University of Tennessee Athletics
LADY VOLS HOST PENN STATE IN SWEET SIXTEEN MATCHUP
March 27, 2003 | Women's Basketball
March 27, 2003
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Tennessee (30-4, 14-0 SEC) vs. Penn State (26-8, 13-3 Big 10)
RADIO TV RANKINGS THE COACHES: Virginia
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PROBABLE UT STARTERS 13- GWEN JACKSON, F, 6-2, Sr., 15.5 ppg, 5.5rpg UT RESERVES 4- LATOYA DAVIS, F, 6-0, Jr., 2.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg THE GAME The #4-ranked and top-seeded Tennessee Lady Vols (30-4) advance to the Sweet 16 for an incredible 22nd consecutive time in the NCAA Tournament taking on 15/16th-ranked and 4th-seeded Penn State (26-8) in an NCAA Mideast Regional semifinal contest on March 29th, in Thompson-Boling Arena. The winner from the UT-PSU game will face the winner of the Villanova-Colorado game on Mon., Mar. 31 at 7:30 p.m. for the right to advance to the Final Four. IN OUR LAST GAME Top-seeded Tennessee advanced to the "Sweet 16" of the NCAA Tournament for the 22nd consecutive season with a convincing 81-51 rout of the eighth-seeded Virginia Cavaliers in second round action at the Thompson-Boling Arena on Mar. 24, 2003. With the win, UT (30-4 overall) posted 30 wins in a single season for the 13th time in Lady Vol history and now advances to face the fourth-seeded Penn State Lady Lions in the Mideast Regional semifinals to be held in Knoxville on Sat., March 29. UT was led in scoring for the second straight tournament contest by sophomore Shyra Ely who had a team-high 17 points and nine rebounds. Gwen Jackson and Loree Moore each totaled 13 points, while Kara Lawson hit for 11 tallies and freshman Shanna Zolman rang up 10. In both NCAA Tournament games, UT has held its opponent under 28% shooting as the Lady Vols allowed the Cavaliers to hit at a 27.4% clip on 17-of-62 from the floor. Tennessee forced 23 UVA turnovers, nabbed 11 steals, dished 14 assists and won the second half 48-27, despite being outrebounded for the game 42-41. For the second straight contest UT came out with a lot of energy as Ely provided a spark in scoring nine of UT's first 14 points as the Lady Vols roared to a quick 14-3 advantage. A Liz Sahin three drew UVA back within six, but another Ely bucket and a Zolman 17-footer extended UT's lead to 19-8 with 10:02 to play. Virginia showed it was here to battle, as a 14-6 spurt by UVA closed the deficit to only three points at 25-22. However, four free throws and buckets from Tasha Butts and Brittany Jackson highlighted an 8-0 spurt as Tennessee went to the break up 33-24. The Cavaliers stayed close early in the second half at 50-38 with 10:45 remaining, but a 22-5 run sparked by two threes from Zolman and a trey from Brittany Jackson helped UT to a commanding 72-43 lead with only 4:41 to play. From there it was free throws down the stretch as Tennessee closed out the 30-point win and its 42nd-consecutive NCAA Tournament victory in Knoxville. NEXT OPPONENT - SURVIVE AND ADVANCE If the Lady Vols are successful with a win over Penn St., they would advance to the Elite 8 for the 18th time in 22 attempts in NCAA play. LADY VOLS ON TV Twenty-three Lady Vol games have been on television this year with UT sporting a 19-4 record. Upcoming games on TV include the NCAA Tournament (ESPN and ESPN2). ON THIS DAY Tennessee is 4-2 in their history when playing on March 29. The Lady Vols are 0-0 at home, 0-0 on the road, and 4-2 on neutral courts. Last time out on the 29th, the Lady Vols were defeated by UConn, 79-56, in the NCAA Final Four semis in 2002. LOOKING BACK Last year at this time, the Lady Vols were 28-5, and preparing to play #1Connecticut in the NCAA Final Four semis in San Antonio. LADY VOL WEEKLY GAMES, RECORD,POLLS
2002-03 WON-LOSS DIFFERENTIAL Wins: +110 (1), +52 (2), +43 (2), +41 (1), +39 (1), +35 (1), +32 (1), +30 (1), + 28 (1), +27 (1), +26 (1), +25 (1), +22 (1), +20 (1), +19 (2), + 16 (1), +15 (3), +14(3), +13 (1), +9 (1), +3 (2), +1 (1) 2002-03 TENNESSEE LADY VOL LINE-UP COMBINATIONS During the 2002-03 season, Tennessee has used three starting lineups --
WE THREE Seniors Kara Lawson and Gwen Jackson and sophomore guard Loree Moore have played and started in all 34 games for the Lady Vols this season. OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER In all games, this is how Tennessee has shot from the field: 60%: Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (.663), 50%FG: Vanderbilt2 (.580), Saint Louis (.569), ODU (.563), Vandy1 (.558), Kentucky (.547), GWU (.542), Georgia (.541), S.Carolina (.531), Arkansas (.526), Florida1 (.521), Ala. St. (.508), 40%FG:Army (.493), USC (.484) Virginia (.475), DePaul (.471), LSU (.467),Oklahoma (.459), Auburn1 (.456), TCU (.452), Alabama (.438), Florida2 (.433), Stanford (.433), Miss. St. (.429), LaTech (.400), 30%FG: Ole Miss (.392), Miss. St.2 (.388), LSU2 (.375), Texas (.357), Auburn3 (.354), Notre Dame and Connecticut (.353), Auburn2 (.352), Duke (.316) DEEE ----- FENSE In all games, this is how the opposition has shot from the field: 50%FG: South Carolina (.545), LSU2 (.500), Vandy1 (.500) 40%FG: Miss. St.2 (.475), Duke (.453), TCU (.444), Vanderbilt2 (.436), Auburn1 (.433), Arkansas (.422), Connecticut (.418), LSU (.415), DePaul (.415), Texas (.403); 30%FG: Miss. St. (.391), Kentucky (.390), GWU (.375), ODU (.373), Stanford (.367), Auburn2 (.339), Auburn3 (.333), Florida1 (.328), Army (.320), Oklahoma (.314), Georgia (.308), Notre Dame (.306), Saint Louis (.302); 20%FG: USC (.286), Virginia (.274), Alabama (.262), Ole Miss (.259), Ala. St. (.243), Florida2 (.213), La Tech (.200), UPRM (.200).
LADY VOLS IN ALL-TIME NCAA REGIONALS
2003 NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTEBOOK GAME REPORT 35 & POSSIBLE GAME 36 (For extensive UT game notes on each of the NCAA Mideast Regional teams - Penn State, Colorado and Villanova, please refer to the additional notes section). IF YOU SURVIVE AND ADVANCE, - YOU'RE THREE HOURS AWAY FROM ATLANTA The six-time NCAA Champion Tennessee Lady Vols have advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 22nd consecutive time. On Sat., Mar. 29 at 2:30 p.m. (ESPN) Tennessee faces #15/16 Penn State in a Sweet 16 match-up hoping to advance to the Mideast Regional Championship game on Mar. 31 in Knoxville, Tenn., versus the Colorado or Villanova winner.
NO PRESSURE BUT. . .EVERY LADY VOL HAS PLAYED IN ONE Every Lady Vol hoopster (since 1976) has played in at least one Final Four during her career at Tennessee. Lady Vol seniors Kara Lawson and Gwen Jackson have gone to two Final Fours during their careers at UT -- the 2000 Final Four in Philadelphia, Pa., (losing to UConn in the Championship game and the 2002 Final Four in San Antonio, Texas, losing to Connecticut in semifinal play. GETTING TO THE ROUND OF 16 SURE IS SWEET The Lady Vols have been fortunate to advance to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament for 22 consecutive years. Additionally, Tennessee has made it to the regional finals in 17 of the last 21 trips to the Sweet Sixteen. The Lady Vols did not advance to the regional finals in 1985 (losing to Ole Miss, 63-60), in 1992 (losing to Western Kentucky, 75-70), in 1994 (losing to Louisiana Tech, 71-68) and in 2001 after a devastating loss to Xavier, 80-65. SOME FAMILIAR FACES The Tennessee Lady Vols see some familiar faces among the 15 other teams remaining in the 2003 NCAA Tournament as UT took on seven of the these teams in eight games this season. UT posted a 4-4 overall record taking wins from then-#15/13 Louisiana Tech A, #12 Notre Dame (77-61) N, #13/16 Georgia (87-60) H, and #4 LSU (68-65) A. Tennessee's four losses were to then-#1 Duke (55-76) N, #22/21 Texas (62-63) A, #2/3 Connecticut (62-63 OT) A and #6/5 LSU (62-78). SWEET 16 RANDOM NOTES
TENNESSEE'S AVERAGE SCORE IN THE SWEET 16 In 21 all-time games in the Sweet 16, the Lady Vols average 74.3 ppg and give up 62.7 ppg to the opposition for a winning differential of +11.6. The four times Tennessee lost a Sweet 16 game, UT averaged just 65.8 ppg while the opponents tallied 72.2 ppg giving the Lady Vols a losing average of -6.4. In five Sweet 16 games played in Knoxville, the Lady Vols stayed pretty close to their overall winning average, outscoring the visitors 72.8 while holding them to just 61.0 ppg for an +11.8 winning margin. TENNESSEE'S AVERAGE SCORE IN THE ELITE 8 Known as the toughest 40 minutes in collegiate basketball, in 17 all-time games in the Elite 8, the Lady Vols average 72.7 ppg and give up 67.5 ppg to the opposition for a winning differential of just +5.2. The four times Tennessee lost an Elite 8 game, UT averaged just 64.3 ppg while the opponents tallied 71.7 ppg giving the Lady Vols a losing average of -7.4. In five Elite 8 games played in Knoxville, the Lady Vols doubled their overall winning average, outscoring the visitors 78.0 while holding them to 67.2 ppg for a +10.8 winning margin. ALL-TIME LIST OF OPPONENTS IN NCAA PLAY
WE SEE VIRGINIA ALL THE TIME IN THE NCAA'S Tennessee has played 92 games against 55 teams in the NCAA Tournament all-time and the foe UT is most likely to see are the Virginia Cavaliers. The Lady Vols have battled nine times against the Cavaliers and posted an 8-1 record. UT has played 16 teams more than once in the NCAA tournament - and single games against 39 teams. 2003 NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTEBOOK FAST TURNAROUND - IT'S A CRAZY WEEK While Tennessee and Colorado advanced to the Sweet 16 on Mon., Mar. 24, Penn State and Villanova had to wait until the completion of their games on Tues., Mar. 25 to see if Knoxville was included on their travel plans for the week. Last time we saw you guys: UT and Penn State were in opposite sides of the bracket for the 2000 Final Four in Philadelphia, Pa., where both teams had their seasons ended by Connecticut. The last time UT faced PSU was in the finals of the 1995 Kona Classic in Hawaii taking a 79-67 decision from the Nittany Lions. Prior to the game that morning, Debby Jennings, UT Assoc. AD for Media Relations, hooked an eight-foot stripped Blue Marlin weighing in at 119 lbs. The Blue Marlin, nicknamed "Damit" (for obvious reasons) resides in Jennings' game room. The last meeting with Colorado was in the 1997 NCAA Sweet 16 in Iowa City, Iowa. UT was hanging tough despite a 10-loss season chronicled in the HBO documentary, "The Cinderella Season." The #10-ranked Lady Vols dispatched the #18-ranked Colorado Buffaloes, 75-67, in the semifinals. UT would later upset undefeated and #1 UConn in the Mideast Championship game, 91-81. Two wins later, in Cincinnati, Tennessee was crowned the 1997 NCAA Champs. While Tennessee has never faced Villanova, the coaching staffs have become fast friends this season. This past summer, UT coach Pat Summitt spent time with Villanova coach Harry Perretta. Specifically, Summitt wanted advice on implementing Perretta's motion offense at UT. During the Fall, Perretta and his staff visited Knoxville. If Tennessee and Villanova advance, Monday night in Knoxville could be very interesting.
LAND OF THE RANKED Three of the four teams in the 2003 NCAA Mideast Regionals are currently ranked in the Associated Press and USA TODAY/ESPN/ WBCA polls. Tennessee is ranked #4/4, Villanova is #11/12 and Penn State is #15/16. Colorado is the only unranked team in Knoxville. When the 2002-03 preseason polls came out in early November, Tennessee (#2/2) and Penn State (#14/14) were ranked. Tennessee's highest ranking of the season was #2, while Penn State rose as high as #11 in the AP Poll (Dec. 2 & 10 polls) and #12 in the USA TODAY/ESPN/WBCA polls (Dec. 2, 10 and Feb.9). Villanova and Colorado debuted in the AP poll together on Dec. 31 in the 24thand 25th spots, respectively. Colorado rose as high as 23rd in the AP poll on Jan. 7 and 24th in the USA TODAY/ESPN/WBCA poll on the same day. That would be the Buffaloes last ranking of the season. Villanova, meanwhile, achieved it's highest season rankings in both of the March 17 polls with a #11 rating in AP and a #12 placing in the USA TODAY/ESPN/WBCA poll. DANCE ALL YOU WANT BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO GO TO CLASS The Tennessee Lady Vols really enjoy playing the 2003 NCAA Mideast Regionals in Knoxville - don't get them wrong. However, since they are playing at home, the NCAA mandates that they still must go to class. Therefore, a little tweaking had to be done to the practice/press conference schedule on Fri., Mar. 28 by UT Tournament Manager Donna Thomas, who also is the Lady Vols' compliance guru and senior associate athletics director. ADVANCING FROM THE VOLUNTEER STATE Through the years, the Tennessee Lady Vols have been fortunate to play in seven NCAA Regional Tournaments in the state of Tennessee advancing to seven Final Four Championships in 1982 (Knoxville), 1984 (Knoxville), 1987 (Knoxville), 1991 (Knoxville), 1995 (Knoxville), 1998 (Nashville) and 2000 (Memphis). CURRENT LADY VOL CAREER STATS VS. RANKED TEAMS Kara Lawson is just a trey away from scoring her 1000th career point against a ranked team. During Lawson's four years, she has faced 75 ranked opponents in 139 games. Sophomore Loree Moore needs just two thefts to tally 100 steals - to date she has played 37 ranked teams out of a possible 68 opponents.
SEC IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
(ALL TIMES EASTERN)
2003 NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTEBOOK SUMMITT'S NCAA RECORD Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt has coached in 980 basketball games to date producing an incredible 818-162 (.835) overall record. What's even more amazing (at least to me) is that she has nearly coached in 100 NCAA Tournament games --- her record in the NCAA's, 77-15 (.840) in 92 NCAA contests. Just as an FYI, Dean Smith (North Carolina) leads the men's side of things in the NCAAs recording 65 NCAA wins from 1967-97. Summitt has appeared in all 22 (consecutive) NCAA Tournaments, while Smith appeared in 23 consecutive tournies from 1975-97. TENNESSEE'S FACED A LOT OF BIG SCORERS IN 2003 When Penn State rolls into Knoxville this weekend, in tow will be phenomenal scorer Kelly Mazzante. The 6'0" junior sharpshooter is averaging 24.3 ppg. This season, the Lady Vols have faced a little difficulty when it's come down to shutting down/limiting a deadly scorer. The bad news: Alana Beard (Duke) tagged UT for 22 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and five steals; Diana Taurasi (UConn) tossed in 25 points against UT -- she connected on 53% from the field, 57% from treyville and tallied four blocked shots; Jocelyn Penn (South Carolina) was the nation's top scorer when the two teams met as Penn struggled to 69% from the field (11-16) en route to 26 points; SEC "big ballers" LaToya Thomas (Mississippi State) and Chantelle Anderson (Vandy) had highlight film games against the Lady Vols. Thomas tallied a tame 28 points in game one and unloaded 34 points in game two this season, while Anderson tossed in 21 points in game one and erupted for 35 points in the second meeting. The good news? UT went 5-2 in these games. Also Tennessee's defense did contain some marquis players this season - freshman All-American Seimone Augustus tallied 12 points in each game versus UT; Ugo Oha (George Washington) managed just 14 points, Cheryl Ford (La Tech) was held to four points on 11% FG, inside force Ebony Hoffman (Southern Cal) connected for 10 points and Alicia Ratay (Notre Dame) was held to single digits, just five points on 13% shooting. LAST TIME THERE WAS U.S. WAR INVOLVEMENT IN THE GULF It was 1991 and current Tennessee assistant coach Nikki Caldwell was a Lady Vol rookie. The U.S. involvement in the war -Desert Storm-- started on Jan. 16 with the bombing - it was the night Tennessee defeated Florida in overtime, 71-70, in Gainesville. The post-game press conference took a backseat as players and coaches were huddled around the TV in the media room watching CNN. Earlier that season, the Lady Vol players and coaches (dressed in fatigues) had posed for a poster complete with Huey and Cobra helicopters, a humvee and M-60 tank. The theme? "From One Volunteer To Another." The posters were distributed at Christmastime to the troops deployed from Tennessee. As it would turn out, Tennessee won the 1991 NCAA Championship in New Orleans after defeating Virginia in the first overtime championship game, 70-67 on Mar. 31, 1991. Tennessee's trip to the White House that Spring was the second of two junkets for White House meetings with then-President George H.W. Bush. THIRTYSOMETHING With the win over Virginia, Tennessee collected its 13th all-time 30-win season in Pat Summitt's 29- years at the helm. The previous 30-win years:
THE YIPS OF MARCH The Lady Vols were a little wary when March 22 & 24 were announced as the dates for the NCAA First and Second rounds and March 29 and 31 were selected as the Mideast Regionals. In recent history, those calendar days have been a little shaky for Lady Vol basketball. UT's last game on March 22 produced a heart-breaking 69-63 loss to Duke in the 1999 NCAA East Regional final. The loss denied the Chamique Holdsclaw-led Lady Vols a possible fourth NCAA title in a row. On March 24, the Lady Vols were bounced out of the Sweet Sixteen after a 80-65 shocker at the hands of Xavier. Last time out on the 29th, the Lady Vols were defeated by UConn, 79-56, in the NCAA Final Four semis in 2002. The salvageable good news? UT is 4-0 on March 31. RANKED TEAMS -- MIDEAST In the AP and USA TODAY/ESPN polls, five teams from the 2003 NCAA Mideast Regional are ranked led by fourth-ranked Tennessee. The next highest ranked team is North Carolina (#11/10), and is followed by Penn State (#15/16), South Carolina (#16/13), and Villanova (#18/14). 2003 NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTEBOOK 2003 NCAA TOURNEY TIME IN TENNESSEE The Lady Vols head into the postseason for the 28th time in coach Pat Summitt's 29-year career at Tennessee. UT began the 2003 NCAA Tournament hosting First and Second Round action at Thompson-Boling Arena on March 22 & 24. On March 22, Tennessee defeated Alabama State, 95-43 while Virginia handled Illinois, 72-56. Tennessee then defeated Virginia, 81-51, to advance to the Mideast Regional Championship in Knoxville, Tenn., on Mar. 29 & 31. UT's first opponent on Mar. 29 will be Penn State. GOING TO THE MIDEAST The Lady Vols have been placed in the Mideast bracket of the NCAA Tournament for the 15th time in 22 trips to the Big Dance. Fourteen times previously, the Lady Vols were placed in the Mideast Regional and advanced to the Final Four eight times -- in 1982, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1991, 1995, 1998 and 2000. Tennessee advanced to the Final Four from the Midwest in 1997 (claiming the NCAA title in Cincinnati, Ohio), and in 2002 where the team lost to UConn in the Semis. Tennessee has been placed in the East Regional bracket five times (1988, 1989, 1990, 1996 and 1999) and advanced to the Final Four on three occasions 1988, 1989 and 1996.
HOW WE'VE FARED VS. THE 2003 MIDEAST BRACKET Tennessee has faced five teams in the 2003 NCAA Mideast bracket this season and posted a 5-0 record. The Lady Vols defeated Virginia, 81-51, Alabama State 95-43, #15/14 South Carolina (97-78), #21 George Washington (83-61) and #22 Oklahoma (94-68). (rankings at time game was played) GET OUTTA HERE Tennessee has won 42 consecutive NCAA play-off games at home since 1982 (32-0 in NCAA First/Second Rounds and 10-0 in five NCAA Mideast Regionals hosted in Knoxville. When you add in the AIAW years, Tennessee has won 48 consecutive (since Mar. 15, 1980) post-season AIAW/NCAA games at home. Overall, UT has won 50 out of 51 games in Knoxville since Mar. 10, 1979. UT's only loss in post-season play at home was a 74-72 AIAW Region II defeat to Old Dominion on Mar. 10, 1979. That year, the winner of the Region II Tournament was given the higher seed in the AIAW Regional Championship Tournament (Sweet 16) while the loser was sent to a tougher regional bracket. As the Region II winner, Old Dominion traveled to Tennessee Tech for the AIAW South Regional while Tennessee earned a trip to the Bronx, N.Y. (Fordham Univ.) for the East Regional. Both ODU and Tennessee advanced to the AIAW "Final Four" in Greensboro, N.C. that year. KNOXVILLE'S NOT FRIENDLY TO THE OPPOSITION The average score of an NCAA first/second round game against the Lady Vols in Knoxville does not bode well for the opposition. The Lady Vols defeat its NCAA Tournament opponents in Knoxville by an average score of 89.5-52.1 - or an average victory margin of 37.8 ppg. THESE SEEDS GREW Tennessee has played in an incredible 92 games in the NCAA Tournament since 1982. Six times the Lady Vols have brought home NCAA titles to Knoxville. On the 15 occasions when UT lost in the tournament, the following seeds bounced the Lady Vols out. #1 seed-1982, 1984, 1986, 1995, 2000, 2002
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT YOU GUYS IN KNOXVILLE? The University of Tennessee played host to Alabama State, Illinois, and Virginia in the first two rounds of the 2003 NCAA Tournament. While Alabama State had no previous playing history with Tennessee (before UT tagged a 95-43 first round loss on the Hornets), the Lady Vols are very familiar with Virginia and Illinois. UT has now played the Cavaliers 12 times in the history of the two schools with just two meetings coming in the regular season. UT and UVA squared-off for the 1991 NCAA title, won by Tennessee in overtime, 70-67. The previous season, Virginia claimed its only win in the series with a 79-75 OT victory preventing the Lady Vols from playing for the 1990 NCAA title on their home floor. UT and Illinois have met seven times with the meetings occurring in just three venues - Knoxville (three times), Champaign-Urbana (twice) and in Hawaii (twice). The most recent meeting in Hawaii produced the first live televised dunk (Oxygen Network) in women's basketball as Michelle Snow threw one down on the Illini on Nov. 25, 2000. HOW WE STARTED THE MIDEAST MATCHUPS Joining #1 Tennessee (29-4), #16 Alabama State (20-11), #8 Virginia (17-13) and #9 Illinois (17-12) in the 2003 NCAA Mideast Regional is #2 seed Villanova (26-5) who defeated #15 seed St. Francis (23-8), 51-36; #7 seed George Washington (25-6) who defeated #10 Oklahoma (19-13), 71-61; #3 seed North Carolina (28-5) who defeated #14 Austin Peay (27-4), 72-70; #4 seed Penn State (25-8) who defeated #13 seed Holy Cross (24-8), 64-33; #5 seed South Carolina (23-7) defeated #12 seed Chattanooga (26-5), 68-54, and #6 seed Colorado (23-7) who defeated #11 seed BYU (22-8), 84-45. AGAINST THE 2003 TOURNAMENT FIELD Tennessee has faced in 19 teams in 22 games from the 63-team (plus UT) NCAA bracket. Overall, the Lady Vols have turned in a 18-4 record. UT has beaten: Oklahoma (94-68), George Washington (83-61), Louisiana Tech (60-35), Stanford (71-56), Notre Dame (77-61), Old Dominion (91-63), DePaul (76-57), South Carolina (97-78), Mississippi State (82-68 and 76-75), Arkansas (92-79), Vanderbilt (81-67 and 91-71), TCU (86-72), Georgia (87-60), LSU (68-65) Alabama St. (95-43) and Virginia (81-51). The Lady Vols' four losses have come against Connecticut (62-63 OT), Duke (55-76), Texas (62-63) and LSU (62-78). UT GETS THE POINT The Lady Vols turned in their highest point total ever in the NCAA Tournament scoring 113 versus Appalachian State in First Round action on Mar. 13, 1999. Previously, Tennessee had scored 111 points against North Carolina A&T on Mar.16, 1994 in NCAA opening round play. UT's 113 points against ASU is the fifth most ever scored in NCAA First/Second Round action. SEVEN SEC TEAMS DANCE The Southeastern Conference had seven teams start to dance in March. At the present, three are left - UT, LSU and Georgia. In the Mideast Regional was Tennessee and South Carolina; the West Regional featured LSU and Arkansas, Vanderbilt traveled to the East Regional, while Georgia and Mississippi State went to the Midwest Regional. All advanced to Second Round play. UT'S NCAA OT GAMES UT has played in five overtime games in the NCAA Tournament producing a 4-1 record including two overtime wins in the Final Four. UT defeated Southern Cal, 91-90, in the first overtime game in NCAA tourney history. UT advanced to the NCAAs first Final Four in 1982 from that overtime affair. The Lady Vols played in the first triple OT in NCAA history when UT defeated Ole Miss, 90-83, in 1983. In UT's most heartbreaking loss in the program's history, Virginia defeated UT, 79-75 in OT, for the 1990 NCAA East Regional title. That loss kept the Lady Vols from playing in the 1990 Final Four on its home court - Thompson-Boling Arena. In 1991, the Lady Vols returned the overtime favor to Virginia and defeated the Cavaliers in the first overtime NCAA title game, 70-67. Tennessee's last extra stanza game in the NCAA Tournament came at the 1996 Final Four with a dramatic, 88-83, victory over Connecticut in the Final Four Semi game. 2003 NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTEBOOK BREAKING DOWN THE MIDEAST BRACKET- HOW WE'VE FARED ALL-TIME Of the other 15 teams in the Mideast bracket, Tennessee has faced 12 schools all-time. Against all teams in the Mideast bracket, UT has a 99-12 record all-time. In the most recent games against these teams, the Lady Vols posted wins over every team. Interestingly enough, seven of the most recent meetings with these teams came in the NCAA Tournament.
LAST DANCE FOR DEMOSS AT TENNESSEE One day after the NCAA bracket was announced, longtime Lady Vol assistant coach Mickie DeMoss was introduced as the new head coach at SEC rival Kentucky. DeMoss, who has been an integral member of the coaching staff since 1985, assisted the Lady Vols to all six NCAA titles along with fellow assistant Holly Warlick and head coach Pat Summitt. "We are very excited to hire the top assistant coach from the most outstanding program in women's basketball history," said UK AD Mitch Barnhart. "Having watched her coach for several years, I already was well aware of her coaching acumen and dynamic personality. I feel that Mickie is the best choice to lead our women's basketball program into national prominence." "The timing was just perfect. It's a time in my career when I am ready for a new challenge to have my own program move forward. When Kentucky presented this opportunity it was a very good fit. Again, the commitment is there and it's time for Kentucky to go on the national scene in women's basketball," said DeMoss. DeMoss has 26 years of collegiate coaching experience that began in 1977 as an assistant at Memphis State. After receiving her master's degree in education, she went on to become the first full-time coach for women's basketball at Florida from 1979-83. She compiled a 45-68 overall record with the Lady Gators before leaving to join the nationally ranked Auburn Tigers under the direction of Joe Ciampi. Two years later DeMoss was hired by Pat Summitt as the top assistant at Tennessee and has become one of the most highly visible assistant coaches in the game. Under DeMoss' tutelage, the Lady Volunteers have compiled an impressive 549-76 (.878) record, an unprecedented six NCAA championship titles and 11 Final Four appearances. "Obviously we are very excited for Mickie to have this opportunity," Summitt said. "She's been very comfortable here at Tennessee and she always said if the right situation came along she would look at it. I think Kentucky is a great fit and I know she is excited about working with Mitch Barnhart. "No one is more familiar with the league than Mickie. She is even more familiar than me, being with three different programs. Mickie is regarded as a top recruiter from her peers but I think what she has also brought to our program is her knowledge of the game, teaching skills and excellence as a bench coach. She has been a tremendous asset to our program and instrumental to our six national titles. There will be tears shed today because the team just adores her but we are excited for her. I know she will do a great job at Kentucky," concluded Summitt. THREE SENIORS Coach Pat Summitt told her 2003 Lady Vol team that they were now playing for three seniors in the NCAA Tournament. Three seniors?? Kara Lawson and Gwen Jackson actually are the only Lady Vol seniors but Summitt added assistant coach Mickie DeMoss who will be graduating to the head coaching ranks at Kentucky after UT's appearance in the 2003 NCAA Championships. NAMED TO THE KODAK ALL-DISTRICT TEAM Lady Vol senior guard Kara Lawson and senior forward Gwen Jackson have been named to the Kodak All-American, All-District team. The duo now appears on the national ballot for consideration as Kodak All-Americans. MORE HONORS FOR AWESOME, LAWSON Kara Lawson continues to haul in some pretty high-profile national honors. Last week, she was named as the Arthur Ashe, Jr., 2003 Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was also honored as a top-10 finalist from all NCAA division I men's and women's teams encompassing every NCAA-sponsored sport for a $5000 NACDA Postgraduate Scholarship. (see honors page in notes for more details) BACK TO THE FINAL FOUR After attending four consecutive Final Fours (1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998) and winning three consecutive titles (1996, 1997 and 1998), the Lady Vols missed the festivities in 1999 and 2001. UT did make an appearance at the 2000 NCAA Final Four in Philadelphia, Penn., and lost to the Connecticut Huskies for the title. UConn turned the same trick at the 2002 Final Four in San Antonio, Texas, last March, rocking the Lady Vols in the Semis, 79-56. All-time, the Lady Vols have advanced to 13 NCAA Final Fours and grabbed an unprecedented six titles. LUCKY 13 FOR SUMMITT Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt has now passed the legendary John Wooden of UCLA in a number of NCAA Tournament categories. Most significantly, Summitt has passed Wooden for most trips to the Final Four with 13 to Wooden's 12. HOW WE GOT THERE Last season, Lady Vols were involved in postseason play for the 26th time in coach Pat Summitt's 28-year career at Tennessee. UT hosted a NCAA Midwest Sub Regional at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville on March 15 & 17. On March 15, UT defeated Georgia State, 98-68. On St. Patrick's Day, it was the "luck of the orange" as UT defeated Notre Dame, 89-50. In Sweet 16 action, Tennessee dispatched BYU with a 68-57 defeat and then knocked off #4 Vanderbilt, 68-63, in the Elite 8. CHECK OUT THAT NCAA RECORD IN THE 90s The Lady Vols put together a 38-6 (.863) winning record in the NCAA Tournament in the 1990s while winning four NCAA titles in 1991, 1996, 1997 and 1998. UT IN NCAA TITLE GAMES Tennessee has appeared in nine NCAA title games (6-3 overall) since 1982 and won six championships. The Lady Vols have a 15-6 record in Final Four play. In the old AIAW days, UT made two title game appearances (1980 and 1981). EVERY LADY VOL PLAYED Every Lady Vol hoopster (since 1976) has played in at least one Final Four during her career at Tennessee. MOST PARTICIPANTS EVER All-time, a total of 75 Lady Vol team members have participated/played in the Final Four. That ranks first among all schools. Louisiana Tech is second with 65 participants all time. ALL-TOURNEY TEAM Lady Vol junior Gwen Jackson and rookie Shyra Ely were named to the 2002 NCAA All-Midwest Regional team. 2002 NCAA TOURNAMENT RECAP 2002 NCAA FINAL FOUR SEMIFINALS The #6-ranked and second seeded Tennessee Lady Volunteers advanced to the Final Four semifinal game for the 13th time and drew top-ranked, undefeated and defending NCAA Champion Connecticut, on March 29, 2002 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. UT, champions of 2002 NCAA Midwest Regionals, and UConn the Mideast Regional winners, met for the second time in the 2001-02 campaign with the same results as the Huskies tallied a 79-56 thrashing of the Lady Vols. The NCAA semifinal crowd of 29,619 was the largest ever to see a women's collegiate game and broke the Lady Vols record set earlier in the season in Knoxville. In an extremely physical game, the Lady Vols managed just one lead in the contest after scoring the opening bucket and holding a 2-0 advantage for 47 seconds. After that it was all UConn. The Huskies led by 11 (20-9) with 10:47 to play in the first half before the Lady Vols went on a mini-run. Buckets by Courtney McDaniel and Shyra Ely cut the deficit to just five points, 20-15, with 9:23 to play in the opening stanza. Two minutes later, the Huskies were back up by 11 points (26-15). UConn would eventually take a 16-point first half lead, 36-20, but the Lady Vols managed to cut it to 13 by halftime, 38-25. Despite an inspiring halftime chat, Tennessee went from bad to worse on this night. By 15:15 left in the game, UConn had extended its lead to 20 points and by 9:01, the Huskies lead stretched into the 30's, 70-39. There was nothing that Tennessee could do to stop the slaughter. No UT players reached double-figures after the team shot an anemic 31.4 percent. Kara Lawson and Courtney McDaniel each scored nine points to lead UT. In her (last collegiate game), senior Michelle Snow gathered in eight rebounds. Neither team shot well as UT recorded a dismal 31.4% (22-70) and Uconn chipped in just 44% of its shots (29-65). The Lady Vols controlled the boards with a 48-44 margin. 2002 NCAA MIDWEST REGIONALS SEMIFINALS The #6-ranked and second seeded Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball squad advanced to the 2002 NCAA Midwest Regional Final by fighting off upstart Brigham Young 68-57 in Ames, Iowa. A Hilton Coliseum crowd of 8,407 watched as Tennessee rallied from as much as a nine-point first half deficit behind stellar bench play, especially that of freshman forward Shyra Ely. The Indianapolis, Ind., native led the Lady Vols in both scoring (21 points) and rebounding (seven boards), while combining with the UT reserves to outscore the five Tennessee starters 43-25. The Lady Vols found themselves behind the eight ball early as an 11-4 spurt keyed by two buckets from BYU center Danielle Cheesman roared the Cougars out to a 26-17 advantage. That's when Ely took control. With 4:32 remaining in the first half, the freshman began a personal 12-point UT run to pull Tennessee from nine back to three ahead at 32-29. A three-point bomb from Loree Moore closed the UT scoring in the first frame with Tennessee up five. UT came out of the locker room ready to try to close the door, eventually using a 12-2 spurt to open its largest advantage of the night at 13 points, 47-34 with 12:39 to play. BYU wouldn't go away as 11 straight points from Melanie Pearson (who had a team-high 23 on the night) got the Cougars as close as they would get the rest of the way down only 50-45. The key for the Lady Vols down the stretch was free throw shooting as Tennessee made 13-of-18 from the charity stripe over the last 6:50 to hold off the challenge 68-57. On the night, UT was led in scoring and rebounding by all-freshman Shyra Ely, who posted 21 points and seven boards. Tennessee struggled from the field as they shot only 31.7% (20-of-63) but limited BYU to only 32.3% (21-of-65), while forcing 14 Cougar turnovers. Big news was the 24-of-30 free throws that the Lady Vols hit from the charity stripe. FINALS The #6-ranked and second seeded Tennessee Lady Volunteers advanced to the Final Four for the 13th time after upsetting #4-ranked and top-seeded Vanderbilt, 68-63, in the 2002 NCAA Midwest Regional Championship game on Mar. 25, 2002, in Ames, Iowa. It marked the sixth time that the Lady Vols had to get past a Southeastern Conference school to earn a trip to the Big Dance. After splitting the regular season match-ups, this was the toughest 40 minutes of basketball all season long. UT and Vandy traded baskets in the early going before the Lady Vols opened a six-point lead (14-8) after Ashley Robinson converted a steal into a lay-up with 12:44 to go. UT widened its advantage to 10 points (20-10) with 9:18 showing after rookie Michelle Munoz drilled a jumper. The Lady Vols jumped ahead by 13 points (34-21) with 1:17 left before the half when rookie Loree Moore nailed a trey. VU then ran off four straight points to cut Tennessee's lead to nine at the half, 34-25. UT benefited from 13 points off of 10 Commodore turnovers in the opening stanza. In the second half, the Lady Vols moved ahead by 15-points, 42-27 with 17:55 to play. A 12-4 run by VU over the next four minutes cut the Lady Vol lead to just seven points. After another UT 10-point lead (57-47) with 7:53 left, Vandy made its final run cutting it to a bucket with 5:29 left. A key basket by Michelle Snow with 49 ticks on the clock gave UT a 65-60 lead and the ballgame. On the night, UT was led in scoring by All-Tournament selection Gwen Jackson's 18-point/12-rebound performance. Also in extra digits was Brittany Jackson with 10 points. Rookie Shyra Ely also joined Gwen on the All-Tourney team. UT connected on 42% of its field goals, 36% three-pointers and 92% from the charity stripe. UT outrebounded VU, 34-26. The Lady Vols committed just nine turnovers on three VU steals and forced 14 miscues off of 7 steals. MVP Chantelle Anderson of Vandy lit UT up for 35 points and a dozen boards.
2002 NCAA TOURNAMENT RECAP 2002 NCAA FIRST AND SECOND ROUND GAMES Tennessee played host to Georgia State, New Mexico, and Notre Dame in the first two rounds of the 2002 NCAA Tournament. While Georgia State and New Mexico had no playing history with Tennessee, the Lady Vols were very familiar with GSU head coach Lea Henry. Henry, a former Lady Vol (1979-83), was a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team. As a rookie, she was understudy to then-senior point guard and Lady Vol assistant coach Holly Warlick. ROUND ONE: GEORGIA STATE The #6-ranked Tennessee Lady Volunteers opened play in their 21st consecutive NCAA Tournament registering a 98-68 win over Georgia State on Mar. 15, 2002 in Knoxville, Tenn. It was homecoming for former Lady Vol Olympian Lea Henry (1979-83) who brought her Lady Panther team to her alma mater for an NCAA First Round contest. GSU kept things interesting in the opening stanza tagging right along with UT in the scoring column. UT grabbed a quick four point lead at 9-5 (17:10) but four minutes later, GSU led 12-11 at 13:44. UT pulled ahead by eight points twice (20-12 and 29-21) but each time Henry's team narrowed UT's margin to just a point. After State closed to within 29-28 with 2:53 left on the clock, the Lady Vols went on a scoring run to take a 38-30 lead into the locker room at the break. Tennessee welcomed Gwen Jackson's 16-point scoring tear in the first half as the junior was the hottest player on the floor. Jackson continued her romp in the second half as the Lady Vols jumped on Georgia State and never looked back. UT raced to a 21-point, 66-45 lead just nine minutes into the second stanza. Tennessee led by as many as 35 points, 92-57, with 2:56 showing. On the evening, UT was led in scoring by Gwen Jackson's career tying 28-point performance. "G-dub" connected on 10-11 charity tosses. Also in extra digits was Kara Lawson with 14 points, April McDivitt with a dozen, Courtney McDaniel and Loree Moore with 10 points each. Jackson recorded a double-double grabbing 10 rebounds to lead both teams. UT connected on 51% of its field goals (25-41 for 61% in the second half), 40% three-pointers and 87% from the charity stripe (20-23). UT outrebounded GSU, 43-28. The Lady Vols committed a season low eight turnovers and forced 18 miscues off of 10 steals. Moore dished out seven assists to pull within three scoring passes of the UT rookie record of 127 set by Dawn Marsh in 1984-85. ROUND TWO: NOTRE DAME The #6-ranked Tennessee Lady Volunteers enjoyed the "luck of the orange" on St. Patrick's Day, defeating the Irish of Notre Dame, 89-50, on Mar. 17, 2002, in Knoxville, Tenn., in NCAA Second Round action. The win was the Lady Vols 40th consecutive in NCAA play on their home floor all-time. The Irish, resplendent in their special green uniforms for St. Patty's Day, took two quick two point leads and then saw Lady Vol tail lights the rest of the way. A fastbreak Kara Lawson lay-up saw UT open an 11-point lead (19-8) with 13:20 to play in the first half. A five-point burst from UT guard April McDivitt with six minutes before the half saw UT's lead grow to 18 points, 39-21. Tasha Butts capped UT's first half scoring spree with a bucket at the halftime buzzer to give the Lady Vols a massive 26-point, 53-27 halftime advantage. What was amazing was that Notre Dame had been holding its opponents to just 56.7 points for the game! Nine of UT's 11 players scored in the first half led by 10 points from Brittany Jackson. UT continued their romp in the second half as the Lady Vols jumped on Notre Dame both offensively and defensively and never looked back. UT's fans were almost treated to a Michelle Snow dunk at home with 1:59 to go but the senior was fouled on the play and the dunk didn't go down. On the evening, UT was led in balanced scoring by Lawson's 16-point performance. Also in extra digits was Snow with 11 points and Brittany Jackson with 10 points. Sophomore Courtney McDaniel led the Lady Vols in rebounding with nine boards in 11 minutes of action. UT connected on 45% of its field goals, 30% three-pointers and 77% from the charity stripe. UT outrebounded Notre Dame, 51-37. The Lady Vols committed 17 turnovers on eight Notre Dame steals and forced 25 miscues off of 16 steals. UT handed out 18 assists led by a career high from B. Jackson. UT held the Irish to just 28% from the field, 24% from three-point land and only 54% from the free throw line. Read Even More with the FULL Tennessee Game Notes in PDF Format Colorado Game Notes in PDF Format | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
