(1) Tennessee 83, Old Dominion 67
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee's leading scorer Shanna Zolman knows she'll be a focus for defenses, and she's learning ways to get open.
Zolman scored 23 points to help the top-ranked Lady Vols to an 83-67 win over Old Dominion on Monday night, rebounding from a horrible offensive showing at Notre Dame on New Year's Eve.
The Lady Vols (13-0) led nearly the entire game, but Old Dominion (2-7) made them work for their 10th straight victory in the series.
Zolman scored five points and made one of seven shots from the floor in the 62-51 win over the Irish. The senior guard from Syracuse, Ind., was playing in front of hundreds of hometown fans.
"They were like glue on me at Notre Dame. That's how people are going to guard me from here on out. That is something I have to be a lot more aware of and keep a more conscious effort to just keep moving continuously," Zolman said.
Against Old Dominion, she was 6-of-10 from the floor and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.
"I think Shanna will be better now that she has that game behind her," Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said.
All of the Lady Vols had more success on offense after shooting a season-low 33 percent at Notre Dame.
Tennessee shot 52 percent (26-of-50) from the floor and went 24-of-28 from the foul line on Monday. Old Dominion had only seven chances at the line and made six.
The Lady Vols also had 17 points from Nicky Anosike, 14 from Alexis Hornbuckle and 10 from Candace Parker.
The Lady Monarchs, coming off an 88-80 overtime loss to fifth-ranked North Carolina last week, were scrappy and aggressive, but couldn't do enough defensively despite shooting 46 percent (28-of-61).
Old Dominion was led by T.J. Jordan with 17 points. She was 0-of-13 shooting in last year's game as a freshman. Sherida Triggs added 16 points and Shahida Williams had 10 for Old Dominion, which has the toughest schedule in the country according to the latest RPI.
"Some of the greatest teams that I've had the privilege of coaching have come into this building and really gotten drilled. For our little militia to come in here and fight and scrap and claw and do what they needed to do to stay into the game, I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am," Old Dominion coach Wendy Larry said.
The Lady Monarchs opened the season against then-No. 1 Duke and followed with four more ranked teams: Vanderbilt, Rutgers, North Carolina and Tennessee. They are missing three of their top players because of injuries.
"I think Wendy plays a tougher schedule than I do," said Summitt, whose teams usually ranks No. 1 in strength of schedule.
The Lady Vols were ahead by 18 early in the second half when Old Dominion rallied with a 16-6 run. Jordan had consecutive 3s during the spurt, and Lawona Davis scored four points to cut it to 61-53.
Tennessee stretched it to 12, but Old Dominion trimmed it in half after two baskets by Paula Muxiri and a pair of free throws by Triggs. That was as close as the Lady Monarchs would get as Zolman hit a 3 and then sank two foul shots to restore the double-digit lead with 6:18 left.
Old Dominion grabbed the lead early in the first half but could not extend it beyond three points. After Triggs' putback with 8:32 left put the Lady Monarchs ahead 23-21, Hornbuckle hit a 3 to start an 18-4 run for the Lady Vols.
Hornbuckle scored eight points during the spurt. Jordan ended the rally with a 3, but Tennessee responded with Lindsey Moss' 3-pointer and Parker's steal and breakaway layup to stretch the lead to 44-30.
Parker was far ahead of the trailing defender and had a wide open look at the basket but let the ball roll off her fingers into the cylinder.
Fans have been waiting for Parker to get her first collegiate dunk. The redshirt freshman dunked in high school and won the McDonald's high school All-American dunk contest.
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