A 25-4 record against the most difficult schedule in the country and a No. 2 seed in the Midwest region would be a successful regular season for nearly every women's college basketball program. Every team, that is, besides the Tennessee Lady Volunteers.
With six national titles and now 13 Final Four appearances, Tennessee is the elite program in women's basketball.
However, the ride has not been as smooth for the Lady Vols this year, as inconsistent play has led to losses and nailbiters against less-heralded teams.
Against Duke, 6-foot-2 junior Gwen Jackson had her break-out game, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Jackson, a natural power forward, has been forced to play at the three slot, a famous position for the Lady Volunteers that has been held by national players of the year Chamique Holdsclaw and Tamika Catchings.
Jackson's rise complimented the superior play of 5-9 junior guard Kara Lawson and 6-5 senior center Michelle Snow. Lawson is leading the Lady Volunteers with 15.2 points per game while Snow and Jackson average 12.5 and 10.8, respectively.
Tennessee met adversity for the first time against Connecticut--its Final Four opponent--in an 86-72 loss in front of a record-setting home crowd Jan. 5.
"Connecticut is clearly a more aggressive and physical basketball team," Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said immediately after that game. "They work so hard."
The Volunteers won their next seven games before surprisingly falling to their in-state rival Vanderbilt 76-59. The loss foreshadowed future problems, as the Lady Vols barely escaped defeat against Georgia and Mississippi State while losing to Texas in the following weeks.
Tennessee won the rematch against Vanderbilt 75-68 Jan. 16, and seemed primed for an end-of-season run.
But the Lady Volunteers were shockingly upset by LSU 81-80 in the SEC Tournament semifinal. It was Tennessee's first loss to an unranked team in five years.
Whatever the reason for the loss, it cost the Lady Vols a No. 1 seed, and it put them in the same bracket with rival Vanderbilt.
Summitt once again felt snubbed.
"I really felt in my head and my heart that Vanderbilt and Tennessee should not have been in the same region," said Summitt.
Tennessee then proved to the selection committee that it was snubbed by defeating Vanderbilt 68-63 in a brilliant defensive effort.
"I thought through the course of the game we really guarded people," Summitt said. "We just tried to take them somewhat out of their rhythm."
This win tied Summitt with the most wins of all-time for women's college basketball, and it set up a rematch with undefeated Connecticut tonight in San Antonio.
Summitt feels the game will be decided on the boards.
"First, rebounding is key," she said. "Connecticut is relentless on the boards."
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