University of Tennessee junior Angie Bjorklund and sophomore Shekinna Stricklen have both been named Honorable Mention Associated Press All-American.
They become the 11th and 12th Lady Vols to earn All-America honors from the Associated Press.
"I'm very proud and happy for both Angie and Shekinna. This honor is a testament to the hard work and energy that both have invested in improving their game," said Head Coach Pat Summitt. "Angie has really elevated her game. She's been devoted to getting in the gym and getting in extra shots, which has keyed her success. Angie was really a difference maker for us. Shekinna did a great job of running the point and her size out front is a definite advantage. She has learned to attack the paint, and when you factor that in with her pull-up game and her three-point shooting, she is a complete package."
Bjorklund was a unanimous choice to the First Team All-SEC by the league coaches and was also selected First Team All-SEC as chosen by the Associated Press. In addition, she was named the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was tabbed to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Team. The Spokane Valley, Wash., native has climbed through the Tennessee record books in her third year at Rocky Top. Bjorklund has moved into third place on the career three-pointers list with 232 triples made and finished the campaign in second place in UT's single-season record books with 201 threes made. She led the team with 13.9 ppg, dished out 2.9 apg and grabbed 2.7 rpg.
Stricklen was named Second Team All-SEC by the conference coaches and the AP. She is a finalist for the Wooden Award, is a candidate for the Naismith Award and was named to the State Farm Wade Trophy Watch List. Stricklen recorded only the second triple-double in Lady Vol history when she scored 17 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and dished out a career-best 12 assists against #14/15-ranked Oklahoma on Jan. 3, 2010, at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Morrilton, Ark., native was second on the team with 12.7 ppg, third with 6.1 rpg and boasts a team-high 3.9 apg.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Lady Vols Fall to Baylor, 77-62, in NCAA Sweet 16
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Freshman sensation Brittney Griner has grown up a lot this season -- just ask Tennessee. Kim Mulkey knew her Lady Bears would be a good team some day. That day arrived Saturday in the Sweet 16 as Baylor toppled No. 1 seed Tennessee. Story Griner scored 27 points and blocked 10 shots, leading fourth-seeded Baylor to a 77-62 win over the top-seeded Lady Vols on Saturday to advance to the NCAA tournament regional finals.
"She was the X factor," said Tennessee coach Pat Summitt, whose team was taken out in the first round last season.
Baylor's only other appearance in the round of eight was in 2005, the same year it won the national championship. The Lady Bears (26-9) will face either No. 2 seed Duke or 11th-seeded San Diego State on Monday night.
The Lady Vols' loss spoiled the highly anticipated matchup between Tennessee and Connecticut, which could have happened in this year's national semifinals. The Lady Vols, who lost in the first round last season, haven't missed out on back-to-back Final Fours since 1993-94.
Tennessee (32-3) successfully limited the 6-foot-8 Griner in its 74-65 win over Baylor in the first game of the season but couldn't do it again even with as many as four players on her at a time. Griner hit several shots while double-teamed or passed to an open Lady Bears teammate for an easy layup.
"You're watching a phenom out here play above the rim," Mulkey said. "That's what needs to be written in every article from this day forward, because she's such a sweet child as you can see."
Griner had been somewhat tentative on offense since she was suspended for two games after throwing a punch against a Texas Tech player in early March. She was back to her dominant self on both ends of the court.
"I just knew I had to come out and play my game and go back to the old Brittney," Griner said. Griner's 26 blocks in the NCAA tournament ranks her second in history. Duke's Alison Bales holds the NCAA tournament record with 30 in 2006, and Connecticut's Rebecca Lobo's 22 now ranks third.
The teams went back and forth throughout the first half and early in the second, trading the lead 10 times and tying four times. With both 6-foot-6 Kelley Cain and 6-foot-3 Alyssia Brewer on the floor to guard Griner, Tennessee found some success inside and was up 55-50 with just under eight minutes left.
The Lady Vol orange-clad crowd fell silent as Griner hit back-to-back layups and had a three-point play as part of a 21-1 run as Tennessee's defense unraveled.
Tennessee (32-3) turned to its shooters in desperation. Though Angie Bjorklund and Shekinna Stricklen managed to hit jumpers in traffic and knock down a few 3s in the first half, they missed left and right in the second half.
The Lady Vols managed to hit only 32.9 percent, only slightly better than their season-worst 32.8 percent against Stanford, and finished with 22 paint points. The Lady Vols allowed the Lady Bears 49.1 percent shooting -- a season high for a Tennessee opponent -- and 36 paint points.
"I can't believe it. I'm just really excited that to get to the Elite Eight we had to go through the best, and the best in this region was Tennessee," Baylor's Morghan Medlock said.
Stricklen led Tennessee with 18 points, and Bjorklund added 12.
"I think anytime you play against a 6-8 player, it's is going to be tough to shoot over her," Bjorklund said. "At the same time, I thought when our posts did have the ball they did a good job. Going against her, we just needed to give the posts more touches."
Tennessee fell to 23-5 in regional semifinal games.
"She was the X factor," said Tennessee coach Pat Summitt, whose team was taken out in the first round last season.
Baylor's only other appearance in the round of eight was in 2005, the same year it won the national championship. The Lady Bears (26-9) will face either No. 2 seed Duke or 11th-seeded San Diego State on Monday night.
The Lady Vols' loss spoiled the highly anticipated matchup between Tennessee and Connecticut, which could have happened in this year's national semifinals. The Lady Vols, who lost in the first round last season, haven't missed out on back-to-back Final Fours since 1993-94.
Tennessee (32-3) successfully limited the 6-foot-8 Griner in its 74-65 win over Baylor in the first game of the season but couldn't do it again even with as many as four players on her at a time. Griner hit several shots while double-teamed or passed to an open Lady Bears teammate for an easy layup.
"You're watching a phenom out here play above the rim," Mulkey said. "That's what needs to be written in every article from this day forward, because she's such a sweet child as you can see."
Griner had been somewhat tentative on offense since she was suspended for two games after throwing a punch against a Texas Tech player in early March. She was back to her dominant self on both ends of the court.
"I just knew I had to come out and play my game and go back to the old Brittney," Griner said. Griner's 26 blocks in the NCAA tournament ranks her second in history. Duke's Alison Bales holds the NCAA tournament record with 30 in 2006, and Connecticut's Rebecca Lobo's 22 now ranks third.
The teams went back and forth throughout the first half and early in the second, trading the lead 10 times and tying four times. With both 6-foot-6 Kelley Cain and 6-foot-3 Alyssia Brewer on the floor to guard Griner, Tennessee found some success inside and was up 55-50 with just under eight minutes left.
The Lady Vol orange-clad crowd fell silent as Griner hit back-to-back layups and had a three-point play as part of a 21-1 run as Tennessee's defense unraveled.
Tennessee (32-3) turned to its shooters in desperation. Though Angie Bjorklund and Shekinna Stricklen managed to hit jumpers in traffic and knock down a few 3s in the first half, they missed left and right in the second half.
The Lady Vols managed to hit only 32.9 percent, only slightly better than their season-worst 32.8 percent against Stanford, and finished with 22 paint points. The Lady Vols allowed the Lady Bears 49.1 percent shooting -- a season high for a Tennessee opponent -- and 36 paint points.
"I can't believe it. I'm just really excited that to get to the Elite Eight we had to go through the best, and the best in this region was Tennessee," Baylor's Morghan Medlock said.
Stricklen led Tennessee with 18 points, and Bjorklund added 12.
"I think anytime you play against a 6-8 player, it's is going to be tough to shoot over her," Bjorklund said. "At the same time, I thought when our posts did have the ball they did a good job. Going against her, we just needed to give the posts more touches."
Tennessee fell to 23-5 in regional semifinal games.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Tennessee Storms past Dayton into Sweet Sixteen, 92-64
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- After an unprecedented early loss in the NCAAs last year, it's back to business as usual for Tennessee.
The No. 1-seeded Lady Volunteers beat eighth-seeded Dayton 92-64 in the second round of the tournament on Monday night.
Tennessee (32-2) will make its 28th appearance in the regional semifinals Saturday, this time playing 350 miles from home in Memphis. The Lady Vols' lone absence from the round of 16 in the tournament's 29-year history came after last season's 71-55 loss to Ball State in the opening round.
And the Lady Vols are ready to prove that loss was an anomaly.
"I thought I could feel the energy in the locker room, and I mean they were wanting to get out on the court ASAP. With all that energy, I thought: they're ready to play," coach Pat Summitt said.
Alicia Manning scored a career-high 17 points and had 10 rebounds and a career-high seven assists to lead Tennessee after fouling out of the opening-round game with two points. Manning was among five Lady Vols who had double-digit scoring against Dayton.
"I felt like last game I kind of let the team down getting in foul trouble, so I definitely felt like I needed to pick it up and make up for what I didn't do in the other game," she said.
Tennessee will face either No. 4 Baylor or No. 5 Georgetown in Memphis.
Dayton (25-8), which managed to rally from an 18-point deficit in its 67-66 win over TCU in the first round, was tasked with playing only its second NCAA tournament game in front of about 10,000 orange-clad fans on the court named "The Summitt."
A three-point play by Shekinna Stricklen launched a 17-2 scoring run for Tennessee. The Lady Vols had their way under their own basket, hitting wide-open shots from the perimeter and slashing the lane to take easy layups.
Manning cut through the paint to hit a layup that gave Tennessee a 19-4 run with 13:31 left in the first half. Taber Spani, who hit her first seven shots, sank a smooth 3 from the sideline to push Tennessee's lead to 23 points, and the Lady Vols entered halftime with a 50-30 lead.
"We knew we had to take away their inside game, so we were hoping they wouldn't go crazy on us. And they went crazy on us," Dayton coach Jim Jabir said. "I don't know if they do that usually. If they do, you should raise the ticket prices because that's some really good basketball."
At the break, Tennessee led in every category except rebounds -- something Summitt emphasized in the first round game. The two teams each had 20 at halftime.
But the Lady Vols didn't need the boards as they took care of the ball on offense and scored 13 off seven Dayton turnovers in the first half.
Tennessee scored the first 10 points of the second half, and Manning reached her career high on a fast-break layup that put the Lady Vols ahead 73-44 with 12:11 left.
Justine Raterman led the Flyers with 17 points.
The Lady Vols hit 53.9 percent of their shots as their lead ballooned to 34 points off a layup by Glory Johnson with 14:59 left. The Flyers hit 41.5 of their shots.
The Flyers struggled nearly every time they reached their end of the court. They had at least a half-dozen airballs in the first half, and Tennessee blocked 10 shots -- six by Kelley Cain.
And with 10 minutes to go, both Olivia Applewhite and Casey Nance had fouled out for Dayton.
"Offensively I thought we just looked nervous," Jabir said. "Justine doesn't shoot a lot of airballs and neither does Kendel [Ross]. I think both of those guys had rim bypasses a couple of times."
The No. 1-seeded Lady Volunteers beat eighth-seeded Dayton 92-64 in the second round of the tournament on Monday night.
Tennessee (32-2) will make its 28th appearance in the regional semifinals Saturday, this time playing 350 miles from home in Memphis. The Lady Vols' lone absence from the round of 16 in the tournament's 29-year history came after last season's 71-55 loss to Ball State in the opening round.
And the Lady Vols are ready to prove that loss was an anomaly.
"I thought I could feel the energy in the locker room, and I mean they were wanting to get out on the court ASAP. With all that energy, I thought: they're ready to play," coach Pat Summitt said.
Alicia Manning scored a career-high 17 points and had 10 rebounds and a career-high seven assists to lead Tennessee after fouling out of the opening-round game with two points. Manning was among five Lady Vols who had double-digit scoring against Dayton.
"I felt like last game I kind of let the team down getting in foul trouble, so I definitely felt like I needed to pick it up and make up for what I didn't do in the other game," she said.
Tennessee will face either No. 4 Baylor or No. 5 Georgetown in Memphis.
Dayton (25-8), which managed to rally from an 18-point deficit in its 67-66 win over TCU in the first round, was tasked with playing only its second NCAA tournament game in front of about 10,000 orange-clad fans on the court named "The Summitt."
A three-point play by Shekinna Stricklen launched a 17-2 scoring run for Tennessee. The Lady Vols had their way under their own basket, hitting wide-open shots from the perimeter and slashing the lane to take easy layups.
Manning cut through the paint to hit a layup that gave Tennessee a 19-4 run with 13:31 left in the first half. Taber Spani, who hit her first seven shots, sank a smooth 3 from the sideline to push Tennessee's lead to 23 points, and the Lady Vols entered halftime with a 50-30 lead.
"We knew we had to take away their inside game, so we were hoping they wouldn't go crazy on us. And they went crazy on us," Dayton coach Jim Jabir said. "I don't know if they do that usually. If they do, you should raise the ticket prices because that's some really good basketball."
At the break, Tennessee led in every category except rebounds -- something Summitt emphasized in the first round game. The two teams each had 20 at halftime.
But the Lady Vols didn't need the boards as they took care of the ball on offense and scored 13 off seven Dayton turnovers in the first half.
Tennessee scored the first 10 points of the second half, and Manning reached her career high on a fast-break layup that put the Lady Vols ahead 73-44 with 12:11 left.
Justine Raterman led the Flyers with 17 points.
The Lady Vols hit 53.9 percent of their shots as their lead ballooned to 34 points off a layup by Glory Johnson with 14:59 left. The Flyers hit 41.5 of their shots.
The Flyers struggled nearly every time they reached their end of the court. They had at least a half-dozen airballs in the first half, and Tennessee blocked 10 shots -- six by Kelley Cain.
And with 10 minutes to go, both Olivia Applewhite and Casey Nance had fouled out for Dayton.
"Offensively I thought we just looked nervous," Jabir said. "Justine doesn't shoot a lot of airballs and neither does Kendel [Ross]. I think both of those guys had rim bypasses a couple of times."
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Top-Seeded Lady Vols Breeze By Austin Peay, 75-42
KNOXVILLE -- When Tennessee lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament last year, coach Pat Summitt sent the team to the practice court immediately.
That extra work helped the Lady Vols secure a No. 1 seed this season and return to their winning ways with a 75-42 victory over No. 16 seed Austin Peay on Saturday in the opening round of the NCAA women's tournament.
"They were confused why would we go right back to practice. They thought it was punishment," Summitt said. "I said, 'No, it's an opportunity for this basketball team to get better.'"
The Lady Vols (31-2), playing in their NCAA-record 29th first-round game, had advanced out of the opening weekend every season until last year's 71-55 loss to Ball State in the first round as a No. 5 seed. They're now 43-1 in the first two rounds.
The Lady Vols' work ethic wasn't the only difference in the two games.
This time Tennessee played at "The Summitt" and in front of mostly orange-clad fans. Summitt said her players were also more committed playing well.
"[It's] just a little bit different," Tennessee's Angie Bjorklund said of the atmosphere of the arena and the postgame locker room.
Tennessee also lost Kelley Cain in the first half of last year's tournament game to a knee injury.
This time, Cain had 18 points and 12 rebounds and hit a jumper 30 seconds into the game. The Lady Vols scored the first 15 points before Austin Peay hit a basket.
Austin Peay coach Carrie Daniels said the Lady Govs had experience with players who were bigger them but hadn't seen anyone quite like the 6-foot-6 Cain.
"Prior to this game we brought out broomsticks and made the players shoot over them to simulate," Daniels said.
The Lady Govs (15-18) got their first points when Ashley Herring hauled in a rebound off Brooke Faulkner's missed jumper and hit a jumper with 13:14 left in the first half.
"At the start when shots aren't just aren't falling, what can you do?" Herring said.
Herring scored 21 points for Austin Peay, which worked its way into tournament as only the eighth team in history with a losing record by winning the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.
By halftime, the Lady Vols had expanded their lead to 37-16 and that margin grew to 38 points in the second half off a 3-point shot by Taber Spani that made it 73-35 with 3:45.
Austin Peay turned the ball over 14 times in the first half, leading to 17 Tennessee points. Despite being smaller at every position, the Lady Govs found success in the paint against the imposing Lady Vols posts and scored all but two of their first-half points in the lane. They finished with 20 points in the paint.
And Austin Peay's loss still wasn't as bad as the last time it visited Knoxville, when it lost 80-38 to Tennessee in the opening round of the 2001 NCAA tournament.
Tennessee went everywhere to score, putting up 36 points in the paint and getting 14 points from Angie Bjorklund around the perimeter.
If the Lady Vols defeat either No. 8 Dayton or No. 9 TCU, who were to meet later Saturday, Tennessee gets the privilege of staying in state to play in the semifinals of the Memphis regional, 350 miles away from Tennessee's campus but still saturated with Lady Vols fans.
That extra work helped the Lady Vols secure a No. 1 seed this season and return to their winning ways with a 75-42 victory over No. 16 seed Austin Peay on Saturday in the opening round of the NCAA women's tournament.
"They were confused why would we go right back to practice. They thought it was punishment," Summitt said. "I said, 'No, it's an opportunity for this basketball team to get better.'"
The Lady Vols (31-2), playing in their NCAA-record 29th first-round game, had advanced out of the opening weekend every season until last year's 71-55 loss to Ball State in the first round as a No. 5 seed. They're now 43-1 in the first two rounds.
The Lady Vols' work ethic wasn't the only difference in the two games.
This time Tennessee played at "The Summitt" and in front of mostly orange-clad fans. Summitt said her players were also more committed playing well.
"[It's] just a little bit different," Tennessee's Angie Bjorklund said of the atmosphere of the arena and the postgame locker room.
Tennessee also lost Kelley Cain in the first half of last year's tournament game to a knee injury.
This time, Cain had 18 points and 12 rebounds and hit a jumper 30 seconds into the game. The Lady Vols scored the first 15 points before Austin Peay hit a basket.
Austin Peay coach Carrie Daniels said the Lady Govs had experience with players who were bigger them but hadn't seen anyone quite like the 6-foot-6 Cain.
"Prior to this game we brought out broomsticks and made the players shoot over them to simulate," Daniels said.
The Lady Govs (15-18) got their first points when Ashley Herring hauled in a rebound off Brooke Faulkner's missed jumper and hit a jumper with 13:14 left in the first half.
"At the start when shots aren't just aren't falling, what can you do?" Herring said.
Herring scored 21 points for Austin Peay, which worked its way into tournament as only the eighth team in history with a losing record by winning the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.
By halftime, the Lady Vols had expanded their lead to 37-16 and that margin grew to 38 points in the second half off a 3-point shot by Taber Spani that made it 73-35 with 3:45.
Austin Peay turned the ball over 14 times in the first half, leading to 17 Tennessee points. Despite being smaller at every position, the Lady Govs found success in the paint against the imposing Lady Vols posts and scored all but two of their first-half points in the lane. They finished with 20 points in the paint.
And Austin Peay's loss still wasn't as bad as the last time it visited Knoxville, when it lost 80-38 to Tennessee in the opening round of the 2001 NCAA tournament.
Tennessee went everywhere to score, putting up 36 points in the paint and getting 14 points from Angie Bjorklund around the perimeter.
If the Lady Vols defeat either No. 8 Dayton or No. 9 TCU, who were to meet later Saturday, Tennessee gets the privilege of staying in state to play in the semifinals of the Memphis regional, 350 miles away from Tennessee's campus but still saturated with Lady Vols fans.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Lady Vol Coach Pat Summitt Named Finalist For Prestigious Naismith Coaching Award
Atlanta, Ga. - After leading her team to a record 20th No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, University of Tennessee Lady Vol basketball coach Pat Summitt was named one of four finalists for the prestigious Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year award by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
Third-ranked Tennessee (30-2 overall) claimed the Southeastern Conference regular season and tournament titles for the first time since 2000, and the Lady Vols were the first SEC school to pull off the super sweep in a decade. The Lady Vols won their 15th SEC regular season title and the 14th SEC Tournament title in 2009-10. She will be leading Tennessee into to its 29th NCAA Tournament this weekend, the only school to have appeared in all 29 championships.
Summitt has won the Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year five previous times. She claimed the honor after winning the 1987, 1989 and 1998 national championships. Summitt also earned the award in 1994 and 2004.
The other finalists are Connecticut's Geno Auriemma, Nebraska's Connie Yori and Stanford's Tara VanDerveer.
The finalists were voted on by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's National Voting Academy, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country.
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB The Atlanta Tipoff Club, an Atlanta Sports Council property, is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club, founded during the 1956-57 season, has presented the Naismith Trophy every year since UCLA's Lew Alcindor first won the award in 1969. Old Dominion's Anne Donovan won the inaugural Women's Naismith Trophy in 1983.
The Naismith Award has become the most prestigious award in all of college basketball, recognizing the Men's and Women's College Basketball Player of the Year, Men's and Women's College Basketball Coach of the Year, as well as awards for outstanding achievement in high school basketball, officiating, and contribution to the game.
For more information, visit www.naismithawards.com.
Third-ranked Tennessee (30-2 overall) claimed the Southeastern Conference regular season and tournament titles for the first time since 2000, and the Lady Vols were the first SEC school to pull off the super sweep in a decade. The Lady Vols won their 15th SEC regular season title and the 14th SEC Tournament title in 2009-10. She will be leading Tennessee into to its 29th NCAA Tournament this weekend, the only school to have appeared in all 29 championships.
Summitt has won the Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year five previous times. She claimed the honor after winning the 1987, 1989 and 1998 national championships. Summitt also earned the award in 1994 and 2004.
The other finalists are Connecticut's Geno Auriemma, Nebraska's Connie Yori and Stanford's Tara VanDerveer.
The finalists were voted on by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's National Voting Academy, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country.
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB The Atlanta Tipoff Club, an Atlanta Sports Council property, is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club, founded during the 1956-57 season, has presented the Naismith Trophy every year since UCLA's Lew Alcindor first won the award in 1969. Old Dominion's Anne Donovan won the inaugural Women's Naismith Trophy in 1983.
The Naismith Award has become the most prestigious award in all of college basketball, recognizing the Men's and Women's College Basketball Player of the Year, Men's and Women's College Basketball Coach of the Year, as well as awards for outstanding achievement in high school basketball, officiating, and contribution to the game.
For more information, visit www.naismithawards.com.
Lady Vol Coach Pat Summitt Named Finalist For Prestigious Naismith Coaching Award
Atlanta, Ga. - After leading her team to a record 20th No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, University of Tennessee Lady Vol basketball coach Pat Summitt was named one of four finalists for the prestigious Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year award by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
Third-ranked Tennessee (30-2 overall) claimed the Southeastern Conference regular season and tournament titles for the first time since 2000, and the Lady Vols were the first SEC school to pull off the super sweep in a decade. The Lady Vols won their 15th SEC regular season title and the 14th SEC Tournament title in 2009-10. She will be leading Tennessee into to its 29th NCAA Tournament this weekend, the only school to have appeared in all 29 championships.
Summitt has won the Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year five previous times. She claimed the honor after winning the 1987, 1989 and 1998 national championships. Summitt also earned the award in 1994 and 2004.
The other finalists are Connecticut's Geno Auriemma, Nebraska's Connie Yori and Stanford's Tara VanDerveer.
The finalists were voted on by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's National Voting Academy, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country.
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB The Atlanta Tipoff Club, an Atlanta Sports Council property, is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club, founded during the 1956-57 season, has presented the Naismith Trophy every year since UCLA's Lew Alcindor first won the award in 1969. Old Dominion's Anne Donovan won the inaugural Women's Naismith Trophy in 1983.
The Naismith Award has become the most prestigious award in all of college basketball, recognizing the Men's and Women's College Basketball Player of the Year, Men's and Women's College Basketball Coach of the Year, as well as awards for outstanding achievement in high school basketball, officiating, and contribution to the game.
For more information, visit www.naismithawards.com.
Third-ranked Tennessee (30-2 overall) claimed the Southeastern Conference regular season and tournament titles for the first time since 2000, and the Lady Vols were the first SEC school to pull off the super sweep in a decade. The Lady Vols won their 15th SEC regular season title and the 14th SEC Tournament title in 2009-10. She will be leading Tennessee into to its 29th NCAA Tournament this weekend, the only school to have appeared in all 29 championships.
Summitt has won the Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year five previous times. She claimed the honor after winning the 1987, 1989 and 1998 national championships. Summitt also earned the award in 1994 and 2004.
The other finalists are Connecticut's Geno Auriemma, Nebraska's Connie Yori and Stanford's Tara VanDerveer.
The finalists were voted on by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's National Voting Academy, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country.
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB The Atlanta Tipoff Club, an Atlanta Sports Council property, is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club, founded during the 1956-57 season, has presented the Naismith Trophy every year since UCLA's Lew Alcindor first won the award in 1969. Old Dominion's Anne Donovan won the inaugural Women's Naismith Trophy in 1983.
The Naismith Award has become the most prestigious award in all of college basketball, recognizing the Men's and Women's College Basketball Player of the Year, Men's and Women's College Basketball Coach of the Year, as well as awards for outstanding achievement in high school basketball, officiating, and contribution to the game.
For more information, visit www.naismithawards.com.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Three Basketball Lady Vols Earn Associated Press All-SEC Honors
After sweeping the Southeastern Conference regular season and tournament titles for the first time in 10 years, the Tennessee Lady Vols landed a trio of cagers on the Associated Press' All-SEC Teams today. Junior Angie Bjorklund and redshirt-sophomore Kelley Cain each earned First Team All-SEC accolades, while sophomore Shekinna Stricklen earned Second Team honors. Tennessee featured the most student-athletes on the two squads.
"I'm extremely proud of our student-athletes for being recognized by the league media for their success this season," said Head Coach Pat Summitt. "They all invested a great amount in the offseason both on and off the court. These honors reflect the improvement that they have made in becoming better basketball players and we have made in becoming a better basketball team. It is a tremendous reward for that hard work."
Bjorklund started 31 of 32 regular season contests for the Lady Vols and led UT with 14.1 ppg and added 2.8 apg and 2.8 rpg. The Spokane Valley, Wash., converted 42.6 percent of her field goals and made 93-of-217 three pointers. The junior sharp-shooter led the SEC in three-point field goal percentage, 42.9, and was third in three-pointers made, 2.9 per game. Bjorklund was a unanimous choice to the All-SEC First Team as voted on by the league coaches and was selected as SEC Player of the Week once during the 2009-10 campaign.
Cain dominated the low post and set a single-season school record of 103 blocks, topping the previous mark of 99 set by former Player of the Year Candace Parker in 2006-07. She also set a single-game record of 12 blocks against LSU on Feb. 22, 2010, at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Atlanta, Ga., native led the SEC and was fourth in the NCAA with 3.2 bpg. The 6-6 center tossed in 10.2 ppg and was sixth in the SEC with 7.4 rpg. Cain converted 60.3 percent of her field goals, which is the second best clip in the SEC. She was also selected to the All-SEC First Team and All-Defensive Team as voted on by league coaches.
Stricklen, a finalist for numerous national post-season awards, earned a selection to the Second Team All-SEC after averaging 12.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg and a team-best 3.8 apg. She is the only Lady Vol to have started all 32 games. The Morrilton, Ark., native posted just the second triple-double in Lady Vol history when she tallied 17 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists against #14/15-ranked Oklahoma on Jan. 3, 2010. Stricklen led the SEC in free throw percentage, converting 76-of-89 attempts, good for a 85.4 percent conversion clip, and ranked sixth in the league in assist/turnover ratio at 1.4 (123 assists to 86 turnovers). She was named SEC Player of the Week three times during the year, earned SEC All-Tournament honors and All-SEC Second Team honors as voted on by the league coaches.
The Lady Vols earned their 20th No. 1 seed in the 2010 NCAA Tournament and will face No. 16 seed Austin Peay at 12:16 p.m. on Saturday, March 20, at Thompson-Boling Arena. The arena will also host the first round contest between the No. 8-seeded Dayton Flyers and the No. 9-seeded TCU Horned Frogs, which will tip off at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. The two winners will face off at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 22, and all three games will be aired on ESPN2.
"I'm extremely proud of our student-athletes for being recognized by the league media for their success this season," said Head Coach Pat Summitt. "They all invested a great amount in the offseason both on and off the court. These honors reflect the improvement that they have made in becoming better basketball players and we have made in becoming a better basketball team. It is a tremendous reward for that hard work."
Bjorklund started 31 of 32 regular season contests for the Lady Vols and led UT with 14.1 ppg and added 2.8 apg and 2.8 rpg. The Spokane Valley, Wash., converted 42.6 percent of her field goals and made 93-of-217 three pointers. The junior sharp-shooter led the SEC in three-point field goal percentage, 42.9, and was third in three-pointers made, 2.9 per game. Bjorklund was a unanimous choice to the All-SEC First Team as voted on by the league coaches and was selected as SEC Player of the Week once during the 2009-10 campaign.
Cain dominated the low post and set a single-season school record of 103 blocks, topping the previous mark of 99 set by former Player of the Year Candace Parker in 2006-07. She also set a single-game record of 12 blocks against LSU on Feb. 22, 2010, at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Atlanta, Ga., native led the SEC and was fourth in the NCAA with 3.2 bpg. The 6-6 center tossed in 10.2 ppg and was sixth in the SEC with 7.4 rpg. Cain converted 60.3 percent of her field goals, which is the second best clip in the SEC. She was also selected to the All-SEC First Team and All-Defensive Team as voted on by league coaches.
Stricklen, a finalist for numerous national post-season awards, earned a selection to the Second Team All-SEC after averaging 12.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg and a team-best 3.8 apg. She is the only Lady Vol to have started all 32 games. The Morrilton, Ark., native posted just the second triple-double in Lady Vol history when she tallied 17 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists against #14/15-ranked Oklahoma on Jan. 3, 2010. Stricklen led the SEC in free throw percentage, converting 76-of-89 attempts, good for a 85.4 percent conversion clip, and ranked sixth in the league in assist/turnover ratio at 1.4 (123 assists to 86 turnovers). She was named SEC Player of the Week three times during the year, earned SEC All-Tournament honors and All-SEC Second Team honors as voted on by the league coaches.
The Lady Vols earned their 20th No. 1 seed in the 2010 NCAA Tournament and will face No. 16 seed Austin Peay at 12:16 p.m. on Saturday, March 20, at Thompson-Boling Arena. The arena will also host the first round contest between the No. 8-seeded Dayton Flyers and the No. 9-seeded TCU Horned Frogs, which will tip off at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. The two winners will face off at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 22, and all three games will be aired on ESPN2.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Lady Vols Get No. 1 Seed in Memphis Regional
KNOXVILLE -- Tennessee's offseason work paid off. The Lady Vols have earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament a year after their worst postseason finish.
"They wanted to get better," coach Pat Summitt said. "I think they were embarrassed. They made history in a bad way, so now I think they want to make history in a good way."
The Lady Vols drew a No. 5 seed last year -- their lowest ever -- and lost to Ball State in their first opening round defeat in school history.
This year, all is right in Knoxville again -- so far.
Winning the Southeastern Conference's regular-season and tournament titles helped Tennessee (29-2) grab the top seed in the Memphis, Tenn., regional, which will be played 350 miles away from its campus. It's the 20th time the program has earned a No. 1 spot.
"It feels great because usually Tennessee is a No. 1 seed, and I just feel like we're back to Tennessee -- the way Tennessee is supposed to be," sophomore guard Shekinna Stricklen said.
The Lady Vols, who finished ranked third in the final Top 25 poll, will open against Austin Peay on Saturday on their home court in Knoxville named for Summitt. The Govs (15-17) are the eighth team in NCAA history to make the tournament with a losing record.
Two of Summitt's brothers attended Austin Peay, which is located in Clarksville, Tenn., 200 miles from Knoxville and just 13 miles from her hometown of Henrietta, Tenn. The Lady Vols have won all five meetings between the two teams.
Austin Peay lost to top-ranked Duke in the first round of last season's NCAA tournament.
"Tennessee is a tremendous team and has had a great season, and you know they're going to make a great run in the tournament," Austin Peay coach Carrie Daniels said "We're going to go step on the court having the experience of being in the tournament last year. Hopefully we'll draw from that experience and go out there and give them a good game."
Also in the Memphis regional are: No. 2 Duke, No. 3 West Virginia, No. 4 Baylor, No. 5 Georgetown, No. 6 Texas and No. 7 LSU. Tennessee beat Baylor, Texas and LSU during the regular season.
But the more anticipated matchup is the possible Final Four meeting with undefeated Connecticut. Geno Auriemma's Huskies have won an NCAA record 72 straight games, but none of them have come against the Lady Vols since Summitt ended their annual matchup in 2007.
"A lot of this (bracket arrangement) has to do with what they want to see," Summitt said. "I think a lot of people feel this is a matchup that we've got to have for the NCAA tournament and women's basketball. I'm not looking down the road at all though."
The Lady Vols graduated only one player last year and the three juniors, seven sophomores and three freshmen who returned worked harder in the offseason than any Tennessee team had for the better part of a decade to improve.
It paid off with Tennessee's first regular-season SEC title in three seasons and a 70-62 win over Kentucky in the SEC tournament championship. It's the first time the Lady Vols have taken both crowns since 2000, when they lost to Connecticut in the NCAA championship game.
"We've worked hard, and we've proven a lot," Stricklen said. "I feel like we've really earned that No. 1 spot."
"They wanted to get better," coach Pat Summitt said. "I think they were embarrassed. They made history in a bad way, so now I think they want to make history in a good way."
The Lady Vols drew a No. 5 seed last year -- their lowest ever -- and lost to Ball State in their first opening round defeat in school history.
This year, all is right in Knoxville again -- so far.
Winning the Southeastern Conference's regular-season and tournament titles helped Tennessee (29-2) grab the top seed in the Memphis, Tenn., regional, which will be played 350 miles away from its campus. It's the 20th time the program has earned a No. 1 spot.
"It feels great because usually Tennessee is a No. 1 seed, and I just feel like we're back to Tennessee -- the way Tennessee is supposed to be," sophomore guard Shekinna Stricklen said.
The Lady Vols, who finished ranked third in the final Top 25 poll, will open against Austin Peay on Saturday on their home court in Knoxville named for Summitt. The Govs (15-17) are the eighth team in NCAA history to make the tournament with a losing record.
Two of Summitt's brothers attended Austin Peay, which is located in Clarksville, Tenn., 200 miles from Knoxville and just 13 miles from her hometown of Henrietta, Tenn. The Lady Vols have won all five meetings between the two teams.
Austin Peay lost to top-ranked Duke in the first round of last season's NCAA tournament.
"Tennessee is a tremendous team and has had a great season, and you know they're going to make a great run in the tournament," Austin Peay coach Carrie Daniels said "We're going to go step on the court having the experience of being in the tournament last year. Hopefully we'll draw from that experience and go out there and give them a good game."
Also in the Memphis regional are: No. 2 Duke, No. 3 West Virginia, No. 4 Baylor, No. 5 Georgetown, No. 6 Texas and No. 7 LSU. Tennessee beat Baylor, Texas and LSU during the regular season.
But the more anticipated matchup is the possible Final Four meeting with undefeated Connecticut. Geno Auriemma's Huskies have won an NCAA record 72 straight games, but none of them have come against the Lady Vols since Summitt ended their annual matchup in 2007.
"A lot of this (bracket arrangement) has to do with what they want to see," Summitt said. "I think a lot of people feel this is a matchup that we've got to have for the NCAA tournament and women's basketball. I'm not looking down the road at all though."
The Lady Vols graduated only one player last year and the three juniors, seven sophomores and three freshmen who returned worked harder in the offseason than any Tennessee team had for the better part of a decade to improve.
It paid off with Tennessee's first regular-season SEC title in three seasons and a 70-62 win over Kentucky in the SEC tournament championship. It's the first time the Lady Vols have taken both crowns since 2000, when they lost to Connecticut in the NCAA championship game.
"We've worked hard, and we've proven a lot," Stricklen said. "I feel like we've really earned that No. 1 spot."
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Double Up: Lady Vols Win SEC Tournament
DULUTH, Ga. -- Pat Summitt encouraged her team to reach for a No. 1 NCAA seed during the SEC tournament championship game.
Then the Tennessee coach reached for the high notes in a surprise postgame song.
Shekinna Stricklen scored 20 points and No. 4 Tennessee beat Kentucky (No. 18 ESPN/USA Today, No. 19 AP) 70-62 on Sunday night to win the Southeastern Conference tournament and possibly wrap up that No. 1 seed.
Summitt was so pleased she brought down the house by grabbing the microphone and singing "Rocky Top" in front of the scorer's table to the Tennessee fans who dominated the Gwinnett Arena crowd, while her players cut down the nets.
"I thought she was just going to say, 'Thank you fans, for coming out,'" said guard Angie Bjorklund. "When she started singing, I just looked at our team and I started laughing. We all started laughing. It was great."
Most players left the net-cutting ceremony to stand in front of Summitt. After the short song, she said "You are the best fans! We love you!"
Said Summitt after leaving the court: "I did that for the fans. I know I don't have a great voice, but our fans love 'Rocky Top.'"
Tennessee (30-2) completed its first sweep of the SEC's regular-season and tournament championships in 10 years. In each case, the decisive win came against Kentucky, which improved from a .500 finish a year ago to play in its first tournament final in 28 years.
Tennessee's 14th straight victory gave Summitt her 19th 30-win season.
The Lady Vols were focused on more than the conference title. Summitt said she talked to her players during the game about needing to win to claim a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
"I told them we needed this tonight to make sure we get a No. 1 seed," Summitt said. "We talked about that even during the game. I said, 'We're not losing a No. 1 seed. If we do, that's not going to be good for us.'"
Kentucky (25-7) played tough in its first championship game appearance since winning its only title in 1982. The Wildcats, led by Victoria Dunlap's 21 points, played even with the Lady Vols until midway through the second half.
"We came here to win and came up a little short," said Kentucky coach Matthew Mitchell, a former graduate assistant for Summitt at Tennessee. "But I thought our players battled against a really fine basketball team today, and I thought we found out a lot about our team."
Tennessee set a school record with 15 blocks when it clinched the SEC regular-season title with its 81-65 win over Kentucky on Feb. 25. The Wildcats showed no sign of intimidation in the rematch, even after Tennessee took an early 19-9 lead.
Kentucky answered to take its first lead with 5 minutes remaining in the half.
A layup by A'dia Mathies cut the Tennessee lead to 23-22. Amber Smith then stole the ball, drove toward the basket and made a behind-the-back pass to Dunlap, who was fouled as she scored. Dunlap's free throw gave Kentucky a 25-23 lead.
Freshman Kamiko Williams, who didn't score in Tennessee's first two tournament games, answered Dunlap's three-point play by scoring Tennessee's next four baskets, helping the Lady Vols lead 35-29 at halftime.
Tennessee center Kelley Cain picked up two quick fouls and played only three minutes in the first half. The Lady Vols' depth showed as they held a 31-14 advantage in rebounds even playing most of the half without the 6-foot-6 Cain. They finished with a 51-32 advantage.
Cain had 11 points, all in the second half.
Kentucky opened the second half with an 13-3 run for a 42-38 lead. Stricklen's three-point play and 3-point shot helped Tennessee pull even at 46-46.
Following the last tie at 50-all, Tennessee took the lead for good with an 11-3 run, which included another 3-pointer from Stricklen.
Tennessee's Alyssia Brewer, who had eight points, was the tournament MVP.
Then the Tennessee coach reached for the high notes in a surprise postgame song.
Shekinna Stricklen scored 20 points and No. 4 Tennessee beat Kentucky (No. 18 ESPN/USA Today, No. 19 AP) 70-62 on Sunday night to win the Southeastern Conference tournament and possibly wrap up that No. 1 seed.
Summitt was so pleased she brought down the house by grabbing the microphone and singing "Rocky Top" in front of the scorer's table to the Tennessee fans who dominated the Gwinnett Arena crowd, while her players cut down the nets.
"I thought she was just going to say, 'Thank you fans, for coming out,'" said guard Angie Bjorklund. "When she started singing, I just looked at our team and I started laughing. We all started laughing. It was great."
Most players left the net-cutting ceremony to stand in front of Summitt. After the short song, she said "You are the best fans! We love you!"
Said Summitt after leaving the court: "I did that for the fans. I know I don't have a great voice, but our fans love 'Rocky Top.'"
Tennessee (30-2) completed its first sweep of the SEC's regular-season and tournament championships in 10 years. In each case, the decisive win came against Kentucky, which improved from a .500 finish a year ago to play in its first tournament final in 28 years.
Tennessee's 14th straight victory gave Summitt her 19th 30-win season.
The Lady Vols were focused on more than the conference title. Summitt said she talked to her players during the game about needing to win to claim a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
"I told them we needed this tonight to make sure we get a No. 1 seed," Summitt said. "We talked about that even during the game. I said, 'We're not losing a No. 1 seed. If we do, that's not going to be good for us.'"
Kentucky (25-7) played tough in its first championship game appearance since winning its only title in 1982. The Wildcats, led by Victoria Dunlap's 21 points, played even with the Lady Vols until midway through the second half.
"We came here to win and came up a little short," said Kentucky coach Matthew Mitchell, a former graduate assistant for Summitt at Tennessee. "But I thought our players battled against a really fine basketball team today, and I thought we found out a lot about our team."
Tennessee set a school record with 15 blocks when it clinched the SEC regular-season title with its 81-65 win over Kentucky on Feb. 25. The Wildcats showed no sign of intimidation in the rematch, even after Tennessee took an early 19-9 lead.
Kentucky answered to take its first lead with 5 minutes remaining in the half.
A layup by A'dia Mathies cut the Tennessee lead to 23-22. Amber Smith then stole the ball, drove toward the basket and made a behind-the-back pass to Dunlap, who was fouled as she scored. Dunlap's free throw gave Kentucky a 25-23 lead.
Freshman Kamiko Williams, who didn't score in Tennessee's first two tournament games, answered Dunlap's three-point play by scoring Tennessee's next four baskets, helping the Lady Vols lead 35-29 at halftime.
Tennessee center Kelley Cain picked up two quick fouls and played only three minutes in the first half. The Lady Vols' depth showed as they held a 31-14 advantage in rebounds even playing most of the half without the 6-foot-6 Cain. They finished with a 51-32 advantage.
Cain had 11 points, all in the second half.
Kentucky opened the second half with an 13-3 run for a 42-38 lead. Stricklen's three-point play and 3-point shot helped Tennessee pull even at 46-46.
Following the last tie at 50-all, Tennessee took the lead for good with an 11-3 run, which included another 3-pointer from Stricklen.
Tennessee's Alyssia Brewer, who had eight points, was the tournament MVP.
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Lady Vols Down Vandy to Earn Spot in SEC Final
DULUTH, Ga. -- The rest of the Southeastern Conference has only one more chance to disprove a conclusion stated by Tennessee coach Pat Summitt after her team's 13th straight win.
"I think we have the best team," Summitt said following No. 4 Tennessee's 68-49 victory over Vanderbilt in Saturday's SEC tournament semifinal.
Added Summitt: "I wouldn't have known that when the year started."
Tennessee's argument for SEC supremacy is looking as strong in the postseason as in the regular season.
The Lady Vols (29-2) moved within one victory of a sweep of the SEC regular-season and tournament championships, something they've accomplished six times. They'll play Kentucky or Mississippi State for the title on Sunday night.
Tennessee won 15 of 16 conference games in the regular season before opening the tournament with a 76-51 rout of Mississippi. The Lady Vols' third win of the season over Vanderbilt (22-10) was just as lopsided.
Summitt said her players are motivated by sweeping the regular-season and tournament championships for the first time in 10 years.
"I think our team is very motivated," she said. "The regular season, I think, gave them a lot of confidence and also inspired them. I think they want more. They want to win here.
"It's their idea and it works a whole lot better when it's their idea."
Vanderbilt trailed 45-36 following a 3-pointer by Marsh with 9:17 remaining, but Tennessee pulled away with 11 straight points.
Angie Bjorklund finished with 12 points for Tennessee, while Hannah Tuomi had 12 points before fouling out and Merideth Marsh added 11 for Vanderbilt.
The challenge facing the smaller Vanderbilt team was obvious from the minute starting lineups were announced. Tennessee's shortest starter, 6-foot Bjorklund, was as tall as Vanderbilt's tallest starters, Tuomi and Tiffany Clarke.
Vanderbilt's top scoring threat, the 5-foot-6 Marsh, was guarded by 6-foot-2 Shekinna Stricklen and 6-foot-1 Alicia Manning. Tuomi was looking up at 6-6 Kelley Cain and 6-3 Alyssia Brewer.
Vanderbilt, playing its third game in three days, couldn't overcome the mismatches.
"It's tough because we know each other so well, and they played like Tennessee and we didn't take their strengths away," Vanderbilt coach Melanie Balcomb said. "They did a better job taking our strengths away."
Tennessee's superior size showed in the first half when its 12 offensive rebounds equaled Vanderbilt's total rebounds. The Lady Vols claimed a 9-0 advantage in second-chance points in the opening 20 minutes, providing the cushion for a 31-22 halftime lead.
Tennessee finished with a 42-27 advantage in rebounds.
Vanderbilt's best chance was the 3-point shot, but Tennessee's defense was ready. The Commodores made only 3 of 17 3-pointers, including 3 of 11 by Marsh.
"I just thought we really bought into our scouting report defense," Bjorklund said. "We knew who were the shooters, who were the drivers. ... I just thought our team did a great job having that sense of urgency to not let them get the open looks that they got the last couple games we played them."
"I think we have the best team," Summitt said following No. 4 Tennessee's 68-49 victory over Vanderbilt in Saturday's SEC tournament semifinal.
Added Summitt: "I wouldn't have known that when the year started."
Tennessee's argument for SEC supremacy is looking as strong in the postseason as in the regular season.
The Lady Vols (29-2) moved within one victory of a sweep of the SEC regular-season and tournament championships, something they've accomplished six times. They'll play Kentucky or Mississippi State for the title on Sunday night.
Tennessee won 15 of 16 conference games in the regular season before opening the tournament with a 76-51 rout of Mississippi. The Lady Vols' third win of the season over Vanderbilt (22-10) was just as lopsided.
Summitt said her players are motivated by sweeping the regular-season and tournament championships for the first time in 10 years.
"I think our team is very motivated," she said. "The regular season, I think, gave them a lot of confidence and also inspired them. I think they want more. They want to win here.
"It's their idea and it works a whole lot better when it's their idea."
Vanderbilt trailed 45-36 following a 3-pointer by Marsh with 9:17 remaining, but Tennessee pulled away with 11 straight points.
Angie Bjorklund finished with 12 points for Tennessee, while Hannah Tuomi had 12 points before fouling out and Merideth Marsh added 11 for Vanderbilt.
The challenge facing the smaller Vanderbilt team was obvious from the minute starting lineups were announced. Tennessee's shortest starter, 6-foot Bjorklund, was as tall as Vanderbilt's tallest starters, Tuomi and Tiffany Clarke.
Vanderbilt's top scoring threat, the 5-foot-6 Marsh, was guarded by 6-foot-2 Shekinna Stricklen and 6-foot-1 Alicia Manning. Tuomi was looking up at 6-6 Kelley Cain and 6-3 Alyssia Brewer.
Vanderbilt, playing its third game in three days, couldn't overcome the mismatches.
"It's tough because we know each other so well, and they played like Tennessee and we didn't take their strengths away," Vanderbilt coach Melanie Balcomb said. "They did a better job taking our strengths away."
Tennessee's superior size showed in the first half when its 12 offensive rebounds equaled Vanderbilt's total rebounds. The Lady Vols claimed a 9-0 advantage in second-chance points in the opening 20 minutes, providing the cushion for a 31-22 halftime lead.
Tennessee finished with a 42-27 advantage in rebounds.
Vanderbilt's best chance was the 3-point shot, but Tennessee's defense was ready. The Commodores made only 3 of 17 3-pointers, including 3 of 11 by Marsh.
"I just thought we really bought into our scouting report defense," Bjorklund said. "We knew who were the shooters, who were the drivers. ... I just thought our team did a great job having that sense of urgency to not let them get the open looks that they got the last couple games we played them."
Friday, March 05, 2010
Lady Vols Start SEC Tournament with Rout of Ole Miss
DULUTH, Ga. -- Mississippi coach Renee Ladner has yet to find a good way to defend Tennessee's Alicia Manning.
"Alicia Manning has kicked our butt [three] times we played them," Ladner said. "She's outmanned us, outhustled us and beat us on the boards."
Alyssia Brewer scored 21 points, Manning had 14 points with a career-high 14 rebounds, and No. 4 Tennessee beat Mississippi 76-51 in the second round of the Southeastern Conference tournament on Friday.
The Lady Volunteers (28-2) have won 12 straight overall and 17 consecutive in the SEC second round.
Bianca Thomas scored 15 points for Ole Miss (17-14), which has dropped two of three and nine of 12 overall. The Rebels have lost 20 straight and 28 of 30 to Tennessee.
The Lady Vols were determined to hold Thomas' production down following her 34-point performance in Tennessee's 12-point home win against Ole Miss last Sunday.
"We were really focusing on limiting her touches, keeping a hand in her face at all times, getting in her shooting rhythm so she couldn't get her shots off," Manning said. "I think we did a pretty good job of that."
Brewer hit nine of 11 shots from the field. Her layup with 6:10 remaining made it 72-40 and gave Tennessee its biggest lead.
After scoring 20 points in victories over Alabama and Florida earlier this season, Brewer had her SEC career high against Ole Miss.
"I think it's been some of the confidence factor, having confidence in my shot," said Brewer, a sophomore forward. "Also as a team, whenever we start moving, it opens different shots for each of us."
The Lady Vols are trying to win the SEC regular-season and league tournament titles in the same year for the seventh time overall and the first time since 2000.
Angie Bjorklund added 16 points and five assists for Tennessee, which stretched its SEC second-round winning streak to 17 games.
"We had some great possessions and we had some ugly possessions," Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt said. "We've got to be more efficient. I think our team understands that, but overall a great win."
Ole Miss' Kayla Melson, the SEC assists leader, was helped off the floor with 12:29 left in the game after injuring her right ankle. She finished with 14 points and three assists. The Rebels dropped to 1-10 when the junior guard has fewer than five assists.
Melson described the injury as a mild sprain.
"My ankles have been tweaked since I've been [at Ole Miss]," she said. "I've sprained both ankles numerous times. This time was kind of different because I felt something I usually don't feel."
The Rebels, who last made the SEC semifinals in 1993, lost their seventh straight second-round game.
Ladner gave Manning much of the credit.
"Once again she came in and got a double-double," Ladner said. "She is getting better every time I see her play, particularly against us."
Tennessee won the rebounding battle 48-22.
"Ole Miss is a really aggressive team," Manning said. "We just had to match that, try to be more aggressive than them."
"Alicia Manning has kicked our butt [three] times we played them," Ladner said. "She's outmanned us, outhustled us and beat us on the boards."
Alyssia Brewer scored 21 points, Manning had 14 points with a career-high 14 rebounds, and No. 4 Tennessee beat Mississippi 76-51 in the second round of the Southeastern Conference tournament on Friday.
The Lady Volunteers (28-2) have won 12 straight overall and 17 consecutive in the SEC second round.
Bianca Thomas scored 15 points for Ole Miss (17-14), which has dropped two of three and nine of 12 overall. The Rebels have lost 20 straight and 28 of 30 to Tennessee.
The Lady Vols were determined to hold Thomas' production down following her 34-point performance in Tennessee's 12-point home win against Ole Miss last Sunday.
"We were really focusing on limiting her touches, keeping a hand in her face at all times, getting in her shooting rhythm so she couldn't get her shots off," Manning said. "I think we did a pretty good job of that."
Brewer hit nine of 11 shots from the field. Her layup with 6:10 remaining made it 72-40 and gave Tennessee its biggest lead.
After scoring 20 points in victories over Alabama and Florida earlier this season, Brewer had her SEC career high against Ole Miss.
"I think it's been some of the confidence factor, having confidence in my shot," said Brewer, a sophomore forward. "Also as a team, whenever we start moving, it opens different shots for each of us."
The Lady Vols are trying to win the SEC regular-season and league tournament titles in the same year for the seventh time overall and the first time since 2000.
Angie Bjorklund added 16 points and five assists for Tennessee, which stretched its SEC second-round winning streak to 17 games.
"We had some great possessions and we had some ugly possessions," Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt said. "We've got to be more efficient. I think our team understands that, but overall a great win."
Ole Miss' Kayla Melson, the SEC assists leader, was helped off the floor with 12:29 left in the game after injuring her right ankle. She finished with 14 points and three assists. The Rebels dropped to 1-10 when the junior guard has fewer than five assists.
Melson described the injury as a mild sprain.
"My ankles have been tweaked since I've been [at Ole Miss]," she said. "I've sprained both ankles numerous times. This time was kind of different because I felt something I usually don't feel."
The Rebels, who last made the SEC semifinals in 1993, lost their seventh straight second-round game.
Ladner gave Manning much of the credit.
"Once again she came in and got a double-double," Ladner said. "She is getting better every time I see her play, particularly against us."
Tennessee won the rebounding battle 48-22.
"Ole Miss is a really aggressive team," Manning said. "We just had to match that, try to be more aggressive than them."
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Four Lady Vols Earn SEC Basketball Awards
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Southeastern Conference announced its 2010 women's basketball postseason awards Tuesday, highlighted by Kentucky's Victoria Dunlap being named Player of the Year and Matthew Mitchell being named Coach of the Year. Mississippi State's Armelie Lumanu was named Defensive Player of the Year, Alyssia Brewer was named 6th Woman of the Year, while Kentucky's A'dia Mathies was given Freshman of the Year honors. First-team and second-team All-SEC honorees, All-Freshman team, All-Defensive team, along with Player, Coach and Freshman, Defensive Player, 6th Woman and Scholar-Athlete of the Year were chosen by the league's 12 coaches.
The 2010 SEC Women's Basketball Tournament begins Thursday, March 4 and runs through Sunday, March 7 in Duluth, Ga.
The complete 2010 SEC Women's Basketball Postseason Awards follow.
First Team All-SEC
Ashley Houts, UG
*Victoria Dunlap, UK
*Allison Hightower, LSU
Bianca Thomas, UM
Alexis Rack, MSU
*Angie Bjorklund, UT
Kelley Cain, UT
Jence Rhoads, VU
Second Team All-SEC
Alli Smalley, AU
A'dia Mathies, UK
Shekinna Stricklen, UT
LaSondra Barrett, LSU
Armelie Lumanu, MSU
Kelsey Bone, SC
Valerie Nainima, SC
Merideth Marsh, VU
All-Freshman Team
Morgan Toles, AU
Jennifer George, UF
Jasmine Hassell, UG
*Jasmine James, UG
*A'dia Mathies, UK
*Kelsey Bone, SC
Elan Brown, VU
*Tiffany Clarke, VU
All-Defensive Team
Victoria Dunlap, UK
Allison Hightower, LSU
Armelie Lumanu, MSU
Chanel Mokango, MSU
Kelley Cain, UT
Coach of the Year
Matthew Mitchell, Kentucky
Player of the Year
Victoria Dunlap, Kentucky
Freshman of the Year
A'dia Mathies, Kentucky
Defensive Player of the Year
Armelie Lumanu, Mississippi State
6th Woman of the Year
Alyssia Brewer, Tennessee
Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Angie Bjorklund, Tennessee
The 2010 SEC Women's Basketball Tournament begins Thursday, March 4 and runs through Sunday, March 7 in Duluth, Ga.
The complete 2010 SEC Women's Basketball Postseason Awards follow.
First Team All-SEC
Ashley Houts, UG
*Victoria Dunlap, UK
*Allison Hightower, LSU
Bianca Thomas, UM
Alexis Rack, MSU
*Angie Bjorklund, UT
Kelley Cain, UT
Jence Rhoads, VU
Second Team All-SEC
Alli Smalley, AU
A'dia Mathies, UK
Shekinna Stricklen, UT
LaSondra Barrett, LSU
Armelie Lumanu, MSU
Kelsey Bone, SC
Valerie Nainima, SC
Merideth Marsh, VU
All-Freshman Team
Morgan Toles, AU
Jennifer George, UF
Jasmine Hassell, UG
*Jasmine James, UG
*A'dia Mathies, UK
*Kelsey Bone, SC
Elan Brown, VU
*Tiffany Clarke, VU
All-Defensive Team
Victoria Dunlap, UK
Allison Hightower, LSU
Armelie Lumanu, MSU
Chanel Mokango, MSU
Kelley Cain, UT
Coach of the Year
Matthew Mitchell, Kentucky
Player of the Year
Victoria Dunlap, Kentucky
Freshman of the Year
A'dia Mathies, Kentucky
Defensive Player of the Year
Armelie Lumanu, Mississippi State
6th Woman of the Year
Alyssia Brewer, Tennessee
Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Angie Bjorklund, Tennessee
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)