandora Irvin.
''We've had meetings,'' Spencer said. ''I know what (Summitt) wants. That would be a waste of her coaching if she continues to have to talk about it.''
Zolman shot 43.7 percent from the floor last season and 42.6 percent from 3-point range. This year, she has dropped to 33.3 and 34.3.
''We talked about her being one of the easiest players on our team to defend,'' Summitt said. ''We try to shut down a lot of players, but very few players that really play well without the ball can be shut down.''
Zolman has taken some advice from assistant coach Nikki Caldwell and has been looking to play more like Richard Hamilton of the Detroit Pistons, who is known for being great without the ball in his hands.
''He's constantly moving, reading screens, moving on his own, backdoor cuts,'' Zolman said.
Spencer's 3-point percentage (50.0) leads the team, and her field goal shooting is second on the team (51.0).
But Spencer hasn't always taken the shots when they've been there.
''When she does, it usually goes in,'' Zolman said.
Summitt hopes a couple of big names might encourage Spencer to be more aggressive.
The Lady Vols will add freshman point guard Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood to the bench rotation today. She has been out with tendinitis since the preseason.
Tennessee is also still hoping to get Candace Parker on the court this season. Parker, the nation's most decorated high school player in 2004, had knee surgery this fall.
''I told (Spencer), 'When we get some people healthy, you're not going to move forward,' '' Summitt said.
'' 'You're either going to stand still or somebody's going to go ahead of you.' ''
The Lady Vols have been impressed with what Wiley-Gatewood has done in the little practice time that she has had.
In addition to recovering from the injury, she has also been in Summitt's doghouse.
She went home to Pomona, Calif., last week without notifying the coaching staff, but Summitt said she has been pleased with the freshman's attitude since she returned. The players agree.
''Her eyesight, her vision on the floor is unbelievable,'' Zolman said.
''Sometimes it's funny because she nails people in the head with a ball. They're just not ready for her passes yet.''
Saturday, December 18, 2004
Lady Vols try to shut down one of nation's top players as they meet TCU
TCU (7-3) vs. (9) Tennessee (6-2)
Game Info: 1:30 pm EST Sun Dec 19, 2004
Coming off a draining victory on the road, Tennessee hopes to hold Sandora Irvin in check as it takes on visiting TCU on Sunday.
Playing a tough non-conference schedule, the ninth-ranked Lady Vols (6-2) are riding wins over No. 21 DePaul and Louisiana Tech -- and the competition doesn't get any easier with this matchup against the Lady Frogs (7-3).
Containing Irvin, one of the best players in the nation, is Tennessee's top priority. Irvin, now TCU's all-time leading scorer, is averaging 21.6 points and 13.2 rebounds.
``Irvin is a great offensive player,'' Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said. ``As a coaching staff, we are looking to see if we have an answer for a player like Sandora. We are in a situation where we will have to defend by committee.''
On Wednesday, Alexis Hornbuckle scored 17 points as Tennessee topped Louisiana Tech 70-59, handing the Lady Techsters consecutive losses at home for the first time in 14 seasons.
With about five minutes to go in the first half, Summitt drew a technical after Louisiana Tech went ahead 23-22 on a 3-point basket by Aarica Ray-Boyd.
``But I think that wound up firing us up a little,'' Summitt said. ``After that, I told our team, 'now let's start playing and get to winning this game.'''
Junior Shanna Zolman added 15 points for the Lady Vols.
The Lady Frogs started the season 6-1 before dropping two of their last three games, ending TCU's two-week stay in the Top 25.
TCU hasn't played since an 85-72 loss at Utah last Saturday.
Irvin led the Lady Frogs with 20 points and nine rebounds, and became the school's all-time leading scorer. The 6-foot-3 forward ended the game with 1,451 points, breaking Janice Dziuk's career mark of 1,448, set from 1986-90.
Heading into this season, Irvin already held TCU's career marks for rebounds, rebounding average and blocked shots.
Her three blocks against Utah tied her for ninth on NCAA's all-time career blocks list with 359.
Tennessee has won all three meetings between the teams, including an 86-72 victory in Knoxville on Feb. 11.
Game Info: 1:30 pm EST Sun Dec 19, 2004
Coming off a draining victory on the road, Tennessee hopes to hold Sandora Irvin in check as it takes on visiting TCU on Sunday.
Playing a tough non-conference schedule, the ninth-ranked Lady Vols (6-2) are riding wins over No. 21 DePaul and Louisiana Tech -- and the competition doesn't get any easier with this matchup against the Lady Frogs (7-3).
Containing Irvin, one of the best players in the nation, is Tennessee's top priority. Irvin, now TCU's all-time leading scorer, is averaging 21.6 points and 13.2 rebounds.
``Irvin is a great offensive player,'' Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said. ``As a coaching staff, we are looking to see if we have an answer for a player like Sandora. We are in a situation where we will have to defend by committee.''
On Wednesday, Alexis Hornbuckle scored 17 points as Tennessee topped Louisiana Tech 70-59, handing the Lady Techsters consecutive losses at home for the first time in 14 seasons.
With about five minutes to go in the first half, Summitt drew a technical after Louisiana Tech went ahead 23-22 on a 3-point basket by Aarica Ray-Boyd.
``But I think that wound up firing us up a little,'' Summitt said. ``After that, I told our team, 'now let's start playing and get to winning this game.'''
Junior Shanna Zolman added 15 points for the Lady Vols.
The Lady Frogs started the season 6-1 before dropping two of their last three games, ending TCU's two-week stay in the Top 25.
TCU hasn't played since an 85-72 loss at Utah last Saturday.
Irvin led the Lady Frogs with 20 points and nine rebounds, and became the school's all-time leading scorer. The 6-foot-3 forward ended the game with 1,451 points, breaking Janice Dziuk's career mark of 1,448, set from 1986-90.
Heading into this season, Irvin already held TCU's career marks for rebounds, rebounding average and blocked shots.
Her three blocks against Utah tied her for ninth on NCAA's all-time career blocks list with 359.
Tennessee has won all three meetings between the teams, including an 86-72 victory in Knoxville on Feb. 11.
Friday, December 17, 2004
Lady Vols to Take On TCU Sunday at 1:30 PM
Tennessee is 3-0 all-time against the Horned Frogs
THE GAME
The Lady Vols have won two straight games to climb to 6- 2 on the season, after a tough 70-59 road win at Louisiana Tech on Wednesday. Tennessee returns home to the friendly confines of Thompson-Boling Arena to play host to the TCU Lady Frogs on Sunday. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. The Lady Frogs started the season 6-1 before dropping two of their last three games, ending TCU's two-week stay in the top 25. TCU has had an eight-day layoff since an 85-72 loss at Utah in its last game.
Earlier this season, TCU upset then-No. 3 Georgia, 64-63, on Nov. 27. The win was especially gratifying for TCU, as Georgia ended the Lady Frogs' 2003-04 season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, 85-71.
The Orange faithful have been in high spirits at Rocky Top of late, as the Lady Vols have won two consecutive games to improve their season mark to 6-2 as the holiday break approaches.
Freshman Alexis Hornbuckle has been doing all she can to lessen the blow of Loree Moore's loss, leading the Lady Vols to two consecutive victories while averaging 16.0 ppg, with six rpg, two apg, three spg, and 1.5 bpg in the past two games as the starting point guard. In the first six contests of the season, Hornbuckle had scored just 36 points.
Hornbuckle was at her best on Wednesday versus Louisiana Tech, scoring a career-high 17 points in the 70-59 win. When the Lady Techsters crawled to within five, at 57-52, with just over five minutes to play, the freshman guard hit a 10-foot jumper and then knocked down a free throw to put the game out of reach. Shanna Zolman contributed 15 points, while three players chipped in nine points each.
In the Lady Vols' last home game, Tennessee overcame a 15- point first-half deficit with a 47-point second half, while holding DePaul to just 23 after halftime, in the 78-63 win. Shyra Ely posted her second double-double of the year with 17 points and 10 rebounds as five Lady Vols reached double figures.
Tennessee outscored DePaul, 42-16, in the paint. The three prong attack at center, Sybil Dosty, Nicky Anosike, and Tye'sha Fluker, combined to score 14 points and grab 15 rebounds.
The TCU Lady Frogs started the year 6-1 but have had a Jekyl and Hyde-type season to date, posting wins over then-No. 3 Georgia and then-No. 13/14 Michigan State, while suffering three losses to non-ranked foes Utah, Arkansas State and Miami.
Saturday's setback at Utah dropped the squad to 7-3 on the season, knocking the Lady Frogs from the top 25, where they had been ranked the previous two weeks.
Senior forward Sandora Irvin has led the team in just about every single statistical category en route to setting numerous career marks at TCU. Sophomore forward Ashley Davis has pitched in 11.8 points and 5.9 rpg.
The Lady Frogs are 3-0 at home and 4-0 at neutral sites, including winning the 2004 Rainbow Wahine Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii. The team is winless on the road, however, posting an 0- 3 record.
Part of the reason for the tough road record is a lack of perimeter defense, as the team is surrendering 52 percent threepoint shooting (28-54) on the road, including an astonishing 15- of-21 by Utah. In all other games, the Lady Frogs surrendered three-pointers at a 31 percent rate (46-149). TCU will have its hands full today with Lady Vol three-ballers Shanna Zolman 12- of-35 (.343) and Brittany Jackson 9-of-28 (.321).
COACHING STAFFS
Pat Summitt is in her 31st year as head coach of the Lady Vols. Her overall career record stands at 858 wins and 169 losses, and she has led UT to six national championships. Summitt is assisted by Holly Warlick, Nikki Caldwell and Dean Lockwood. The TCU Lady Frogs are coached by Jeff Mittie, who is 117- 53 in his sixth season at the helm of the program. Mittie is assisted by Larry Tidwell, Tonya Benton and Yolanda Wells- Broughton.
TIDBITS
Loree Moore underwent a tonsillectomy on Dec. 10, and will likely sit out a month...Junior guard Shanna Zolman tied the Lady Vol record for consecutive free throws made, hitting 45 straight, including her first 11 this year, before missing her 12th attempt on the season...The miss was her first since Jan. 29, 2004...Lady Vol Head Coach Pat Summitt needs just 22 wins to pass Dean Smith as the NCAA's all-time winningest coach...Freshman center Sybil Dosty was `huge' in the win over DePaul, setting career highs with 11 points and 11 rebounds, in just 14 minutes of action...Dosty has connected on 15 of her 20 shot attempts this season...The Lady Vols will have some added depth this weekend, as freshman guard Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood is expected to be available for the first time this season...Gatewood had been suffering from patella tendonitis in her left knee...The team has shot 44.5 percent from the field over the last two games...The Lady Vols are 242-14 all-time at Thompson-Boling Arena, giving UT the best winning percentage (94.5%) for any Division I women's basketball venue in the nation. Senior forward Sandora Irvin broke the Lady Frogs' all-time scoring record on Dec. 11, as her 20-point effort in an 85-72 loss to the Utah Utes gave her 1,451 for her career, breaking the previous mark of 1,448, set by Janice Dziuk in 1990...Irvin already holds the TCU records for rebounds (1,112) as well as blocks (359)...Irvin is tied for ninth in blocks on the NCAA career list, with a chance at the all-time record of 428, held by Cal State Fullerton's Genia Miller (1987-1991)...This season, Irvin is second in the nation in rebounding and seventh in scoring...Sophomore guard Adrianne Ross is out for the season with a torn ACL...Ross was third on the team in scoring at the time of the injury, averaging 11.8 ppg...TCU is 0-3 all-time versus Tennessee...Sophomore guard Natasha Lacy is 22nd in the nation, averaging 6.1 apg...Earlier in the season, the Lady Frogs stunned then-No. 3 Georgia, 64-63, giving TCU its first win over a top-five squad and only its second ever over a top-10 squad.
THE GAME
The Lady Vols have won two straight games to climb to 6- 2 on the season, after a tough 70-59 road win at Louisiana Tech on Wednesday. Tennessee returns home to the friendly confines of Thompson-Boling Arena to play host to the TCU Lady Frogs on Sunday. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. The Lady Frogs started the season 6-1 before dropping two of their last three games, ending TCU's two-week stay in the top 25. TCU has had an eight-day layoff since an 85-72 loss at Utah in its last game.
Earlier this season, TCU upset then-No. 3 Georgia, 64-63, on Nov. 27. The win was especially gratifying for TCU, as Georgia ended the Lady Frogs' 2003-04 season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, 85-71.
The Orange faithful have been in high spirits at Rocky Top of late, as the Lady Vols have won two consecutive games to improve their season mark to 6-2 as the holiday break approaches.
Freshman Alexis Hornbuckle has been doing all she can to lessen the blow of Loree Moore's loss, leading the Lady Vols to two consecutive victories while averaging 16.0 ppg, with six rpg, two apg, three spg, and 1.5 bpg in the past two games as the starting point guard. In the first six contests of the season, Hornbuckle had scored just 36 points.
Hornbuckle was at her best on Wednesday versus Louisiana Tech, scoring a career-high 17 points in the 70-59 win. When the Lady Techsters crawled to within five, at 57-52, with just over five minutes to play, the freshman guard hit a 10-foot jumper and then knocked down a free throw to put the game out of reach. Shanna Zolman contributed 15 points, while three players chipped in nine points each.
In the Lady Vols' last home game, Tennessee overcame a 15- point first-half deficit with a 47-point second half, while holding DePaul to just 23 after halftime, in the 78-63 win. Shyra Ely posted her second double-double of the year with 17 points and 10 rebounds as five Lady Vols reached double figures.
Tennessee outscored DePaul, 42-16, in the paint. The three prong attack at center, Sybil Dosty, Nicky Anosike, and Tye'sha Fluker, combined to score 14 points and grab 15 rebounds.
The TCU Lady Frogs started the year 6-1 but have had a Jekyl and Hyde-type season to date, posting wins over then-No. 3 Georgia and then-No. 13/14 Michigan State, while suffering three losses to non-ranked foes Utah, Arkansas State and Miami.
Saturday's setback at Utah dropped the squad to 7-3 on the season, knocking the Lady Frogs from the top 25, where they had been ranked the previous two weeks.
Senior forward Sandora Irvin has led the team in just about every single statistical category en route to setting numerous career marks at TCU. Sophomore forward Ashley Davis has pitched in 11.8 points and 5.9 rpg.
The Lady Frogs are 3-0 at home and 4-0 at neutral sites, including winning the 2004 Rainbow Wahine Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii. The team is winless on the road, however, posting an 0- 3 record.
Part of the reason for the tough road record is a lack of perimeter defense, as the team is surrendering 52 percent threepoint shooting (28-54) on the road, including an astonishing 15- of-21 by Utah. In all other games, the Lady Frogs surrendered three-pointers at a 31 percent rate (46-149). TCU will have its hands full today with Lady Vol three-ballers Shanna Zolman 12- of-35 (.343) and Brittany Jackson 9-of-28 (.321).
COACHING STAFFS
Pat Summitt is in her 31st year as head coach of the Lady Vols. Her overall career record stands at 858 wins and 169 losses, and she has led UT to six national championships. Summitt is assisted by Holly Warlick, Nikki Caldwell and Dean Lockwood. The TCU Lady Frogs are coached by Jeff Mittie, who is 117- 53 in his sixth season at the helm of the program. Mittie is assisted by Larry Tidwell, Tonya Benton and Yolanda Wells- Broughton.
TIDBITS
Loree Moore underwent a tonsillectomy on Dec. 10, and will likely sit out a month...Junior guard Shanna Zolman tied the Lady Vol record for consecutive free throws made, hitting 45 straight, including her first 11 this year, before missing her 12th attempt on the season...The miss was her first since Jan. 29, 2004...Lady Vol Head Coach Pat Summitt needs just 22 wins to pass Dean Smith as the NCAA's all-time winningest coach...Freshman center Sybil Dosty was `huge' in the win over DePaul, setting career highs with 11 points and 11 rebounds, in just 14 minutes of action...Dosty has connected on 15 of her 20 shot attempts this season...The Lady Vols will have some added depth this weekend, as freshman guard Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood is expected to be available for the first time this season...Gatewood had been suffering from patella tendonitis in her left knee...The team has shot 44.5 percent from the field over the last two games...The Lady Vols are 242-14 all-time at Thompson-Boling Arena, giving UT the best winning percentage (94.5%) for any Division I women's basketball venue in the nation. Senior forward Sandora Irvin broke the Lady Frogs' all-time scoring record on Dec. 11, as her 20-point effort in an 85-72 loss to the Utah Utes gave her 1,451 for her career, breaking the previous mark of 1,448, set by Janice Dziuk in 1990...Irvin already holds the TCU records for rebounds (1,112) as well as blocks (359)...Irvin is tied for ninth in blocks on the NCAA career list, with a chance at the all-time record of 428, held by Cal State Fullerton's Genia Miller (1987-1991)...This season, Irvin is second in the nation in rebounding and seventh in scoring...Sophomore guard Adrianne Ross is out for the season with a torn ACL...Ross was third on the team in scoring at the time of the injury, averaging 11.8 ppg...TCU is 0-3 all-time versus Tennessee...Sophomore guard Natasha Lacy is 22nd in the nation, averaging 6.1 apg...Earlier in the season, the Lady Frogs stunned then-No. 3 Georgia, 64-63, giving TCU its first win over a top-five squad and only its second ever over a top-10 squad.
Thursday, December 16, 2004
Weekly Teleconference
Coach Summitt addresses upcoming games against TCU and Stanford
On the Louisiana Tech game:
"We were very pleased last night to go to Ruston and execute offensively in a much more efficient manner. I am very pleased with the leadership and direction that Alexis Hornbuckle is giving us as our point guard. I felt Shanna Zolman was much more happy and involved offensively. Our post game showed improvement, and I think Tye'sha Fluker had her best game when you consider her play at both ends. We have great expectations for our inside game, and while we play our three big players, all three played. I think the experience was good. I think the play from Fluker stood out, and Anosike gave us some quality minutes. That said, it was a five-point game at the half, and I felt we made some good offensive and defensive plays down the stretch. It is good to see that our team is making strides and improvements on the offensive end."
On TCU:
"We play TCU on Sunday and (Sandora) Irvin is a great offensive player. As a coaching staff, we are looking to see if we have an answer for a player like Sandora. We are in a situation where we will have to defend by committee. Obviously, we don't have an Ashley Robinson, who did a great job defending her last year at their place, so that will be a challenge. We are looking forward to that and having the opportunity to see where we are, to assess our interior defense.
"I just started watching tape on them this morning. Just having played them a year ago and what short amount of tape I have seen, Irvin is better. I thought she was good last year. Certainly, with her ability to shoot the three and that she can put it on the floor, it makes her a very mobile and versatile player. I think she is a difference maker and gives everyone else a lot of confidence. It spreads you out a little bit and will really stretch our defense. We are a different team with a different look from last year. The defensive transition and half-court game will be key for us if we want to be successful."
On Stanford:
"When we look at Stanford, and I do not really like looking ahead, but it is our last game before our break, and it is going to be another big challenge for us. We just have to take it one game at a time. I have not seen tape on them, but Holly Warlick watched film on them while we were on the plane coming home, and she said that they are very good and execute very well. They are good on the defensive end, and we are concerned their inside game is better. They have so many three-point weapons, and they are another team that stretches you and forces you to defend beyond the arc. They really have a good inside game."
On the non-conference season:
We played a tough schedule. I think for us, we were certainly not surprised by the play of a Texas team on their home floor. We were disappointed in not executing the way we should have. Playing Duke at home, they pushed us, and they were more prepared to play than we were in a big game like that. I do not think I was prepared or could project how our basketball team would respond without Tasha Butts and her great leadership and Ashley Robinson and her ability to defend and rebound inside. We really miss that on the inside. (Missing) LaToya Davis at small forward, our running attack has not been as strong. Those three players have been far more difficult to replace than even our staff anticipated. Our schedule is a typical schedule, which does not leave you much room for error."
On the post play:
"I do not think that we have one person right now we can count on. You always would like to have a player you can count on night-in and night-out. We are not worried about this as long as we have an answer, and sometimes we have to call roll before we get an answer. That said, I do like our depth, and while we are young and have two freshmen, both (Sybil) Dosty and (Nicky) Anosike are learning with every game and every situation. Dosty is our better offensive weapon, while Anosike is better on the defensive end. I was impressed with Fluker's play last night. I do like our depth, but, obviously, you would like a sure answer going into the game, and we do not have that."
On the play of Stanford freshman Candice Wiggins:
"I actually saw her play and recruited her some. I love her game. She can handle, she can shoot, she is a playmaker, she creates for everyone else and makes everyone else alert and better on the floor. Adding Candice Wiggins to an already talented team gives them some quickness and explosiveness in transition as well as in the half-court game."
On the play of Alexis Hornbuckle:
"Alexis stepped up big for us last night. We had a close game, they cut it to five, and I just thought she stepped up and basically made the plays. She penetrated to the basket, and she did the same thing in the DePaul game when she was distributing the basketball and everyone else was involved. Then when she thought it was a tight situation and we needed a score, she took it upon herself to make the plays. I thought that down the stretch, we put the ball in her hands, and we have a lot of confidence in her decision making. She managed to score, she managed to get to the free throw line, and she knocked down free throws for us. She played like a veteran. I think she is just gaining more and more confidence every game and is much more comfortable in her role now. I am really pleased with her play overall."
On the possibility of Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood returning to the hardwood:
"I'm excited with the progress Sa'de has made this week. She stayed on campus (while the team was in Ruston, La.) and worked out with our strength and conditioning coach and got some time in the gym as well. What we are trying to assess now is how her knee will respond after some full-court work and a lot of basketball-related drills. She responded well to all the workout sessions she has had, and that is good. She did have a little bit of pain after her workouts, but Jenny Moshak will evaluate that today. I'm optimistic at this point in time that Sa'de will be able to play this weekend. Hopefully, that holds true, and that is our plan. I think Sa'de has gotten in some good practices, but in the next three days she will have the chance to make a difference for our team, provided she can get in enough reps to understand our offensive and defensive schemes to be comfortable"
On the status of Candace Parker:
"She will visit with Dr. (William T.) Youmans before she goes home for the holidays on the 23rd. At this point (she looks) amazing. Her quad looks great. There is minimal swelling. She is not doing anything related to basketball except stationary shooting or ball handling - no jumping. Obviously, if she goes back and gets a good report, we are hopeful that in the next month, sometime in January, we will have a chance to look at her in a practice situation and see if the knee responds. I think the main thing you have to go on now is the swelling. As we move into the new year, we will be able to get her on the floor and see how her knee responds."
On how long Loree Moore will be out:
"She could be out anywhere from two weeks to a month, probably closer to a month just because of the type of surgery she had. I think we will probably look to have her back by the start of conference play, the second week of January."
On the Louisiana Tech game:
"We were very pleased last night to go to Ruston and execute offensively in a much more efficient manner. I am very pleased with the leadership and direction that Alexis Hornbuckle is giving us as our point guard. I felt Shanna Zolman was much more happy and involved offensively. Our post game showed improvement, and I think Tye'sha Fluker had her best game when you consider her play at both ends. We have great expectations for our inside game, and while we play our three big players, all three played. I think the experience was good. I think the play from Fluker stood out, and Anosike gave us some quality minutes. That said, it was a five-point game at the half, and I felt we made some good offensive and defensive plays down the stretch. It is good to see that our team is making strides and improvements on the offensive end."
On TCU:
"We play TCU on Sunday and (Sandora) Irvin is a great offensive player. As a coaching staff, we are looking to see if we have an answer for a player like Sandora. We are in a situation where we will have to defend by committee. Obviously, we don't have an Ashley Robinson, who did a great job defending her last year at their place, so that will be a challenge. We are looking forward to that and having the opportunity to see where we are, to assess our interior defense.
"I just started watching tape on them this morning. Just having played them a year ago and what short amount of tape I have seen, Irvin is better. I thought she was good last year. Certainly, with her ability to shoot the three and that she can put it on the floor, it makes her a very mobile and versatile player. I think she is a difference maker and gives everyone else a lot of confidence. It spreads you out a little bit and will really stretch our defense. We are a different team with a different look from last year. The defensive transition and half-court game will be key for us if we want to be successful."
On Stanford:
"When we look at Stanford, and I do not really like looking ahead, but it is our last game before our break, and it is going to be another big challenge for us. We just have to take it one game at a time. I have not seen tape on them, but Holly Warlick watched film on them while we were on the plane coming home, and she said that they are very good and execute very well. They are good on the defensive end, and we are concerned their inside game is better. They have so many three-point weapons, and they are another team that stretches you and forces you to defend beyond the arc. They really have a good inside game."
On the non-conference season:
We played a tough schedule. I think for us, we were certainly not surprised by the play of a Texas team on their home floor. We were disappointed in not executing the way we should have. Playing Duke at home, they pushed us, and they were more prepared to play than we were in a big game like that. I do not think I was prepared or could project how our basketball team would respond without Tasha Butts and her great leadership and Ashley Robinson and her ability to defend and rebound inside. We really miss that on the inside. (Missing) LaToya Davis at small forward, our running attack has not been as strong. Those three players have been far more difficult to replace than even our staff anticipated. Our schedule is a typical schedule, which does not leave you much room for error."
On the post play:
"I do not think that we have one person right now we can count on. You always would like to have a player you can count on night-in and night-out. We are not worried about this as long as we have an answer, and sometimes we have to call roll before we get an answer. That said, I do like our depth, and while we are young and have two freshmen, both (Sybil) Dosty and (Nicky) Anosike are learning with every game and every situation. Dosty is our better offensive weapon, while Anosike is better on the defensive end. I was impressed with Fluker's play last night. I do like our depth, but, obviously, you would like a sure answer going into the game, and we do not have that."
On the play of Stanford freshman Candice Wiggins:
"I actually saw her play and recruited her some. I love her game. She can handle, she can shoot, she is a playmaker, she creates for everyone else and makes everyone else alert and better on the floor. Adding Candice Wiggins to an already talented team gives them some quickness and explosiveness in transition as well as in the half-court game."
On the play of Alexis Hornbuckle:
"Alexis stepped up big for us last night. We had a close game, they cut it to five, and I just thought she stepped up and basically made the plays. She penetrated to the basket, and she did the same thing in the DePaul game when she was distributing the basketball and everyone else was involved. Then when she thought it was a tight situation and we needed a score, she took it upon herself to make the plays. I thought that down the stretch, we put the ball in her hands, and we have a lot of confidence in her decision making. She managed to score, she managed to get to the free throw line, and she knocked down free throws for us. She played like a veteran. I think she is just gaining more and more confidence every game and is much more comfortable in her role now. I am really pleased with her play overall."
On the possibility of Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood returning to the hardwood:
"I'm excited with the progress Sa'de has made this week. She stayed on campus (while the team was in Ruston, La.) and worked out with our strength and conditioning coach and got some time in the gym as well. What we are trying to assess now is how her knee will respond after some full-court work and a lot of basketball-related drills. She responded well to all the workout sessions she has had, and that is good. She did have a little bit of pain after her workouts, but Jenny Moshak will evaluate that today. I'm optimistic at this point in time that Sa'de will be able to play this weekend. Hopefully, that holds true, and that is our plan. I think Sa'de has gotten in some good practices, but in the next three days she will have the chance to make a difference for our team, provided she can get in enough reps to understand our offensive and defensive schemes to be comfortable"
On the status of Candace Parker:
"She will visit with Dr. (William T.) Youmans before she goes home for the holidays on the 23rd. At this point (she looks) amazing. Her quad looks great. There is minimal swelling. She is not doing anything related to basketball except stationary shooting or ball handling - no jumping. Obviously, if she goes back and gets a good report, we are hopeful that in the next month, sometime in January, we will have a chance to look at her in a practice situation and see if the knee responds. I think the main thing you have to go on now is the swelling. As we move into the new year, we will be able to get her on the floor and see how her knee responds."
On how long Loree Moore will be out:
"She could be out anywhere from two weeks to a month, probably closer to a month just because of the type of surgery she had. I think we will probably look to have her back by the start of conference play, the second week of January."
(9) Tennessee 70, Louisiana Tech 59
RUSTON, La. -- Pat Summitt knew it wouldn't be easy to beat Louisiana Tech on the road, and the Tennessee coach was right.
The Lady Techsters put up a solid effort, but the ninth-ranked Lady Vols came through with a 70-59 victory on Wednesday night. And it may have taken a technical foul against Summitt to get her team in gear.
With about five minutes to go in the first half, Summitt drew a technical after Louisiana Tech went ahead 23-22 on a 3-point basket by Aarica Ray-Boyd.
``But I think that wound up firing us up a little,'' Summitt said. ``After that, I told our team, 'now let's start playing and get to winning this game.''
Alexis Hornbuckle led Tennessee with 17 points as Tennessee handed Louisiana Tech consecutive losses at home for the first time in 14 seasons. In their last home game, Tech was beaten by Illinois.
Hornbuckle made 7 of 12 shots and had five steals for the Lady Vols (6-2). She also hit a 10-foot jumper and followed with a free throw at 5:25 to play after Tech (4-3) got within 57-52 on a 3-pointer by Lakiste Barkus.
Tennessee, which got 15 points from Shanna Zolman, them moved ahead by eight points and were never in trouble.
``After that, they kept taking advantage of the mistakes we were making, plus the fatigue that might have set in with us,'' Tech coach Kurt Budke said. ``Tennessee is the type of team where you can't make many mistakes because they're going to take advantage of them. But overall, I was very proud of the effort and performance we gave. I think we took a big step forward tonight, even though we lost.''
Tasha Crain led Louisiana Tech with 17 points and seven rebounds, Shan Moore added 14 points and Barkus 12.
The Lady Techsters put up a solid effort, but the ninth-ranked Lady Vols came through with a 70-59 victory on Wednesday night. And it may have taken a technical foul against Summitt to get her team in gear.
With about five minutes to go in the first half, Summitt drew a technical after Louisiana Tech went ahead 23-22 on a 3-point basket by Aarica Ray-Boyd.
``But I think that wound up firing us up a little,'' Summitt said. ``After that, I told our team, 'now let's start playing and get to winning this game.''
Alexis Hornbuckle led Tennessee with 17 points as Tennessee handed Louisiana Tech consecutive losses at home for the first time in 14 seasons. In their last home game, Tech was beaten by Illinois.
Hornbuckle made 7 of 12 shots and had five steals for the Lady Vols (6-2). She also hit a 10-foot jumper and followed with a free throw at 5:25 to play after Tech (4-3) got within 57-52 on a 3-pointer by Lakiste Barkus.
Tennessee, which got 15 points from Shanna Zolman, them moved ahead by eight points and were never in trouble.
``After that, they kept taking advantage of the mistakes we were making, plus the fatigue that might have set in with us,'' Tech coach Kurt Budke said. ``Tennessee is the type of team where you can't make many mistakes because they're going to take advantage of them. But overall, I was very proud of the effort and performance we gave. I think we took a big step forward tonight, even though we lost.''
Tasha Crain led Louisiana Tech with 17 points and seven rebounds, Shan Moore added 14 points and Barkus 12.
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Division I Polls
AP Top 25
1. LSU (45)
2. Stanford
3. Duke
4. Texas
5. North Carolina
6. Baylor
7. Notre Dame
8. Connecticut
9. Tennessee
10. Ohio St.
11. Michigan St.
12. Texas Tech
13. Minnesota
14. Boston Coll.
15. Georgia
16. UCLA
17. Vanderbilt
18. Maryland
19. Houston
20. Purdue
21. DePaul
22. Rutgers
23. Arizona St.
24. Iowa
25. Kansas St.
USA Today/ESPN
1. LSU (40)
2. Stanford
3. Duke
4. Texas
5. Notre Dame
6. North Carolina
7. Ohio St.
8. Connecticut
9. Baylor
10. Tennessee
11. Michigan St.
12. Texas Tech
13. Minnesota
14. Vanderbilt
15. Houston
16. Georgia
17. UCLA
18. Purdue
19. Boston Coll.
20. DePaul
21. Maryland
22. Kansas St.
23. Iowa
24. Oregon
25. Arizona St.
1. LSU (45)
2. Stanford
3. Duke
4. Texas
5. North Carolina
6. Baylor
7. Notre Dame
8. Connecticut
9. Tennessee
10. Ohio St.
11. Michigan St.
12. Texas Tech
13. Minnesota
14. Boston Coll.
15. Georgia
16. UCLA
17. Vanderbilt
18. Maryland
19. Houston
20. Purdue
21. DePaul
22. Rutgers
23. Arizona St.
24. Iowa
25. Kansas St.
USA Today/ESPN
1. LSU (40)
2. Stanford
3. Duke
4. Texas
5. Notre Dame
6. North Carolina
7. Ohio St.
8. Connecticut
9. Baylor
10. Tennessee
11. Michigan St.
12. Texas Tech
13. Minnesota
14. Vanderbilt
15. Houston
16. Georgia
17. UCLA
18. Purdue
19. Boston Coll.
20. DePaul
21. Maryland
22. Kansas St.
23. Iowa
24. Oregon
25. Arizona St.
Lady Vols have fun with winning attitude
KNOXVILLE — When Alexis Hornbuckle looked up at the clock and saw just a few seconds left, she expected to see Coach Pat Summitt motion for her to just run out the clock.
That sign never came.
So Hornbuckle avoided a defender by whipping a dribble behind her back as she crossed half-court and sprinted to the other end of the floor.
She let the ball flip off her fingers as time expired and ran on her tiptoes as the ball rattled around the rim before falling through.
The final play in the Lady Vols' 78-63 win over DePaul on Sunday earned an eruption from the Thompson-Boling Arena crowd, and a row of smiles formed on the Tennessee bench.
For the first time this season, it was fun to play basketball.
''I was having fun. I was feeling great,'' said Hornbuckle, who had 15 points and eight rebounds in her first career start Sunday.
''I just kind of went for it and hoped it went in.''
It's an attitude that the Lady Vols now admit was missing when they got pounded by Texas 74-59 on the road, when they barely escaped from games against N.C. State and Temple and when they lost a close game to Duke.
As ninth-ranked Tennessee (5-2) now prepares to go back on the road to play storied rival Louisiana Tech (4-2) today at 6:30 p.m., Summitt just hopes the energy her players had in the second half of Sunday's game carries over to the rest of the season.
''What this team has to understand is they're going to have to work hard every possession, every game to be successful,'' Summitt said. ''I think somehow they thought they could just walk out this year, show up and win. I don't know why they thought that, but that's the way it appeared.''
For the first six games of the season, Tennessee's offense was stagnant.
While the defense was good for the most part, a lack of focus on defense cost the Lady Vols a win against Duke in the final minutes.
Tennessee had shot just over 31 percent in its previous three games before shooting 57.1 percent in the second half against DePaul.
''When you're in a slump like that, everybody's spirits are not as high as they should be,'' Hornbuckle said.
''You kind of feel like, 'Dang, I'm in the gym again.' Instead of, 'This is my opportunity to get better and make up for the mistakes.' We took it all the wrong way while we were losing.''
Senior forward Shyra Ely said she hopes the attitude has changed for good.
''We knew that during the game, that it was just a lot more fun,'' Ely said. ''That's how it's going to be if you're playing together and you're doing the right things defensively, you're going to have fun doing it.
''You don't have fun when it's hard and things aren't working out.''
That sign never came.
So Hornbuckle avoided a defender by whipping a dribble behind her back as she crossed half-court and sprinted to the other end of the floor.
She let the ball flip off her fingers as time expired and ran on her tiptoes as the ball rattled around the rim before falling through.
The final play in the Lady Vols' 78-63 win over DePaul on Sunday earned an eruption from the Thompson-Boling Arena crowd, and a row of smiles formed on the Tennessee bench.
For the first time this season, it was fun to play basketball.
''I was having fun. I was feeling great,'' said Hornbuckle, who had 15 points and eight rebounds in her first career start Sunday.
''I just kind of went for it and hoped it went in.''
It's an attitude that the Lady Vols now admit was missing when they got pounded by Texas 74-59 on the road, when they barely escaped from games against N.C. State and Temple and when they lost a close game to Duke.
As ninth-ranked Tennessee (5-2) now prepares to go back on the road to play storied rival Louisiana Tech (4-2) today at 6:30 p.m., Summitt just hopes the energy her players had in the second half of Sunday's game carries over to the rest of the season.
''What this team has to understand is they're going to have to work hard every possession, every game to be successful,'' Summitt said. ''I think somehow they thought they could just walk out this year, show up and win. I don't know why they thought that, but that's the way it appeared.''
For the first six games of the season, Tennessee's offense was stagnant.
While the defense was good for the most part, a lack of focus on defense cost the Lady Vols a win against Duke in the final minutes.
Tennessee had shot just over 31 percent in its previous three games before shooting 57.1 percent in the second half against DePaul.
''When you're in a slump like that, everybody's spirits are not as high as they should be,'' Hornbuckle said.
''You kind of feel like, 'Dang, I'm in the gym again.' Instead of, 'This is my opportunity to get better and make up for the mistakes.' We took it all the wrong way while we were losing.''
Senior forward Shyra Ely said she hopes the attitude has changed for good.
''We knew that during the game, that it was just a lot more fun,'' Ely said. ''That's how it's going to be if you're playing together and you're doing the right things defensively, you're going to have fun doing it.
''You don't have fun when it's hard and things aren't working out.''
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Tennessee banking on freshmen heading into meeting with Louisiana Tech
(9) Tennessee (5-2) vs. Louisiana Tech (4-2)
Game Info: 7:30 pm EST Wed Dec 15, 2004
Alexis Hornbuckle and Sybil Dosty have no time for nerves. Tennessee needs them now.
Hornbuckle and Dosty will look to follow up their impressive performances from their last game when the No. 9 Lady Vols visit Louisiana Tech on Wednesday.
``Louisiana Tech is a tough place to play,'' Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said. ``I am a little surprised (that they are not in the Top 25), but La Tech is dangerous and is a team that comes on very strong. If you watch what they have done in the past, this is not totally uncharacteristic.
``At their place, they are a transition team, up and down, and that is one of our biggest concerns right now.''
Hornbuckle, a 5-foot-11 freshman, was forced into the starting lineup against No. 15 DePaul on Sunday after senior Loree Moore was hospitalized to have her tonsils removed during the week. Moore could be out up to a month.
Hornbuckle overcame a shaky first half to score 15 points as the Lady Vols (5-2) rallied from 15 points down to win 78-63.
``Alexis started on her heels and ended on her toes,'' Summitt said. ``She was backing up on defense. When we weren't in transition, she was too tentative. She was careless with the basketball.
``She turned it around in the game. She made an adjustment after halftime. She needed to understand where she needed to start. She was very aggressive and created opportunities.''
Reserve center Dosty, a 6-3 freshman, finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Dosty, who is averaging 5.7 points and 3.8 boards, said she plans to contribute on a regular basis from now on.
``When I get a chance, I want to take advantage of it,'' Dosty said. ``I want to do what I know I can do.''
It appears Tennessee will continue to need the added offense from Hornbuckle and Dosty because it is averaging just 64 points and features just one player scoring in double figures -- Shyra Ely at 11.9 per game.
Louisiana Tech (4-2) is coming off a 62-61 win at Alcorn State on Monday.
Shan Moore had 18 points, while Tasha Crain added 13 for the Lady Techsters, who shot just 37.5 percent in the second half, and committed 25 turnovers overall.
Moore and Crain, who combined to shoot 12-of-25 on Monday, are each averaging 13.8 points per game.
Game Info: 7:30 pm EST Wed Dec 15, 2004
Alexis Hornbuckle and Sybil Dosty have no time for nerves. Tennessee needs them now.
Hornbuckle and Dosty will look to follow up their impressive performances from their last game when the No. 9 Lady Vols visit Louisiana Tech on Wednesday.
``Louisiana Tech is a tough place to play,'' Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said. ``I am a little surprised (that they are not in the Top 25), but La Tech is dangerous and is a team that comes on very strong. If you watch what they have done in the past, this is not totally uncharacteristic.
``At their place, they are a transition team, up and down, and that is one of our biggest concerns right now.''
Hornbuckle, a 5-foot-11 freshman, was forced into the starting lineup against No. 15 DePaul on Sunday after senior Loree Moore was hospitalized to have her tonsils removed during the week. Moore could be out up to a month.
Hornbuckle overcame a shaky first half to score 15 points as the Lady Vols (5-2) rallied from 15 points down to win 78-63.
``Alexis started on her heels and ended on her toes,'' Summitt said. ``She was backing up on defense. When we weren't in transition, she was too tentative. She was careless with the basketball.
``She turned it around in the game. She made an adjustment after halftime. She needed to understand where she needed to start. She was very aggressive and created opportunities.''
Reserve center Dosty, a 6-3 freshman, finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Dosty, who is averaging 5.7 points and 3.8 boards, said she plans to contribute on a regular basis from now on.
``When I get a chance, I want to take advantage of it,'' Dosty said. ``I want to do what I know I can do.''
It appears Tennessee will continue to need the added offense from Hornbuckle and Dosty because it is averaging just 64 points and features just one player scoring in double figures -- Shyra Ely at 11.9 per game.
Louisiana Tech (4-2) is coming off a 62-61 win at Alcorn State on Monday.
Shan Moore had 18 points, while Tasha Crain added 13 for the Lady Techsters, who shot just 37.5 percent in the second half, and committed 25 turnovers overall.
Moore and Crain, who combined to shoot 12-of-25 on Monday, are each averaging 13.8 points per game.
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