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Adams: LSU is target for Lady Vols

By John Adams (Contact)
Originally published 12:35 a.m., March 9, 2008
Updated 12:35 a.m., March 9, 2008

NASHVILLE - LSU's post-game press conference was only a couple of questions old when All-American center Sylvia Fowles was asked about her team's regular-season match-up with Tennessee. LSU coach Van Chancellor quickly intervened.

"I don't usually take over like this," Chancellor said. "But we will not answer any questions in regard to playing Tennessee."

You can't blame Chancellor. He was just doing what coaches do best: taking one game at a time. And since Tennessee had yet to play Vanderbilt in Saturday night's second semifinal game at the Sommet Center, he didn't want to assume the outcome.

But the assumption was too obvious for the media to avoid. The SEC is down overall, and UT and LSU are up as usual.

That was evident during the regular season in which LSU went unbeaten in conference play, and UT lost only to LSU. The SEC tournament has merely provided confirmation of their conference dominance.

LSU rolled into tonight's championship game with a 66-49 victory over Kentucky. That qualified as a close call when compared to its other tournament victory, an 80-36 rout of Ole Miss on Friday.

Kentucky succeeded in forcing a slower tempo and matched LSU's tight defense for the first 15 minutes before succumbing to the Lady Tigers' superior talent.

UT, which opened the tournament with a 92-61 victory against Florida, spotted Vanderbilt a 10-point lead in the opening minutes before All-American Candace Parker led an offensive charge that the Commodores couldn't match.

UT's 63-48 victory was right in line with a tournament that has gone according to form. The higher seed has won every game. The No. 1-seeded Lady Tigers hope that trend holds up for one more game.

If you're looking ahead to the next tournament, tonight's championship game means more to LSU. Even with a defeat, the third-ranked Lady Vols should get a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. LSU, which has two more losses and can't match UT's strength of schedule, needs a victory for a No. 1 seed.

But there's more at stake than seeding and a conference tournament championship. The Lady Vols have something to prove after losing to LSU by 16 points during the regular season. They didn't just lose. They blew a 19-point lead on their home court.

"They beat us on our home floor," Parker said. "They won the SEC championship outright. So obviously, we have incentive going in.

"We're a completely different team now than when we played them."

UT coach Pat Summitt concurred. For most of the season, she has harped on her team's inability to finish off opponents. The LSU game gave the team a video to accompany Summitt's sermon.

In other games, the Lady Vols had surged to big leads, coasted awhile, and still managed to prevail. In the LSU game, they lost the lead; then lost the game - decisively.

"I think that's when they took ownership," Summitt said. "I told them, we had gotten away with being a team that played in spurts and played the scoreboard, instead of playing the game with great passion for 40 minutes. I said, if you're going to be a championship-caliber team, you've got to do it (for 40 minutes)."

Since the LSU loss, UT has won seven consecutive games against SEC opponents by an average of 20 points. But beating the rest of the SEC is nothing like beating LSU.

"They wanted a second chance (against LSU)," UT associate head coach Holly Warlick said. "Now, they've got it."

Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.

       18 Comments

Posted by usmcladyvolfan on March 9, 2008 at 4:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Im pretty fired up for this one the girls are fired up and you know they have been asking for this one. Even more so Candace probably has wanted even more now that fowles won Sec player of the year over her. I would like to see Candace dunk on Fowles talking about a back breaker that would probably give us the momentum to win an eigth national championship. Although the dunk will probably never happen it would be a highlight all over ESPN.

Posted by pdhuff on March 9, 2008 at 6:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Roll on, LVs.

Posted by rootin4volz on March 9, 2008 at 10:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Apology? John?...John?...Are you there John?

Posted by orangeblood1966 on March 9, 2008 at 10:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Go home Adams! You're not welcomed here!

Posted by etsuvol99 on March 9, 2008 at 12:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Why do you ignore the elephant in the room, John? Don't run from your silly article. Face up to it. Call for the firings of all the other coaches whose teams are in the news for players getting in trouble with the law. Saban, Spurrier, Paterno, etc...

Posted by volroadwarrior on March 9, 2008 at 12:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Go Lady Vols. If we lose--Fire Fulmer. He is the root of all UT loses.

Posted by usmcladyvolfan on March 9, 2008 at 12:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)

John i dont know why people write some pretty stupid stuff on here this article is about our beloved lady vols , not Fulmer, elephants, and some distrought wife yelling out for her missing husband, hey if this was about fulmer i would be right there to agree he has lost control of the program it would be best to both parties for him to step aside and let the new off. coordianator be the head coach. Our recruiting is not there before long we will not be considered a powerhouse in the SEC just another Vandy of old days or Miss. State

Posted by garyfmtn on March 9, 2008 at 12:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Let's just clean house totally......FULMER, SUMMITT, PEARL all of em......Get rid of all of em......That is, IF the Lady Vols lose, if they win then keep everyone around until the next loss.....

Posted by usmcladyvolfan on March 9, 2008 at 12:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)

cant we find anyone who just wants to to talk about the ladies come on guys their in the SEC championship and could bring home number 8 the football team hasnt done that, the guys basketball team more than likely will not be getting number one Kansas and UNC are way to good, not to mention Duke, and Memphis again we need to appreciate what we got in our girls program every year their pretty much dominant girls want to play for us go9 elsewher if you dont wont to recognize that.

Posted by etsuvol99 on March 9, 2008 at 2:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)

oops now we have to fire Croom, too, John

Posted by nafslov on March 9, 2008 at 5:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Does anyone know who pays Mark Packer's salary ? Talking about someone that NEEDS firing ! Go Vols ! Please give Pearl, Summit and Fulmer huge raises ! $$$$$$ They deserve it !

Posted by edmonstg on March 9, 2008 at 8:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)

In 15 of 28 SEC women's tournaments, Tennessee fans have had to drive less than 170 miles to attend the games. Ditto this year.

Geographically speaking, 23 of 28 tournaments held to date have given a decided home court advantage to teams from the eastern side of the conference, especially the Tennessee schools, and Georgia. This said, 22 of the 28 tournaments have been played in either Tennessee or Georgia.

More tournaments...almost 50 percent...have been played in Tennessee than any other state. The number is 13. Georgia is second with 10.

Little wonder that 21 of 28 champions have either been UGA (see below), Tennessee or Vanderbilt.

Tennessee has won more tournament trophies than any other school. The number is 12.

Tennessee and Vandy combined have won 17 of the 28.

Of the 13 tournaments contested in Tennessee, only UGA (twice) and Auburn (once) have managed to win the trophy away from Vandy or the Vols, both of which have a combined 10 "at home" titles. Georgia last did it seven years ago, Auburn's lone title came 11 years ago.

These stats do not include the 2008 tournament, which is, you guessed it, in TENNESSEE.

Posted by LiveFaith on March 9, 2008 at 11:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Why does the KNS still pay this guy? When I see the name, I just jump to the comments.

Posted by xd9x19 on March 10, 2008 at 12:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)

edmonstg....I was in Nashville this past weekend for the semis and the championship game. The place was a sea of orange during the Vandy-UT game. Where were all the Vandy fans who just had to drive across town to go to the game?

The fact of the matter is that the tournament is a business venture and the SEC is not going to sacrifice seven or eight thousand in ticket sales just to have a bunch of empty seats with a few friends and families show up for a "neutral" setting.

I would venture to say that no matter where they put the tournament, the Lady Vol fans will outnumber fans from any other school. Unfortunately for other schools, women's b-ball doesn't have the fan base of the Lady Vols, so other schools will be at a disadvantage no matter where the tournament is played.

Maybe one day women's b-ball will have the fan base of the men's tournament and they'll be able to put the SEC Tournament where ever they want and still get a sellout, but that's not going to happen in the near future. Just got to live with that "unfairness" for now.

Posted by littleorange on March 10, 2008 at 8:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I don't care to see any John Adams columns.....Stopped reading because of his obvious smear campaign leveled against the Vol football program....

Posted by tenn32rebel on March 11, 2008 at 12:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)

edmonstg -
"Tennessee has won more tournament trophies than any other school. The number is 12. Tennessee and Vandy combined have won 17 of the 28."

"Of the 13 tournaments contested in Tennessee, only UGA (twice) and Auburn (once) have managed to win the trophy away from Vandy or the Vols, both of which have a combined 10 "at home" titles. Georgia last did it seven years ago, Auburn's lone title came 11 years ago."

Sir, Pat has also won 7 NCs. What other SEC team has won one??? One year, Tennesse, GA, and Auburn were in the Final Four with Tennessee winning the championship game.

Regardless of the SEC tourney site, the other SEC teams don't have the quality of team to go deep into the Big Dance. In years past, many SEC teams were chosen for the Big Dance, even though they lost in the SEC tourney, but they have never brought a national championship to their home state. Only Pat and the Lady Vols have done that. It doesn't matter to them where they play for a title; they play to win!

Don't whine about where the tourney is played, just get your team to play good bb there!!!

Go Lady Vols!!! Get #8 in '08!!!

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