Parker dazzles Irish

OKLAHOMA CITY – Candace Parker was at her best when Tennessee needed it the most.

Parker matched her career best with 34 points and hauled in 12 rebounds, pushing the top-seeded Lady Vols to the regional finals for the eighth straight year with a 74-64 win against Notre Dame on Sunday night in the Oklahoma City Regional.

The 6-foot-3 All-American put-back Nicky Anosike’s miss and then converted a three-point play off a transition jumper to send Tennessee into the lead with a 14-0 run early in the second half, and the Lady Vols never looked back on their way to the round of eight for the 23rd time.

“Honestly, in postseason, you’ve got to come through. That’s what great players do,” Parker said.

Shannon Bobbitt added a pair of 3-pointers as Tennessee built its lead to 60-44 before Notre Dame made a late rally. Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw, who led the Irish to the 2001 national championship, fell to 0-16 against Tennessee.

The Lady Vols will face Texas A&M on Tuesday night in the regional final. Tennessee (33-2) is going for its 17th Final Four berth, while the Aggies are trying for their first.

For a while, Notre Dame (25-9) was able to stay in front of the Lady Vols even with Parker on a tear.

Parker scored Tennessee’s first eight points while her teammates combined to miss their first eight shots, and she had 19 by halftime. But the rest of the Lady Vols combined for only 12 in the first half, and Notre Dame led 33-31 at intermission.

It was only the third time this season the Lady Vols trailed at halftime, and they’d come back to win both times, against Mississippi State and Georgia.

It was no different this time.

Notre Dame freshman Becca Bruszewski scored 16 to match the career-high she had in the first round against SMU and Charel Allen also had 16 for the Irish. Lindsay Schrader, Parker’s teammate on a grade school AAU team, added 13 points and Ashley Barlow scored 11.

Bobbitt finished with 11 and Anosike had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Lady Vols.

Notre Dame led 37-33 after point guard Tulyah Gaines drove the lane for a layup in the opening minutes of the second half, but Parker then started getting some backup.

Four Lady Vols scored in the big run, and the Irish didn’t have an answer. It was the second time in three NCAA tournament games that Tennessee had to overcome a sluggish start.

“I don’t know what it is but we need to fix it,” Parker said.

This one at least ended up a little closer than most of McGraw’s encounters with the Lady Vols.

Tennessee won all 15 of the previous meetings by an average margin of 23 points, and only one of the games was decided by single digits. Behind seven 3-pointers from freshman Angie Bjorklund (University High School), the Lady Vols shot 55 percent from 3-point range in scorching Notre Dame 87-63 on its home floor in January.

The Lady Vols were already up by double digits this time before Bjorklund connected on a 3 from the left wing to make it 55-42 with 11:12 remaining. Anosike then answered Schrader’s layup, and Bobbitt nailed a 3-pointer from the right wing to give Tennessee its biggest lead.

Bruszewski, pushed into more playing time by starter Erica Williamson’s foul trouble, tried to lead her team back but the Irish failed in their bid to reach the regional finals for the first time since their national championship run.

Tennessee 74, Notre Dame 64

Notre Dame (25-9)—Gaines 1-5 0-0 2, Williamson 1-2 0-0 2, Allen 6-16 4-5 16, Schrader 5-8 3-3 13, Barlow 5-13 1-3 11, Mallory 0-2 3-4 3, Bruszewski 7-15 2-2 16, D’Amico 0-0 0-0 0, Lechlitner 0-2 1-2 1. Totals 25-63 14-19 64.

Tennessee (33-2)—Parker 11-18 12-17 34, Auguste 3-12 0-0 6, Anosike 4-8 2-5 10, Hornbuckle 3-8 2-3 8, Bobbitt 3-9 2-2 11, Bjorklund 2-6 0-0 5, Fuller 0-2 0-0 0, Baugh 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 26-65 18-27 74.

Halftime—Notre Dame 33-31. 3-Point Goals—Notre Dame 0-5 (Allen 0-1, Mallory 0-2, Barlow 0-2), Tennessee 4-13 (Bobbitt 3-7, Bjorklund 1-4, Hornbuckle 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Notre Dame 42 (Schrader 9), Tennessee 45 (Parker 13). Assists—Notre Dame 7 (Allen, Gaines 3), Tennessee 12 (Hornbuckle 4). Total Fouls—Notre Dame 20, Tennessee 18. A—NA.