11 days ago my Tennessee men accomplished what few teams have ever done - blow a 21 point lead to lose their chance at their first trip to the Elite 8. And this was supposed to be the year we got over the hump... hopefully Bruce Pearl will stick around for a few years. Not to mention a couple of good post-players as we lost our only true center before the season began to a violation (chronic) of team rules. Thanks Major Wingate... you'll always be a minor in my book. One can only hope that SEC POTY Chris Lofton returns to help our young Volunteer squad get back to the dance - we won't see a player of his caliber in UT orange for many years to come.
Tomorrow night, an event more improbable than the men's collapse will take place - the Lady Vols, playing in their record 17th Final Four will take on #4 seed Rutgers' Lady Scarlet Knights (and I thought you had to be one OR the other) for a shot at their 7th national title and first since 1998 (when I was a junior at UT). Why improbable? Well, if you're asking then you are one of many people who see little entertainment value in the women's game... I pity you. I would have almost agreed with you at the start of last night's national semifinal game between by beloved Lady Vols and the Lady Heels of North Carolina...
They stunk the first half up like you wouldn't believe. Tennessee led 22-21 at the half and set a record for fewest first half points... ALLOWED (by a Tennessee opponent). The two teams combined to shoot 25% in the first half and the two best players on the floor were sidelined for most of it with foul trouble. Talk about a boring game - arguably the two best teams in the country and they're fighting bench vs. bench in the opening half! But then came halftime...
And life changed big time - Tennessee came out fast and scored 5 quick points to grab a "commanding" 6 point lead... only to let UNC score 12 unanswered and all of a sudden momentum began to shift. UNC eventually built the lead to 12 with 8:18 remaining and it looked like yet another disappointing finish for my ladies in orange when UNC's sparkplug Ivory Latta drove for a hoop and the harm to restore to 10 what UT had whittled down to a 7 point lead seconds before. I almost went to bed right then and there... but I was mad. I told myself, "Self, you won't be able to sleep for hours after they lose anyways, so you might as well stick it out to the end and REALLY stoke the fires of wrath right?! Right!" So with piles of epithets and gallons of poison ready to hurl ESP-style at Latta and Co. I sulked back to my computer to listen to the end of the game... arms crossed and a scowl only God could forgive. UNC 48 UT 36.
Tennessee scored... whoop-dee-doo. UNC 48 UT 38
UNC turnover... small consolation since they've turned it over more than 20 times already
Tennessee scored again... hmmm.... UNC 48 UT 40
Multiple misses by both teams... not surprising; now just waiting for that nail-in-coffin trey from UNC to ice it... it doesn't come yet.
Tennessee heads to FT line - TWICE (swish times 4)... UNC 48 UT 44
Candace Parker (CP3) scores for UT... OMgosh UNC 48 UT 46
UNC returns the FT favor - UNC 50 UT 46... can UT respond? Can UNC stop fouling?
Yes. No.
Nicky Anosike goes on a personal 5-0 run to put UT out in front 51-50 with 1:44 to go.
UNC finishes the game going 0-8 from the field, 2-2 at the FT line...
UT hits their FTs and wins 56-50.
Are you kidding me?!?!
I'm so glad I stayed up to catch the running box score on the internet...
Too bad I couldn't have watched it... I heard it was quite the game.
Check back in tomorrow night for the final Final Four notes... in the meantime, check out the YouTube videos of Candace Parker and the highlights from the game itself on espn.com and utsports.com.
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