University of Tennessee Athletics
LADY VOLS HAND LOUISIANA TECH WORST HOME LOSS, 60-35
December 04, 2002 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 4, 2002
RUSTON, La. (AP) Fourth-ranked Tennessee only shot 40 percent, but that was good enough because the Vols held No. 15 Louisiana Tech to a program low for points scored.
The Volunteers, led by Gwen Jackson and Tasha Butts with 12 points apiece, beat the Techsters 60-35 Wednesday night.
"We started off great and executed our game plan," Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said. "And our interior defense was really good."
Tennessee (6-1) handed Louisiana Tech (2-2) its first loss at home in 22 games. Trina Frierson had 12 points for Louisiana Tech - whose previous low was 44 points against Tennessee in the 1986-87 season.
It was the home debut for Kurt Budke, who this season replaced Leon Barmore as the Techsters' coach.
"If you had told me before the game that we would force 26 turnovers and hold them to 60 points, I would have thought we would beat them," Budke said. "We've got to find a way to score some more points."
Tech's worst previous loss at home was Tennessee's 19-point, 92-73 victory Nov. 30, 1998.
The Volunteers held the Techsters to 20-percent shooting. Tech made only 1-of-9 from 3-point range and was outrebounded 55-36.
Tennessee shot only 40 percent, but made six of 13 3-pointers. Kara Lawson and Shana Zolman added 11 points each for the Vols, and Ashley Robinson grabbed 12 rebounds.
"One of the keys was to get off to a fast start and take the crowd out of it," Lawson said. "The quick start fueled the defense for us."
Amisha Carter added 10 points for Louisiana Tech, which trailed 41-14 at halftime.
The Techsters, who have eight new players, including five freshmen, immediately showed their youth against the Vols. The Techsters shot only 15 percent in the first half (6-of-39) and missed all six of their free throws.
"It's very frustrating to make those shots any other day and they just didn't go down tonight," Frierson said.
Even the experienced Tech players had trouble against Tennessee. Cheryl Ford, the Western Athletic Conference player of the year last season, was just 1-of-9 from the field. She had seven rebounds.
"You're not going to beat a team when you shot 15 percent in the first half," Budke said.
Tech and Tennessee are the winningest teams in women's college basketball, and the only two teams to participate in all 21 NCAA tournaments.
The Techster program is 296-18 at home, but Louisiana Tech hasn't beaten Tennessee in Ruston since the 1996-97 season.
