Contest To Be Nationally Televised
The top-ranked and unbeaten Tennessee Lady Vols have a five-year score to settle with the 16th-rated Texas Lady Longhorns Thursday night in Knoxville when the teams face off at Thompson-Boling Arena in a highly anticipated showdown that will be televised on ESPN2 (Chattanooga Comcast 29) starting at 7 p.m.
The Longhorns (3-1) have won the last four meetings against the Lady Vols (5-0) dating back to February 2002. Texas’ 74-59 victory in Austin on Thanksgiving night 2004 was Tennessee’s worst setback of the season
For Tennessee’s Pat Summitt, the winningest coach in basketball history who is only 13 wins from reaching an unprecedented 900th victory, it will be another opportunity to match with her Longhorns counterpart Jody Conradt, who is second to Summitt with 872 wins.
The Lady Vols have had an opportunity to relax albeit briefly after a hectic opening week of the 2005-06 season in which they won five games in seven days including triumphs over top-10 teams Michigan State and Maryland at the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands.
In her weekly teleconference, Summitt told reporters the Caribbean journey was worthwhile for her team’s development.
“I thought it turned out to be a great trip for us on and off the court,” she said. “The challenge of playing five games in seven days and those three games back to back (Michigan State, Gonzaga and Maryland) allowed us to really learn a lot about our basketball team. Hopefully we can capitalize on what we are doing well and continue to do so. We have a lot of aspects at which we need to get better and that is what we learned.”
Summitt said she was not happy about Tennessee’s transition game against Maryland (“a glaring weakness”) and is concerned entering the Texas game.
“Texas is a team that loves transition basketball.” She remarked. “They push tempo as well as anyone that we have played thus far.”
She also had praise for Longhorn All-American forward Tiffany Jackson and freshman guard Erika Arriran who are leading the Texas scoring so far this season averaging 12.8 and 11.3 points respectively.
“Tiffany is a great inside player and will be a challenging match up for us”, Summitt said of the 6-3 junior. “Erika brings a lot of confidence and stability from the perimeter. She shoots the ball well and is really a nice passer. She’s the type of player that will make their inside game better with her passing skills and stretch the defense with her shooting skills.”
Texas lost the season opener to New Mexico, but like the Lady Vols, they traveled to the Carribean Thanksgiving weekend, where they participated in the Junkaroo Jam in the Bahamas scoring wins over South Carolina and George Washington.
As for the Lady Vols, Summitt has been pleased with the progress of mega-freshman Candace Parker, who will be making her first ESPN appearance wearing the Tennessee orange.
“She has been adjusting to the intensity and tempo possession after possession at the college level for an extended period of time.” Summitt said of the 6-3 starting forward who leads Tennessee scoring (15.6 average) and rebounding (8.8 average). “That has probably been her biggest challenge.”
“As much as I think she can bring on the offensive end, I think she can bring just as much or more with her defensive presence based on her ability to defend on the perimeter and at the basket as well.”
Expected to join Parker in the Lady Vol starting lineup are senior guard Shanna Zolman (14.6 points per game), sophomore guards Alexis Hornbuckle (11.4 ppg) who scored a career high 19 against Maryland and Sa’de Wiley-Gatewood (9.6 ppg), who posted her career best of 12 in the Michigan State win and sophomore forward Nicky Anosike (6.8 ppg).
As for Texas, starters are expected to be Jackson, Arriaran, senior point guard Nina Norman, senior forward Daria Mieloszynska and sophomore forward Katrina Robinson.
On Sunday, the Lady Vols will be in Palo Alto, Cal., to face 11th-ranked Stanford.
No comments:
Post a Comment