KNOXVILLE — Kentucky Coach Mickie DeMoss' return to Knoxville started off with a glimmer of hope.
DeMoss, an assistant under UT Coach Pat Summitt for 18 years, received a warm ovation from the Thompson-Boling Arena crowd. Just before tip-off, Summitt gave DeMoss a glass vase with a gracious inscription printed on it. And her Kentucky team took a 2-0 lead with a Chante' Bowman jumper 10 seconds into the game. That was pretty much it for the friendly welcome.
The Wildcats missed their next 17 shots, and the No. 7 Lady Vols ran out to a 22-2 lead on their way to a 67-49 win in front of 13,716.
''I was beginning to wonder if we were going to score again,'' said DeMoss, who is in her second year as UK's head coach.
Tennessee's defense, combined with Kentucky's inability to make some easy shots, put the Lady Vols (14-3, 4-0 SEC) in control early. The Wildcats (13-7, 2-3) did not score their second field goal of the game until a Sara Potts' lay-up with 8:02 left in the first half.
''That was pretty tough defense,'' Summitt said. ''Kentucky got a lot of good looks early and the shots didn't fall. Our defense did cause them to rush a little bit, because the defensive intensity was really good.''
Senior forward Shyra Ely led Tennessee with 13 points and defensively shut down Potts, Kentucky's best player. Potts was averaging 14.7 points coming into the game, but Ely held her five points on 2-of-10 shooting and 1-of-7 from 3-point range.
''Before the Auburn game, Coach was telling me that I wasn't a very good defender,'' Ely said. ''That's such an important role that I have to fulfill for the team.''
UT freshman Alexis Hornbuckle, who was moved back into the starting lineup after senior Loree Moore had started the past three games, scored 12 points.
Summitt made the switch because she had not been pleased with the way UT had opened up its past two games.
''This starting group, I like,'' Summitt said. ''Alexis was a very efficient player today, and if you look at her stat line, she did a lot of great things for us. She's very coachable, and I think she manages the huddles very well and has been very vocal in running our sets.''
Because of the quick start, Summitt was able to get all of her bench players extended playing time. But she was not necessarily pleased with what they did.
Kentucky outscored Tennessee 33-32 in the second half. Eleven different players logged double-digit minutes.
''We got a lot of people quality minutes today,'' Summitt said. ''I didn't suggest that it was quality play.''
Tennessee beat Kentucky 81-72 last year in Lexington, the first time that DeMoss had faced her old team. It was the first time she had been in Knoxville as the coach of the visiting team.
The crowd gave her a standing ovation when she met Summitt at halfcourt before the game, and DeMoss turned and waved to all sections of the arena.
''It wasn't surprising, because I know all the fans love her as much as we do,'' UT junior Shanna Zolman said. ''But I was really excited for her that she got such a warm welcome.''
Summitt had not told DeMoss about the pre-game ceremony to honor her.
''I guess [UT women's athletics director] Joan Cronan tried to pull a fast one on me, caught me off-guard there,'' DeMoss said, laughing. ''It was a very welcoming crowd, and I was excited to be back at Thompson-Boling and to be back in that atmosphere.''
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