Volunteers Win Sec Tourney Title

Women’s Top 25

Chamique Holdsclaw scored 22 points Sunday to help top-ranked Tennessee stay undefeated and win the Southeastern Conference tournament title by holding off No. 20 Alabama for a 67-63 victory in Columbus, Ga.

It was just the second time this season that Tennessee (33-0) has won by fewer than 10 points. In the last meeting with Alabama (22-9) on Feb. 1, the Volunteers won 73-66.

By winning their eighth SEC tournament championship, the two-time defending national champs kept themselves alive to join Texas and Connecticut as just the third team to go undefeated since the NCAA began sanctioning women’s basketball in 1981. Tennessee was the first of the three to have 30 regular-season victories.

After trailing 56-43, the Crimson Tide fought back to 65-60 with 15 seconds left. But after Tennessee’s Semeka Randall missed two free throws, the Vols got the rebound and Holdsclaw made a pass back to Randall for an easy basket to ice the game.

(3) Old Dominion 82, American U. 49

At Richmond, Va., Old Dominion coach Wendy Larry started lobbying for American University’s postseason hopes even before her third-ranked Monarchs (27-2) played the Eagles (23-6) for the Colonial Athletic Association title.

(10) N. Carolina 81, (16) Clemson 50

At Charlotte, N.C., the Tarheels (24-6) won their fourth Atlantic Coast Conference title in five years as Chanel Wright powered runs in each half that sent them to a win over the Tigers (24-7).