University of Tennessee Athletics
NO. 2 LADY VOLS WIN OT THRILLER AGAINST NO. 6 STANFORD
December 14, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Dec 14, 2003
By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Sports Writer
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Once Tennessee finally figured out how to fluster Nicole Powell, the Lady Vols began a remarkable rally.
Shanna Zolman scored five of her 18 points in overtime, and the second-ranked Lady Vols survived for a thrilling 70-66 victory Sunday over No. 6 Stanford in a game of two unbeaten women's teams.
Powell had 32 points - five shy of her career high - and 16 rebounds, but was 7-for-25 after halftime. The senior forward and All-America candidate missed a shot under pressure just before the buzzer at the end of regulation and a 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 11 seconds left in overtime that would have tied the game.
Shyra Ely and Ashley Robinson added 16 points apiece for Tennessee (5-0), which earned its second comeback victory in four days despite its poor shooting. Stanford (6-1), which shot 56.5 percent in the first half, had 20 turnovers and allowed 17 offensive rebounds.
Tennessee's LaToya Davis forced the extra period when she stole the ball at midcourt from Kelley Suminski and tied the game at 56 with 20 seconds left. Then Powell went the length of the court, but missed.
Moments earlier, Tennessee's Loree Moore was whistled for an offensive foul with 32 seconds left, her fifth; yet another chance on which Stanford didn't capitalize.
It was the third overtime game in the history of this series, led 15-4 by the Lady Vols.
Many scouts and former Stanford stars were among a sellout crowd of 7,391. Even the official NCAA mascot and Santa made it to this one, and saw Tennessee shoot an uncharacteristic 23.5 percent (8-of-34) in the first half and trail by as many as 14 points.
Stanford went cold on offense and made some poor passes late in the game to allow the Lady Vols back in it. After a turnover by Suminski, Moore's basket on the other end pulled Tennessee to 56-52 with 3:13 left before Stanford called a timeout.
Ely scored with 2:04 left to make it 56-54, and Tennessee went to its stingy full-court defense.
Stanford has been stuck at No. 6 in the poll for about a year and hoped this would be the opportunity to move up. Last season, the Cardinal beat then-No. 2 Kansas State without Powell at Maples Pavilion, where Stanford had won 26 straight before losing to Minnesota in the second round of the NCAA tournament last March.
The Lady Vols received their first real test Thursday, when they resorted to trash talking in a come-from-behind 59-49 win over Rutgers after trailing by as many as six points in the second half.
Tennessee beat Stanford 71-56 last season at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, and hasn't lost at Maples since a 90-72 defeat on Dec. 16, 1995.
Both teams were sloppy early, combining for nine turnovers in the first 4:20.
