University of Tennessee Athletics
TENNESSEE PLAYS UCONN FOR THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
April 07, 2003 | Women's Basketball
April 7, 2003
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Tennessee (33-4, 14-0 SEC) vs. Connecticut (35-1, 16-0 BIG EAST)
RADIO TV RANKINGS THE COACHES: UConn
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| Complete Game Notes in PDF Format
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PROBABLE UT STARTERS 13- GWEN JACKSON, F, 6-2, Sr., 16.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg UT RESERVES 4- LATOYA DAVIS, F, 6-0, Jr., 2.2 ppg, 1.7 rpg TONIGHT'S GAME The #4-ranked and top-seeded Tennessee Lady Vols (33-4) advance to the Final Four title game for an incredible 10th time in the NCAA Tournament taking on #1/2-ranked Connecticut (35-1) on April 8 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The Lady Vols will be looking for their 7th NCAA title while Connecticut will be seeking their fourth all-time title. IN OUR LAST GAME In the NCAA Final Four semifinals in front of 28,210 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga., the #4-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols gained sweet revenge for an early season loss by defeating the #2/1 Duke Blue Devils 66-56, to punch its ticket to the program's 10th national title game on April 8, 2003 against the Connecticut Huskies. Tennessee improved its overall mark to 33-4, while the Blue Devils ended their campaign with only two losses (35-2), both coming to the national title participants, UT and UConn. Gwen Jackson continued her incredible tournament play with her second double-double in the last three games with a 25-point, 15-rebound performance, while Loree Moore posted 11 tallies and continued to shoot over 60% for the tourney. Senior Kodak All- American Kara Lawson played an all-around contest with 11 rebounds, eight points and five assists. One of the major factors in the Lady Vols tournament run has been rebounding as UT controlled the boards 41-30 and outscored Duke 15-6 on second-chance opportunities. In the second frame, Tennessee shot 47.8% from the floor while limiting the Blue Devils to only 37.5% on 12-of- 32 shooting. Gwen Jackson got the Orange and White off to a solid start with five straight points as UT led 5-2 early. Duke superstar Alana Beard cut UT's advantage to 5-4 before a 10-4 Lady Vol spurt gave Tennessee its largest first half lead at 15-8 with 12:33 remaining in the half. UT's shots stopped falling over the next 4:08 and Duke took advantage as an 8-0 Blue Devil run gave DU its first lead at 16-15. Beard and company gained as much as a four-point advantage before offensive putbacks by Ashley Robinson and Moore rallied Tennessee back into the lead at 25-23. However two late Duke threes, including a bank-in from a very tough angle by Iciss Tillis, sent Duke to the break up 29-27. The second frame started slowly as both teams struggled to find the basket. Buckets by Shyra Ely and Moore moved UT back in front 31- 29, before two Duke buckets moved the Devils back to a two-point advantage. The two powerhouses traded the lead four times over the next 6:54, before Tennessee moved in front to stay at 45-44 with 6:08 remaining. Five Gwen Jackson tallies and a lay-in by Brittany Jackson boosted UT to a seven-point lead at 56-49, but Duke rallied to trail only 58-54 with 1:11 remaining. Duke's Beard stepped to the free throw line in an attempt to cut the deficit to only two, but the junior All-American missed the front end of a one-and-one and Tennessee took advantage with two free tosses for a 60-54 lead. The Blue Devils got as close as four points at 60-56 with 54 seconds remaining, but could get no closer as four straight Lady Vol free throws sealed Tennessee's trip to its 10th national championship game in the last 17 seasons.
SURVIVED AND ADVANCED The Lady Vols have now advanced to the NCAA Final Four title game for the 10th time in 14 trips to the last dance. Overall, Pat Summitt has taken 13 Tennessee teams to a combined NCAA and AIAW Final Four title games. LADY VOLS ON TV Twenty-six Lady Vol games have been on national television this year with UT sporting a 22-4 record. Upcoming games on TV: NCAA Tournament (ESPN). ON THIS DAY Tennessee is 0-0 in their history when playing on April 8. It marks the latest a Tennessee team has played to complete its season. LOOKING BACK Last year at this time, the Lady Vols were 28-6, and had just lost to #1Connecticut in the NCAA Final Four semis in San Antonio, 79-56. WE THREE Seniors Kara Lawson and Gwen Jackson and sophomore guard Loree Moore have played and started in all 37 games for the Lady Vols this season. 2002-03 WON-LOSS DIFFERENTIAL Wins: +110 (1), +52 (2), +43 (2), +41 (1), +39 (1), +35 (1), +32 (1), +30 (1), + 28 (2), +27 (1), +26 (1), +25 (1), +24 (1), +22 (1), +20 (1), +19 (2), + 16 (1), +15 (3), +14(3), +13 (1), +10 (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
OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER In all games, this is how Tennessee has shot from the field: 60%: UPRM (.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), Villanova (.500), 40%FG:Penn St. (.493), 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), Duke2 (.421), LaTech (.400), 30%FG: Ole Miss (.392), Miss. St.2 (.388), LSU2 (.375), Texas (.357), Auburn3 (.354), Notre Dame and UConn (.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), Villanova (.400); 30%FG: Duke2 (.393), Miss. St. (.391), Kentucky (.390), GWU (.375), ODU (.373), Stanford (.367), Penn St., (.365), 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).
FINAL FOUR MVP 2003 NCAA FINAL FOUR NOTEBOOK GAME REPORT 38 (For extensive UT game notes on Connecticut, please refer to the additional notes section in the Tennessee postseason supplement). EXTENDED STAY, EXTENDED TREY: Not only did Tennessee advance to Tuesday night's NCAA Championship game and extend its stay in Atlanta, the Lady Vols also continued their streak of hitting at least one three-pointer in a game. The string moved to 158 consecutive contests, thanks to Gwen Jackson's three-ball with 3:59 remaining. That bucket from behind the arc was UT's only one of the evening. SEVEN THE HARD WAY: Anything worth having usually doesn't come easy. Perhaps it's fitting that Tennessee's path to a seventh NCAA trophy was blocked by three teams that beat the Lady Vols during the regular season. After avenging a loss to Duke earlier this season with a 66-56 triumph in the semifinals Sunday night, Tennessee must now find a way to make up for a 63-62 overtime loss to the Huskies on Jan. 4. A-LIST: Tuesday night will offer Tennessee the opportunity to win its second title in a city that begins with the letter "A". Title number one back in 1987 came in Austin, Texas. A seventh in Atlanta would be just peachy. "SEVENTH" SIGNS: In the search for omens foretelling a possible seventh NCAA Championship for Tennessee, its should be pointed out that such seven-letter words as A-t-l-a-n-t-a and G-e-o-r-g-i-a are very promising for the Big Orange faithful. Having two players called J-a-c-k-so-n and a head coach who goes by the name S-u-m-m-i-t-t also offer hope to those seeking signs of things with seven "as in title." AS STARTERS THIS GROUP IS 7-0: The current Lady Vol starting lineup of Tasha Butts and Shyra Ely at the forwards, Gwen Jackson at center, and Kara Lawson and Loree Moore at guards, has produced a 7-0 record on the season. They are the only undefeated Lady Vol starting combo this season. UNFAIR ADVANTAGE? WE HAVE TWO HEAD COACHES ON THE BENCH: The 2003 NCAA title game against Connecticut will be longtime Lady Vol assistant Mickie DeMoss' last game on the Tennessee sidelines. After wearing two hats, and carrying two cell phones, since the announcement of her hiring on Mar. 18, the new head coach at the University of Kentucky has been leading a double-life. DeMoss will be heading into her new position in Lexington on a fulltime basis on Wed., April 9.
IT'S ABOUT DOME TIME WE WON ANOTHER TITLE: The last time Tennessee played a national title game in a Dome, the Lady Vols picked up NCAA title number two at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Wash. Pat Summitt's squad triumphed over SEC foe Auburn, 76-60, in 1989. Interestingly enough, UT lost in the NCAA semifinal game in 1988 in a Dome arena and came back a year later to win an NCAA title in a Dome. Last year, UT lost to Connecticut, 79-56, in the Alamodome in an NCAA semifinal game on Mar. 29, 2002. This year, we'll play Connecticut in a Dome arena in the NCAA Championship game. Could the 1988/1989 sequence be repeated? WE ALSO BEAT AN ACC FOE AT THE FINAL FOUR IN 1989: Before Tennessee could play for the title in 1989, the Lady Vols had to face off against an Atlantic Coast Conference foe just like 2003. Instead of Duke, that year UT defeated Maryland, 77-65 in the semis. MILLEDGEVILLE MAGIC: Back in 1987, a junior from Milledgeville, Ga., helped Tennessee to its first NCAA title. Lisa Webb, a 5-9 forward contributed three points and two boards in the Lady Vols' 67-44 victory Louisiana Tech. Fast-forward to 2003, and the latest pride of Milledgeville, 5-11 guard Tasha Butts, will be in the starting lineup vs. UConn. In yet another connection to that town, Butts' aunt, Valerie Freeman, played for UT from 1983-1985, alongside Webb. Both Freeman and Webb will be in the stands today. THANKS DAD: On Sat., April 5, 2003, Lady Vol senior Kara Lawson was honored at the WBCA luncheon as the 2003 recipient of the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award. Since Lawson was smack-dab in the middle of practice, her father, William Lawson, accepted the award on her behalf. PEACHY KEEN: Five of the nine previous times Tennessee has played for an NCAA title, Pat Summitt has had Georgians on the roster. UT played for the trophy in 1984, 1987, 1997, 1998 and 2000, winning in '87, '97 and '98 with Peach State products contributing to the cause. In 2003, Tasha Butts of Milledgeville and LaToya Davis of Forsyth will do their best to represent the state just south of Tennessee. Other than the state of Tennessee that has produced 60 players on the all-time Lady Vol roster, Georgia follows next with 17 players. LADY VOL OLYMPIANS FROM THE STATE OF GEORGIA: Of the 17 all-time Lady Vol players from Georgia, three were honored as members of U.S. Olympic teams - Cindy Brogdon (1976), Lea Henry (1984) and Patricia Roberts (1976).
BUTTS+DAVIS=7: Interested in another omen for Tennessee? The two players from Georgia on the UT roster are No. 3, Tasha Butts, and No. 4, LaToya Davis. When their jersey numbers are added together, the sum is 7. You know, as in titles. HMMM, THIS IS PRETTY GOOD: The 2003 Lady Vols have held 23 opponents under 39% field goal shooting this season. 2003 NCAA FINAL FOUR NOTEBOOK IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER ONE: After leading Tennessee to its first NCAA title in 1987, Pat Summitt has never gone longer than five years without winning another one. To keep that trend intact, the Lady Vols will need to take care of business against UConn on Tuesday night. GIVING US "MOORE" IN THE POSTSEASON: Sophomore guard Loree Moore has stepped up her field goal shooting percentage during the five games Tennessee has played in the NCAA Tournament. After shooting .470 during the season, Moore is hitting at a .690 clip on 20 of 29 shooting from the floor. During 10 career NCAA games, Moore is shooting .607 on 34 of 56 marksmanship from the floor. ACTION JACKSON: Gwen Jackson's play has been key to Tennessee's run through the postseason. The senior from Eufaula, Ala., is averaging 18.6 points and 10.2 rebounds over five games. In her past three outings, she has knocked down 23 points per contest and 12.3 boards and charted double-doubles on two occasions. GWEN'S GETTIN' IT DONE: A clear example of Gwen Jackson's emergence as a consistent go-to player during her senior campaign is the comparison between double-figure scoring in the postseason this year vs. her first three years at UT. In her previous campaigns as a Lady Vol, Jackson had five total games of 10 points or more during the postseason. In 2003 alone, she has scored in double figures in all five contests of the NCAA Tourney. DON'T REPEAT THIS: Tennessee is in the unusual position of trying to stop UConn from repeating as NCAA Champs. The Lady Vols have never been in the role of spoiler at the Final Four before. The Huskies, meanwhile, will attempt to join Southern California (1983, 1984) and Tennessee (1996, 1997, 1998) as the only schools to repeat as champions. SMILE FOR KODAK: Tennessee senior Kara Lawson was named to the 2003 Kodak All-American team on Fri., April 6, in Atlanta, Ga. CAN YOU CARRY THE TORCH?: Senior Kara Lawson will switch gears to another arena on Wed., April 9, when she attends the announcement for the 2003 Torchbearer at the University of Tennessee. The Torchbearer award is the highest honor that can be bestowed on a Tennessee senior. DON'T BE SURPRISED IF YOU SEE DARTH VADER: Tennessee fans have made the Party City stores a destination stop prior to coming to Atlanta. After Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma referred to Tennessee coach Pat Summitt and her Lady Vol program as the "Evil Empire," many Lady Vol fans went out and purchased masks. Just remember..."The Empire Strikes Back." Read Even More with the Complete Game Notes in PDF Format |
