The NCAA News - News and Features

April 7, 1997

Tennes-see ya later!

Left for dead earlier in the season, Lady Vols peak at just the right time to win their second straight title

Tennessee, which has won the Division I Women's Basketball Championship almost every way it can be won, added a unique twist this year in capturing its fifth national title.

The Volunteers won as an underdog, defeating Old Dominion, 68-59, March 30 in Cincinnati to become the first team with as many as 10 losses to claim the championship.

But the championship is not determined by how many games a team wins but rather by when, and the Volunteers saved their best for last, playing their best basketball of the year during the tournament.

"Of all our runs to a championship, this one is really the most unexpected," said coach Pat Summitt, who has guided the Volunteers to each of their titles. "It came from a team with tremendous heart and desire."

The defending champion Vols, plagued by injuries and challenged by a difficult schedule, were only 23-10 entering the tournament. But they were undaunted throughout the championship and reached the Women's Final Four the hard way with a victory over previously undefeated Connecticut (ending the Huskies' 33-game winning streak) to advance from the Midwest region.

After a second-half burst propelled them to an 80-66 victory over Notre Dame in the semifinals, the Volunteers found themselves in the championship game for the seventh time in the 16-year history of the event. In winning, they became only the second team to win the Division I women's tournament in consecutive years, matching Southern California's accomplishment in 1983 and 1984.

"This year was a tremendous blessing for me, for our players and our staff in that we faced a lot of adversity," Summitt said. "We had injuries. We had tough losses. But we never had attitude problems that we could not move on from immediately, and this is a group that will always be very special to me personally as well as professionally."

In the title game, all-American sophomore Chamique Holdsclaw led the way with 24 points and seven rebounds. Guard Kellie Jolly contributed a championship-game record 11 assists and had a Final Four record of 20.

"I think deep down this team believed we could do it and that we could be alive in March," said Jolly, who suffered a torn knee ligament in October and returned to action January 12. "We just had to have faith and believe in ourselves."

Tennessee took control quickly in the final as it scooted to a 14-8 lead that ballooned to 20-8 after a burst that included a pair of fast-break baskets. Old Dominion coach Wendy Larry called a timeout to try and stop the momentum, but moments later, Jolly hit a three-pointer to push the lead to 27-11. The Lady Monarchs fought back to within 10, but the Volunteers answered with a Holdsclaw jump shot that just beat the shot-clock buzzer. By half time, the Vols seemed well in control at 34-22.

But Old Dominion clawed its way back early in the second half. Ticha Penicheiro, held scoreless in the first half, scored three quick baskets and provided two assists to cut the lead to 38-32. The Lady Monarchs turned up the pressure defense, and when Amber Eblin hit a baseline three-pointer and was fouled at the 9:06 mark, Old Dominion took its first lead at 44-43. The Lady Monarchs expanded the lead to 49-47 before the Volunteers went on a 12-2 run -- featuring six points from Holdsclaw -- that put the game away.

Afterward, Summitt was effusive in her praise of Holdsclaw.

"She has a tremendous desire to win," Summitt said. "When the pressure is on, she wants the ball in her hands. I told her, 'Quit passing the basketball.' There are a lot of great players out there, but right now, I feel she's the best in the game."

Even though Old Dominion won the rebound battle, 34-29, Larry said the Volunteers used their physical nature to win the game. The high-scoring Lady Monarchs, who averaged 85 points a game over the year, shot only 38.7 percent from the field in the final.

"I think Tennessee, with pressure, certainly took us totally out of it," Larry said. "As physical as our basketball team is, we were definitely outmuscled."

Old Dominion, which reached the championship game with an 83-82 overtime victory over Stanford, finished the season at 34-2.

SEMIFINALS

Tennessee 80, Notre Dame 66

Notre Dame: Beth Morgan 6-21, 2-4, 3, 18; Rosanne Bohman 2-4, 2-2, 4, 6; Katryna Gaither 10-15, 8-8, 13, 28; Mollie Peirick 3-8, 0-0; 5, 7; Jeannine Augustin 1-3, 0-0, 1, 2; Sheila McMillen 1-5, 0-0, 0, 3, Julie Henderson 1-1, 0-0, 2, 2; Kari Hutchinson 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. TOTALS: 24-57, 12-14, 34 (6 team), 66.

Tennessee: Chamique Holdsclaw 13-25, 5-6, 5, 31; Abby Conklin 4-5, 0-0, 3, 11; Pashen Thompson 3-4, 0-1, 9, 6; Kyra Elzy 4-10, 6-8, 9, 14; Kellie Jolly 1-10, 4-4, 4, 6; Niya Butts 1-3, 0-0, 1, 2; Tiffani Johnson 3-7, 0-2, 7, 6; Misty Greene 1-7, 0-0, 2, 3; Brynae Laxton 0-0, 0-0, 1, 0; LaShonda Stephens 0-0, 1-2, 1, 1. TOTALS: 30-71, 16-23, 43 (1 team), 80.

Half time: Tennessee 29, Notre Dame 28. Three-point goals: Notre Dame 6-16 (Morgan 4-8, Peirick 1-4, McMillen 1-4); Tennessee 4-11 (Holdsclaw 0-1, Conklin 3-4, Jolly 0-2, Greene 1-4). Disqualifications: None. Officials: John Morningstar, Scott Yarbrough, Judy Schneider. Attendance: 16,714.

Old Dominion 83, Stanford 82 (ot)

Stanford: Olympia Scott 4-10, 3-4, 10, 11; Vanessa Nygaard 1-7, 0-0, 3, 2; Naomi Mulitauaopele 3-5, 0-0, 3, 6; Jamila Wideman 4-11, 3-4, 5, 13; Kate Starbird 7-14; 8-8, 4, 26; Milena Flores 1-1, 0-0, 0, 2; Charmin Smith 1-2, 2-2, 4, 4; Kristin Folkl 8-8, 2-3, 10, 18; Heather Owen 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. TOTALS: 29-58, 18-21, 43 (4 team), 82.

Old Dominion: Mery Andrade 3-9, 5-6, 7, 11; Clarisse Machanguana 9-16, 0-2, 8, 18; Nyree Roberts 8-10, 1-2, 8, 17; Stacy Himes 1-1, 0-0, 2, 2; Ticha Penicheiro 7-19, 4-7, 5, 18; Amber Eller 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0; Aubrey Eblin 1-8, 2-3, 1, 5; LaToya Small 1-4, 0-0, 4, 2; Natalie Diaz 5-8, 0-0, 0, 10. TOTALS 35-75, 12-20, 35, 83.

Half time: Stanford 37, Old Dominion 30. End of regulation: Old Dominion 76, Stanford 76. Three-point goals: Stanford 6-17 (Nygaard 0-5, Wideman 2-3, Starbird 4-8, Smith 0-1); Old Dominion 1-12 (Andrade 0-1, Penicheiro 0-3, Eblin 1-6, Diaz 0-2). Disqualifications: Folkl, Andrade, Roberts. Officials: Sally Bell, Carla Fujimoto and Ray Bomeli. Attendance: 16,714.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Tennessee 68, Old Dominion 59

Tennessee: Tiffani Johnson 4-4, 0-0, 3, 8; Chamique Holdsclaw 11-20, 2-3, 7, 24; Pashen Thompson 4-4, 0-3, 6, 8; Kyra Elzy 1-3, 0-1, 3, 2; Kellie Jolly 1-5, 2-2, 0, 5; Niya Butts 4-7, 0-0, 2, 8; Laurie Milligan 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0; Misty Greene 0-1, 1-2, 1, 1; Brynae Laxton 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0; LaShonda Stephens 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0; Abby Conklin 4-5, 2-2, 1, 12. TOTALS 29-49, 7-13, 29 (6 team), 68.

Old Dominion: Mery Andrade 2-7, 0-0, 0, 4; Clarisse Machanguana 7-13, 2-2, 10, 16; Nyree Roberts 6-8, 1-2, 9, 13; Stacy Himes 0-1, 0-0, 0, 0; Ticha Penicheiro 4-13, 2-2, 6, 10; Amber Eller 2-4, 0-0, 3, 5; Aubrey Eblin 3-11, 2-4, 1, 11; LaToya Small 0-0, 0-0, 3, 0; Natalie Diaz 0-5, 0-0, 0, 0; Kelly Bradley 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. TOTALS 24-62, 7-10, 34 (2 team), 59.

Half time: Tennessee 34, Old Dominion 22. Three-point goals: Tennessee 3-5 (Jolly 1-3, Conklin 2-2), Old Dominion 4-18 (Andrade 0-3, Penicheiro 0-1, Eller 1-2, Eblin 3-10, Diaz 0-2). Disqualifications: Andrade, Machanguana. Officials: Dee Kantner, Violet Palmer, Yvette McKinney. Attendance: 16,714.