Jan. 23, 2000
By TIM WHITMIRE
AP Sports Writer
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) – After a shocking 27-point loss to Georgia earlier inthe week, Tennessee coach Pat Summitt was just happy to get a win – even if hersecond-ranked Lady Vols nearly blew a 20-point lead to Kentucky.
“I told our team that we could have won this game or lost this game. We hada situation where either could have happened,” Summitt said after Sunday’s71-65 victory, which Tennessee iced with four free throws after Kentucky closedto within 67-65 in the final seconds.
“I think we have to build on the fact that we won this game,” Summittsaid. “We made our free throws, which we did not do in other close games,”including losses to Louisiana Tech and Connecticut.
Natalie Martinez brought Kentucky (11-7, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) withintwo on her 3-pointer with 13 seconds left, but both Tamika Catchings and SenekaRandall hit a pair of free throws to secure the win for the Lady Vols (14-3,4-1).
Michelle Snow led Tennessee with 18 points and seven rebounds, dominatingher inside matchup with Kentucky’s Shantia Owens, who got into early foultrouble and finished with just two points and five rebounds.
“We were struggling offensively getting into our halfcourt,” Summitt said.”I thought she (Snow) came up with big plays – rebounds and points. She justdid a nice job for us.”
Tennessee won in its first game since losing 78-51 at No. 7 Georgia onMonday, the Lady Vols’ worst loss ever in the SEC.
Early on, they looked like they would cruise against the Wildcats, using a16-2 run midway through the first half to build a 20-point lead.
Kentucky chipped away in the second half, though, with point guard EricaJackson scoring all Kentucky’s points in a 9-2 run that closed the gap in thefinal minutes and gave Tennessee a scare.
Kara Lawson finished with 15 points, Randall with 15 and Catchings had 11for the Lady Vols.
LaTonya McDole led Kentucky with 18 points and seven rebounds, Jackson had11 points and Laura Meadows had 10.
Tennessee has now won 17 straight games against Kentucky, with the lastWildcat win coming in January of 1986.
Though Summitt characterized the defeat as a “good loss” for Kentucky,which last year made the NCAA tournament for the first time in eight seasons,Kentucky coach Bernadette Mattox responded, “No loss is good.”
“I think our players just need to realize how good a basketball team theyare,” Mattox said.
After halftime, with Kentucky trailing 40-24, Mattox switched the Wildcatsto a zone defense that helped limit the Lady Vols to 34.8 percent shooting(8-of-23) over the final 20 minutes. Tennessee had shot 53.1 percent (17-of-32)from the field in the first half.
In the first half, it was all Tennessee, as the Wildcats were caughtflat-footed by the Lady Vols’ aggressive man-to-man defense and committed 17turnovers, leading to 19 Tennessee points.
With the game tied at 8, Tennessee went on a 16-2 run that included a pairof 3s by Lawson and four points by Randall.
A putback by Gwen Jackson with 4:46 left in the half gave Tennessee itsbiggest lead of the game at 35-15.
