Vols get another shot at Heels
Tennessee, the program by which all others are measured in women’s basketball, will meet North Carolina for the second time this season and third time in the past year at the Final Four in Cleveland.
In last year’s Cleveland Regional final, North Carolina defeated Tennessee 75-63 to earn its second trip to the national semifinals. As luck would have it, the Lady Vols (32-3) and Tar Heels (34-3) have been on a collision course since the NCAA pairings were announced.
Now they’ll lock up again – with more riding on the outcome.
“I think it was meant to be,” said coach Pat Summitt, who has Tennessee in its 17th Final Four. “Same city. Same building. Same locker room, playing against Carolina.”
The matchup of No. 1 seeds and perennial powerhouses will showcase two of the nation’s biggest stars: Tennessee’s Candice Parker and North Carolina’s Ivory Latta.
Parker is unlike any player in the women’s game.
The 6-foot-4 redshirt sophomore, listed as a forward-center-guard, can do it all and usually does. She’s averaging 19.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.8 blocks and immeasurable attitude.
In Tennessee’s visit to North Carolina on Dec. 3, Parker, the only woman to dunk in a NCAA tournament game, stuffed the box score by scoring 27 points with 10 rebounds. Trouble was, she didn’t get any help from her teammates as the Tar Heels handled the Lady Vols 70-57.
LSU vs. Rutgers
Sylvia Fowles stirred up the crowd watching LSU’s practice when she dunked during a rebounding drill – then behaved as if she regretted turning heads.
A Baton Rouge, La., TV news crew asked for an encore. No such luck.
Fowles was done, already shifting the spotlight back to her team, which will meet Rutgers (26-8) in the national semifinals tonight.
She’s focused on helping LSU (30-7) do something it has failed to do in three Final Four stops the past three seasons – win.
Fowles hasn’t had to dunk to energize teammates or intimidate foes. Her speed, jump hook, ferocious rebounding and blocked shots will present enough of a challenge for Rutgers.
Still, a LSU victory is no slam dunk.
LSU acting head coach Bob Starkey said he’s seen enough film on Rutgers to know the Scarlet Knights will find a way to disrupt LSU’s flow.
“They’re the one team that I can say they’re every bit as quick as we are,” Starkey said.
That quickness could allow Rutgers to deny passes inside to Fowles by harassing the passer rather than swarming multiple defenders on Fowles. That would leave Kia Vaughn to guard Fowles mostly on her own.
“I go out and play each and every post (player) the same,” Vaughn said. “I make them work for what they want to get done.”
Either way, expect a low-scoring game. LSU and Rutgers have won all season with defense.