University of Tennessee Athletics
NCAA Game Preview: Texas A&M
March 31, 2008 | Women's Basketball
THE GAME??
The number one-seeded and #3-nationally ranked Tennessee Lady Vols (33-2 overall, 13-1 SEC) have advanced to its 23rd all-time NCAA Elite 8 contest and will face second-seeded and #8/9-ranked Texas A&M (29-7, 11-5 Big 12) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at the Ford Center at 6:00 p.m. CT on April 1 The winner advances to the NCAA Final Four in Tampa, Fla., and will take on the New Orleans Regional Champion -- either North Carolina or LSU.
LADY VOLS AT A GLANCE??
This is the Lady Vols??? 34th season under Head Coach Pat Summitt???She has compiled a staggering 980-182 overall record??? Is just 20 wins away from a remarkable 1,000 career victories???Achieved her 950th win with a 92-67 decision over #22/21-ranked Texas on Nov. 18, 2007... Collected her 900th coaching win with a 80-68 decision over #19-ranked Vanderbilt on Jan. 19, 2006??? She passed Dean Smith (879 wins) for most NCAA collegiate basketball wins of all-time with a 75-54 victory over Purdue on Mar. 22, 2005 ???Her 2006-07 squad was crowned as the NCAA Champions producing the program???s seventh title???In 2007, UT fi nished with a 34-3 overall record and were also the SEC Champions??? This season, UT returned seven letterwinners and welcomed a talented quartet of rookies???The 2007- 08 season marks the Lady Vol debut for freshmen, #5 Angie Bjorklund, a 6-0 forward/guard from Spokane, Wash., #20 Sydney Smallbone, a 5-10 guard from Granger, Ind., and #21 Vicki Baugh, a 6-4 center from Sacramento, Calif. Kelley Cain, a 6-6 center from Atlanta, Ga., will redshirt after having surgery on Dec. 11.
OUR SCHEDULE THIS WEEK??
Survive and advance...If Tennessee is able to defeat Texas A&M in the OKC Regional fi nal on April 1, the Lady Vols will advance to the Final Four in Tampa, Fla., April 6 & 8.
ON THIS DAY IN LADY VOL BASKETBALL HISTORY??
UT is 2-2 in games played on April 1. The Lady Vols are 0-0 at home, 0-0 on the road and 2-2 on neutral courts. The last time out on April 1, #3-ranked UT defeated #2-ranked North Carolina, 56-50 in Cleveland, Ohio, in the 2007 NCAA Final Four semifi nals.
LOOKING BACK??
Last year at this time, the #3-ranked Lady Vols were 33-3 on the season after defeating #2-ranked North Carolina, 56-50 in Cleveland, Ohio, in the 2007 NCAA Final Four semifi nals.
LADY VOLS ON TV??
A record 27 (of 29) Lady Vol regular season games were on television this season. Upcoming TV games include: NCAA Tournament on ESPN/ESPN2. UT is 31-2 on TV this season.
TENNESSEE???S NCAA TOURNAMENT ELITE 8 QUICK HITTERS??
- Tennessee is the only school to have attended every NCAA Women???s Basketball Tournament (27)
- The Lady Vols have won 7 NCAA titles -- 1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2007
- Tennessee has played in more NCAA Tournament games than any other school -- 120
- Under Coach Pat Summitt???s direction, the Lady Vols have a 101-19 record (.840) in the NCAAs
- UT has been granted 19 number one seeds in 27 NCAA Tournaments since 1982
- From 1988-96, the Lady Vols received nine consecutive number one seeds
- UT has advanced to every Sweet 16 game (27 consecutive) since 1982...Overall 23-4
- UT has advanced to its 18th Elite 8 game since 1982...Entering the game with Texas A&M, UT has a 17-5 record in Elite 8 games.
- Of the other seven teams in the Elite 8, Tennessee faced four teams this season and went 3-2.
- In Elite 8 games, Tennessee has faced SEC opponents seven times trying to advance to the Final Four and produced a 6-1 record...The next most often-faced conference in this round is the ACC in six meetings and a 3-3 record...UT is 2-0 vs. the Big 12 in the Elite 8 (def. Texas Tech in 1995/2000).
- Tennessee???s average score in an NCAA Elite 8 game is 72.7-65.6 or +7.1 margin
- UT???s smallest margin of victory in an NCAA Elite 8 game , +1, 91-90 OT over Southern Cal, 1982
- UT???s largest margin of victory in an NCAA Elite 8 game, +36, 98-62 over Ole Miss in 2007
- Most points UT has scored in an NCAA Elite 8 game , 98 vs. Ole Miss, 2007
- Fewest points UT has scored an NCAA Elite 8 game, 52 vs. Virginia, 1996
- Tennessee has lost fi ve times in the Elite 8 in the previous 22 meetings. UT fell to Georgia, 67-63 in 1983; lost to Virginia, 79-75 OT, 1990 (denied UT a chance to play in the Final Four in Knoxville); suffered worst Elite 8 loss (-16) 72-56, to C. Vivian Stringer coached Iowa team in 1993; fell to Duke, 69-63, in 1999 denying Chamique Holdsclaw a chance at a fourth consecutive NCAA title; lost to North Carolina, 75-63 in 2006.
- Texas A&M will be the 70th different opponent for UT in the NCAA Tournament
- The Lady Vols have never lost an NCAA First or Second Round game, 42-0
- For the second consecutive year, UT had to beat a team on its home fl oor in the Second Round
- Oral Roberts was the 158th all-time Lady Vol opponent
UT???S OFFENSIVE OPPORTUNITIES??
In all games, this is how Tennessee has shot from the fi eld: 60% FG: DePaul (.603); 50%FG: Florida-2 (.554); Texas (.537); Vandy-2 (.518); Georgia (.517); Gonzaga (.507); Arkansas, Vandy-1, Kentucky-1, Notre Dame, UCLA (.500); 40%FG: ODU (.492); Purdue (.477); MTSU (.473); Miss. St.-1 (.471); Oral Roberts (.470); UTC (.465); Ole Miss (.464); Stanford (.460); Miss. St.-2 (.439); Alabama, Auburn, UNC (.438); Oklahoma (.429); WVU (.426); Florida-1 (.423); Kentucky-2 (.408); LSU-2 (.407); La Tech (.405); ND2, USC, Duke (.400); 30%FG: Vandy-3 (.382); LSU-1 (.348); 20%FG: Rutgers (.296)
DEEE ----- FENSE??
In all games, this is how the opposition has shot from the fi eld: 50%FG: none, 40%FG: UCLA (.475); Kentucky-2 (.474); Vandy-2 (.472); Alabama, LSU (.464); Gonzaga (.463); Duke (.441); Rutgers (.440); Texas (.436); Stanford (.434); Georgia (.431); Vandy1 (.426); Oklahoma (.424); UNC, Notre Dame (.422); USC (.417); LSU-2 (.407); Oral Roberts, Vandy-3 (.404); 30%FG: Notre Dame2 (.397), UTC(.389); Purdue (.373); Miss. St.-1 (.371); MTSU (.364); Arkansas (.351); DePaul (.333); Florida-1 (.328); Florida-2 (.325); LaTech (.324); ODU (.323); Auburn (.317); KY1 (.314); WVU (.306); 20%FG: Miss. St.-2 (.283); Ole Miss (.278)
2007-08 WON-LOSS DIFFERENTIAL??
Wins: +43 (1), +39 (1), +34(1), +33 (1), +32 (1), +31 (1), +28 (1), +27 (2), +26 (1), +25 (2), +24 (2), +23 (3), +21 (1), + 20 (1), +18 (2), +16 (1), +15 (1), +13 (1), +12 (1), +10 (1), +9 (1), +6 (1), +4 (1), +3 (2), +1 (1).
Losses: -4 (1), -16 (1)
SEARCHING FOR PIECES OF EIGHT??
In their quest for an eighth NCAA title in 2008, the Tennessee Lady Vols have claimed the fi rst three pieces to the Tampa treasure map knocking off #16-seeded Oral Roberts, 94-55, on Mar. 23 and #9- seeded and homestanding Purdue, 78-52, on Mar. 25 in West Lafayette, Indiana. UT claimed an NCAA Sweet 16 victory over #15/19-ranked Notre Dame, 74- 64. UT now faces #8/9 Texas A&M for a trip to Tampa. LOVE US, HATE US ??? GOTTA R-E-S-P-E-C-T US The #3-ranked and #1-seeded Tennessee Lady Vols continue play in their 27th consecutive NCAA Tournament ??? the only team to have garnered an invitation to every ???Big Dance.??? All-time, UT has received 13 automatic bids and been selected as an at-large team 14 times. The Lady Vols??? 2008 number one seed marks the 19th time Tennessee has earned a top billing. UT has never been seeded lower than fourth (1986) and has been seeded in the #2 slot four times (1982, 1987, 2002, 2006) and #3, three times (1984, 1985, 1997). Tennessee has a phenomenal 101-19 record in 119 NCAA Tournament games ??? all under head coach Pat Summitt.
2008 NCAA TOURNEY TIME FOR TENNESSEE??
The Lady Vols are playing in the postseason for the 33rd time in Coach Pat Summitt???s 34-year career at Tennessee. UT started the tournament on the road in West Lafayette, Ind., for the NCAA First/Second Rounds. It marked just the fourth time in 27 years that UT was on the road for the opening rounds. The Lady Vols also traveled in 2004 (Tallahassee, Fla.), 2006 (Norfolk, Va.) and 2007 (Pittsburgh, Pa.). The University of Tennessee served as host for NCAA First /Second Rounds from 1982-2003 and 2005.
LOOKING THROUGH THE SPYGLASS AT 100??
The Tennessee Lady Vols and coach Pat Summitt reached an incredible milestone in the NCAA Tournament -- 100 victories. The win over Purdue in the 2008 NCAA Second Round was number 100 for UT. Next closest to the Lady Vols in NCAA women???s tournament victories is UConn with 64.
ALL-TIME NCAA TOURNAMENT VICTORIES??
| 1. | Tennessee (women) | 100 |
| 2. | Kentucky (men) | 98* |
| 3. | North Carolina (men) | 96 |
| 4. | UCLA (men) | 93* |
| 5. | Duke (men) | 86 |
*does not include vacated years
OKLAHOMA CITY BRACKET??
Tennessee has faced three of the original 15 teams in the 2008 NCAA Oklahoma City bracket this season and posted a 3-0 record (before facing Purdue and Oral Roberts). The Lady Vols defeated Notre Dame (87-63) in South Bend, Oklahoma (70- 67) at Tampa and Duke (67-64) in Durham. The Irish was UT???s Sweet 16 opponent. UT will now face Texas A&M. UT has not played Texas A&M since a meeting in Alaska in 1997.
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (29-7) NCAA REGIONAL FINAL OPPONENT
LADY VOLS vs. AGGIES
THE RANKINGS??
UT is 3rd in both the AP & ESPN/USA Today polls Texas A&M is 8th in the AP poll and 9th in the ESPN/USA Today poll
RECENT RESULTS??
No. 3 UT defeated No. 5-seed Notre Dame, 74-64, in the NCAA Tournament Reginoal Semifi nal No. 8/9 Texas A&M defeated No. 3-seeded Duke, 77-63, in the NCAA Tournament Regional Semifi nal
UPCOMING GAMES??
Tennessee, the No. 1 seed from the Oklahoma City Region, will take on the No. 2 seed Texas A&M in a regional fi nal match-up. The winner of that contest will face the victor of the showdown between top-seeded North Carolina and No. 2 seed LSU in the New Orleans Region.
COACHES??? RECORDS??
UT???s Pat Summitt is 980-182 (.843) in 34 years
A&M???s Gary Blair is 510-220 (.699) in 23 years
SERIES RECORD??
Tennessee leads the series, 1-0
Home: No meetings
Away: No meetings
Neutral: Tennessee is 1-0
Postseason: No meetings
2007-08 STATISTICS UT A&M??
| Overall Record | 33-2 | 29-7 |
| Scoring | 78.6 | 66.4 |
| Scoring Defense | 59.7 | 54.9 |
| Point Margin | +19.0 | +11.5 |
| Rebounds | 41.2 | 37.4 |
| Opponent Rebounds | 35.3 | 34.7 |
| Rebound Margin | +5.9 | +2.8 |
| FG% | .457 | .416 |
| Opponent FG% | .388 | .390 |
| Three-point FG% | .368 | .334 |
| Opponent 3FG% | .319 | .261 |
| FT% | .707 | .668 |
| Opponent FT% | .632 | .686 |
| Block Average | 6.1 | 4.3 |
| Steal Average | 11.9 | 10.2 |
| Turnover Average | 16.7 | 15.0 |
| Assist Average | 16.8 | 13.7 |
| Turnover Margin | +4.2 | +6.4 |
LAST TIME VERSUS TEXAS A&M??
The top-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols held off a late charge by Texas A&M in the semifi nals of the Northern Lights Invitational in Anchorage, Alaska, to come away with a 105-81 victory on Dec. 19, 1997. Tennessee pounded away at A&M early and took a 34-16 lead after the fi rst 12 minutes. Rookie Semeka Randall recorded back-to-back three-point plays to give UT the double-digit lead. At the break, UT took a 56-35 lead to the locker room after shooting a sizzling 61% from the fi eld. In the second stanza, the Lady Vols extended their margin by as many as 25 points, 64-39, with 15:57 to go. Shortly thereafter, UT???s usually stingy second-half defensive intensity went on vacation, as the Aggies pulled to within 11 points (last time at 6:16). Enter one Chamique Holdsclaw, who tallied seven quick points to help make UT???s lead comfortable once again (101-73, 2:42 to go). On the night, the ???Meeks??? tallied 73 of Tennessee???s 105 points, led by Holdsclaw with 29. Randall also collected 23 points while Tamika Catchings had 21 points and a dozen rebounds. Kellie Jolly tallied 14 points to round out the Lady Vols??? double-digit scoring.
TENNESSEE VS. TEXAS A&M SERIES MEETINGS??
Dec. 19, 1997 N W, 105-81
UT VS. BIG 12??
Tennessee has played 11 of 12 teams from the Big 12, totaling 54 games. The Lady Vols have won 42 and lost 12, with 11 of those defeats coming at the hands of the other UT, Texas. The only other loss that the Big Orange has suffered to a Big 12 team was to Colorado. UT has never faced Iowa State.
TEXAS A&M VS. SEC IN NCAA TOURNEY??
The Aggies have met an SEC team once in the NCAA Tournament, defeating fifth-seeded Florida in the fi rst round on March 16, 1994, 78-76, at G. Rollie White Coliseum in College Station, Texas.
TOP-25 OPPONENTS??
Tennessee has taken on 17 ranked opponents this season, including seven which were among the top 10 at the time. Both of the Lady Vols??? losses came at the hands of teams ranked in the top 10. The Orange and White has gone 15-2 against top-25 teams this year. Texas A&M, meanwhile, has faced a diffi cult schedule as well, with 11 games against ranked squads. The Aggies have been impressive, winning seven of those games, but have struggled against the nation???s best squads, picking up just two victories in three contests against top-10 teams.
| UT vs. Top 10 | A&M vs. Top 10 |
| #9/8 Oklahoma (W) | #8 Baylor (L) |
| #4 North Carolina (W) | #10 Oklahoma (L) |
| #5/4 Stanford (L) | #8 Baylor (W) |
| #9/10 Duke (W) | #9/10 Duke (W) |
| #5/7 Rutgers (W) | |
| #7 LSU (L) | |
| #7/6 LSU (W) | |
| UT vs. Top 25 | A&M vs. Top 25 |
| #21/22 Texas (W) | #14 Auburn (W) |
| #16/17 West Virginia (W) | #NR/22 George Washington (L) |
| #24 Old Dominion (W) | #25/NR Colorado (W) |
| #15 DePaul (W) | #18/19 Oklahoma State (L) |
| #14 Notre Dame (W) | #17/19 Oklahoma State (W) |
| #22/20 Auburn (W) | #11/10 Oklahoma (W) |
| #25/RV Vanderbilt (W) | #13/17 Oklahoma State (W) |
| #22/20 Georgia (W) | |
| #21/22 Vanderbilt (W) | |
| #15/19 Notre Dame (W) |
COMMON OPPONENTS??
Tennessee and Texas A&M have faced four common opponents this season. In games against Auburn, Texas, Oklahoma and Duke, the Lady Vols are 4-0, while the Aggies went 5-1.
TENNESSEE VS. COMMON A&M OPPONENTS??
Nov. 15 Oklahoma Tampa, Fla. W, 70-67 Nov. 18 Texas Knoxville, Tenn. W, 92-67 Jan. 10 Auburn Knoxville, Tenn. W, 85-52 Jan. 28 Duke Durham, N.C. W, 67-64
A&M VS. COMMON UT OPPONENTS??
Dec. 15 Auburn College Station, Texas W, 62-60 Feb. 9 Texas College Station, Texas W, 66-57 Feb. 12 Oklahoma Norman, Okla. L, 56-68 Feb. 24 Texas Austin, Texas W, 65-50 March 6 Oklahoma College Station, Texas W, 73-59 March 31 Duke Oklahoma City, Okla. W, 77-63
TEXAS A&M NOTES??
SEED AND BID: No. 2 Oklahoma City, Automatic bid
NCAA APPEARANCES: 5
LAST APPEARANCE: 2007, lost to George Washington, 57-49, in NCAA Second Round
OVERALL NCAA RECORD: 6-4
BEST FINISH: Elite Eight (2008)
NO STRANGER TO THE LADY VOLS??
Although Texas A&M Head Coach Gary Blair has never faced Tennessee during his time in College Station, he is no stranger to Lady Vol basketball having spent time as the head coach at both Arkansas and Stephen F. Austin and as an assistant at Louisiana Tech. During his 23-year career, Blair has coached against Lady Vol teams on 19 different occasions, amassing an 8-11 record. Of his eight wins, seven came while he was an assistant with the Lady Techsters from 1980-85. His lone triumph over Pat Summitt as a head coach came on Dec. 29, 1996, when he led the Lady Razorbacks to a 77-75 victory over UT in Fayetteville.
NO STRANGER TO THE LADY VOLS (TAKE TWO)??
Much like Blair, the Aggie assistant coaches have their fair share of experience against Tennessee as well. Associate Head Coach Vic Schaefer has been part of seven losses to UT, all at Arkansas (1997-2003), while fellow Associate Head Coach Kelly Bond is 0-4 against the Big Orange, falling three times at Arkansas (2000- 03) and once as a player at Illinois in 1997. Assistant Coach Johnnie Harris, meanwhile, is also winless in four attempts, having spent four seasons under former Arkansas Head Coach Susie Gardner.
LIKE BUTTER, THEY???RE ON A ROLL??
Texas A&M enters its Elite Eight matchup with the Lady Vols having won a season-high 12 straight games and 16 of its last 17. During its winning streak, the Big 12 Tournament champion has won by an average of 16.8 points per contest, topping out with a 39-point victory over UT-San Antonio in the fi rst round of the NCAA Tournament.
SHARP-SHOOTING QUARTET??
The 2007-08 version of the Texas A&M women???s basketball teams can lay claim to a distinction that only 13 other teams are known to have held, as it currently boasts a roster with four players who have exceeded 1,000 career points. Somewhat ironically, one of the most storied programs in NCAA history, Tennessee has never had more than three 1,000 point scorers on any one team. The Lady Vols, however, have accomplished that feat on seven different occasions, including 1979- 80 (Jill Rankin, Debbie Groover, Cindy Noble), 1982-83 (Tanya Haave, Mary Ostrowski, Leah Henry), 1993-94 (Dana Johnson, Nikki McCray, Tiffany Woosley), 1994- 95 (Johnson, McCray, Woosley), 1998-99 (Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings, Semeka Randall), 2000- 01 (Catchings, Randall, Michelle Snow) and this season, 2007-08 (Candace Parker, Alexis Hornbuckle, Nicky Anosike).
EVERYONE PITCHING IN TO HELP??
Through the fi rst three games of the NCAA Tournament, the Texas A&M offense has been hitting on all cylinders, shooting at a .454 clip, including an amazing .405 mark from three-point range. The Aggies have utilized a four-pronged attack, with junior Danielle Gant (15.7 ppg), senior Morenike Atunrase (15.0 ppg), junior Takia Starks (11.7 ppg) and senior Patrice Reado (11.0 ppg) all averaging double fi gures in scoring. On the boards, A&M has used a total team effort, with seven different players grabbing two or more caroms per contest and no individual collecting more than 5.3 per game.
THAT???S NOT VERY NICE!??
In 23 of Texas A&M???s 36 contests, the Aggies have forced their opponent to turn the ball over 20 or more times. Even more impressive is their ability to convert those turnovers into points, as they have turned those errors into 805 points this season. That total accounts for an amazing 33.7 percent of Texas A&M???s offensive output during the 2007-08 campaign.
HEIGHT DOESN???T MATTER??
The NCAA Regional Final showdown between Tennessee and Texas A&M will not only pit two of the nation???s best teams against each other, but two of the shortest (and most talented) players in the country, as well, in UT???s Shannon Bobbitt (5-2) and A&M???s A???Quonesia Franklin (5-3). Neither, however, has let her short stature get in the way of her success this season with both players serving vital roles for their team. Bobbitt is second on the Lady Vols with 121 assists this year and has averaged 9.8 points per contest, while Franklin has dished out a team-high 171 helpers for the Aggies in addition to scoring 7.9 points per game.
SHARING THE WEALTH??
With an average of 4.8 assists per game this season, senior point guard A???Quonesia Franklin ranks among the top 50 most helpful players in the nation. The Tyler, Texas, native???s best quality, however, has been her ability to keep the basketball out of the hands of the opponent, as she has the 12th-best assist-turnover ratio among all NCAA Division I players at 2.04, with 171 assists to only 84 turnovers on the year.
MODELS OF CONSISTENCY??
First half or second, it doesn???t matter for either the Tennessee and Texas A&M offenses, as they have each posted nearly identical numbers in each frame this season. Both squads have scored just 16 more points in the second frame of games, as the Aggies have tallied 1,184 points in the fi rst half, compared to 1,200 in the second, and the Lady Vols have scored 1,365 in fi rst halves and 1,381 in the second.
IT???S BEEN A WHILE??
No team has scored 100 or more points against Texas A&M in over a decade. The last team to accomplish the feat, however, was none other than the University of Tennessee which put up a 105 spot in a 24-point victory over the Aggies in the only contest ever between the two squads on Dec. 19, 1997. The closest any team has come this season was 73 points by Nebraska in a win over A&M on Jan. 3. On the other side of the coin though, the Lady Vols have already broken the 100-point plateau once this season, defeating DePaul 102-68 on Jan. 2, and have scored 90 or more points on six different occasions.
STOPPING TEAMS IN THEIR TRACKS??
Texas A&M???s calling card this season has been its ability to shut down its opponent???s offense. Utilizing an intense blend of hardnosed defense, the Aggies rank 16th in the nation, allowing just 54.9 points per game. They also are holding opponents to just 39.0 percent from the fi eld, including a miniscule 26.1 percent from beyond the arc.
ONLY 470 LEFT TO GO??
With a 60-46 triumph over Iowa State on Feb. 20, Texas A&M Head Coach Gary Blair became the 36th coach in NCAA history to reach 500 wins. Since then, the Aggies have won 10 more games to improve Blair???s lifetime record to 510-220 in 23 years of coaching. He still has quite a way to go if he wants to reach the top of the list, however, as Tennessee Head Coach Pat Summitt is the winningest coach in the history of collegiate basketball with 979 wins to just 182 losses.
THIS LOOKS FAMILIAR??
Texas A&M junior Danielle Gant is returning home this weekend, as the 5-11 guard/forward is a native of Oklahoma City. In fact, Gant was named the Oklahoma Player of the Year and was a Nike All-American as a senior at Putnam City West High School in 2005. She led the state in scoring as a senior, collecting 25.2 points per game in addition to averaging 9.5 rebounds and four steals per contest and shooting 65.4 percent from the fl oor.
SHE GETS IT FROM HER PAPA??
Texas A&M junior center La Toya Micheaux is not the fi rst person in her family to reach the shining stage of the NCAA Tournament, as her father, Larry ???Mr. Mean??? Micheaux, played alongside Clyde Drexler and Hakeem ???The Dream??? Olajuwon on the famed Phi Slamma Jama teams at the University of Houston in the 1980???s. As a member of the legendary Cougar squad, he reached a pair of NCAA Final Fours in 1982 and 1983. As a senior, the 6-9 forward averaged 14 points and seven rebounds before being drafted in the second round of the 1983 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls.
LADY VOL LONE STAR CONNECTION??
The only Lady Vol with a connection to the Lone Star State is senior Shannon Bobbitt, who played for two seasons at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas, after spending her prep career at Murry Bergtraum H.S. in New York. During her sophomore season on the Cardinals squad, Bobbitt was named the 2006 Women???s Basketball Coaches Association Junior/Community College Player of the Year and earned Kodak All-America honors after leading TVCC to a 30-2 overall record, 18-0 mark in conference play and the 2006 Region XIV Championship.
STREAKING AGAIN??
During the 2007-08 season, the Tennessee Lady Vols have fashioned a couple of modest winning streaks. UT opened the season winning the fi rst 10 games of the season before hitting a speed bump in #5/4 ranked Stanford. Tennessee dropped a 73-69 OT decision to the Cardinal in Palo Alto after leading by as many as 11 points. Following the loss, the Lady Vols won 12 consecutive games before a funky blowout loss at home (yes, at home) to #7-ranked LSU, 78-62. From the opening tip, UT put the hammer down and exploded to a 21-2 margin in the fi rst 6:43 of the game. By the half, the Lady Vols led just 33-30 before the LSU explosion. Since then, Tennessee has won 11 consecutive games going into the contest with Texas A&M.
ADVANCING TO THE FINAL FOUR FROM THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA??
The University of Tennessee advanced to the 2004 Final Four after winning the Midwest Regionals at the University of Oklahoma. The Lady Vols earned a trip to New Orleans, site of the 2004 Championship, after defeating Baylor, 71-69 in the semis and Stanford, 62-60 in the regional championship game.
LUCKY SEVEN??
The 2008 Elite 8 is the seventh consecutive for the Lady Vols dating back to the 2002 season. During this span, UT failed to advance to a Final Four just one time -- in 2006 when North Carolina defeated UT in the Cleveland Regional fi nal. The Lady Vols squared that loss last year with a 2007 Final Four semifi nal victory over the Tar Heels, 56-50.
UT???S NCAA ELITE 8 NOTES??
Tennessee has advanced to 23 of 27 Elite 8 Rounds dating back to 1982. UT did not make the Elite 8 in 1985, 1992, 1994 and 2001. The Lady Vols have an unmatched record of 17-5 in Elite 8 games. Tennessee???s fi ve losses in the Elite 8 were all heartbreakers. In 1983, after surviving a triple overtime victory against Ole Miss in the Sweet 16, the Lady Vols had nothing left in the tank for Georgia in an Elite 8 match-up in South Bend, Ind., and lost 67-63. Perhaps the most heartbreaking loss in Tennessee women???s basketball program history was the 1990 Elite 8 overtime defeat to Virginia, 79-75, in Norfolk, Va., denying the Lady Vols the chance to play for an NCAA title on their home court in Knoxville. Instead, the Lady Vols helped to serve as hostesses at the event billed as ???Tennessee and the Final Three.??? In 1993, Tennessee lost an Elite 8 game to a team on a mission. Playing on the Iowa Hawkeyes home fl oor, Tennessee lost 72-56 to Coach C. Vivian Stringer???s team, Earlier that season, Stringer had lost her husband and the Hawks were on a mission. Another Elite 8 heartbreaker was in 1999 against Duke in Greensboro, N.C. Tennessee had won consecutive NCAA titles in 1996, 1997 and 1998 and were going for four in a row before Duke knocked off UT, 69-63, ending the outstanding careers of four time All-American Chamique Holdsclaw and Kellie Jolly. In 2006, in a stacked Cleveland Regional, #1-ranked North Carolina took the Lady Vols out of a trip to the Final Four with a 75-63 beating.
With the exception of the Iowa and North Carolina contests (16 and 12 points, respectively), the Lady Vols missed the Final Four by some close shaves of four points, four points in overtime and six points. UT played the fi rst overtime game in the NCAA Tournament in 1982 in the Elite 8. Tennessee defeated the McGee twins and Southern Cal, 91-90. Tennessee averages 72.7 ppg in NCAA Elite 8 contests and holds its opponents to 65.6 ppg or an average winning margin of +7.1 ppg. UT has lost four Elite 8 games by an average of -7.4 (64.3 to 71.7). The Lady Vol high water mark for points in the Elite 8 game is 98 ??? scored last year against Ole Miss. The Lady Vols scored just 52 points in a miracle comefrom- behind win over Virginia, 52-46, in Charlottesville, Va., in 1996. In 2007, Tennessee recorded its largest margin of victory in a Elite 8 game with a +36 point win over Ole Miss, 98-62. The narrowest win in this round was the one-point overtime victory, 91-90, over Southern Cal in 1982 to advance to the fi rst-ever Women???s NCAA Final Four in Norfolk, Va. Tennessee???s Elite 8 opponents through the years have included: Southern Cal, Georgia (twice), LSU, Auburn (twice), Iowa, Texas Tech (twice), Virginia (three times), Long Beach State, Connecticut, North Carolina (twice), Duke, Vanderbilt, Villanova, Stanford, Rutgers and Ole Miss.
The Harris Poll?? REVEALS LADY VOLS AS NATION???S FAVORITE TEAM FOR FIFTH YEAR??
The results of a Harris Poll conducted online between March 11 and 18, 2008 by Harris Interactive?? among a nationwide sample of 2,513 U.S. adults, 611 of whom follow college basketball revealed once again that the Tennessee Lady Vols were the nation???s favorite team.
College basketball followers were also asked what their favorite women???s team is, and for the fi fth year in a row, the top two teams are Tennessee (No. 1) and Connecticut (No. 2), with Iowa returning to the list in third place. Three teams are tied for No. 4 this year; Maryland (up from No. 5), Stanford (making a return to the list) and Duke (up from tied for No. 7). This year, four teams dropped off the list meaning four new ones emerged. Besides Iowa and Stanford, also returning to the list this year is Kentucky (No. 10) while Indiana (tied for No. 8) in on the list for the fi rst time. Off the list are Ohio State, Michigan, Baylor, and Penn State.
Seven schools, Duke, UNC, Indiana, Iowa, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Wisconsin, have teams on both the men???s and women???s top 10 list.
THESE SEEDS SENT TENNESSEE HOME??
Tennessee has played in an incredible 120 games in the NCAA Tournament since 1982. Seven times the Lady Vols have brought home NCAA titles to Knoxville. On the 19 occasions when UT lost in the tournament, the number one seeded team provided the honors nine times. The Lady Vols have never lost to a team seeded lower than #4 all-time in the tournament.
The following seeds bounced the Lady Vols.
#1 seed???1982, 1984, 1986, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006
#2 seed???1983, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1993, 2004
#3 seed???1999
#4 seed???1992, 1994, 2001
BLAIR DANCED WITH SUMMITT??
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt and Texas A&M coach Gary Blair have faced off in NCAA Tournament play in the past. Blair took his Arkansas team to the 1998 NCAA Final Four in Kansas City where their fi rst round foe was #1 and undefeated Tennessee. The Lady Vols clicked on all cylinders en route to an 86-58 victory over the Lady Razorbacks in the semifi nals. UT would go on to defeat Louisiana Tech 93-75 to take title number six with a perfect 39-0 record.
LEAGUE DOMINANCE??
The SEC is battling for two spots in the 2008 Final Four with Tennessee and LSU still in the mix. LSU will face North Carolina in the New Orleans Regional fi nal for a possible spot in the Final Four. There have only been two NCAA Final Fours contested without an SEC team in the fi eld (1992 and 2001).
THE FINAL FOUR??
The Tennessee Lady Vols have advanced to 17 NCAA Final Fours dating back to 1982. Remarkably, the Lady Vols have played in 12 title games and won seven NCAA Championships ??? 1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2007.
THE ELITE 8??
The Tennessee Lady Vols have advanced to 23 of 27 NCAA Elite 8 Rounds dating back to 1982. UT did not make the Elite 8 in 1985, 1992, 1994 and 2001.
AND THEN THERE WERE 8??
Of the remaining other seven teams in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, the Lady Vols have played four of the other seven teams and posted a 3-2 record. Tennessee split with LSU (62-78 and 61-55), defeated Rutgers (59-58), North Carolina (83-79) and lost to Stanford (73-69 OT).
OTHER 2008 UT SWEET 16 SCRAPS??
Against Notre Dame in the Sweet 16, Tennessee trailed at the half for just the third time this season (previously at Mississippi State and at Georgia)...the Lady Vols also made a three-pointer for the 337th consecutive game. With the victory, UT has an alltime NCAA Tournament record of 101-19 in 27 years, including a 23-4 mark in Sweet 16 contests...Gives UT an all-time record of 395-150 against ranked foes, including a 15-2 mark this season...Gives UT a 20-0 all-time record against Notre Dame, including a 3-0 mark in postseason matchups...Gives UT a 76-19 all-time record against teams from the BIG EAST, including a 5-0 mark this season....Gives Pat Summitt a career record of 980-182 in her 34th season at UT. Individually, Candace Parker???Is now in 10th place in the SEC career record books for careers free throws made (512) and attempted (714)...Moved past Chamique Holdsclaw (724 in 1998-99), Jill Rankin (730 in 1979-80) and Bridgette Gordon (735 in 1988- 89) and into fi fth placed in the UT single-season scoring book (753)...Her 34 career blocks in NCAA Tournament games rank her sixth all-time...Scored in double fi gures for the 41st consecutive game and the 102nd time in her career...Earned her 13th doubledouble of the season and the 44th of her career... Scored 30+ points for the third time this season and the eighth time of her career...Her 34 points tied a career-high and are her most in an NCAA Tournament game...Moved past Chantelle Anderson (270 ??? Vanderbilt, 2000-03), Dawn Staley (274 ??? Virginia, 1989-92) and Ruth Riley (276 - Notre Dame, 1998- 2001) and into ninth place in scoring for career NCAA Tournament games; Nicky Anosike???Played in her 143rd career game, moving her into a tie for third place with Kara Lawson and Abby Conklin for most games in a UT career...Her 35 career blocks in NCAA Tournament games rank her fi fth all-time...Earned a double-double for the sixth time this season and the 11th time of her career...Moved past Gwen Jackson (133 ??? Tennessee, 2000-03), Kirsten Cummings (136 ??? Long Beach State, 1982-85), Tamika Catchings (142 ??? Tennessee, 1998-2000), and Bridgette Gordon (142- Tennessee, 1986-89) and into seventh place for NCAA Tournament career rebounds (132)... Alexis Hornbuckle???Moved ahead of Alana Beard (47 - Duke, 2001-04) for career steals in NCAA Tournament games (49) and Shannon Bobbitt???Moved past her 2006-07 season performance (69) and into fourth place in the UT single-season record books for three-pointers made (71)...Scored in double fi gures for the 15th time this season and the 31st time of her career.
2008 SWEET 16: NOTRE DAME RECAP??
Candace Parker matched her career best with 34 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, leading top-seeded Tennessee to the regional fi nals for the seventh straight year with a 74-64 win against Notre Dame on March 30, 2008 in the Oklahoma City Regional. The two-time All-American put back Nicky Anosike???s miss and then converted a three-point play off a transition jumper to send Tennessee into the lead with 17:39 left after a 14-0 run early in the second half, and the Lady Vols never looked back on their way to the round of eight for the 23rd time. Shannon Bobbitt added a pair of three-pointers as Tennessee built its lead to 60-44 before Notre Dame made a late rally, but it was not enough as Notre Dame fell to 0-20 all-time against Tennessee, including a pair of losses this season. Bobbitt fi nished with 11 points and Anosike had her sixth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Lady Vols. For a while, Notre Dame was able to stay in front of the Lady Vols even with Parker on a tear. Despite her 19 fi rst-half points, Tennessee was down at halftime for only the third time this season -- although they???d come back to win previously against Mississippi State and Georgia. Notre Dame led 37-33 after point guard Tulyah Gaines drove the lane for a layup in the opening minutes of the second half, but Parker got help from three of her teammates in the big run, and the Irish didn???t have an answer. It was the second time in three NCAA tournament games that Tennessee had to overcome a sluggish start. The Lady Vols are now 101-19 all-time in NCAA Tournament games. Parker, Anosike and Alexis Hornbuckle made their marks in the NCAA Tournament record books. Parker now stands in sixth place for career blocks (34) and ninth for points (276). Hornbuckle is fourth in career steals (49). Anosike is fi fth in career blocks (35) and seventh in rebounds (142).
Pam Ward, Nancy Lieberman and Holly Rowe (sideline).
The Sports Animal, WNML (990 AM, 99.1 and 99.3 FM). Mickey Dearstone
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Ranking: #1 Seed - Oklahoma City Region
Record: 33-2 (13-1 SEC)
Coach:
?? ?? Pat Summitt- 34th (980-182)
?? ?? Roster
?? ?? Coaches
?? ?? Schedule
?? ?? Stats
Recent Results:
?? ?? UT def. Notre Dame, 74-64
Upcoming Games:
?? ?? 4-6 NCAA Final Four, Time TBA
Ranking: #2 Seed
Record: 29-7 (11-5 Big XII)
Coach:
?? ?? Gary Blair- 23rd (510-220)
?? ?? Roster
?? ?? Coaches
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?? ?? Stats
Recent Results:
?? ?? def. No. 3 Duke, 77-63
NCAA Elite 8
Overall: UT is 17-5
In Knoxville: UT is 6-0
Away: UT is 1-1
Neutral: UT is 10-4
Overtime: 1-1
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