BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Southeastern Conference announced its 2006 women's basketball postseason awards Tuesday, highlighted by LSU's Seimone Augustus being named Player of the Year for the second consecutive year and Tennessee's Candace Parker being named Freshman of the Year. First-team and second-team All-SEC honorees, All-Freshman 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.
Augutus, along with teammate Sylvia Fowles and Georgia duo Tasha Humphrey and Sherill Baker were unanimous first-team members. Rounding out the first-team were Parker, Armintie Price of Ole Miss, Dalila Eshe of Florida, Tennessee's Shanna Zolman and Vanderbilt's Dee Davis.
Baker was also named Defensive Player of the Year, while Vanderbilt's Liz Sherwood was named 6th Woman of the Year.
Florida's Sarah Lowe was named the SEC Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Kentucky's Mickie DeMoss, in her third season as head coach of the Wildcats was named SEC Coach of the Year. This season UK finished the regular season with a 20-7 overall record and the fourth seed of the tournament after going 9-5 in conference play.
The 2006 SEC Women's Basketball Tournament begins Thursday, March 2 and runs through Sunday, March 5 in North Little Rock, Ark. SEC's regional sports network (FSN South, FSN Southwest and FSN Florida) will televise all games on Thursday, Friday and Saturday while ESPN2 will broadcast the championship game at 6 p.m. ET.
The complete 2006 SEC Women's Basketball Postseason Awards follow.
First Team All-SEC
Dalila Eshe, Florida
*Sherill Baker, Georgia
*Tasha Humphrey, Georgia
*Seimone Augustus, LSU
*Sylvia Fowles, LSU
Armintie Price, Ole Miss
Candace Parker, Tennessee
Shanna Zolman, Tennessee
Dee Davis, Vanderbilt
Second Team All-SEC
Navonda Moore, Alabama
Marita Payne, Auburn
Sha Brooks, Florida
Cori Chambers, Georgia
Samantha Mahoney, Kentucky
Scolanda Hoston, LSU
Melanie Johnson, South Carolina
Alexis Hornbuckle, Tennessee
Caroline Williams, Vanderbilt
All-Freshman Team
DeWanna Bonner, Auburn
KeKe Carrier, Auburn
Sha Brooks, Florida
Marshae Dotson, Florida
Carly Ormerod, Kentucky
Robin Porter, Mississippi State
Demetress Adams, South Caroloina
Candace Parker, Tennessee
Coach of the Year
Mickie DeMoss, Kentucky
Player of the Year
Seimone Augustus, LSU
Freshman of the Year
Candace Parker, Tennessee
Defensive Player of the Year
Sherill Baker, Georgia
6th Woman of the Year
Liz Sherwood, Vanderbilt
Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Sara Lowe, Florida
Sunday, March 05, 2006
(8) Tennessee 89, (12) Georgia 79
(8) Tennessee 89, (12) Georgia 79
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Candace Parker had 26 points and 12 rebounds to help No. 8 Tennessee pull away for an 89-79 win over No. 12 Georgia in the SEC tournament semifinals Saturday night.
Tye'sha Fluker added 19 points and Shanna Zolman had 16 for the Lady Vols, who advanced to play No. 3 LSU in Sunday night's championship game. Tennessee will make its 17th appearance in the title game -- the Lady Vols have won the tournament 11 times.
Tennessee (27-4) led 74-70 before going on an 8-0 run late in the game. Nicky Anosike made a pair of free throws, and Zolman followed a Georgia turnover with a 3-pointer to make it 79-70.
After another Georgia turnover, Parker was fouled with 4:09 remaining. She made one of two free throws, Tennessee rebounded the miss and Parker made a reverse layup to push the lead to 12.
The Lady Bulldogs (21-8) had possession down 85-79, but lost it on a jump ball with 1:18 to play. Georgia then forced a shot clock violation, but Tasha Humphrey's 3-pointer rimmed out. Parker, the SEC freshman of the year, rebounded with 36 seconds left and made two free throws.
Sherill Baker led Georgia with 20 points and Humphrey added 18.
Tennessee beat Georgia twice during the regular season by a combined 12 points, and this was by far the most competitive game of the tournament's first three days. None of the previous games had been decided by less than 15 points -- earlier in the day, LSU beat Kentucky 79-52.
Georgia started 1-of-8 from the field and fell behind 16-5, but rallied to 34-32 at halftime and the teams exchanged leads early in the second.
Zolman made four 3-pointers for a season total of 82, breaking Kara Lawson's school record of 79. She also had seven assists. Anosike added 11 points and 11 rebounds.
The Lady Vols haven't been their dominant selves this season, losing to two unranked teams in one season for the first time since the women's ranking started in 1976. Point guard Alexis Hornbuckle was lost last month with a broken wrist.
Parker took over much of the ball-handling responsibility against Georgia's press, and although Tennessee had 18 turnovers, the Lady Vols made up for it with a 40-22 rebounding edge.
Tennessee and LSU will meet in the SEC title game for the third time in four years. LSU won the championship in 2003 in North Little Rock, and the Lady Vols won a season ago.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Candace Parker had 26 points and 12 rebounds to help No. 8 Tennessee pull away for an 89-79 win over No. 12 Georgia in the SEC tournament semifinals Saturday night.
Tye'sha Fluker added 19 points and Shanna Zolman had 16 for the Lady Vols, who advanced to play No. 3 LSU in Sunday night's championship game. Tennessee will make its 17th appearance in the title game -- the Lady Vols have won the tournament 11 times.
Tennessee (27-4) led 74-70 before going on an 8-0 run late in the game. Nicky Anosike made a pair of free throws, and Zolman followed a Georgia turnover with a 3-pointer to make it 79-70.
After another Georgia turnover, Parker was fouled with 4:09 remaining. She made one of two free throws, Tennessee rebounded the miss and Parker made a reverse layup to push the lead to 12.
The Lady Bulldogs (21-8) had possession down 85-79, but lost it on a jump ball with 1:18 to play. Georgia then forced a shot clock violation, but Tasha Humphrey's 3-pointer rimmed out. Parker, the SEC freshman of the year, rebounded with 36 seconds left and made two free throws.
Sherill Baker led Georgia with 20 points and Humphrey added 18.
Tennessee beat Georgia twice during the regular season by a combined 12 points, and this was by far the most competitive game of the tournament's first three days. None of the previous games had been decided by less than 15 points -- earlier in the day, LSU beat Kentucky 79-52.
Georgia started 1-of-8 from the field and fell behind 16-5, but rallied to 34-32 at halftime and the teams exchanged leads early in the second.
Zolman made four 3-pointers for a season total of 82, breaking Kara Lawson's school record of 79. She also had seven assists. Anosike added 11 points and 11 rebounds.
The Lady Vols haven't been their dominant selves this season, losing to two unranked teams in one season for the first time since the women's ranking started in 1976. Point guard Alexis Hornbuckle was lost last month with a broken wrist.
Parker took over much of the ball-handling responsibility against Georgia's press, and although Tennessee had 18 turnovers, the Lady Vols made up for it with a 40-22 rebounding edge.
Tennessee and LSU will meet in the SEC title game for the third time in four years. LSU won the championship in 2003 in North Little Rock, and the Lady Vols won a season ago.
Friday, March 03, 2006
(8) Tennessee 77, Auburn 45
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Candace Parker had 17 points and 12 rebounds in her first SEC tournament game, leading No. 8 Tennessee over Auburn 77-45 in the quarterfinals Friday.
Parker, the Southeastern Conference freshman of the year, scored all her points in the first half as the Lady Vols built a 40-26 lead. Tennessee quickly pushed its lead to 35 in the second half and advanced to play either No. 12 Georgia or No. 23 Vanderbilt in the semifinals Saturday.
The Lady Vols (26-4) overwhelmed the Tigers at the start of each half. Tennessee led 13-0 after 4:03 of the first and went on a 24-3 run to start the second. Shanna Zolman made three 3-pointers during the second-half spurt and finished 4-of-6 from long range -- she scored 16 points.
Tye'sha Fluker led Tennessee with 19 points. She also had eight rebounds.
The Lady Vols haven't been their dominant selves in 2005-06, finishing second in the SEC at 11-3 -- their first regular season with more than one conference loss since 1997.
Tennessee point guard Alexis Hornbuckle was lost for the season last month with a broken wrist, and the Lady Vols have started only one player -- Parker -- every game this season. Tennessee has lost to two unranked teams in one season for the first time since the women's rankings started in 1976. The second of those defeats was Sunday's regular-season finale, a 95-93 home loss in overtime to Florida.
But the Lady Vols bounced back, especially on defense. Auburn (14-15) finished with only four assists and shot 28 percent from the field.
Sherell Hobbs led the Tigers with 11 points, and DeWanna Bonner added 10.
Zolman, a first-team All-SEC selection as a senior, has 78 3-pointers this season, one shy of Kara Lawson's school record.
Tennessee eliminated Auburn from the SEC tournament for the third time in four years. The Lady Vols' last loss to the Tigers anywhere was in the 1997 tournament.
Parker, the Southeastern Conference freshman of the year, scored all her points in the first half as the Lady Vols built a 40-26 lead. Tennessee quickly pushed its lead to 35 in the second half and advanced to play either No. 12 Georgia or No. 23 Vanderbilt in the semifinals Saturday.
The Lady Vols (26-4) overwhelmed the Tigers at the start of each half. Tennessee led 13-0 after 4:03 of the first and went on a 24-3 run to start the second. Shanna Zolman made three 3-pointers during the second-half spurt and finished 4-of-6 from long range -- she scored 16 points.
Tye'sha Fluker led Tennessee with 19 points. She also had eight rebounds.
The Lady Vols haven't been their dominant selves in 2005-06, finishing second in the SEC at 11-3 -- their first regular season with more than one conference loss since 1997.
Tennessee point guard Alexis Hornbuckle was lost for the season last month with a broken wrist, and the Lady Vols have started only one player -- Parker -- every game this season. Tennessee has lost to two unranked teams in one season for the first time since the women's rankings started in 1976. The second of those defeats was Sunday's regular-season finale, a 95-93 home loss in overtime to Florida.
But the Lady Vols bounced back, especially on defense. Auburn (14-15) finished with only four assists and shot 28 percent from the field.
Sherell Hobbs led the Tigers with 11 points, and DeWanna Bonner added 10.
Zolman, a first-team All-SEC selection as a senior, has 78 3-pointers this season, one shy of Kara Lawson's school record.
Tennessee eliminated Auburn from the SEC tournament for the third time in four years. The Lady Vols' last loss to the Tigers anywhere was in the 1997 tournament.
Doubts haunt Lady Vols
Recent losses due to defense, rebounding
KNOXVILLE — No one really knows what the Lady Vols are going to do these days.
Not fans. Not opposing players and coaches. Not even Coach Pat Summitt.
"On some level, I have a feel," Summitt said. "The feel is I just have to wait and see. My feeling is I don't know going into (a game)."
It's been a Jekyll-and-Hyde season for a program with a Jordan-and-Pippen track record. The Lady Vols have experienced an excruciating cycle of impressing, improving and then imploding, beating 11 ranked opponents and losing to two unranked ones.
Despite closing the regular season with only four losses, the Lady Vols enter postseason play with an uncharacteristic sense of humility, complete with diminished hopes and a depleted roster. They're out of point guards, playing out of position and running out of time.
They take the court against Auburn in North Little Rock, Ark., this afternoon at 2:30 in the SEC Women's Tournament hoping to build momentum for another NCAA Tournament run and regain the swagger they appear to have lost over the last six weeks.
Tennessee has gone 7-4 since traveling to Duke on Jan. 23 undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the country. The Lady Vols lost back-to-back road games that week to the Blue Devils and unranked Kentucky. They later fell at home to SEC champion LSU and Florida.
Last Sunday's overtime loss to Florida underlined many of the Lady Vols' problems. They struggled from start to finish with the Gators' full-court pressure. That was mainly due to having no true point guard after Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood transferred in December and Alexis Hornbuckle was lost to a broken wrist on Feb. 12.
But it wasn't just ball-handling that kept the Lady Vols from winning their home finale for the first time in 23 years.
They were again weak defensively, letting Florida score 52 points in the second half and surrendering a three-point lead in overtime. UT's season-high 28 turnovers resulted from poor passing in the half-court offense as much as Florida's press.
As impressive as UT has looked at times, it ended the regular season looking nothing like a championship team.
The problem is those weaknesses have been there all season. Summitt has harped on defense since preseason practice.
The Lady Vols lack the speed to keep up with quality opponents without Hornbuckle and Wiley-Gatewood. LSU guards Erica White and Scholanda Hoston penetrated with ease in the Lady Tigers' win over UT on Feb. 9. Florida point guard Sarah Lowe received little resistance Sunday, racking up six assists and not committing a turnover in 45 minutes.
And it could get worse for the Lady Vols as they advance in the postseason. Projected top seeds are filled with quick guards.
"In order to play the way we have in the past, we need more quickness on the perimeter," Summitt said.
But Tennessee's ways of old haven't been evident often this year. The Lady Vols only recently improved their rebounding, the other cornerstone of Summitt's teams, along with defense. They are the worst rebounding team in UT history at 39.2 per game.
This year's team still has the talent to make some noise in the postseason. Redshirt freshman Candace Parker has become a go-to player in recent weeks, and senior Shanna Zolman has come out of her midseason shooting slump.
Then again, it's not scoring that has Summitt concerned right now.
"I don't know if they're going to show up and be a great defensive team or not," Summitt said.
It's the one thing you can count on from the Lady Vols.
KNOXVILLE — No one really knows what the Lady Vols are going to do these days.
Not fans. Not opposing players and coaches. Not even Coach Pat Summitt.
"On some level, I have a feel," Summitt said. "The feel is I just have to wait and see. My feeling is I don't know going into (a game)."
It's been a Jekyll-and-Hyde season for a program with a Jordan-and-Pippen track record. The Lady Vols have experienced an excruciating cycle of impressing, improving and then imploding, beating 11 ranked opponents and losing to two unranked ones.
Despite closing the regular season with only four losses, the Lady Vols enter postseason play with an uncharacteristic sense of humility, complete with diminished hopes and a depleted roster. They're out of point guards, playing out of position and running out of time.
They take the court against Auburn in North Little Rock, Ark., this afternoon at 2:30 in the SEC Women's Tournament hoping to build momentum for another NCAA Tournament run and regain the swagger they appear to have lost over the last six weeks.
Tennessee has gone 7-4 since traveling to Duke on Jan. 23 undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the country. The Lady Vols lost back-to-back road games that week to the Blue Devils and unranked Kentucky. They later fell at home to SEC champion LSU and Florida.
Last Sunday's overtime loss to Florida underlined many of the Lady Vols' problems. They struggled from start to finish with the Gators' full-court pressure. That was mainly due to having no true point guard after Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood transferred in December and Alexis Hornbuckle was lost to a broken wrist on Feb. 12.
But it wasn't just ball-handling that kept the Lady Vols from winning their home finale for the first time in 23 years.
They were again weak defensively, letting Florida score 52 points in the second half and surrendering a three-point lead in overtime. UT's season-high 28 turnovers resulted from poor passing in the half-court offense as much as Florida's press.
As impressive as UT has looked at times, it ended the regular season looking nothing like a championship team.
The problem is those weaknesses have been there all season. Summitt has harped on defense since preseason practice.
The Lady Vols lack the speed to keep up with quality opponents without Hornbuckle and Wiley-Gatewood. LSU guards Erica White and Scholanda Hoston penetrated with ease in the Lady Tigers' win over UT on Feb. 9. Florida point guard Sarah Lowe received little resistance Sunday, racking up six assists and not committing a turnover in 45 minutes.
And it could get worse for the Lady Vols as they advance in the postseason. Projected top seeds are filled with quick guards.
"In order to play the way we have in the past, we need more quickness on the perimeter," Summitt said.
But Tennessee's ways of old haven't been evident often this year. The Lady Vols only recently improved their rebounding, the other cornerstone of Summitt's teams, along with defense. They are the worst rebounding team in UT history at 39.2 per game.
This year's team still has the talent to make some noise in the postseason. Redshirt freshman Candace Parker has become a go-to player in recent weeks, and senior Shanna Zolman has come out of her midseason shooting slump.
Then again, it's not scoring that has Summitt concerned right now.
"I don't know if they're going to show up and be a great defensive team or not," Summitt said.
It's the one thing you can count on from the Lady Vols.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Florida Gators/Tennessee Lady Volunteers Recap
Florida 95, (5) Tennessee 93, OT
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee doesn't seem so dominant anymore.
The No. 5 Lady Vols lost at home to an unranked team for the second time in school history and first time in 22 years, falling 95-93 to Florida in overtime Sunday.
On top of that, Tennessee lost to two unranked teams in one season for the first time since the women's rankings started in 1976. Its first loss to an unranked team this year came at Kentucky, 66-63 on Jan. 26.
Tennessee's strange regular season ended with a stinging loss on senior day and left coach Pat Summitt still harping on defense, the signature of her 32-year career.
"We're Tennessee. It's not like anyone is going to feel sorry for us," Summitt said. "We have yet to buy into defense. We have to bring that every possession."
The Lady Vols (25-4, 11-3 Southeastern Conference) had never lost to an unranked team in Thompson-Boling Arena, which opened in 1987. Unranked Cincinnati beat then-No. 12 Tennessee 72-69 on Nov. 26, 1984, in the university's old arena.
It was only the 16th loss for Tennessee in Thompson-Boling Arena. Florida won for the first time in Knoxville, becoming the second SEC team to win for the first time here. LSU did it in February, snapping Tennessee's 64-game home winning streak over SEC teams.
Brittany Davis scored a career-high 29 points and Sha Brooks added 25 for the Gators (20-7, 8-6), who improved to 2-34 all-time against Tennessee. Sarah Lowe added 15 points, seven rebounds, six assists and no turnovers while playing the entire 45 minutes. Danielle Santos and Dalila Eshe each scored 13 points for Florida.
The Gators reached 20 wins for the first time under coach Carolyn Peck, a former Tennessee assistant.
"Teams come in and see Tennessee on the jersey and fold. The game is over before it even starts," Lowe said. "It's a matter of coming out and giving it everything you've got, and that's what we did."
Florida used a full-court press that forced most of Tennessee's season-high 28 turnovers and further exposed the loss of point guard Alexis Hornbuckle. Without a true backup, the Lady Vols have struggled to replace Hornbuckle, who broke her right wrist earlier this month and is out for the season.
"Another valuable lesson was handed to us. Our defense and ball-handling killed us," Summitt said.
Tennessee's Shanna Zolman said the Lady Vols aren't playing consistently.
"What bothers me most is that we knew our defense would carry us," Zolman said. "One game, we'll play 40 minutes of defense, and 20 minutes in another, and in another. It's not a top priority. Until it's a top priority, who knows?"
The Gators grabbed the lead early in the second half and didn't trail again until overtime. But that only lasted 15 seconds.
Candace Parker converted a three-point play to put Tennessee ahead 87-84 with 3 minutes left in the extra period.
Davis hit her only 3 of the game and then made the second of two free throws on the ensuing possession to give the lead back to Florida, and the Gators held on to win. After the buzzer, Peck and her players huddled at midcourt to celebrate.
"I know from being on the other side of being here, when Tennessee makes a run at you, most teams fold and go away," Peck said. "I thought our team did a good job of trying to maintain their composure."
Parker posted career-highs with 34 points and 15 rebounds. Zolman and Tye'sha Fluker each scored 22, and Sidney Spencer added 11 points. Fluker also had 16 rebounds, and Zolman had 10 assists.
Tennessee's only seniors -- Fluker and Zolman -- were honored before the game. Summitt presented flowers to Florida's four seniors -- Davis, Eshe, Lowe and Santos.
Florida had a season-high 20 steals that caused big problems for Tennessee, especially after the Gators got the lead.
Florida went up 51-50 on Brooks' 3 with 13:29 left in regulation, starting a 13-0 run. Santos capped it with a 3 over Parker's head that pushed the Gators' lead to 11.
The Lady Vols got back in it with a 10-2 run to cut it to 65-64 with 6:46 left. Tennessee cut it to one three more times before Eshe made two free throws with 34.4 seconds left to push it to 81-76. Lady Vols fans started to leave, but they missed Zolman's best basket of the day.
She hit a 3 with 8.4 seconds left to tie and it send it into overtime.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee doesn't seem so dominant anymore.
The No. 5 Lady Vols lost at home to an unranked team for the second time in school history and first time in 22 years, falling 95-93 to Florida in overtime Sunday.
On top of that, Tennessee lost to two unranked teams in one season for the first time since the women's rankings started in 1976. Its first loss to an unranked team this year came at Kentucky, 66-63 on Jan. 26.
Tennessee's strange regular season ended with a stinging loss on senior day and left coach Pat Summitt still harping on defense, the signature of her 32-year career.
"We're Tennessee. It's not like anyone is going to feel sorry for us," Summitt said. "We have yet to buy into defense. We have to bring that every possession."
The Lady Vols (25-4, 11-3 Southeastern Conference) had never lost to an unranked team in Thompson-Boling Arena, which opened in 1987. Unranked Cincinnati beat then-No. 12 Tennessee 72-69 on Nov. 26, 1984, in the university's old arena.
It was only the 16th loss for Tennessee in Thompson-Boling Arena. Florida won for the first time in Knoxville, becoming the second SEC team to win for the first time here. LSU did it in February, snapping Tennessee's 64-game home winning streak over SEC teams.
Brittany Davis scored a career-high 29 points and Sha Brooks added 25 for the Gators (20-7, 8-6), who improved to 2-34 all-time against Tennessee. Sarah Lowe added 15 points, seven rebounds, six assists and no turnovers while playing the entire 45 minutes. Danielle Santos and Dalila Eshe each scored 13 points for Florida.
The Gators reached 20 wins for the first time under coach Carolyn Peck, a former Tennessee assistant.
"Teams come in and see Tennessee on the jersey and fold. The game is over before it even starts," Lowe said. "It's a matter of coming out and giving it everything you've got, and that's what we did."
Florida used a full-court press that forced most of Tennessee's season-high 28 turnovers and further exposed the loss of point guard Alexis Hornbuckle. Without a true backup, the Lady Vols have struggled to replace Hornbuckle, who broke her right wrist earlier this month and is out for the season.
"Another valuable lesson was handed to us. Our defense and ball-handling killed us," Summitt said.
Tennessee's Shanna Zolman said the Lady Vols aren't playing consistently.
"What bothers me most is that we knew our defense would carry us," Zolman said. "One game, we'll play 40 minutes of defense, and 20 minutes in another, and in another. It's not a top priority. Until it's a top priority, who knows?"
The Gators grabbed the lead early in the second half and didn't trail again until overtime. But that only lasted 15 seconds.
Candace Parker converted a three-point play to put Tennessee ahead 87-84 with 3 minutes left in the extra period.
Davis hit her only 3 of the game and then made the second of two free throws on the ensuing possession to give the lead back to Florida, and the Gators held on to win. After the buzzer, Peck and her players huddled at midcourt to celebrate.
"I know from being on the other side of being here, when Tennessee makes a run at you, most teams fold and go away," Peck said. "I thought our team did a good job of trying to maintain their composure."
Parker posted career-highs with 34 points and 15 rebounds. Zolman and Tye'sha Fluker each scored 22, and Sidney Spencer added 11 points. Fluker also had 16 rebounds, and Zolman had 10 assists.
Tennessee's only seniors -- Fluker and Zolman -- were honored before the game. Summitt presented flowers to Florida's four seniors -- Davis, Eshe, Lowe and Santos.
Florida had a season-high 20 steals that caused big problems for Tennessee, especially after the Gators got the lead.
Florida went up 51-50 on Brooks' 3 with 13:29 left in regulation, starting a 13-0 run. Santos capped it with a 3 over Parker's head that pushed the Gators' lead to 11.
The Lady Vols got back in it with a 10-2 run to cut it to 65-64 with 6:46 left. Tennessee cut it to one three more times before Eshe made two free throws with 34.4 seconds left to push it to 81-76. Lady Vols fans started to leave, but they missed Zolman's best basket of the day.
She hit a 3 with 8.4 seconds left to tie and it send it into overtime.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Tennessee Starts Fast, Cruises Past Auburn
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee played more like coach Pat Summitt wanted, and Tye'sha Fluker was one of the main reasons. Fluker scored a career-high 22 points and Sidney Spencer added 18 to help the No. 5 Lady Vols beat Auburn 81-56 on Thursday.
Tennessee (25-3, 11-2 Southeastern Conference) built a big lead in the first half and never relinquished it on the way to a 13th straight victory over Auburn.
"When Fluker is an anchor out there for us, she makes everyone else on the floor look better. It takes more than one player to defend her. She draws double teams, and that's going to open up the outside game," Summitt said. "That can make a huge difference on how this team fares in Little Rock (at the SEC tournament)."
The Lady Vols host Florida on Sunday to end the regular season.
Tennessee's Candace Parker had her seventh double-double of the season with 13 rebounds and 11 points, though she missed a dunk attempt in the second half.
Auburn (13-13, 4-9), which hasn't won in Knoxville since 1988, led early but couldn't take advantage of its large front line that at times was bigger than Tennessee's.
The Lady Vols' starting lineup has grown taller with the loss of point guard Alexis Hornbuckle, who is out for the season with a broken right wrist. Fluker started at center with three forwards at least 6-foot-3 and 5-10 Shanna Zolman at point guard.
"They're the only team in the country that can lose players like they've lost players and still stay in the top five in the country. They just keep going to the cupboard," Auburn coach Nell Fortner said.
"I thought we were big, but we're not big compared to them. They're huge."
The Tigers started three players at least 6-foot-4, including 6-7 freshman KeKe Carrier, but Tennessee's post players were faster.
Parker showed it on a steal at midcourt that she intended to end up as a dunk.
She dribbled full speed to the basket and went up with the ball in one hand but it bounced off the rim.
Parker, who won a dunk contest against male McDonald's high school All-Americans, has at times looked like she was going to dunk but instead altered her shots to lay-ins. Only three women have dunked in a collegiate game.
Summitt said she was OK with Parker's attempt because there were no close defenders.
"I really wasn't thinking about it. I was thinking attack. I took off too far. I just missed a dunk," Parker said.
Parker also had five assists.
Fluker was 7-of-9 from the field and 8-of-10 from the foul line.
"It's my teammates. They're giving me the ball, and I have to finish," Fluker said.
The game featured two of the best freshmen in the SEC — Parker and Auburn's DeWanna Bonner, who led her team with 14 points.
Reserve Sherell Hobbs added 12 points for the Tigers.
The Lady Vols were ahead by as many as 16 in the first half and stretched it to 20 early in the second half.
Auburn had two quick baskets to trim it to 16, but the Tigers could not rally. They had 15 turnovers and were outrebounded 40-25 to give Tennessee several second chances.
During one sequence after halftime, Fluker missed a free throw, but Spencer put back the rebound and was fouled for a three-point play.
Tennessee took command in the first half with two runs. Auburn was ahead by six early when the Lady Vols took the lead on a 10-0 run that included three baskets by Parker. Nitasha Brown pulled the Tigers within one with a 3-pointer with 5:51 left before halftime.
Then Tennessee held Auburn scoreless for nearly four minutes with a 15-0 run. Spencer and Dominique Redding hit consecutive 3s to end the spurt and put the Lady Vols ahead 37-21.
Tennessee (25-3, 11-2 Southeastern Conference) built a big lead in the first half and never relinquished it on the way to a 13th straight victory over Auburn.
"When Fluker is an anchor out there for us, she makes everyone else on the floor look better. It takes more than one player to defend her. She draws double teams, and that's going to open up the outside game," Summitt said. "That can make a huge difference on how this team fares in Little Rock (at the SEC tournament)."
The Lady Vols host Florida on Sunday to end the regular season.
Tennessee's Candace Parker had her seventh double-double of the season with 13 rebounds and 11 points, though she missed a dunk attempt in the second half.
Auburn (13-13, 4-9), which hasn't won in Knoxville since 1988, led early but couldn't take advantage of its large front line that at times was bigger than Tennessee's.
The Lady Vols' starting lineup has grown taller with the loss of point guard Alexis Hornbuckle, who is out for the season with a broken right wrist. Fluker started at center with three forwards at least 6-foot-3 and 5-10 Shanna Zolman at point guard.
"They're the only team in the country that can lose players like they've lost players and still stay in the top five in the country. They just keep going to the cupboard," Auburn coach Nell Fortner said.
"I thought we were big, but we're not big compared to them. They're huge."
The Tigers started three players at least 6-foot-4, including 6-7 freshman KeKe Carrier, but Tennessee's post players were faster.
Parker showed it on a steal at midcourt that she intended to end up as a dunk.
She dribbled full speed to the basket and went up with the ball in one hand but it bounced off the rim.
Parker, who won a dunk contest against male McDonald's high school All-Americans, has at times looked like she was going to dunk but instead altered her shots to lay-ins. Only three women have dunked in a collegiate game.
Summitt said she was OK with Parker's attempt because there were no close defenders.
"I really wasn't thinking about it. I was thinking attack. I took off too far. I just missed a dunk," Parker said.
Parker also had five assists.
Fluker was 7-of-9 from the field and 8-of-10 from the foul line.
"It's my teammates. They're giving me the ball, and I have to finish," Fluker said.
The game featured two of the best freshmen in the SEC — Parker and Auburn's DeWanna Bonner, who led her team with 14 points.
Reserve Sherell Hobbs added 12 points for the Tigers.
The Lady Vols were ahead by as many as 16 in the first half and stretched it to 20 early in the second half.
Auburn had two quick baskets to trim it to 16, but the Tigers could not rally. They had 15 turnovers and were outrebounded 40-25 to give Tennessee several second chances.
During one sequence after halftime, Fluker missed a free throw, but Spencer put back the rebound and was fouled for a three-point play.
Tennessee took command in the first half with two runs. Auburn was ahead by six early when the Lady Vols took the lead on a 10-0 run that included three baskets by Parker. Nitasha Brown pulled the Tigers within one with a 3-pointer with 5:51 left before halftime.
Then Tennessee held Auburn scoreless for nearly four minutes with a 15-0 run. Spencer and Dominique Redding hit consecutive 3s to end the spurt and put the Lady Vols ahead 37-21.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Tennessee makes 500th appearance
Tennessee made its 500th appearance in The Associated Press women's basketball Monday, the first school to reach that figure.
Tennessee (24-3), which remained fifth, has been ranked in all but 14 polls and is on a run of 373 consecutive appearances. No. 20 Louisiana Tech is second in appearances with 444. The poll started in 1976.
All of Tennessee's national rankings have come with Pat Summitt as coach. Summitt credits the players for her program's success, which includes six NCAA championships and 104 appearances at No. 1 at the poll. Both figures are tops in the women's game.
"I think this speaks to the level of success we've had because of the caliber of players that have come through this program," she said. "The players are responsible for the consistency of this basketball program."
Tennessee was first ranked the week of Dec. 8, 1976. The Lady Vols have been in every poll since Feb. 17, 1985 and they haven't been out of the Top 10 since the week of March 3, 1997, when they were 11th.
Tennessee (24-3), which remained fifth, has been ranked in all but 14 polls and is on a run of 373 consecutive appearances. No. 20 Louisiana Tech is second in appearances with 444. The poll started in 1976.
All of Tennessee's national rankings have come with Pat Summitt as coach. Summitt credits the players for her program's success, which includes six NCAA championships and 104 appearances at No. 1 at the poll. Both figures are tops in the women's game.
"I think this speaks to the level of success we've had because of the caliber of players that have come through this program," she said. "The players are responsible for the consistency of this basketball program."
Tennessee was first ranked the week of Dec. 8, 1976. The Lady Vols have been in every poll since Feb. 17, 1985 and they haven't been out of the Top 10 since the week of March 3, 1997, when they were 11th.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
(5) Tennessee 82, Alabama 65
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Shanna Zolman's new role for No. 5 Tennessee obviously hasn't taken away from what she does best.
Playing mostly at point guard, Zolman still equaled her career-high with 28 points and made seven 3-pointers to lift Tennessee to an 82-65 victory over Alabama on Sunday.
Her shooting was a big reason why the Lady Vols (24-3, 10-2 Southeastern Conference) were finally able to enjoy a mostly stress-free game after three consecutive three-point decisions.
"Right now, I'm enjoying playing the point," said Zolman, who made the switch after Alexis Hornbuckle was sidelined with a broken wrist a week earlier. "I just enjoy being able to have the ball in my hands and being able to direct what we're doing."
Tennessee continues to enjoy playing the Crimson Tide (9-16, 3-9), winning the past 30 meetings and leading by as many as 22 in the second half of this one.
Zolman had four 3s after the half and finished 7-of-12 from behind the arc, while her teammates made only two in eight attempts. All five starters scored in double figures for the Lady Vols.
Zolman is discovering another benefit to dumping the ball inside to Candace Parker & Co.: The open outside shots that can result when they return the favor.
"What she's found is that you give these post (players) the basketball, they're very unselfish," Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said. "If they don't have a good 1-on-1 opportunity, they're kicking it out."
Nicky Anosike added 14 points for the Lady Vols, while Parker and Tye'sha Fluker had 12 points apiece and Sidney Spencer had 11. Parker made only 3-of-11 shots but she and Anosike had eight rebounds apiece.
Navonda Moore had another big game against the Lady Vols. She had a career-high 31 points, five more than her previous best this season, set in the last meeting against Tennessee.
"It's Tennessee. What more can you say?" said Moore, who made 11-of-12 free throws and four 3-pointers. "I like games like this. There's just something about playing against top-notch teams like Tennessee. It just gets me up."
Dee Merriweather added 15 points and nine rebounds and Kate Mastin scored 13 for the Tide.
Alabama twice cut its deficit to 12 points on Moore 3-pointers in the second half, but couldn't get any closer.
The relatively easy win gave the Lady Vols a respite after two three-point wins over ranked teams following a 72-69 loss to No. 2 LSU.
Summitt remains concerned about the lack of production from her reserves -- they scored just five points on Sunday -- but had few complaints about her starters Sunday.
"We needed them on the floor to answer every run they made," she said.
The Lady Vols made 17-of-30 shots in the second half. They had used a stingy defense to overcome 36 percent shooting in the first half. Parker drove past Chanel Johnson for a basket and foul with 11 seconds left and hit the free throw for a 37-28 lead, matching Tennessee's biggest of the half.
Tennessee forced 14 turnovers before halftime and closed the half on a 9-2 run, holding Alabama to only one field goal in the final four minutes. The Tide cut its turnovers in half after that, and the game little resembled the Lady Vols' 89-54 win at Knoxville in January.
"I was very pleased with our fight and our performance," Tide coach Stephany Smith said. "Especially in comparison to our previous game in Tennessee."
Playing mostly at point guard, Zolman still equaled her career-high with 28 points and made seven 3-pointers to lift Tennessee to an 82-65 victory over Alabama on Sunday.
Her shooting was a big reason why the Lady Vols (24-3, 10-2 Southeastern Conference) were finally able to enjoy a mostly stress-free game after three consecutive three-point decisions.
"Right now, I'm enjoying playing the point," said Zolman, who made the switch after Alexis Hornbuckle was sidelined with a broken wrist a week earlier. "I just enjoy being able to have the ball in my hands and being able to direct what we're doing."
Tennessee continues to enjoy playing the Crimson Tide (9-16, 3-9), winning the past 30 meetings and leading by as many as 22 in the second half of this one.
Zolman had four 3s after the half and finished 7-of-12 from behind the arc, while her teammates made only two in eight attempts. All five starters scored in double figures for the Lady Vols.
Zolman is discovering another benefit to dumping the ball inside to Candace Parker & Co.: The open outside shots that can result when they return the favor.
"What she's found is that you give these post (players) the basketball, they're very unselfish," Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said. "If they don't have a good 1-on-1 opportunity, they're kicking it out."
Nicky Anosike added 14 points for the Lady Vols, while Parker and Tye'sha Fluker had 12 points apiece and Sidney Spencer had 11. Parker made only 3-of-11 shots but she and Anosike had eight rebounds apiece.
Navonda Moore had another big game against the Lady Vols. She had a career-high 31 points, five more than her previous best this season, set in the last meeting against Tennessee.
"It's Tennessee. What more can you say?" said Moore, who made 11-of-12 free throws and four 3-pointers. "I like games like this. There's just something about playing against top-notch teams like Tennessee. It just gets me up."
Dee Merriweather added 15 points and nine rebounds and Kate Mastin scored 13 for the Tide.
Alabama twice cut its deficit to 12 points on Moore 3-pointers in the second half, but couldn't get any closer.
The relatively easy win gave the Lady Vols a respite after two three-point wins over ranked teams following a 72-69 loss to No. 2 LSU.
Summitt remains concerned about the lack of production from her reserves -- they scored just five points on Sunday -- but had few complaints about her starters Sunday.
"We needed them on the floor to answer every run they made," she said.
The Lady Vols made 17-of-30 shots in the second half. They had used a stingy defense to overcome 36 percent shooting in the first half. Parker drove past Chanel Johnson for a basket and foul with 11 seconds left and hit the free throw for a 37-28 lead, matching Tennessee's biggest of the half.
Tennessee forced 14 turnovers before halftime and closed the half on a 9-2 run, holding Alabama to only one field goal in the final four minutes. The Tide cut its turnovers in half after that, and the game little resembled the Lady Vols' 89-54 win at Knoxville in January.
"I was very pleased with our fight and our performance," Tide coach Stephany Smith said. "Especially in comparison to our previous game in Tennessee."
Thursday, February 16, 2006
(5) Tennessee 58, (13) Georgia 55
ATHENS, Ga. -- Even down by 14 points midway through the second half, Tennessee never lacked for confidence against Georgia on Thursday night.
"The thought never crossed our mind that we were going to lose," guard Shanna Zolman said after the fifth-ranked Lady Vols rallied to beat No. 13 Georgia 58-55.
Georgia's Tasha Humphrey scored following an offensive rebound with 4:50 left to give the Lady Bulldogs a 55-48 lead. Georgia didn't score again as Tennessee closed with a 10-0 run to complete the comeback.
"We were trying to make our defensive pressure so great to put pressure on them," said Zolman, who filled in at point guard and finished with 18 points.
"In the last five minutes, our defensive pressure went up like that," she added, gesturing to the ceiling. "We tried to force them to make mistakes."
Candace Parker returned after spraining her ankle in the first half and led Tennessee with 19 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots.
Tye'sha Fluker set a season high with 10 boards as the Lady Vols outrebounded the Lady Bulldogs 42-27.
Parker scored the go-ahead basket with 17 seconds left and Zolman added two free throws with 7.3 seconds to play. Georgia took two timeouts and still couldn't get off an attempt at a game-tying 3-pointer.
"In the two timeouts we talked about who was going to get the ball, and do you think the right person got the ball?" asked a dejected Georgia coach Andy Landers, referring to the Lady Bulldogs' last possession.
"The game awareness just blows me away. Somehow or another it's got to be my responsibility and I'm not sure how to address it."
In its first game since losing starting point guard Alexis Hornbuckle for the season with a broken right wrist, Tennessee struggled with 21 turnovers. Hornbuckle had surgery Wednesday and was not with the team.
Zolman, best known for her 3-point shooting, assumed most of the responsibility of directing the offense, but Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said her team won with defense.
The Lady Vols used a 3-2 zone for the first time this year, according to Summitt, in hopes of containing Humphrey, the team's leading scorer and only inside threat.
Humphrey, averaging 20.6 points, was held to 10 points on 2-for-12 shooting from the field.
"We really wanted them to try to make a lot of outside shots," Summitt said. "I thought we did a nice job of limited Humphrey's touches. ... We thought we had to guard her with a guard and a half."
Cori Chambers was 3-for-12 from the field as Georgia was held to 33.3 percent shooting -- 10-for-30 in each half.
Tennessee, taking higher percentage shots closer to the basket, shot 46.8 percent from the field.
Georgia led 45-31 with 12:08 left, but Parker's basket with 2:52 to play cut it to 55-52. Fluker's inside basket made it 55-54 with 1:54 remaining.
The Lady Vols improved to 2-1 in their three games in seven days against ranked Southeastern Conference teams. Tennessee (23-3, 9-2) lost to then-No. 3 Louisiana State on Feb. 9 and beat No. 22 Vanderbilt on Sunday.
Georgia (17-7, 7-4) missed an opportunity to move into a second-place tie with Tennessee in the conference.
Sherill Baker led Georgia with 17 points and five steals. Megan Darrah had 10.
While the Lady Vols are left without a true point guard, Georgia lost four frontcourt players before the season and has been short-handed inside.
Tennessee's recovery from losing Hornbuckle appeared to begin with about 10 minutes left to play.
"I think other players had to realize they really had to help Shanna," Summitt said.
"The thought never crossed our mind that we were going to lose," guard Shanna Zolman said after the fifth-ranked Lady Vols rallied to beat No. 13 Georgia 58-55.
Georgia's Tasha Humphrey scored following an offensive rebound with 4:50 left to give the Lady Bulldogs a 55-48 lead. Georgia didn't score again as Tennessee closed with a 10-0 run to complete the comeback.
"We were trying to make our defensive pressure so great to put pressure on them," said Zolman, who filled in at point guard and finished with 18 points.
"In the last five minutes, our defensive pressure went up like that," she added, gesturing to the ceiling. "We tried to force them to make mistakes."
Candace Parker returned after spraining her ankle in the first half and led Tennessee with 19 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots.
Tye'sha Fluker set a season high with 10 boards as the Lady Vols outrebounded the Lady Bulldogs 42-27.
Parker scored the go-ahead basket with 17 seconds left and Zolman added two free throws with 7.3 seconds to play. Georgia took two timeouts and still couldn't get off an attempt at a game-tying 3-pointer.
"In the two timeouts we talked about who was going to get the ball, and do you think the right person got the ball?" asked a dejected Georgia coach Andy Landers, referring to the Lady Bulldogs' last possession.
"The game awareness just blows me away. Somehow or another it's got to be my responsibility and I'm not sure how to address it."
In its first game since losing starting point guard Alexis Hornbuckle for the season with a broken right wrist, Tennessee struggled with 21 turnovers. Hornbuckle had surgery Wednesday and was not with the team.
Zolman, best known for her 3-point shooting, assumed most of the responsibility of directing the offense, but Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said her team won with defense.
The Lady Vols used a 3-2 zone for the first time this year, according to Summitt, in hopes of containing Humphrey, the team's leading scorer and only inside threat.
Humphrey, averaging 20.6 points, was held to 10 points on 2-for-12 shooting from the field.
"We really wanted them to try to make a lot of outside shots," Summitt said. "I thought we did a nice job of limited Humphrey's touches. ... We thought we had to guard her with a guard and a half."
Cori Chambers was 3-for-12 from the field as Georgia was held to 33.3 percent shooting -- 10-for-30 in each half.
Tennessee, taking higher percentage shots closer to the basket, shot 46.8 percent from the field.
Georgia led 45-31 with 12:08 left, but Parker's basket with 2:52 to play cut it to 55-52. Fluker's inside basket made it 55-54 with 1:54 remaining.
The Lady Vols improved to 2-1 in their three games in seven days against ranked Southeastern Conference teams. Tennessee (23-3, 9-2) lost to then-No. 3 Louisiana State on Feb. 9 and beat No. 22 Vanderbilt on Sunday.
Georgia (17-7, 7-4) missed an opportunity to move into a second-place tie with Tennessee in the conference.
Sherill Baker led Georgia with 17 points and five steals. Megan Darrah had 10.
While the Lady Vols are left without a true point guard, Georgia lost four frontcourt players before the season and has been short-handed inside.
Tennessee's recovery from losing Hornbuckle appeared to begin with about 10 minutes left to play.
"I think other players had to realize they really had to help Shanna," Summitt said.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Weekly Teleconference
Coach Summitt addresses the upcoming games with Georgia and Alabama
Feb. 15, 2006
Tennessee Lady Vol Head Coach Pat Summitt
Opening comments:
"Certainly our win over Vanderbilt was a great second half effort on the part of our team. Obviously a costly loss with Alexis Hornbuckle, but it's a situation where Alexis was so valuable to us in terms of setting the tempo offensively and defensively. She's the one player that I thought really got us out in transition, defended the point guard and slowed down the opponent's transition game. It's a huge loss for us. At the same time, as a coaching staff and as a team, there is no time for us to have a pity party or hang our heads. As a staff we're looking at this team and calculating what we need to do. As far as a line up goes, we'll continue to go with Dominique Redding, Sidney Spencer and Shanna Zolman on the perimeter and then Candace Parker and Nicky Anosike inside with Tye'sha Fluker off the bench. I think Dom has done some good things for us and has gained a lot of confidence and experience. We know we're facing one of the best teams in the league in Georgia. Playing down there is always a tough challenge. We have to be a very efficient basketball team to compete against Georgia and be successful in Athens."
On Georgia's guard Sherill Baker?
"It's almost like playing five on six, she's that quick. She has great anticipation: I think players that have quickness are always effective if you utilize it. When I think about her quickness, I cannot do so without thinking about her anticipation. She is a step ahead; she anticipates the second and third pass. I know against us she just took the ball out of our hands, she stepped up in the passing lanes. She's a great helper from the ball side and weak side. It's not like if she's away from you she's not dangerous. She is one of the best defenders in the country. We have to be alert to where she is, take care of the basketball, shorten our passes and just really run our screens and try to be effective and protective of the ball."
On this type of situation with the loss of a key player, can you draw on things...
"Everyone becomes more responsible for the success of each possession. It's not like one or two players are involved, it's five players. We have to be not only mindful, but also committed to that and take a different level of ownership on possession basketball and individual commitment to taking care of the ball across the board. Certainly we can do some things by committee, we can play defense by committee, and we have to all be on the same page. This hasn't been what I'd call an eager team to support one other defensively, and now they have to guard the ball and provide support to each other and to the ball. Offensively, we need to be more mindful of the value of the possession and the execution of it. We cannot have lazy cuts or have a team that is not really committed to being a great screening team. We'll have to make each other better with our screens and our passes and our cutting. We've always emphasized getting the ball inside. That becomes more a point of emphasis to play from the inside out."
On Dominique Redding, what does she have to do for you now?
"She has to bring to our basketball team a commitment to play both ends of the floor. The one thing that she and Spencer have both neglected to put in their packages is a rebounding mindset at both ends. Those two are capable of getting on the boards for us and consistently coming up with some big numbers, but they are coming up with goose eggs or maybe one board. That's unacceptable for two juniors. Now if we were playing freshmen, I might say that I need to be patient, that they are not aware of what they need to do and how to anticipate covering the boards. These two should know. We expect that to be a point of emphasis for both Dom and Sidney."
On Candace Parker's versatility on offense and the mismatches she creates for opposing defenses?
"Candace has great versatility, particularly offensively. She can post up, go face up, put the ball on the floor allows her to play any of the five positions. I think she's getting better and more comfortable with each game. She understands that she has to take on even a bigger load with Alexis out. You can play her at the point. A lot of teams look to go zone on us, but she can shoot over the top. We can take her in a set and post her up. She's starting to really read well. Some teams double team her but she's terrific at getting the ball outside. Her inside action has been very good. She's shown a lot of composure there. If they want to go one-on-one, she's got a very strong offensive package in the paint."
On the breakdown of Georgia...
"On the inside, with Humphrey, that is a tough match up for anyone in the league. As I see it, it's hard to defend her once she gets the ball. We need to do as solid of a job as we can to bring the defensive pressure. She's shooting over 55 percent, and she can step out and shoot the three, so we have to be aware of playing her in the face-up game. She's also shooting very well from the line. We need to not turn the ball over and give Baker lay-ups. She is shooting the ball very well from inside the arc. I have to believe a lot of those points come off her tenacity on defense. We are clearly aware of it, but you can be aware of something and still struggle to handle it if you're not cautious. Chambers is having a good year and doing a lot for the Georgia team. We have to defend her, we have to defend all of their players. At that four spot, she can stretch us. We have to also be aware of their high-low game. They do a great job of that triple post, Macon and Humphrey's spacing and how they play well together is going to be a challenge for our post game. The biggest challenge will come from defending the quickness that this team possesses overall."
On the nature of your brainstorming over the last few days with your staff?
"It's been a combination. We look at the big picture, offensive and defensive schemes, and we really have to look at personnel and numbers. I spoke to the lack of rebounding by Spencer and Redding. Fluker could do so much more on the boards. For minutes played, Sybil Dosty is doing an awesome job, I hope she can be healthy and help us on Thursday. Anosike and Parker can both get more boards. Our guards can rebound more on the defensive end. There are a lot of nights our guards don't rebound and that tells me that they are not committed to finishing the defense. There are a lot of ways we can be more efficient. It seems to be more glaring when you lose one of your starters and key players. The overall scheme, there becomes more of an awareness now of what we have to do. We've been talking about this as coaches but I believe this team will understand it; they understand that Alexis is a huge loss for our basketball team. They can look around but can't look very far or very deep."
On Alexis' handling of her broken wrist and this situation?
"She's handled as well as you can handle it. Right now, she's not that far removed from the game. I think when she has to sit and watch and be in street clothes, I think that's when it really hits players and the reality sets in."
When Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood left, did you ever worry about losing Alexis?
"I'm always concerned. If we lose players it obviously affects the depth of our team. In this situation, you can go out every day paranoid, but I certainly don't plan to coach that way. At the same time, we've talked about it as a staff, that you cannot afford to lose a guard, period. Now we're in the situation and we cannot afford not to find other ways to be successful. We have to handle this adversity in a positive way. We need to put our heads together as a coaching staff and as a basketball team and figure out a way to get it done. We're not going to cancel the rest of the season, that's for sure."
On the rivalry with you and Georgia's head coach Andy Landers?
"The rivalry is more between the programs. I don't feel a personal rival with Andy. Probably years ago it was a bit more intense, but for different reasons. It was more for the recruiting than for the games. We were recruiting the same players and then we'd go on the court and try to be successful. I think the rivalry is more about Georgia versus Tennessee or Tennessee versus Georgia, two programs that have remained a constant in being among the top teams in this league.
On Andy Landers being the last male coach of a women's team in the SEC?
"He's loving it. That's my first thought, he's got to love it."
On the practices this week?
"We've tried to come together as a team and talk about our preparation for Georgia. That's the main thing we've worked on. We kept our routine of Tuesday off, had a good practice on Monday, we'll practice today and really spend some time again preparing for Georgia and then meet with our team and talk about how we have to execute in Athens and what to expect. The one good thing about road games is that you have a lot more time to meet with players individually and visit with your team. You don't have as many distractions."
On the game against Alabama on Sunday?
"We have back-to-back road games; that's always a challenge. I know this Alabama team has had some injuries and struggles, but it seems the best therapy for most of these teams is for Tennessee to come play you. We seem to bring out the best in everyone and I would expect that to be the case when we go to Alabama."
Feb. 15, 2006
Tennessee Lady Vol Head Coach Pat Summitt
Opening comments:
"Certainly our win over Vanderbilt was a great second half effort on the part of our team. Obviously a costly loss with Alexis Hornbuckle, but it's a situation where Alexis was so valuable to us in terms of setting the tempo offensively and defensively. She's the one player that I thought really got us out in transition, defended the point guard and slowed down the opponent's transition game. It's a huge loss for us. At the same time, as a coaching staff and as a team, there is no time for us to have a pity party or hang our heads. As a staff we're looking at this team and calculating what we need to do. As far as a line up goes, we'll continue to go with Dominique Redding, Sidney Spencer and Shanna Zolman on the perimeter and then Candace Parker and Nicky Anosike inside with Tye'sha Fluker off the bench. I think Dom has done some good things for us and has gained a lot of confidence and experience. We know we're facing one of the best teams in the league in Georgia. Playing down there is always a tough challenge. We have to be a very efficient basketball team to compete against Georgia and be successful in Athens."
On Georgia's guard Sherill Baker?
"It's almost like playing five on six, she's that quick. She has great anticipation: I think players that have quickness are always effective if you utilize it. When I think about her quickness, I cannot do so without thinking about her anticipation. She is a step ahead; she anticipates the second and third pass. I know against us she just took the ball out of our hands, she stepped up in the passing lanes. She's a great helper from the ball side and weak side. It's not like if she's away from you she's not dangerous. She is one of the best defenders in the country. We have to be alert to where she is, take care of the basketball, shorten our passes and just really run our screens and try to be effective and protective of the ball."
On this type of situation with the loss of a key player, can you draw on things...
"Everyone becomes more responsible for the success of each possession. It's not like one or two players are involved, it's five players. We have to be not only mindful, but also committed to that and take a different level of ownership on possession basketball and individual commitment to taking care of the ball across the board. Certainly we can do some things by committee, we can play defense by committee, and we have to all be on the same page. This hasn't been what I'd call an eager team to support one other defensively, and now they have to guard the ball and provide support to each other and to the ball. Offensively, we need to be more mindful of the value of the possession and the execution of it. We cannot have lazy cuts or have a team that is not really committed to being a great screening team. We'll have to make each other better with our screens and our passes and our cutting. We've always emphasized getting the ball inside. That becomes more a point of emphasis to play from the inside out."
On Dominique Redding, what does she have to do for you now?
"She has to bring to our basketball team a commitment to play both ends of the floor. The one thing that she and Spencer have both neglected to put in their packages is a rebounding mindset at both ends. Those two are capable of getting on the boards for us and consistently coming up with some big numbers, but they are coming up with goose eggs or maybe one board. That's unacceptable for two juniors. Now if we were playing freshmen, I might say that I need to be patient, that they are not aware of what they need to do and how to anticipate covering the boards. These two should know. We expect that to be a point of emphasis for both Dom and Sidney."
On Candace Parker's versatility on offense and the mismatches she creates for opposing defenses?
"Candace has great versatility, particularly offensively. She can post up, go face up, put the ball on the floor allows her to play any of the five positions. I think she's getting better and more comfortable with each game. She understands that she has to take on even a bigger load with Alexis out. You can play her at the point. A lot of teams look to go zone on us, but she can shoot over the top. We can take her in a set and post her up. She's starting to really read well. Some teams double team her but she's terrific at getting the ball outside. Her inside action has been very good. She's shown a lot of composure there. If they want to go one-on-one, she's got a very strong offensive package in the paint."
On the breakdown of Georgia...
"On the inside, with Humphrey, that is a tough match up for anyone in the league. As I see it, it's hard to defend her once she gets the ball. We need to do as solid of a job as we can to bring the defensive pressure. She's shooting over 55 percent, and she can step out and shoot the three, so we have to be aware of playing her in the face-up game. She's also shooting very well from the line. We need to not turn the ball over and give Baker lay-ups. She is shooting the ball very well from inside the arc. I have to believe a lot of those points come off her tenacity on defense. We are clearly aware of it, but you can be aware of something and still struggle to handle it if you're not cautious. Chambers is having a good year and doing a lot for the Georgia team. We have to defend her, we have to defend all of their players. At that four spot, she can stretch us. We have to also be aware of their high-low game. They do a great job of that triple post, Macon and Humphrey's spacing and how they play well together is going to be a challenge for our post game. The biggest challenge will come from defending the quickness that this team possesses overall."
On the nature of your brainstorming over the last few days with your staff?
"It's been a combination. We look at the big picture, offensive and defensive schemes, and we really have to look at personnel and numbers. I spoke to the lack of rebounding by Spencer and Redding. Fluker could do so much more on the boards. For minutes played, Sybil Dosty is doing an awesome job, I hope she can be healthy and help us on Thursday. Anosike and Parker can both get more boards. Our guards can rebound more on the defensive end. There are a lot of nights our guards don't rebound and that tells me that they are not committed to finishing the defense. There are a lot of ways we can be more efficient. It seems to be more glaring when you lose one of your starters and key players. The overall scheme, there becomes more of an awareness now of what we have to do. We've been talking about this as coaches but I believe this team will understand it; they understand that Alexis is a huge loss for our basketball team. They can look around but can't look very far or very deep."
On Alexis' handling of her broken wrist and this situation?
"She's handled as well as you can handle it. Right now, she's not that far removed from the game. I think when she has to sit and watch and be in street clothes, I think that's when it really hits players and the reality sets in."
When Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood left, did you ever worry about losing Alexis?
"I'm always concerned. If we lose players it obviously affects the depth of our team. In this situation, you can go out every day paranoid, but I certainly don't plan to coach that way. At the same time, we've talked about it as a staff, that you cannot afford to lose a guard, period. Now we're in the situation and we cannot afford not to find other ways to be successful. We have to handle this adversity in a positive way. We need to put our heads together as a coaching staff and as a basketball team and figure out a way to get it done. We're not going to cancel the rest of the season, that's for sure."
On the rivalry with you and Georgia's head coach Andy Landers?
"The rivalry is more between the programs. I don't feel a personal rival with Andy. Probably years ago it was a bit more intense, but for different reasons. It was more for the recruiting than for the games. We were recruiting the same players and then we'd go on the court and try to be successful. I think the rivalry is more about Georgia versus Tennessee or Tennessee versus Georgia, two programs that have remained a constant in being among the top teams in this league.
On Andy Landers being the last male coach of a women's team in the SEC?
"He's loving it. That's my first thought, he's got to love it."
On the practices this week?
"We've tried to come together as a team and talk about our preparation for Georgia. That's the main thing we've worked on. We kept our routine of Tuesday off, had a good practice on Monday, we'll practice today and really spend some time again preparing for Georgia and then meet with our team and talk about how we have to execute in Athens and what to expect. The one good thing about road games is that you have a lot more time to meet with players individually and visit with your team. You don't have as many distractions."
On the game against Alabama on Sunday?
"We have back-to-back road games; that's always a challenge. I know this Alabama team has had some injuries and struggles, but it seems the best therapy for most of these teams is for Tennessee to come play you. We seem to bring out the best in everyone and I would expect that to be the case when we go to Alabama."
Hornbuckle Scheduled For Surgery Wednesday
Tennessee point guard Alexis Hornbuckle will have surgery to fix her broken right wrist Wednesday.
Trainer Jenny Moshak says further testing shows that Hornbuckle needs surgery, and the team's orthopedic hand specialist will put in a screw to help heal the broken bone.
Hornbuckle broke her wrist diving for a ball in the first half of Sunday's victory over Vanderbilt. The Lady Vols' starting point guard was their third leading scorer.
Coach Pat Summitt is trying several players at point guard in practice looking for a fill-in for Hornbuckle. The Lady Vols visit 13th-ranked Georgia Thursday night.
Trainer Jenny Moshak says further testing shows that Hornbuckle needs surgery, and the team's orthopedic hand specialist will put in a screw to help heal the broken bone.
Hornbuckle broke her wrist diving for a ball in the first half of Sunday's victory over Vanderbilt. The Lady Vols' starting point guard was their third leading scorer.
Coach Pat Summitt is trying several players at point guard in practice looking for a fill-in for Hornbuckle. The Lady Vols visit 13th-ranked Georgia Thursday night.
Monday, February 13, 2006
Lady Vols' Hornbuckle Breaks Wrist
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee point guard Alexis Hornbuckle is out for the season after breaking her right wrist against Vanderbilt.
"Obviously, we are devastated by the loss of Alexis," Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said Monday.
Hornbuckle broke her wrist Sunday when she dove for the ball in the first half of No. 5 Tennessee's 70-67 win over No. 22 Vanderbilt.
"She shook it off and played on sheer adrenaline for the rest of the game," Tennessee trainer Jenny Moshak said.
The wrist was re-examined after the game, and X-rays Monday confirmed the break.
The 5-foot-11 guard averaged 10.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and a team-leading 3.9 assists while starting 24 of 25 games.
"She has played a key role for us this season," Summitt said. "Now, it's time for this team to step up and find out what they are made of."
The Lady Vols (22-3, 8-2 Southeastern Conference) travel to No. 13 Georgia on Thursday.
"Obviously, we are devastated by the loss of Alexis," Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said Monday.
Hornbuckle broke her wrist Sunday when she dove for the ball in the first half of No. 5 Tennessee's 70-67 win over No. 22 Vanderbilt.
"She shook it off and played on sheer adrenaline for the rest of the game," Tennessee trainer Jenny Moshak said.
The wrist was re-examined after the game, and X-rays Monday confirmed the break.
The 5-foot-11 guard averaged 10.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and a team-leading 3.9 assists while starting 24 of 25 games.
"She has played a key role for us this season," Summitt said. "Now, it's time for this team to step up and find out what they are made of."
The Lady Vols (22-3, 8-2 Southeastern Conference) travel to No. 13 Georgia on Thursday.
(5) Tennessee 70, (22) Vanderbilt 67
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee still isn't playing with the intensity coach Pat Summitt wants, and she doesn't understand it.
Candace Parker scored 19 points and fifth-ranked Tennessee rallied to beat No. 22 Vanderbilt 70-67 on Sunday to avoid losing consecutive home conference games for the first time in nearly 20 years.
The Lady Vols (22-3, 8-2 Southeastern Conference) were down 14 in the first half and used a 14-4 run in the last 5:51 to improve to 20-0 against Vanderbilt (17-8, 6-5) in Knoxville.
It was another inconsistent outing when the Lady Vols struggled early and found a way to win in the end.
"Vanderbilt was coming out and they were really taking us to school with their offense and our poor defense. I don't know. I don't know what it's going to take. Most teams by now have bought in," Summitt said.
"I don't understand. I can't relate to it. There's not a bone in my body that's as laid back as I've watched them play some times. It's just hard to watch."
Tennessee has not lost two straight SEC games at home since losing to Kentucky and then Georgia in the 1984-85 season. No. 3 LSU earned its first victory ever here on Thursday night and snapped Tennessee's 64-game SEC home winning streak.
Vanderbilt led nearly the entire game behind a strong inside game from Liz Sherwood, who had 20 points.
Tennessee finally found its defense and offense down the stretch.
The Commodores were ahead 63-56 on Carla Thomas' basket with 6:14 remaining. Then Sidney Spencer had a jumper and Shanna Zolman made a pair of free throws to get the Lady Vols going.
Nicole Jules scored for Vanderbilt, and Thomas had a basket around five points by Parker. Spencer scored again to tie it at 67 with 2:50 left.
Vanderbilt did not score again. Alexis Hornbuckle made two free throws with 2:22 to go for a 69-67 lead, and Tennessee held on.
Sherwood was whistled for her fifth foul with 1:51 left, but Parker missed both free throws.
Cherish Stringfield missed a 3 for Vanderbilt, which got the ball back with 32 seconds left after Tennessee had a shot clock violation. Spencer made the second of two free throws, and the game ended when Parker caught Caroline Williams' deflected 3-point attempt.
"I feel like we played really close to them. Our team really outworked Tennessee today," said Vanderbilt point guard Dee Davis, who had nine points and nine assists.
Spencer finished with 11 points and Hornbuckle had 10.
"I understand coach's frustration," Spencer said. "She never knows what we're going to do. It seems like we have to wait until we're down to step up."
Jules had 12 points for Vanderbilt while Stringfield had 11 and Thomas 10.
Summitt earned win No. 900 at Vanderbilt on Jan. 19, and just like that game, the Commodores were up by as many as 14 in the first half.
"At Vanderbilt, they came back and made a run, and we didn't fight back. I thought tonight that they would make their runs, and every time they made runs, we made runs back and we fought back all game," Vanderbilt coach Melanie Balcomb said.
The Lady Vols had the advantage at the foul line. They were 23-of-32 while Vanderbilt was 3-of-7.
"That happens every time I come to Tennessee. If I had it figured out, it wouldn't keep happening," Balcomb said.
The Lady Vols tied it at 43 with 14:54 remaining after a quick 5-0 run, but the Commodores were able to stretch their lead back to seven. They pushed it to as many as nine before Tennessee took over.
Vanderbilt had won four straight since losing at LSU on Jan. 26.
Jules gave the Commodores a 30-16 lead with 4:59 left. But Hornbuckle got an 11-0 run started with a putback, and the Lady Vols cut it to 30-27 with 1:33 to go.
Candace Parker scored 19 points and fifth-ranked Tennessee rallied to beat No. 22 Vanderbilt 70-67 on Sunday to avoid losing consecutive home conference games for the first time in nearly 20 years.
The Lady Vols (22-3, 8-2 Southeastern Conference) were down 14 in the first half and used a 14-4 run in the last 5:51 to improve to 20-0 against Vanderbilt (17-8, 6-5) in Knoxville.
It was another inconsistent outing when the Lady Vols struggled early and found a way to win in the end.
"Vanderbilt was coming out and they were really taking us to school with their offense and our poor defense. I don't know. I don't know what it's going to take. Most teams by now have bought in," Summitt said.
"I don't understand. I can't relate to it. There's not a bone in my body that's as laid back as I've watched them play some times. It's just hard to watch."
Tennessee has not lost two straight SEC games at home since losing to Kentucky and then Georgia in the 1984-85 season. No. 3 LSU earned its first victory ever here on Thursday night and snapped Tennessee's 64-game SEC home winning streak.
Vanderbilt led nearly the entire game behind a strong inside game from Liz Sherwood, who had 20 points.
Tennessee finally found its defense and offense down the stretch.
The Commodores were ahead 63-56 on Carla Thomas' basket with 6:14 remaining. Then Sidney Spencer had a jumper and Shanna Zolman made a pair of free throws to get the Lady Vols going.
Nicole Jules scored for Vanderbilt, and Thomas had a basket around five points by Parker. Spencer scored again to tie it at 67 with 2:50 left.
Vanderbilt did not score again. Alexis Hornbuckle made two free throws with 2:22 to go for a 69-67 lead, and Tennessee held on.
Sherwood was whistled for her fifth foul with 1:51 left, but Parker missed both free throws.
Cherish Stringfield missed a 3 for Vanderbilt, which got the ball back with 32 seconds left after Tennessee had a shot clock violation. Spencer made the second of two free throws, and the game ended when Parker caught Caroline Williams' deflected 3-point attempt.
"I feel like we played really close to them. Our team really outworked Tennessee today," said Vanderbilt point guard Dee Davis, who had nine points and nine assists.
Spencer finished with 11 points and Hornbuckle had 10.
"I understand coach's frustration," Spencer said. "She never knows what we're going to do. It seems like we have to wait until we're down to step up."
Jules had 12 points for Vanderbilt while Stringfield had 11 and Thomas 10.
Summitt earned win No. 900 at Vanderbilt on Jan. 19, and just like that game, the Commodores were up by as many as 14 in the first half.
"At Vanderbilt, they came back and made a run, and we didn't fight back. I thought tonight that they would make their runs, and every time they made runs, we made runs back and we fought back all game," Vanderbilt coach Melanie Balcomb said.
The Lady Vols had the advantage at the foul line. They were 23-of-32 while Vanderbilt was 3-of-7.
"That happens every time I come to Tennessee. If I had it figured out, it wouldn't keep happening," Balcomb said.
The Lady Vols tied it at 43 with 14:54 remaining after a quick 5-0 run, but the Commodores were able to stretch their lead back to seven. They pushed it to as many as nine before Tennessee took over.
Vanderbilt had won four straight since losing at LSU on Jan. 26.
Jules gave the Commodores a 30-16 lead with 4:59 left. But Hornbuckle got an 11-0 run started with a putback, and the Lady Vols cut it to 30-27 with 1:33 to go.
Friday, February 10, 2006
(3) LSU 72, (5) Tennessee 69
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Third-ranked LSU is the new team to beat in the Southeastern Conference.
The Lady Tigers became the first SEC team to win at Tennessee in nearly 10 years with a 72-69 victory Thursday night and moved closer to winning a second straight regular-season league title.
Seimone Augustus scored 32 points, Scholanda Hoston added 18 and Sylvia Fowles had 10 points and 15 rebounds for LSU (21-1, 9-0).
The fifth-ranked Lady Vols (21-3, 7-2) had not lost a league game in Thompson-Boling Arena since a loss to Georgia on Dec. 8, 1996, a span of 64 games. LSU was 0-16 in Knoxville.
"Right now my thoughts aren't so much about ending the homecourt streak as just getting ready for Vanderbilt (on Sunday)," Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said.
"It's not a time for us to be feeling sorry for ourselves. We did a lot of good things, particularly in the second half. We have to get back tomorrow and keep things pointed in the right direction as a basketball team."
Most of the LSU players were unaware of their place in history until coach Pokey Chatman told them in the locker room after the game.
"It's great to be the first team to win here," Augustus said. "I think it was kind of an emotional thing for everybody who's a part of it from the coaches, the managers, the trainers. Everybody felt something."
The Lady Vols won seven consecutive SEC regular-season crowns until last year when LSU beat Tennessee in Baton Rouge to earn its first title.
But the Lady Vols got revenge by beating then-No. 1 LSU 67-65 to win the SEC tournament championship.
Tennessee needed to beat LSU to get back into the conference race. The Lady Vols have lost two league games for the first time since 1996-97 when they were 8-4.
"This conference doesn't allow you to enjoy it a whole lot because you know there's a talented Georgia basketball team that got to sit home and rest," Chatman said. "It has to be huge for the players to come in here and play against a quality opponent like Tennessee."
The Lady Tigers became only the third SEC team and eighth team overall to win in Knoxville, joining Duke, Connecticut, Louisiana Tech, Georgia, Texas, Stanford and Auburn. It was Tennessee's 15th loss in the arena which opened in the 1987-88 season.
The Lady Vols' first two losses this season came in consecutive games at Duke and at Kentucky. Their next game is against Vanderbilt here.
"We're not going to lose Sunday," Lady Vol Shanna Zolman said.
LSU got off to a big lead early, going up 11-1 in the opening minutes. The Lady Tigers led by as many as 13 in the first half before a much tighter second half set up a hectic ending.
The Lady Vols were ahead 67-66 with 2:19 remaining, before Augustus gave LSU the lead for good. Hoston pushed it to 70-67 with another basket, and Candace Parker pulled Tennessee within one with 46.8 seconds to go.
Fowles got open on the next possession and scored easily with 20 seconds left for the final margin.
Tennessee's Dominique Redding had a shot blocked in the final seconds, and Parker fouled Augustus on the rebound. Augustus missed both free throws with 6.2 remaining to give the Lady Vols some hope.
Zolman dribbled up the court and passed the ball as she was falling down to Redding, who couldn't get off a shot. The game ended with the Lady Vols and Summitt standing in silence.
Tennessee's Alexis Hornbuckle was called for a technical in a key sequence down the stretch. She tied it at 62 on a layup with 4:19 remaining and was fouled.
Hornbuckle said the referee called a foul on her for taunting after the play.
Chatman sent Augustus to the line, and she made both shots for the technical to put LSU back in the lead. Hornbuckle then made her free throw.
"From my viewpoint, she was excited about the play. I want to take a look at it," Summitt said. "I thought she was just excited, but (official) June (Courteau) jumped on it. I hope she made the right call."
Augustus was 10-for-20 from the floor and 10-for-12 from the free-throw line. Fowles played only 27 minutes because of foul trouble, and she was briefly on the bench before halftime after falling on her back.
Parker led the Lady Vols with 23 points. Tye'sha Fluker had 14 and Hornbuckle added 11. Zolman was just 2-for-11 from the field.
The Lady Tigers extended their SEC winning streak to 23 games. Their last loss was on Feb. 29, 2004, at Tennessee.
The Lady Tigers became the first SEC team to win at Tennessee in nearly 10 years with a 72-69 victory Thursday night and moved closer to winning a second straight regular-season league title.
Seimone Augustus scored 32 points, Scholanda Hoston added 18 and Sylvia Fowles had 10 points and 15 rebounds for LSU (21-1, 9-0).
The fifth-ranked Lady Vols (21-3, 7-2) had not lost a league game in Thompson-Boling Arena since a loss to Georgia on Dec. 8, 1996, a span of 64 games. LSU was 0-16 in Knoxville.
"Right now my thoughts aren't so much about ending the homecourt streak as just getting ready for Vanderbilt (on Sunday)," Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said.
"It's not a time for us to be feeling sorry for ourselves. We did a lot of good things, particularly in the second half. We have to get back tomorrow and keep things pointed in the right direction as a basketball team."
Most of the LSU players were unaware of their place in history until coach Pokey Chatman told them in the locker room after the game.
"It's great to be the first team to win here," Augustus said. "I think it was kind of an emotional thing for everybody who's a part of it from the coaches, the managers, the trainers. Everybody felt something."
The Lady Vols won seven consecutive SEC regular-season crowns until last year when LSU beat Tennessee in Baton Rouge to earn its first title.
But the Lady Vols got revenge by beating then-No. 1 LSU 67-65 to win the SEC tournament championship.
Tennessee needed to beat LSU to get back into the conference race. The Lady Vols have lost two league games for the first time since 1996-97 when they were 8-4.
"This conference doesn't allow you to enjoy it a whole lot because you know there's a talented Georgia basketball team that got to sit home and rest," Chatman said. "It has to be huge for the players to come in here and play against a quality opponent like Tennessee."
The Lady Tigers became only the third SEC team and eighth team overall to win in Knoxville, joining Duke, Connecticut, Louisiana Tech, Georgia, Texas, Stanford and Auburn. It was Tennessee's 15th loss in the arena which opened in the 1987-88 season.
The Lady Vols' first two losses this season came in consecutive games at Duke and at Kentucky. Their next game is against Vanderbilt here.
"We're not going to lose Sunday," Lady Vol Shanna Zolman said.
LSU got off to a big lead early, going up 11-1 in the opening minutes. The Lady Tigers led by as many as 13 in the first half before a much tighter second half set up a hectic ending.
The Lady Vols were ahead 67-66 with 2:19 remaining, before Augustus gave LSU the lead for good. Hoston pushed it to 70-67 with another basket, and Candace Parker pulled Tennessee within one with 46.8 seconds to go.
Fowles got open on the next possession and scored easily with 20 seconds left for the final margin.
Tennessee's Dominique Redding had a shot blocked in the final seconds, and Parker fouled Augustus on the rebound. Augustus missed both free throws with 6.2 remaining to give the Lady Vols some hope.
Zolman dribbled up the court and passed the ball as she was falling down to Redding, who couldn't get off a shot. The game ended with the Lady Vols and Summitt standing in silence.
Tennessee's Alexis Hornbuckle was called for a technical in a key sequence down the stretch. She tied it at 62 on a layup with 4:19 remaining and was fouled.
Hornbuckle said the referee called a foul on her for taunting after the play.
Chatman sent Augustus to the line, and she made both shots for the technical to put LSU back in the lead. Hornbuckle then made her free throw.
"From my viewpoint, she was excited about the play. I want to take a look at it," Summitt said. "I thought she was just excited, but (official) June (Courteau) jumped on it. I hope she made the right call."
Augustus was 10-for-20 from the floor and 10-for-12 from the free-throw line. Fowles played only 27 minutes because of foul trouble, and she was briefly on the bench before halftime after falling on her back.
Parker led the Lady Vols with 23 points. Tye'sha Fluker had 14 and Hornbuckle added 11. Zolman was just 2-for-11 from the field.
The Lady Tigers extended their SEC winning streak to 23 games. Their last loss was on Feb. 29, 2004, at Tennessee.
Monday, February 06, 2006
Arkansas Lady Razorbacks/Tennessee Lady Volunteers Recap
(5) Tennessee 77, Arkansas 37
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- No. 5 Tennessee put it together in a big way down the stretch against Arkansas on Sunday.
Shanna Zolman scored 21 points and the Lady Vols scored 33 of the last 36 points in a 77-37 win over the Lady Razorbacks. Tennessee (21-2, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) looked lethargic on offense for most of the game, but that changed in the second half.
"It was just ourselves. We got together and said, 'We don't want to beat this team by 10 or 15 points. It's time to step up our game and get back to the Tennessee way," guard Alexis Hornbuckle said.
The Lady Razorbacks cut it to 44-34 on Rochelle Vaughn's jumper with 11:12 left when Tennessee's offense and defense took over. Candace Parker added 18 for Tennessee. Hornbuckle had 10 points, six assists and eight rebounds.
Hornbuckle scored twice and Zolman hit a 3 to start the run. Parker scored nine straight points during the spurt.
Arkansas (13-9, 5-4), held to a season low in points, lost its third in a row in SEC play and 12th straight to Tennessee. The Lady Razorbacks have never won in Knoxville -- and neither has any league team in nearly 10 years.
Tennessee has won 64 consecutive SEC home games, but that streak will get a stiff challenge on Thursday when third-ranked LSU visits.
"We have to win that basketball game to have a chance to win the league, and that's still our goal," coach Pat Summitt said.
The Lady Tigers beat Mississippi on Sunday to remain undefeated in league play.
"I think we're prepared. I think we got our confidence back. I think we got our swagger back," Parker said.
Arkansas had trouble overcoming Tennessee's size advantage. The Lady Vols have six players 6-foot-2 or taller while Arkansas has one. They outrebounded Arkansas 45-28.
The Lady Razorbacks shot 26 percent (14-of-53) from the floor.
"That was one of the better 40 minutes we have had on the defensive end. In the second half, we got into a better rhythm offensively," Summitt said. "At one point, they were right there with us. Then we separated out with our defense and board play."
Parker missed some practice because of a tight hip muscle that bothered her in a win at Mississippi earlier this week. It didn't appear to slow her on Sunday.
Tennessee forward Sidney Spencer left the game with a hyperextended right knee, the same one she tore ligaments in a year ago. Trainers said she would be evaluated on Monday.
The Lady Vols were playing at home for the first time since dropping from No. 1 in the poll after losses at Duke and Kentucky.
Melissa Hobbs scored 12 points for Arkansas.
"It didn't feel like a 40-point game. I think we played well for about 30 minutes," Arkansas coach Susie Gardner said. "The last 10 minutes was a different story. They were just toying with us."
Tennessee had a strong first half. The Lady Razorbacks cut it to 19-15 on Leslie Howard's 3 with 6:02 left, but the Lady Vols had a quick 7-0 run to push the lead to 11.
Howard hit another 3 to trim it to 28-21 with 2:50 left, and Tennessee answered by scoring the last five points of the half.
Howard accounted for nearly half of the Lady Razorbacks' offense by hitting three wide-open 3-pointers before halftime. But she was scoreless in the second half.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- No. 5 Tennessee put it together in a big way down the stretch against Arkansas on Sunday.
Shanna Zolman scored 21 points and the Lady Vols scored 33 of the last 36 points in a 77-37 win over the Lady Razorbacks. Tennessee (21-2, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) looked lethargic on offense for most of the game, but that changed in the second half.
"It was just ourselves. We got together and said, 'We don't want to beat this team by 10 or 15 points. It's time to step up our game and get back to the Tennessee way," guard Alexis Hornbuckle said.
The Lady Razorbacks cut it to 44-34 on Rochelle Vaughn's jumper with 11:12 left when Tennessee's offense and defense took over. Candace Parker added 18 for Tennessee. Hornbuckle had 10 points, six assists and eight rebounds.
Hornbuckle scored twice and Zolman hit a 3 to start the run. Parker scored nine straight points during the spurt.
Arkansas (13-9, 5-4), held to a season low in points, lost its third in a row in SEC play and 12th straight to Tennessee. The Lady Razorbacks have never won in Knoxville -- and neither has any league team in nearly 10 years.
Tennessee has won 64 consecutive SEC home games, but that streak will get a stiff challenge on Thursday when third-ranked LSU visits.
"We have to win that basketball game to have a chance to win the league, and that's still our goal," coach Pat Summitt said.
The Lady Tigers beat Mississippi on Sunday to remain undefeated in league play.
"I think we're prepared. I think we got our confidence back. I think we got our swagger back," Parker said.
Arkansas had trouble overcoming Tennessee's size advantage. The Lady Vols have six players 6-foot-2 or taller while Arkansas has one. They outrebounded Arkansas 45-28.
The Lady Razorbacks shot 26 percent (14-of-53) from the floor.
"That was one of the better 40 minutes we have had on the defensive end. In the second half, we got into a better rhythm offensively," Summitt said. "At one point, they were right there with us. Then we separated out with our defense and board play."
Parker missed some practice because of a tight hip muscle that bothered her in a win at Mississippi earlier this week. It didn't appear to slow her on Sunday.
Tennessee forward Sidney Spencer left the game with a hyperextended right knee, the same one she tore ligaments in a year ago. Trainers said she would be evaluated on Monday.
The Lady Vols were playing at home for the first time since dropping from No. 1 in the poll after losses at Duke and Kentucky.
Melissa Hobbs scored 12 points for Arkansas.
"It didn't feel like a 40-point game. I think we played well for about 30 minutes," Arkansas coach Susie Gardner said. "The last 10 minutes was a different story. They were just toying with us."
Tennessee had a strong first half. The Lady Razorbacks cut it to 19-15 on Leslie Howard's 3 with 6:02 left, but the Lady Vols had a quick 7-0 run to push the lead to 11.
Howard hit another 3 to trim it to 28-21 with 2:50 left, and Tennessee answered by scoring the last five points of the half.
Howard accounted for nearly half of the Lady Razorbacks' offense by hitting three wide-open 3-pointers before halftime. But she was scoreless in the second half.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
No. 5 Tennessee Routs Mississippi
OXFORD, Miss. - Sidney Spencer and Shanna Zolman each scored 18 points to help No. 5 Tennessee beat Mississippi 78-63 on Thursday night.
Alexis Hornbuckle added 14 points to help the Lady Vols (20-2, 6-1 Southeastern Conference) clinch their 30th straight 20-win season under Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt.
This one was a struggle for a while. Ole Miss led by as many as eight after a 12-0 run in the first half, and led 28-26 at halftime. Jada Mincy's free throw with 11:28 to play gave the Rebels a 46-41 lead.
The Lady Vols countered with a 20-5 run keyed by two 3-pointers by Spencer during the following 4 1/2 minutes. Tennessee led 61-51 on Zolman's jumper with 6:59 left, and the Lady Vols were in control the rest of the way.
Tennessee's Tye'sha Fluker added 12 points.
The Lady Vols won their first 18 games, then lost consecutive games to No. 2 Duke and No. 21 Kentucky before beating Alabama convincingly earlier this week and then struggling in their 13th straight victory over the Rebels, a string which dates back almost exactly 10 years.
Ole Miss hasn't beaten Tennessee since the Rebels won 78-72 on Feb. 4, 1996.
Carla Bartee had 14 points, Danetra Forest added 13 and Armintie Price finished with 10 for the Rebels (12-9, 2-6), who have lost four of five and eight of their last 11.
Ole Miss has lost three straight against ranked opponents since early-season upsets of Texas Tech and Rutgers, and the Rebels on Sunday play at third-ranked LSU.
Alexis Hornbuckle added 14 points to help the Lady Vols (20-2, 6-1 Southeastern Conference) clinch their 30th straight 20-win season under Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt.
This one was a struggle for a while. Ole Miss led by as many as eight after a 12-0 run in the first half, and led 28-26 at halftime. Jada Mincy's free throw with 11:28 to play gave the Rebels a 46-41 lead.
The Lady Vols countered with a 20-5 run keyed by two 3-pointers by Spencer during the following 4 1/2 minutes. Tennessee led 61-51 on Zolman's jumper with 6:59 left, and the Lady Vols were in control the rest of the way.
Tennessee's Tye'sha Fluker added 12 points.
The Lady Vols won their first 18 games, then lost consecutive games to No. 2 Duke and No. 21 Kentucky before beating Alabama convincingly earlier this week and then struggling in their 13th straight victory over the Rebels, a string which dates back almost exactly 10 years.
Ole Miss hasn't beaten Tennessee since the Rebels won 78-72 on Feb. 4, 1996.
Carla Bartee had 14 points, Danetra Forest added 13 and Armintie Price finished with 10 for the Rebels (12-9, 2-6), who have lost four of five and eight of their last 11.
Ole Miss has lost three straight against ranked opponents since early-season upsets of Texas Tech and Rutgers, and the Rebels on Sunday play at third-ranked LSU.
Weekly Teleconference
Coach Summitt addresses the upcoming games with Mississippi and Arkansas
Feb. 1, 2006
Tennessee Lady Vol Head Coach Pat Summitt
Opening comments:
"Our basketball team made some progress, just in terms of our practice preparation. What we focused on primarily was our defense and board play and our leadership, just taking ownership of what we needed to do as a team. Overall, the majority of our players responded. We got quality playing time for Alex Fuller and Sybil Dosty. Those are two players who I wanted to play a lot. Unfortunately, I also wanted to play Lindsey Moss. She broke her nose again and could not get a lot of minutes. For us right now, it's just trying to figure out players who we can depend on and how deep we can go during the actual game. Right now, I am comfortable to go eight deep."
Looking ahead to going down to Ole Miss:
"This Ole Miss team certainly has had some impressive wins, Rutgers a big game (a 67-57 Lady Rebel win). (Armintie) Price is one of the most explosive offensive players, one of the best one-on-one players, who we will have to face and one of the best in the league. She is someone we certainly have to be ready for."
On what the lineup looks like:
"I will probably stick with our look from our last game (an 89-54 win). I took (Sidney) Spencer out of the lineup, put (Shanna) Zolman back in to give us two guards. That is ideally what I would like to do: (Candace) Parker starting at the 3. Parker can play a number of positions; she has just got to rebound more from that spot. We have addressed that. And then Tye'sha (Fluker) has been performing better on the boards. That is the key there. Our inside players and our defensive rebounding has been really weak, and I don't understand that. Hopefully, as we put more emphasis on it and just focus on trying to control the defensive glass, I think we will be a better basketball team if we can do that."
On whether she is concerned about Parker's rebounding from the 3 position:
"I think that she is aware and more mindful now than she has been. There has been a pattern there when she has been at the 3. That is my concern because she is such a great rebounder when she is at the 4. Obviously, she scored for us at the 3 on Sunday against Alabama, but at the same time, she didn't pursue the ball, didn't really play aggressive to the boards. It is a concern, but it certainly is something that is fixable."
On what Parker needs to do to become more active on the boards:
"She just has to be focused and that has to be a priority in her game. Certainly, we have talked about it. I just have to make sure that if she is not going to the boards, that she is coming out and refocusing and making that a priority when she goes back in."
On whether Arkansas has been a surprise team:
"I think that they have. I have not had a chance to watch Arkansas play. They have proven that they can win in this league. (Arkansas head coach) Susie Gardner has obviously challenged this team, and they have responded. If you look at this league, a lot of people thought that Arkansas is not going to be a factor, but that is not true."
On guarding Ole Miss guard Armintie Price:
"Armintie is a great slasher and a creater off the dribble. Even against a zone, she can get into gaps. I know that we need great one-on-one defense against her, but at the same time, I think we need great support. It's not a situation where we are going to ask someone to just go guard her and stop her. It's going to take a player and a half, maybe two players at a time to contain her in her dribble drives. And obviously, she is a great rebounder. You just have to keep her off the boards. She plays hard. She's tough minded and obviously a very competitive player."
On if Tennessee is planning to stick with man-to-man defense against Ole Miss:
"Yes. I think this team right now understands that if we are going to get this done and be a team that can make a strong run to finish out the SEC, we have to influence with our man-to-man defense, which can change up some. But right now the commitment of the coaching staff and the players is to really play our tough, aggressive man-to-man."
Feb. 1, 2006
Tennessee Lady Vol Head Coach Pat Summitt
Opening comments:
"Our basketball team made some progress, just in terms of our practice preparation. What we focused on primarily was our defense and board play and our leadership, just taking ownership of what we needed to do as a team. Overall, the majority of our players responded. We got quality playing time for Alex Fuller and Sybil Dosty. Those are two players who I wanted to play a lot. Unfortunately, I also wanted to play Lindsey Moss. She broke her nose again and could not get a lot of minutes. For us right now, it's just trying to figure out players who we can depend on and how deep we can go during the actual game. Right now, I am comfortable to go eight deep."
Looking ahead to going down to Ole Miss:
"This Ole Miss team certainly has had some impressive wins, Rutgers a big game (a 67-57 Lady Rebel win). (Armintie) Price is one of the most explosive offensive players, one of the best one-on-one players, who we will have to face and one of the best in the league. She is someone we certainly have to be ready for."
On what the lineup looks like:
"I will probably stick with our look from our last game (an 89-54 win). I took (Sidney) Spencer out of the lineup, put (Shanna) Zolman back in to give us two guards. That is ideally what I would like to do: (Candace) Parker starting at the 3. Parker can play a number of positions; she has just got to rebound more from that spot. We have addressed that. And then Tye'sha (Fluker) has been performing better on the boards. That is the key there. Our inside players and our defensive rebounding has been really weak, and I don't understand that. Hopefully, as we put more emphasis on it and just focus on trying to control the defensive glass, I think we will be a better basketball team if we can do that."
On whether she is concerned about Parker's rebounding from the 3 position:
"I think that she is aware and more mindful now than she has been. There has been a pattern there when she has been at the 3. That is my concern because she is such a great rebounder when she is at the 4. Obviously, she scored for us at the 3 on Sunday against Alabama, but at the same time, she didn't pursue the ball, didn't really play aggressive to the boards. It is a concern, but it certainly is something that is fixable."
On what Parker needs to do to become more active on the boards:
"She just has to be focused and that has to be a priority in her game. Certainly, we have talked about it. I just have to make sure that if she is not going to the boards, that she is coming out and refocusing and making that a priority when she goes back in."
On whether Arkansas has been a surprise team:
"I think that they have. I have not had a chance to watch Arkansas play. They have proven that they can win in this league. (Arkansas head coach) Susie Gardner has obviously challenged this team, and they have responded. If you look at this league, a lot of people thought that Arkansas is not going to be a factor, but that is not true."
On guarding Ole Miss guard Armintie Price:
"Armintie is a great slasher and a creater off the dribble. Even against a zone, she can get into gaps. I know that we need great one-on-one defense against her, but at the same time, I think we need great support. It's not a situation where we are going to ask someone to just go guard her and stop her. It's going to take a player and a half, maybe two players at a time to contain her in her dribble drives. And obviously, she is a great rebounder. You just have to keep her off the boards. She plays hard. She's tough minded and obviously a very competitive player."
On if Tennessee is planning to stick with man-to-man defense against Ole Miss:
"Yes. I think this team right now understands that if we are going to get this done and be a team that can make a strong run to finish out the SEC, we have to influence with our man-to-man defense, which can change up some. But right now the commitment of the coaching staff and the players is to really play our tough, aggressive man-to-man."
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Alabama Crimson Tide/Tennessee Lady Volunteers Recap
(1) Tennessee 89, Alabama 54
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Losing is rare at Tennessee, and poor defense and rebounding even rarer.
After the Lady Vols lost back-to-back games last week for the first time since 1996-97, two former players showed up at practice to voice their concerns.
Top-ranked Tennessee made them proud on Sunday by snapping the streak with an 89-54 win over Alabama that was victory No. 901 for coach Pat Summitt.
Shelley Sexton Collier and Melissa McCray Dukes talked to the players at Friday's practice. Collier played on the 1987 national championship team, and Dukes won rings in 1987 and 1989.
"I think they understand there is a lot of tradition here, and there's a lot of players that are upset. I've had phone calls," Summitt said. "That just speaks volumes to what they've invested in this program. Still, they are like family. When we lose, they lose."
The Lady Vols (19-2, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) were coming off consecutive road losses at No. 2 Duke and Kentucky. Tennessee has not lost three in a row in 20 years.
Summitt reached No. 900 last week at Vanderbilt, but Tennessee's next two opponents exposed the Lady Vols' weaknesses in defense and rebounding.
Alabama (8-12, 2-5) could not, and Tennessee was quickly headed for its 63rd straight SEC home victory.
Tennessee was ahead 8-0 after the Crimson Tide had turnovers on each of the first four possessions. Alabama got two early baskets from Harriet Barnes and Navonda Moore, and the Lady Vols then held the Tide without a field goal for 15 minutes.
Tennessee led 33-7 with 5:33 to go in the first half after Sidney Spencer's jumper. Shanna Zolman scored to push the lead to 30 with 14 minutes left in the second half.
"I think we got the point after two losses," Zolman said. "We won six national championships in this system and obviously it works."
Tennessee was averaging 39 rebounds per game coming in, the worst in Lady Vols history. Tennessee barely held the edge against the Tide, 34-29.
And Alabama improved its offense in the second half when Tennessee got sloppy.
"Obviously it's always good to get a win," Summitt said. "We have to get better. You don't fix it in one game."
Candace Parker scored 15 points and Alexis Hornbuckle added 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists for Tennessee. Zolman, who failed to score at Duke, finished with 11 points.
Tennessee freshman Lindsey Moss was 3-for-3 from long range before she was hit in the nose and had to be helped off the court. She broke her nose earlier this month. Moss was scheduled to have x-rays Monday.
Moore, who played despite dislocating her right knee cap earlier this week, led Alabama with 26 points. Lauren Hill added 12 points.
The Lady Vols were playing at home for the first time since Jan. 12. During the road trip, Summitt reached a milestone, but the team dropped from the ranks of the undefeated and were embarrassed in a 75-53 loss at Duke. The Lady Vols are certain to fall from No. 1 when The Associated Press poll comes out Monday.
Before the game, Summitt was honored for her 900th win and presented with a basketball and bouquet of orange and white flowers. Alabama coach Stephany Smith also gave her a vase of roses.
"What a great inspiration she is to us all," Smith said.
Summitt improved to 901-174 and 36-2 against Alabama, which has lost 29 straight times to the Lady Vols.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Losing is rare at Tennessee, and poor defense and rebounding even rarer.
After the Lady Vols lost back-to-back games last week for the first time since 1996-97, two former players showed up at practice to voice their concerns.
Top-ranked Tennessee made them proud on Sunday by snapping the streak with an 89-54 win over Alabama that was victory No. 901 for coach Pat Summitt.
Shelley Sexton Collier and Melissa McCray Dukes talked to the players at Friday's practice. Collier played on the 1987 national championship team, and Dukes won rings in 1987 and 1989.
"I think they understand there is a lot of tradition here, and there's a lot of players that are upset. I've had phone calls," Summitt said. "That just speaks volumes to what they've invested in this program. Still, they are like family. When we lose, they lose."
The Lady Vols (19-2, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) were coming off consecutive road losses at No. 2 Duke and Kentucky. Tennessee has not lost three in a row in 20 years.
Summitt reached No. 900 last week at Vanderbilt, but Tennessee's next two opponents exposed the Lady Vols' weaknesses in defense and rebounding.
Alabama (8-12, 2-5) could not, and Tennessee was quickly headed for its 63rd straight SEC home victory.
Tennessee was ahead 8-0 after the Crimson Tide had turnovers on each of the first four possessions. Alabama got two early baskets from Harriet Barnes and Navonda Moore, and the Lady Vols then held the Tide without a field goal for 15 minutes.
Tennessee led 33-7 with 5:33 to go in the first half after Sidney Spencer's jumper. Shanna Zolman scored to push the lead to 30 with 14 minutes left in the second half.
"I think we got the point after two losses," Zolman said. "We won six national championships in this system and obviously it works."
Tennessee was averaging 39 rebounds per game coming in, the worst in Lady Vols history. Tennessee barely held the edge against the Tide, 34-29.
And Alabama improved its offense in the second half when Tennessee got sloppy.
"Obviously it's always good to get a win," Summitt said. "We have to get better. You don't fix it in one game."
Candace Parker scored 15 points and Alexis Hornbuckle added 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists for Tennessee. Zolman, who failed to score at Duke, finished with 11 points.
Tennessee freshman Lindsey Moss was 3-for-3 from long range before she was hit in the nose and had to be helped off the court. She broke her nose earlier this month. Moss was scheduled to have x-rays Monday.
Moore, who played despite dislocating her right knee cap earlier this week, led Alabama with 26 points. Lauren Hill added 12 points.
The Lady Vols were playing at home for the first time since Jan. 12. During the road trip, Summitt reached a milestone, but the team dropped from the ranks of the undefeated and were embarrassed in a 75-53 loss at Duke. The Lady Vols are certain to fall from No. 1 when The Associated Press poll comes out Monday.
Before the game, Summitt was honored for her 900th win and presented with a basketball and bouquet of orange and white flowers. Alabama coach Stephany Smith also gave her a vase of roses.
"What a great inspiration she is to us all," Smith said.
Summitt improved to 901-174 and 36-2 against Alabama, which has lost 29 straight times to the Lady Vols.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Tennessee Lady Volunteers/Kentucky Wildcats Recap
Kentucky 66, (1) Tennessee 63
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Top-ranked Tennessee lost consecutive games for the first time in nine years when Kentucky upset the Lady Vols 66-63 on Thursday night.
Jenny Pfeiffer scored 16 points, including two free throws with 15 seconds left to put the Wildcats ahead by one. Sidney Spencer then missed a 3-pointer for Tennessee and fouled Nastassia Alcius, who hit two foul shots with 3 seconds to go for the final margin.
The Lady Vols (18-2, 4-1 Southeastern Conference), who figured to drop from the top spot anyway after their 22-point loss Monday against No. 2 Duke, will almost certainly fall farther now. Tennessee had beaten Kentucky (15-4, 4-2) 24 straight times since January 1986 and entered with a 40-5 advantage in the series.
For Pat Summitt, the all-time winningest coach in college basketball with 900 victories, the setback came at the hands of her former pupil, Kentucky coach Mickie DeMoss, a Tennessee assistant for 18 years under Summitt.
Tennessee led 63-62 when Shanna Zolman tripped, and Kentucky's Carly Ormerod came up with the loose ball. Pfeiffer drew a foul from Spencer and made both free throws.
Tennessee had not dropped consecutive games since February 1997 against LSU and Louisiana Tech. It also was the Lady Vols' first loss to an unranked team since March 2, 2002, against LSU in the SEC tournament.
For the Wildcats, it was their first win over a No. 1 team.
Summitt is 0-2 since earning her 900th career victory last week against Vanderbilt.
Freshman Candace Parker led the Lady Vols with 25 points -- one shy of a career high -- and nine rebounds. But it was her foul that sent Pfeiffer to the line for three free throws with 2:30 left. Pfeiffer made all three to tie the score at 60.
Summitt was unhappy with her team's defensive effort against Duke, but it was offense and defense alike that plagued the Lady Vols early against Kentucky.
They made only four of their first 15 shots and hit just 39 percent for the game.
Kentucky, however, shot 54 percent. The bigger Lady Vols narrowly won the rebounding battle, 33-32.
The Wildcats went on a 6-0 run midway through the first half and led by as many as six. A buzzer-beating layup by Jenn'e Jackson amid a crowd of Lady Vols gave the Wildcats a 35-30 halftime lead.
Guard Alexis Hornbuckle and center Tye'sha Fluker both started for the Lady Vols, despite lingering injuries from the Duke game. Hornbuckle sustained a bruised right kneecap while Fluker had some swelling in her left knee.
The Lady Vols were playing only their ninth road game of the season, and all have been attendance records for the host schools. On Thursday, a record 13,689 fans showed up at Rupp Arena to watch the upset.
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Top-ranked Tennessee lost consecutive games for the first time in nine years when Kentucky upset the Lady Vols 66-63 on Thursday night.
Jenny Pfeiffer scored 16 points, including two free throws with 15 seconds left to put the Wildcats ahead by one. Sidney Spencer then missed a 3-pointer for Tennessee and fouled Nastassia Alcius, who hit two foul shots with 3 seconds to go for the final margin.
The Lady Vols (18-2, 4-1 Southeastern Conference), who figured to drop from the top spot anyway after their 22-point loss Monday against No. 2 Duke, will almost certainly fall farther now. Tennessee had beaten Kentucky (15-4, 4-2) 24 straight times since January 1986 and entered with a 40-5 advantage in the series.
For Pat Summitt, the all-time winningest coach in college basketball with 900 victories, the setback came at the hands of her former pupil, Kentucky coach Mickie DeMoss, a Tennessee assistant for 18 years under Summitt.
Tennessee led 63-62 when Shanna Zolman tripped, and Kentucky's Carly Ormerod came up with the loose ball. Pfeiffer drew a foul from Spencer and made both free throws.
Tennessee had not dropped consecutive games since February 1997 against LSU and Louisiana Tech. It also was the Lady Vols' first loss to an unranked team since March 2, 2002, against LSU in the SEC tournament.
For the Wildcats, it was their first win over a No. 1 team.
Summitt is 0-2 since earning her 900th career victory last week against Vanderbilt.
Freshman Candace Parker led the Lady Vols with 25 points -- one shy of a career high -- and nine rebounds. But it was her foul that sent Pfeiffer to the line for three free throws with 2:30 left. Pfeiffer made all three to tie the score at 60.
Summitt was unhappy with her team's defensive effort against Duke, but it was offense and defense alike that plagued the Lady Vols early against Kentucky.
They made only four of their first 15 shots and hit just 39 percent for the game.
Kentucky, however, shot 54 percent. The bigger Lady Vols narrowly won the rebounding battle, 33-32.
The Wildcats went on a 6-0 run midway through the first half and led by as many as six. A buzzer-beating layup by Jenn'e Jackson amid a crowd of Lady Vols gave the Wildcats a 35-30 halftime lead.
Guard Alexis Hornbuckle and center Tye'sha Fluker both started for the Lady Vols, despite lingering injuries from the Duke game. Hornbuckle sustained a bruised right kneecap while Fluker had some swelling in her left knee.
The Lady Vols were playing only their ninth road game of the season, and all have been attendance records for the host schools. On Thursday, a record 13,689 fans showed up at Rupp Arena to watch the upset.
Q & A with Pat Summitt :: The legendary Tennessee coach takes your questions
On January 19, Pat Summitt earned her 900th victory as head coach of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers. Following that achievement, CSTV.com solicited questions from its readers for Coach Summitt to answer. After an overwhelming response, we selected some of the best that were sent in. Here are those questions, along with Coach Summitt's response.
1) In the past, the coaching staff and you sat amongst the players on the bench during games. Now the coaches all sit together at the head of the bench. Why did you change?
When I first started coaching, we sat at the head and we made the change so that we could have coaches sitting on either side with post people to the left, guards to the right. It was for communication as we didn't have the best team chemistry at the time; we wanted our assistants to be able to communicate. We changed back because I felt that we had a team that was together, on the same page and their chemistry was not a problem. We put our graduate assistants now between the players. I wanted to be closer to the court, at a lot of arenas I felt like I was at the end of the bench when I wasn't sitting at the head of it.
2) First of all, congrats on your 900th win - you rock! If Hollywood came to you and said they wanted to do a movie about your coaching success and the empire you've worked so hard to create at UT, who would you like to see play Pat Summitt and why?
Geena Davis because she plays the roles of leaders that take charge in her movies.
3) Hi Coach: You're a pioneer. Your significant accomplishments as a coach have had a major impact on women's sports, and not just basketball. What motivates you to continue coaching women's college basketball versus coaching a professional team or becoming a motivational speaker?
I love the college game, I think it's the best game going and I really have no desire to coach at the professional level. I do three to five motivational speeches a year for various corporations. That is something I may do more of when I retire from coaching.
4) Congrats on your 900th win, Coach Summitt! I am a high school coach and sometimes I find it difficult to get through to some players. I feel as if I am often rambling and not really getting my point across. Can you offer any suggestions as to how I can keep my discussions and explanations clear and to the point without boring my players? Best of luck to you and the Lady Vols for the remainder of the season!
Keep it short and simple, and use the right terminology. It's all about having your system in place. You have to make it competitive, which is my way of making it fun and challenging. Within your basketball system, develop terminology that they understand. Don't use 30 words when five are sufficient. You coach in practice to prepare to coach in a game. You don't have time for excess words in the timeout of a game.
5) The amount of success you've had in coaching transcends both gender and profession. Many times you've said that if you were not coaching, you would be a teacher. What is the passion you have for teaching? How did it develop? I think it is such a great thing you do with the time and effort you put into developing these kids into people of great character both on and off the court. The level of integrity that you yourself display and instill in these young minds is a rare find in any arena these days, especially sports. Congratulations on all your success.
My parents made education a priority for our family. If the doors were open at school, we were there. I never missed a day in 12 years. I had some great teachers along the way. One of my favorites was my first-grade teacher Ms. Davis. She was always about attention to detail and getting things right. I also had some great coaches. Ultimately, we learn from other people and we develop our own style of teaching and coaching. My goal is to teach young people the valuable life skills that my parents taught me and my avenue for doing that is basketball.
6) Obviously, you have one of the most highly recruited teams in women's college basketball history, and quite possibly in men's basketball as well. Do you see this team as the most talented and athletic one that you've ever coached? And do you feel this team has the focus and chemistry to achieve that "settle for nothing less" mentality that is Tennessee basketball?
This team is certainly one of the most talented that we've had at Tennessee. I think that this team is still growing and with the schedule that we have, I'm optimistic that by postseason they will be a very seasoned basketball team ready to make a run in the NCAAs.
7) How do you manage to balance your coaching job and being a wife and a mom?
It's all about time management and setting priorities. I'm fortunate to have great support from my husband and my son, and I also have a personal assistant that does a lot to allow me to do what I do. When I'm at work, I'm at work and when I'm at home, I try to leave the job behind. If there is a game, men's or women's on television, we do watch it. It helps tremendously that my family is into basketball - my son plays it. But during the off-season, we'll go play golf and do things as a family that don't relate to basketball.
8) If you had to pick one win that was the most important of your career, what was it?
I think the most important win in my career was the 1987 championship game. We had been to seven Final Fours and four title games before we finally won the championship. That win in Austin, Texas, got us over the hump. We knew then that we could win championships.
9) Coach Summitt, I saw the women's basketball program, which aired on CBS on Sunday. I enjoyed seeing the family side of you with your son, Tyler. You said that you wouldn't coach Tyler - has he ever said that he would like you to be his coach? I must say that if you were my mom I would definitely want you to be my coach.
I won't coach Tyler because I don't want to confuse him. I want him to listen to his high school coach. He does ask my opinion and I do work with him in the summer, or I'll go to the gym and rebound for him if he wants me to. He has said that he would like to be a coach and he would like to start his career with the Lady Vols.
10) What is the magic of the Orange? We are amazed at the loyalty it brings forth from fans all over the globe.
It's the history, aura and mystique that have been developed over time. Tennessee Orange is unique to college sports.
11) After playing both UConn and Duke with very different results, do you believe that Duke is that much better than UConn, or was this partly a great night for Duke and a poor night for Tennessee?
I think both UConn and Duke have great teams. Duke played a great game against us and their defense had a lot to do with how we played. A UConn vs. Duke game would be a terrific match-up.
12) As a Tennessee fan, but one who went to school at Duke, I was at the game Monday night. I would like to say the degree of professionalism you showed was tremendous. I was taken back by the negative cheering that the Duke students exhibited. The incident with the Wal-Mart bags was in poor taste. I know you can only be so prepared. How do you mentally prepare your team for crowd reactions such as those? The Duke crowd took the Tennessee fans out of the game very early. Why not bring your band and cheerleaders for added support?
The Duke students and fans provide a great home-court advantage for their men's and women's teams. We thought we had covered with our players the type of environment that they would go into, but we were not prepared for some of what we saw and heard.
13) How do you think Shanna Zolman will take this non-scoring game against a team like Duke?
I think Shanna will learn and grow from the Duke game. So will our team.
14) Are you happy with the way your team has improved on defense and rebounding?
No, I'm not happy with our defense and our rebounding. This has been a point of emphasis over the last five games in particular. The loss to Duke should help our focus and commitment to defense and boards.
15) What was the last year that Tennessee had their names on their jerseys?
The 2003-04 season was the last time. Prior to that, 1978 was the last time we didn't have our names on our jerseys.
16) Who is the best women's player you have ever seen? Coached?
I coached Chamique Holdsclaw and Bridgette Gordon. I was fortunate enough to coach Cheryl Miller in the 1984 Olympic team. I think those three ladies are some of the best to ever play the game.
17) What do you remember about your early years as coach at Tennessee when the players and you were about the same age?
At age 22, with my seniors that were 21 years of age, it was extremely important for me not to be a buddy but for them to see me as a professional and as a disciplinarian.
18) When did you start to realize that Tennessee basketball was Tennessee basketball, an institution in the women's game, and how did you deal with the additional pressure that brought?
The 1996 Olympics and the success of that women's basketball team and the success of women's sports in general brought a different level of recognition and awareness to all women's sports and, in particular, basketball. When we won the 1996 championship, I think that I started to realize what Tennessee had accomplished. I did not look at it as additional pressure, but as a very positive step for all of us in the game.
19) I'm dying for your Jalapeno Cornbread recipe. Pretty please with butter on it!
4 cans of shoepeg corn
1 stick of margarine or butter, your choice
1 stick of Philadelphia cream cheese
1 jar of jalapeno peppers
Directions: Put the four cans of corn in a casserole dish, melt the margarine and cream cheese in the microwave. Stir and pour over the corn. Depending on how hot you want the dish, add peppers and juice accordingly. I usually put a couple teaspoons of peppers and pour a few tablespoons of the juice. Stir and then put it in the oven on 350 for 40-45 minutes.
1) In the past, the coaching staff and you sat amongst the players on the bench during games. Now the coaches all sit together at the head of the bench. Why did you change?
When I first started coaching, we sat at the head and we made the change so that we could have coaches sitting on either side with post people to the left, guards to the right. It was for communication as we didn't have the best team chemistry at the time; we wanted our assistants to be able to communicate. We changed back because I felt that we had a team that was together, on the same page and their chemistry was not a problem. We put our graduate assistants now between the players. I wanted to be closer to the court, at a lot of arenas I felt like I was at the end of the bench when I wasn't sitting at the head of it.
2) First of all, congrats on your 900th win - you rock! If Hollywood came to you and said they wanted to do a movie about your coaching success and the empire you've worked so hard to create at UT, who would you like to see play Pat Summitt and why?
Geena Davis because she plays the roles of leaders that take charge in her movies.
3) Hi Coach: You're a pioneer. Your significant accomplishments as a coach have had a major impact on women's sports, and not just basketball. What motivates you to continue coaching women's college basketball versus coaching a professional team or becoming a motivational speaker?
I love the college game, I think it's the best game going and I really have no desire to coach at the professional level. I do three to five motivational speeches a year for various corporations. That is something I may do more of when I retire from coaching.
4) Congrats on your 900th win, Coach Summitt! I am a high school coach and sometimes I find it difficult to get through to some players. I feel as if I am often rambling and not really getting my point across. Can you offer any suggestions as to how I can keep my discussions and explanations clear and to the point without boring my players? Best of luck to you and the Lady Vols for the remainder of the season!
Keep it short and simple, and use the right terminology. It's all about having your system in place. You have to make it competitive, which is my way of making it fun and challenging. Within your basketball system, develop terminology that they understand. Don't use 30 words when five are sufficient. You coach in practice to prepare to coach in a game. You don't have time for excess words in the timeout of a game.
5) The amount of success you've had in coaching transcends both gender and profession. Many times you've said that if you were not coaching, you would be a teacher. What is the passion you have for teaching? How did it develop? I think it is such a great thing you do with the time and effort you put into developing these kids into people of great character both on and off the court. The level of integrity that you yourself display and instill in these young minds is a rare find in any arena these days, especially sports. Congratulations on all your success.
My parents made education a priority for our family. If the doors were open at school, we were there. I never missed a day in 12 years. I had some great teachers along the way. One of my favorites was my first-grade teacher Ms. Davis. She was always about attention to detail and getting things right. I also had some great coaches. Ultimately, we learn from other people and we develop our own style of teaching and coaching. My goal is to teach young people the valuable life skills that my parents taught me and my avenue for doing that is basketball.
6) Obviously, you have one of the most highly recruited teams in women's college basketball history, and quite possibly in men's basketball as well. Do you see this team as the most talented and athletic one that you've ever coached? And do you feel this team has the focus and chemistry to achieve that "settle for nothing less" mentality that is Tennessee basketball?
This team is certainly one of the most talented that we've had at Tennessee. I think that this team is still growing and with the schedule that we have, I'm optimistic that by postseason they will be a very seasoned basketball team ready to make a run in the NCAAs.
7) How do you manage to balance your coaching job and being a wife and a mom?
It's all about time management and setting priorities. I'm fortunate to have great support from my husband and my son, and I also have a personal assistant that does a lot to allow me to do what I do. When I'm at work, I'm at work and when I'm at home, I try to leave the job behind. If there is a game, men's or women's on television, we do watch it. It helps tremendously that my family is into basketball - my son plays it. But during the off-season, we'll go play golf and do things as a family that don't relate to basketball.
8) If you had to pick one win that was the most important of your career, what was it?
I think the most important win in my career was the 1987 championship game. We had been to seven Final Fours and four title games before we finally won the championship. That win in Austin, Texas, got us over the hump. We knew then that we could win championships.
9) Coach Summitt, I saw the women's basketball program, which aired on CBS on Sunday. I enjoyed seeing the family side of you with your son, Tyler. You said that you wouldn't coach Tyler - has he ever said that he would like you to be his coach? I must say that if you were my mom I would definitely want you to be my coach.
I won't coach Tyler because I don't want to confuse him. I want him to listen to his high school coach. He does ask my opinion and I do work with him in the summer, or I'll go to the gym and rebound for him if he wants me to. He has said that he would like to be a coach and he would like to start his career with the Lady Vols.
10) What is the magic of the Orange? We are amazed at the loyalty it brings forth from fans all over the globe.
It's the history, aura and mystique that have been developed over time. Tennessee Orange is unique to college sports.
11) After playing both UConn and Duke with very different results, do you believe that Duke is that much better than UConn, or was this partly a great night for Duke and a poor night for Tennessee?
I think both UConn and Duke have great teams. Duke played a great game against us and their defense had a lot to do with how we played. A UConn vs. Duke game would be a terrific match-up.
12) As a Tennessee fan, but one who went to school at Duke, I was at the game Monday night. I would like to say the degree of professionalism you showed was tremendous. I was taken back by the negative cheering that the Duke students exhibited. The incident with the Wal-Mart bags was in poor taste. I know you can only be so prepared. How do you mentally prepare your team for crowd reactions such as those? The Duke crowd took the Tennessee fans out of the game very early. Why not bring your band and cheerleaders for added support?
The Duke students and fans provide a great home-court advantage for their men's and women's teams. We thought we had covered with our players the type of environment that they would go into, but we were not prepared for some of what we saw and heard.
13) How do you think Shanna Zolman will take this non-scoring game against a team like Duke?
I think Shanna will learn and grow from the Duke game. So will our team.
14) Are you happy with the way your team has improved on defense and rebounding?
No, I'm not happy with our defense and our rebounding. This has been a point of emphasis over the last five games in particular. The loss to Duke should help our focus and commitment to defense and boards.
15) What was the last year that Tennessee had their names on their jerseys?
The 2003-04 season was the last time. Prior to that, 1978 was the last time we didn't have our names on our jerseys.
16) Who is the best women's player you have ever seen? Coached?
I coached Chamique Holdsclaw and Bridgette Gordon. I was fortunate enough to coach Cheryl Miller in the 1984 Olympic team. I think those three ladies are some of the best to ever play the game.
17) What do you remember about your early years as coach at Tennessee when the players and you were about the same age?
At age 22, with my seniors that were 21 years of age, it was extremely important for me not to be a buddy but for them to see me as a professional and as a disciplinarian.
18) When did you start to realize that Tennessee basketball was Tennessee basketball, an institution in the women's game, and how did you deal with the additional pressure that brought?
The 1996 Olympics and the success of that women's basketball team and the success of women's sports in general brought a different level of recognition and awareness to all women's sports and, in particular, basketball. When we won the 1996 championship, I think that I started to realize what Tennessee had accomplished. I did not look at it as additional pressure, but as a very positive step for all of us in the game.
19) I'm dying for your Jalapeno Cornbread recipe. Pretty please with butter on it!
4 cans of shoepeg corn
1 stick of margarine or butter, your choice
1 stick of Philadelphia cream cheese
1 jar of jalapeno peppers
Directions: Put the four cans of corn in a casserole dish, melt the margarine and cream cheese in the microwave. Stir and pour over the corn. Depending on how hot you want the dish, add peppers and juice accordingly. I usually put a couple teaspoons of peppers and pour a few tablespoons of the juice. Stir and then put it in the oven on 350 for 40-45 minutes.
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