Lady Vols' Butts scores career-high 37

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Pat Summitt has seen almost everything

in her 30 years at Tennessee.

Senior guard Tasha Butts still found a way to surprise her.

Butts was averaging just 7.8 points per game, but she scored a

career-high 37 points with a nearly perfect performance, and No. 3

Tennessee extended its Southeastern Conference winning streak to 30

straight by beating Vanderbilt 94-88 Sunday.

Summitt had no idea that Butts scored so many points.

"I know this: She really stepped up big for us in all aspects

of the game. ... She was determined to get to the hole, and she

played off the dribble. She got shots off the pass and created for

herself," Summitt said.

Tennessee (21-2, 10-0) needed Butts because Vanderbilt, the last

SEC opponent to beat the Lady Vols when they routed them 76-59 on

Feb. 2, 2002, shut down senior center Ashley Robinson, and guard

Shanna Zolman struggled again.

Robinson had just two points and three rebounds before fouling

out. Zolman had five points, seven below her average.

The Commodores (16-7, 4-6) looked like they might rout their

instate rival yet again as they built an 11-point lead in the first

half and led at halftime, which hadn't happened to the Lady Vols in

SEC play this season.

"Butts took over," Summitt said.

The senior, whose previous career best was 19 points last month

against TCU, finished 12-of-15 from the floor, a perfect 6-of-6

from 3-point range and 7-of-8 at the free throw line. Butts also

had a team-high nine rebounds and seven assists.

Shyra Ely added 16 points for Tennessee, followed by Brittany

Jackson who had 14 off the bench and LaToya Davis with 10.

"After I hit probably my third or fourth 3, I felt like I was

in a zone," Butts said. "And Shyra did a good job of telling me I

was in a zone every time I ran down the court. I told the team the

last 3 I hit, I didn't see (the rim)."

Vanderbilt coach Melanie Balcomb insisted they weren't trying to

leave Butts open.

"She hits the open 3 that she doesn't usually hit," Balcomb

said.

Butts had 26 in the second half in helping Tennessee settle down

in front of a largely orange crowd and win its sixth straight over

Vandy. The Lady Vols, who hit just 6-of-14 from 3-point range in

the first half, started going to the basket in the second half

against Vandy's zone.

LaToya Davis' jumper put Tennessee up 47-45 at 16:09, its first

lead since 20-19. The Lady Vols took the lead for good on their

first 3-pointer of the second half when Butts connected at 13:28

for a 52-49 lead.

Vanderbilt tied it one last time at 58 on a jumper by Hillary

Hager and never got closer than 85-83 down the stretch. Butts

answered with her sixth 3-pointer from the top of the key.

"They probably didn't think I would come in and hit six 3s,"

Butts said. "I didn't even think I would come in and hit six 3s.

My teammates kept finding me tonight."

Hager finished with 23 points for Vanderbilt. Carla Thomas had

17, Dee Davis 15 and Jenni Benningfield 13 as Vanderbilt lost its

fourth straight SEC game.

Vanderbilt led 42-36 at halftime after outshooting Tennessee at

the free throw line, going 14-of-19 compared to just 2-of-4 for the

Lady Vols.

Neither team shot well to start the game as they combined to

miss 10 of their first 13 shots. The Lady Vols settled down first

and led by as much as eight twice, the last at 20-12 on a Jackson

3-pointer with 11:42 left in the first half.

Then the Commodores responded with a 19-2 run capped by a layup

and a 3-pointer by Davis. Vandy led 31-22 with 5:38 to go.

Tennessee hadn't trailed by more than seven to an SEC opponent

this season, and that was against Auburn on Feb. 1 when the Lady

Vols pulled out an overtime victory.

This time, Vandy just kept building to an 11-point margin on a

pair of Katie Antony free throws with 3:49 remaining.