DURHAM, N.C. – There will be a new team at the top of women’s college basketball when the polls are released today.
Second-ranked Tennessee (16-1) entered a sold-out Cameron Indoor Stadium Saturday and knocked off No. 1 Duke, 72-69.
The Blue Devils (15-2) struck first, with a layup from senior guard Alana Beard, whose jersey was retired in a pre-game ceremony. Beard scored eight first-half points and the Lady Volunteers struggled to a dismal 26.3 percent from the field, leaving Duke with a 26-22 halftime lead.
Lady Vol coach Pat Summitt was particularly concerned with a rebounding deficit and a complete lack of free throws.
“I can’t remember any time in 30 years of coaching where we haven’t shot a single free throw in the first half,” she said. “I challenged this team at the half to show more aggressiveness in pursuing rebounds and moving the ball inside.”
The Lady Vols must have listened.
After Beard hit a quick jumper to give the Blue Devils a 28-24 lead, the UT defense kept the talented guard quiet until the final minutes of the game.
The Lady Vol offense also took off in the second half. A 3-point shot from sophomore guard Shanna Zolman gave Tennessee its first lead of the contest, 29-28 with 16:51 remaining.
UT shot 58.3 percent in the second half.
“We showed great composure on offense (after halftime),” Summitt said. “Shyra (Ely) in particular was very calm offensively.”
The Lady Vols took the lead for good on an Ely free throw with nine minutes left. Ely replaced an injured Loree Moore at the free-throw line after she was forced to leave the court.
Moore returned briefly – long enough to knock down a three that gave the Lady Vols a 60-51 lead. Moore will undergo further diagnostic testing on her left knee today.
Beard tried to provide some heroics for her team late in the contest, scoring eight points in the final two minutes. But her surge and a buzzer-beating half-court 3-point shot wasn’t enough to overcome UT’s strong shooting.
With the win, Tennessee will return to the top of the women’s basketball polls for the first time since March of 2001. Summitt was pleased with her team’s competitiveness.
“This is a great win for this team,” the 30th-year coach said. “Our basketball team, having played the schedule we have, should feel good about themselves. But it is January.”
Zolman and Ely led the Lady Vols with 15 points each. Moore added 11.
Beard and forward Monique Currie each finished with 18 for Duke.
The Lady Vols return to conference play Thursday at Kentucky. The Wildcats are coached by longtime Vol assistant Mickie DeMoss.
