MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) – Top-ranked Tennessee is not running the
risk of wearing its starters out in the Southeastern Conference
tournament.
|  | | The shoe of Tennessee guard Semeka Randall carries her countdown to the national championship with "Journey completed" inscribed at the end. |
Semeka Randall scored 16 points in just 22 minutes as Tennessee
beat Alabama 82-52 Friday afternoon in the second round, extending
its winning streak to 18 straight games.
Coach Pat Summitt went to her deep bench early and often, and
Tennessee's reserves wound up playing 101 of 200 minutes against
Alabama. No starter played more minutes than Kara Lawson with 23,
but it didn't matter because the bench outscored Alabama's reserves
38-21.
"Our bench really allows us to enjoy a lot of success,"
Summitt said after Tennessee stretched its SEC tournament winning
streak to 10 straight games, which includes the past three titles.
"It's important to be able to go to our bench and wear people
down."
Lawson added 13 points, reserve Ashley Robinson had 11 and
Michelle Snow and backup point guard April McDivitt 10 apiece as
the Lady Vols enjoyed a home court away from home thanks to
Tennessee fans who filled enough seats to tint The Pyramid orange.
Summitt called McDivitt "instant offense" off the bench.
The top-seeded Lady Vols (29-1) haven't lost in this tournament
since 1997 and will play either No. 15 Vanderbilt or 16th-ranked
LSU in the semifinals Saturday. Randall said the reserves got some
important playing time with the opportunity to play two games in
the next two days.
"All we're trying to do is take care of business, pace
ourselves and save our legs. We did a good job of getting a good
lead and keeping it," she said.
For Alabama (18-11), it's the sixth time in the past eight years
that Tennessee has sent the Crimson Tide packing from this
tournament. Alabama hasn't beaten Tennessee anywhere since 1984, a
losing skid that reached 24 consecutive games Friday.
"They've just got so many great players on their team,"
Alabama coach Rick Moody said of the Lady Vols. "Their style of
play that Pat has implemented is very effective for them. She's
really coached the personnel well."
The Crimson Tide led only once at 3-2 before Tennessee took
control. Snow started an 8-0 spurt that left the Lady Vols up 14-6
with 12:17 to go, and they took it from there in going up by 10
points four different times in the half.
Only Shondra Johnson, who had been questionable after separating
her left shoulder on Feb. 18, kept Alabama in the game as she
scored 17 of her 19 points in the half. She didn't get another
point after being hit on her shoulder and fouled while driving for
the basket five minutes into the second half.
Tennessee led 42-32 at halftime thanks to some great shooting.
The Lady Vols hit nine of their final 11 shots in the half, and
McDivitt had their last eight points. They hit 16-of-28 from the
floor for the half and 52 percent (32-of-61) for the game.
It only got worse in the second half. Tennessee outshot and
outrebounded the Tide in building its to as much 82-48 on a free
throw by Tasha Butts with 1:12 left.
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ALSO SEE
Women's College Basketball Scoreboard
Alabama Clubhouse
Tennessee Clubhouse
SEC tournament schedule
SEC seventh-seed Arkansas stuns Florida
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