Shannon Bobbitt

THE GAME

The number one-seeded and #2-nationally ranked Tennessee Lady Vols (27-2, 14-0 SEC) open play in the 2007 SEC Tournament facing either #8-seeded South Carolina (16-13, 6-8 SEC) or #9-seeded Auburn (19-11, 6-8 SEC) on Mar. 2 at The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga. The Gamecocks and Tigers open the Tournament on Mar. 1 at 1 p.m. The winner advances to the second round to face the Lady Vols.

LADY VOLS AT A GLANCE

This is the Lady Vols' 33rd season under Head Coach Pat Summitt...She has compiled a staggering 940-179 overall record... Is just 60 wins away from a remarkable 1,000 career victories...Collected her 900th coaching win with a 80-68 decision over #19-ranked Vanderbilt on Jan. 19, 2006... She passed Dean Smith (879 wins) for most NCAA collegiate basketball wins of all-time with a 75-54 victory over Purdue on Mar. 22, 2005 ...Her 2005-06 squad advanced to the NCAA Elite 8...Finished with a 31-5 overall record and were the SEC Tournament Champions...

14 SEC TITLES - LOOKING FOR SEC TOURNEY TITLE #13

Tennessee's win over LSU on Feb. 19 clinched the 2007 SEC Championship. It marked the 14th time that the Lady Vols have won the SEC regular season title and the first time since 2004. In the regular season SEC finale victory over Vanderbilt, the Lady Vols kept their SEC record at a perfect 14-0. UT has now turned in eight all-time undefeated league seasons in SEC play. The last time UT ran the table during the SEC regular season with a perfect record and won the SEC Tournament was in 1997-98 when the Lady Vols finished 39-0. There have been five other times when UT won the regular season SEC title and went on to win the tournament championship: 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000.

LADY VOLS IN THE 2007 SEC TOURNAMENT

2007 SEC TOURNAMENT MOVES TO DULUTH, GEORGIA

The 2007 SEC Women's Basketball Tournament starts this week at The Arena at Gwinnett Center, in Duluth, Ga., Mar. 1-4. The winner of the 11-game tournament will receive the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The 2007 SEC Tournament will be covered by FOX Sports Net South, televising all first/second rounds, as well as both semifinal games. The championship game will be televised on ESPN2.

2007 SEC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

FIRST ROUND
Thursday, March 1
#9 Auburn vs. #8 South Carolina [RSN] 1 pm
#10 Arkansas vs. #7 Kentucky [RSN] 3:30 pm
#12 Alabama vs. #5 Ole Miss [RSN] 7 pm
#11 Florida vs. #6 Mississippi St. [RSN] 9:30 pm
SECOND ROUND
Friday, March 2
Game 1 winner vs. #1 Tennessee [RSN] 1 pm
Game 2 winner vs. #2 Georgia [RSN] 3:30 pm
Game 3 winner vs. #4 LSU [RSN] 7 pm
Game 4 winner vs. #3 Vanderbilt [RSN] 9:30 pm
SEMIFINALS
Saturday, March 3
Game 5 winner vs. Game 7 winner [RSN] 6:45 pm
Game 6 winner vs. Game 8 winner [RSN] 9:15 pm
FINALS
Sunday, March 4
Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner [ESPN2] 7:30 p.m.

REMEMBER THE SEC MEDIA DAY PREDICTION?

The Tennessee Lady Vols were predicted to win the Southeastern Conference Basketball Regular Season Championship, according to a preseason vote of media attending the Tip-off 2007, the SEC Basketball Media Day on Oct. 26, 2006.

IN OUR HALF OF THE SEC BRACKET

In Tennessee's half of the 2007 SEC Tournament bracket are #4 seed LSU, #5 seed Ole Miss, #8 seed South Carolina, #9 seed Auburn and #12 seed Alabama. The Lady Vols posted wins over each of these teams in 2006-07 turning in an 8-0 record.

SOUTH CAROLINA NOTEBOOK

Number eight-seeded South Carolina enters the SEC Tournament with a 16-13 overall record and a 6-8 mark in SEC play. In order to advance to the SEC Second Round and face #1-seeded Tennessee, the Gamecocks would have to defeat #9-seeded Auburn (19-11, 6-8 SEC). Tennessee defeated South Carolina, 72-36, on Feb. 1 in Knoxville.

USC SERIES

Tennessee leads the series with South Carolina, 37-2. The UT Media Relations Office recognizes all recorded games played with newspaper accounts and/or box scores. The series with USC indicates a win and a loss pre-dating the Pat Summitt years yielding a 37-2 record. The Summitt era has only found UT on the losing end to the Gamecocks once -- Jan. 23, 1980 in Columbia, 56-52. It happened when the Carolina Pep Band positioned itself behind the UT bench and played its amplified drums, electric guitars, etc. for all 40 minutes of the game. UT huddles, held practically at the free throw line, did little good. Shortly thereafter, a ban on bands playing during the game and disallowing electronic amplification, was instituted by the AIAW.

OUR LAST MEETING

The #3-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols raced out to a 16-0 lead against South Carolina on Feb. 1, 2007 and never looked back to claim a 72-36 victory over the Gamecocks in Knoxville, Tenn. It was the 33rd consecutive Lady Vol win in the series. South Carolina did not score until the clock read 10:12 remaining in the first half. USC missed their first six shots and had nine turnovers - four on steals by Tennessee - before their first basket. Candace Parker and Shannon Bobbitt each scored 13 points for the Lady Vols, who built a big lead in the first half and expanded it in the second. The Gamecocks (13-10, 3-5) had trouble scoring and holding onto the ball. Alberta Auguste added 10 points and Parker had 12 rebounds for the Lady Vols, who shot 37.9 percent (22-of-58) from the field. Sidney Spencer moved into third place in the UT record books for career field goal percentage with her 4-of-4 performance in the game. Spencer also grabbed a career high-tying nine rebounds. Alexis Hornbuckle moved into tenth place in career steals with her five thefts against South Carolina. The Gamecocks' 36 points tied for the third-lowest in their history and they have lost by more than 35 points only six other times. Tennessee led 37-11 at halftime. South Carolina had the fewest first-half points against the Lady Vols by an SEC team and the mark tied for the fifth fewest by a UT opponent in program history. The Lady Vols forced 34 Gamecock turnovers and held South Carolina to its fewest points of the season. It was the first game all season that UT didn't allow an opponent to make a three-pointer. The game offered fans two prestigious award ceremonies, as Parker was honored before the game for becoming the fastest Lady Vol to reach 1,000 career points and at halftime, a new Wheaties box was unveiled bearing the photo of Pat Summitt, the first female coach to be so honored.

FACING THE UNRANKED

When taking on an unranked opponent such as South Carolina, the odds have typically tipped in Tennessee's favor. In her 33 years at the helm of the Lady Vols, UT head coach Pat Summitt has fashioned a 560-32 (.947) record when going up against unranked teams. The victory over Old Dominion was Summitt's 550th over an unranked foe.

UT-SOUTH CAROLINA FACING THE RANKED

Tennessee faced their 13th ranked opponent of the 2006-07 season in the win over #12-ranked Vanderbilt on Feb. 27. UT is 11-2 in games versus ranked teams out of 29 total contests. Meanwhile South Carolina will be taking on their ninth ranked opponent in 31 games if they face #2 Tennessee. South Carolina is 0-8 vs. ranked teams having lost to then-#3 Oklahoma, 78-51, #10-ranked Stanford, 69-54, #14 Vanderbilt, 67-66, #24 Mississippi, 76-57, #3 Tennessee, 72-36, #7 LSU, 49-46, #9 Georgia, 81-57 and #12 Vanderbilt, 83-65.

AUBURN NOTEBOOK

Number ninth-seeded Auburn enters the SEC Tournament with a 19-11 overall record and a 6-8 mark in SEC play. In order to advance to the SEC Second Round and face #1-seeded Tennessee, the Tigers would have to defeat #8-seeded South Carolina (16-13, 6-8 SEC). Tennessee defeated Auburn, 72-62, on Feb. 8 in Auburn.

AUBURN SERIES

Tennessee leads the series with Auburn, 31-8. The two teams began competing during the 1980 season in the SEC Tournament. UT has won the last 15 meetings and 23 of the last 24 games overall dating back to the 1991 SEC Tournament.

THOSE DARN CATS

Auburn is one of just nine teams who have recorded a win over the Lady Vols in Thompson-Boling Arena. The Tigers defeated UT on Jan. 9, 1988, 71-68. The eight other teams with wins over UT since the team moved to TBA in 1987 includes: Texas (78-97, 66-69 and 60-70), Louisiana Tech (58-59 and 64-69), Georgia (74-81, 93-94 OT), Connecticut (53-59, 67-74 and 72-86), Stanford (65-82), Duke (59-57 and 74-70), LSU (69-72) and Florida (93-95 OT).

AVERAGE SCORE

The last six meetings between the two schools have been fairly low scoring affairs with Tennessee averaging 73.8 ppg and Auburn 58.1. Six games ago, UT had to go to overtime to beat Auburn at home, 68-61.

FORMER LADY VOL NOW A TIGER

Auburn assistant coach Daedra Charles Furlow wore #32 for the Lady Vols from 1988-91. A 6'3" center, "Night Train" was the WADE Trophy winner, 1991 SEC Woman of the Year, Olympian and a two-time Kodak All-American. Tennessee retired her jersey in 1991.

OUR LAST MEETING

Candace Parker had 25 points and 11 rebounds to keep third-ranked Tennessee unbeaten in the Southeastern Conference with a 72-62 victory over Auburn on Feb. 8, 2007 at the Beard-Eaves Coliseum. The double-double was her team-leading 13th performance of the season. The win marked the fifth straight this season and the 15th consecutive in the UT-UA series. Alexis Hornbuckle continued her strong second half of the season with 12 points, nine rebounds and two steals, which extended her streak of games with a theft to 60. Tennessee used defensive intensity to hold Auburn to just two points through the first six minutes of the contest to break open a 10-2 lead. The Lady Vols got 10 points and six boards from Nicky Anosike and nine points and six rebounds from senior Sidney Spencer. Despite facing Auburn's 6-foot-7 KeKe Carrier inside, UT poured in 34 points in the paint and grabbed the rebounding advantage, 42-35. Tennessee made only 27 of 67 shots (40.3 percent) from the floor, but collected 19 offensive rebounds on the 40 misses. Tennessee went just 2-for- 14 on 3-pointers to mark the fewest treys of the season for the squad, but made up for it at the free throw line, where Parker made 9 of 10 and Tennessee tossed in 16-21. The Big Orange held Auburn to 39 percent shooting from the field, including a 22 percent clip from beyond the arc. UT forced 18 Tiger turnovers - converting them to 22 points. In the game, Parker passed the 500-rebound plateau, becoming the 34th Lady Vol to ever do so.

FACING THE UNRANKED

When taking on an unranked opponent such as Auburn, the odds have typically tipped in Tennessee's favor. In her 33 years at the helm of the Lady Vols, UT head coach Pat Summitt has fashioned a 560-32 (.947) record when going up against unranked teams.

UT-AUBURN FACING THE RANKED

Tennessee faced their 13th ranked opponent of the 2006-07 season in the win over #12-ranked Vanderbilt on Feb. 27. UT is 11-2 in games versus ranked teams out of 29 total contests. Meanwhile Auburn will be taking on their seventh ranked opponent in 32 games when they face #2 Tennessee. Auburn is 0-6 vs. ranked teams losing to then #20/20 George Washington (62-51), #25 Arkansas (65-62), #8 LSU (65-45), #3 Tennessee (72-62), #14 Vanderbilt (80-45) and #8/12 Georgia (62-55).

2007 SEC TOURNAMENT NOTEBOOK

2007 SEC HONORS

University of Tennessee sophomore forward Candace Parker was named the 2007 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, and Lady Vol head coach Pat Summitt picked up SEC Coach of the Year honors for the seventh time in her career in an announcement made by the SEC on Feb. 27, 2007. Last season, Parker was the SEC Rookie of the Year was named First Team All-SEC. Joining Parker on the 2007 All-SEC Coaches First Team was junior Alexis Hornbuckle who earned Second Team honors last season and was named to the All-SEC Rookie Team in 2005.

In her 33rd season at the helm of the UT program, Summitt has accumulated 940 wins - more than any other Division I coach in the history of men's or women's college basketball. In addition to her six NCAA Titles, seven SEC Coach of the Year Awards, seven NCAA Coach of the Year Awards and 16 NCAA Final Four appearances, the Henrietta, Tenn., native has coached 19 Kodak All-Americans, has a 100% graduation rate for student-athletes who exhaust their eligibility in Lady Vol uniforms and boasts two basketball courts and a gymnasium that bear her name.

A sophomore for the Big Orange, Parker leads her 2007 team in scoring (20.6 ppg), rebounding (9.8 rpg) and blocks (2.89 bpg). The 2006 SEC Freshman of the Year, first team All-SEC selection and SEC Tournament MVP, Parker becomes the first Lady Vol in program history to nab top-rookie and top-player honors in back-to-back years. Parker, Bridgette Gordon (1989), Dena Head (1992), Nikki McCray (1994, 1995) and Chamique Holdsclaw (1998, 1999) account for seven of the 21 Player of the Year Awards since the awards inception in 1987. Parker is the first Lady Vol to garner the award since Holdsclaw in 1999. Parker, a native of Naperville, Ill., became the fastest player in UT history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. She edged Chamique Holdsclaw (57 games) by reaching the millennium mark in 56 career contests and with her 17th double-double of her sophomore campaign, surpassed the four-time Kodak All-American for most double-doubles by a second-year student-athlete in program history.

Hornbuckle, a Charleston, W. Va., native, leads the team in assists (4.14 apg) and steals (3.34 spg) and ranks third in scoring (9.9 ppg) and rebounding (5.0 ppg).

Sidney Spencer, a senior from Hoover, Ala., earned a spot on the All-SEC Coaches second team. Spencer led the nation in three-point field goal percentage the majority of the season. She currently ranks second in the league in beyond-the-arc accuracy (.435) and stands in seventh place for most treys made by a Lady Vol in a single-season. The 6-foot-3 sharpshooter boasts an 83.8 percent free throw percentage, which ranks her fourth on the UT career list. She was a third-team Academic All-Region IV selection by ESPN the Magazine earlier this season and finds time to volunteer in the greater Knoxville community, a feat which earned her a spot on the 2007 SEC Community Service Team.

Lady Vols have earned 66 spots on the All-SEC first and second teams since 1982, including 47 first-team accolades.

First Team All-SEC
DeWanna Bonner, Auburn, Tasha Humphrey, Georgia*, Sylvia Fowles, LSU*,
Armintie Price, Ole Miss*, Alexis Hornbuckle, Tennessee, Candace Parker, Tennessee*, Dee Davis, Vanderbilt, Carla Thomas, Vanderbilt*
Second Team All-SEC
Lauren Ervin, Arkansas, Marshae Dotson, Florida, Cori Chambers, Georgia, Sarah Elliott, Kentucky, Samantha Mahoney, Kentucky, Quianna Chaney, LSU, Sidney Spencer, Tennessee, Caroline Williams, Vanderbilt
All-Freshman Team
Donica Cosby, Arkansas*, Jordan Greenleaf, Auburn, Ashley Houts, Georgia, Christy Marshall, Georgia, Angel Robinson, Georgia, Allison Hightower, LSU, Alliesha Easley, Ole Miss, Alexis Rack, Mississippi State*
Coach of the Year
Pat Summitt, Tennessee
Player of the Year
Candace Parker, Tennessee
Freshman of the Year
Ashley Houts, Georgia
Defensive Player of the Year
Armintie Price, Ole Miss
6th Woman of the Year
Christy Marshall, Georgia and Liz Sherwood, Vanderbilt
Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Sarah Pfeifer, Arkansas

*indicates unanimous

TOURNAMENT UT ROUND-BY-ROUND

UT IN SEC FIRST ROUND GAMES
1997: UT def. South Carolina, 75-48

UT IN SEC SECOND ROUND GAMES
2006: UT def. Auburn, 77-45
2005: UT def. Auburn, 64-54
2004: UT def. Mississippi St., 67-57
2003: UT def. Auburn, 66-51
2002: UT def. Georgia, 81-67
2001: UT def. Alabama, 82-52
2000: UT def. Florida, 91-79
1999: UT def. Florida, 92-80
1998: UT def. Mississippi St., 88-60
1997: UT def. LSU, 100-99 (OT)
1996: UT def. Mississippi, 73-51
1995: UT def. Kentucky, 74-62
1994: UT def. Georgia, 86-72
1993: Georgia def. UT, 73-72
1992: UT def. LSU, 70-65
1991: UT def. Vanderbilt, 62-60
1990: UT def. Florida, 81-56
1989: UT def. Alabama, 89-61
1988: UT def. Kentucky, 100-66
1987: UT def. LSU, 64-63
1986: Mississippi def. UT, 83-78
1985: UT def. LSU, 85-78
1984: Alabama def. UT, 85-66
1983: UT def. Alabama, 91-73
1982: UT def. Vanderbilt, 80-75
1981: Alabama def. UT, 77-71
1980: UT def. Florida, 118-44

UT IN SEC SEMIFINAL GAMES
2006: UT def. Georgia, 89-79
2005: UT def. Vanderbilt, 76-73
2004: Georgia def. UT, 68-66 (OT)
2003: UT def. Mississippi St. 76-75
2002: LSU def. UT, 81-80
2001: Vanderbilt def. UT, 77-74
2000: UT def. Vanderbilt, 61-53
1999: UT def. Alabama, 80-69
1998: UT def. Vanderbilt, 106-45
1997: Auburn def. UT, 61-59
1996: UT def. Florida, 74-63
1995: UT def. Alabama, 84-70
1994: UT def. Alabama, 72-56
1992: UT def. Kentucky, 90-84
1991: UT def. Auburn, 70-62
1990: UT def. Georgia, 73-54
1989: UT def. Mississippi, 82-60
1988: UT def. Georgia, 82-76
1987: Auburn def. UT, 102-96
1985: UT def. Ole Miss, 79-71
1983: Georgia def. UT, 71-65
1982: UT def. Georgia, 55-44
1980: UT def. Auburn, 72-61

UT IN SEC CONSOLATION FINALS
1983: UT def. Auburn, 83-75

UT IN SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
2006: UT def. LSU, 63-62
2005: UT def. LSU, 67-65
2003: LSU def. UT, 78-62
2000: UT def. Mississippi St., 70-67
1999: UT def. Georgia, 85-69
1998: UT def. Alabama, 67-63
1996: UT def. Alabama, 64-60
1995: Vanderbilt def. UT, 67-61
1994: UT def. Vanderbilt, 82-57
1992: UT def. Georgia, 73-66
1991: LSU def. UT, 80-75
1990: Auburn def. UT, 78-77
1989: UT def. Auburn, 66-51
1988: UT def. Auburn, 73-70
1985: UT def. Auburn, 63-60
1982: Kentucky def. UT, 80-74
1980: UT def. Mississippi, 85-71

2006 SEC TOURNAMENT REVIEW

TENNESSEE 2006 SEC CHAMPIONS

The Tennessee Lady Vols beat #3-ranked LSU, 63-62, on March 5, 2006 for their second consecutive title. UT freshman Candace Parker made a driving one-hander from the left side of the lane with 17 seconds left, and UT held on to beat LSU. The Lady Vols (28-4) won their 12th SEC tournament and second in a row (also defeating LSU in the 2005 Finals, 67-65). The Lady Tigers led 62-58 with less than a minute remaining, but senior Shanna Zolman's 3-pointer with 35.5 seconds to play cut Tennessee's deficit to one. LSU's Erica White missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 33 seconds left, giving the Lady Vols a chance to take the leadt. Parker, the SEC freshman of the year, had the ball near the top of the key, then drove to the left against the Tigers' best defender - Scholanda Hoston for the winning bucket. UT's Sidney Spencer scored 21 points and Parker, the tournament's most valuable player, finished with 20 for the Lady Vols.

2006 SEC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

The 2006 SEC All-Tournament Team featured Lady Vols Sidney Spencer and rookie Candace Parker, the 2006 Tournament MVP. Also selected to the team were: Seimone Augustus (LSU), Sylvia Fowles (LSU) and Sherrill Baker (Georgia).

NUMBER TWO SEED

UT was the number two seed at the 2006 SEC Tournament in N. Little Rock, Ark. After a first round bye, the Lady Vols were in action on Fri., Mar. 2 and defeated #10-seeded Auburn, 77-45. The Lady Vols followed that by a win over #3-seeded and #12-ranked Georgia, 89-79 on Mar. 4. UT defeated #1 seeded and #3-ranked LSU in the finals, 63-62.

HEADING INTO THE TOURNAMENT

In 2006, the Lady Vols entered the SEC Tournament having lost four of their previous 11 games and two to unranked teams. Additionally, UT was without point guard Alexis Hornbuckle who had broken her wrist on Feb. 12, 2006. The Lady Vols started out 18-0 and were ranked #1 when they lost to #2-ranked Duke on Jan. 23. That loss started the rocky spiral and was compounded by the loss of Hornbuckle. Following the Duke loss, UT lost at unranked Kentucky, 66-63; lost to #3 LSU at home, 72-69 and lost to unranked Florida in overtime at home on Senior Day, 95-93.

2006 SEC TOURNAMENT MEETINGS AND RESULTS

The 2006 SEC Women's Basketball Tournament was held at the ALLTEL Arena in N. Little Rock, Ark., Mar. 2-5. Tennessee, the winner of the 11-game tournament, received the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

2006 SEC TOURNAMENT RESULTS

FIRST ROUND, Thursday, March 2
#8 Ole Miss def. #9 Arkansas, 94-64
#10 Auburn def. #7 South Carolina, 64-48
#5 Florida def. #12 Mississippi State, 98-83
#6 Vanderbilt def. #11 Alabama, 84-62
SECOND ROUND, Friday, March 3
#1 LSU def. Ole Miss, 91-73
#2 Tennessee def. Auburn, 77-45
#4 Kentucky def. Florida, 88-70
#3 Georgia def. Vanderbilt, 69-47
SEMIFINALS, Saturday, March 4
LSU def. Kentucky, 79-52
Tennessee def. Georgia, 89-79
FINALS, Sunday, March 5
Tennessee def. LSU, 63-62

2007 SEC TOURNAMENT NOTEBOOK

28 SEC APPEARANCES

The Tennessee Lady Vols' 2007 appearance in the SEC Tournament is the school's 28th time to the mini-Final Four. This season marks the 27th time with a first round bye. The only year that Tennessee had to play on opening day was in 1997 when the Lady Vols were suffering through a rare 10-loss season. UT suffered its final defeat of the year at the Round House in Chattanooga (a 61-59 loss to Auburn) and then ran the table in the NCAA's to finish the year 29-10 and the improbable 1997 NCAA Champions.

UT's SEC TOURNAMENT W-L

Since the tourney began in 1980, the Lady Vols sport the best overall record in the conference tournament. UT has produced a 54-15 (.762) record which breaks down this way: Alabama (8-2), Auburn (9-3), Florida (5-0), Georgia (8-3), Kentucky (3-1), LSU (6-3), Ole Miss (4-1), Miss St. (4-0), South Carolina (1-0), and Vanderbilt (6-2). The Lady Vols have never faced Arkansas. (The SEC Office record indicates that UT is 53-15 in SEC play. However, in the old format, there was a consolation game. In 1983, UT defeated Auburn, 83-75, in the consolation finals.)

BOWING OUT EARLY

There have been four trips to the SEC Tournament since 1980 when the Lady Vols didn't even get to unpack their bags, losing in second round action after receiving a bye. In 1981, Alabama sent UT packing after a 77-71 loss; in 1984, Alabama again provided the honors with a 85-66 drubbing; in 1986, Ole Miss dealt UT a 83-78 loss, and in 1993, Georgia provided UT with an early exit from Chattanooga, 73-72.

TENNESSEE AND AUBURN FIND A WAY TO MEET

In UT's 69 all-time SEC Tournament games, Tennessee and Auburn have battled in almost one-sixth of the contests or 12 games. The Lady Vols sport an 9-3 record in SEC Tournament action against the team from The Plains. In fact, should Auburn defeat South Carolina in First Round play, it would mark the fourth time in the last five years that Auburn was Tennessee's second round opponent in the SEC Tournament (happened in 2003, 2005 and 2006).

JUST ONE SEC TOURNAMENT MEETING WITH CAROLINA

Whereas the Lady Vols have played Auburn more times than any other SEC school in the Tournament, Tennessee has faced South Carolina the least number of times (one game, 1-0). Ironically, it was the ONLY time UT had to play on the Tournament's first day - in 1997. That year, UT defeated USC, 75-48, beat LSU in overtime, 100-99, and lost to Auburn in the semifinals. The Lady Vols would not lose again that season winning the 1997 NCAA title with a 29-10 overall record.

OUR SEC OVERTIME GAMES

In 27 years and 69 games in the SEC Tournament, the Tennessee Lady Vols have been involved in two overtime contests. In 2004 in Nashville, Tennessee and Georgia met in the semifinals on Mar.6. #20/16-ranked Georgia forced the overtime with the score knotted at 57-all. #1-ranked UT took a quick four-point lead but Georgia responded with a 7-0 run to take the 68-66 win and earned a trip to the title game. In Tennessee's only other SEC overtime, in 1997, Tennessee snuck by LSU with a narrow 100-99 victory in overtime in second round play. In the next game, a weary UT squad lost a heartbreaker to Auburn, 61-59, in semifinal action. The loss to Auburn was UT's 10th on the season. It would be the last loss for the 1996-97 "Cinderella Season" team as they ran the table in the NCAA Tournament to claim NCAA title number five.

DOUBLED OUR PLEASURE

Since the SEC began crowning regular season champions and tournament champions back in 1980, the Tennessee Lady Vols have hit the double-dip of winning the regular season and the tournament on six occasions - 1980, 1985, 1994, 1998, 1999 and 2000.

WHAT A GREAT STAT

From 1980-1997, the Lady Vols claimed a total of six SEC regular season titles in 17 years. From 1998-2004, Tennessee captured seven consecutive SEC regular season crowns producing an amazing 95-3 record. UT's only league losses during that stretch were to Vandy, Georgia and LSU.

EIGHT SHUT-OUTS

Tennessee's 14-0 slate during the 2007 season marked the eighth time that the Lady Vols pitched a shut-out to win the regular season SEC title. Previously, the Lady Vols were undefeated in 2004 (14-0), 2003 (14-0), 2001 (14-0), 1998 (14-0), 1995 (11-0), 1994 (11-0) and 1993 (11-0).

TENNESSEE ALLOWING JUST 53.2 PPG IN SEC GAMES

The Tennessee Lady Vols have fashioned some pretty serious stats in SEC play this season. Defensively, the Lady Vols have been stingy...very stingy. Incredibly, when Auburn and Kentucky scored 62 points, Arkansas 68 points (in OT) and Ole Miss 69 points against Tennessee in the Lady Vols' more recent games, it marked the most points UT has allowed by SEC opponents this season. Currently, Tennessee is holding SEC opponents to just 53.2 ppg while scoring 72.1 or a +18.9 differential.

FIFTY IS NIFTY

The Tennessee Lady Vols recorded their 50th win all-time in the SEC Tournament with the victory over #18/17 Vanderbilt, 76-73, on Mar. 5, 2005. Georgia is a distant second in all-time SEC Tournament wins with 36. Vandy stands third with 33 wins all-time. UT is now 54-15 all-time.

17 TIMES IN THE FINALS

The Championship game against LSU in the 2006 SEC Tournament marked the Lady Vols 17th incredible trip to the final round of the nation's toughest conference tournament. UT is 12-5 in all-time SEC Championship game meetings. In the 1990s alone, the Lady Vols were in the title game eight times (1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999) against five different SEC teams. In that decade, UT won titles in five of the years - 1999 vs. Georgia, 85-69, 1998 vs. Alabama, 67-63, 1996 vs. Alabama, 64-60 (without Chamique Holdsclaw due to a knee injury suffered in the opening minutes of play), 1994 vs. Vanderbilt, 82-57 and 1992 vs. Georgia, 73-66. The Lady Vols won titles in 2005, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1996, 1994, 1992, 1989, 1988, 1985, and 1980. The Lady Vols amassed a 16-3 record in SEC games played in Chattanooga and brought home four titles from that venue (1994, 1996, 1999 and 2000).

THE CENTURY MARK

The Lady Vols have reached the century scoring mark four times in the SEC Tournament. In 1998, the Lady Vols derailed Vandy, 106-45. In the previous year, the Lady Vols scored 100 on LSU in overtime. Nine years earlier, in 1988, Tennessee nailed Kentucky for 100 points. And in the very first SEC Tournament game in 1980, Tennessee crushed Florida, 118-44. That Florida team was then coached by current Kentucky head coach Mickie DeMoss.

2007 LADY VOL SENIORS

Over the past four years, Tennessee's seniors Elizabeth Curry, Sidney Spencer and Dominique Redding have accumulated an overall record of 119 wins and just 16 losses - an 88 percent winning percentage. Against SEC opponents, they have a phenomenal 52-4 record! The seniors have made two trips to the NCAA Final Four, captured two SEC regular season crowns and the 2005 and 2006 SEC Tournament Titles.

LADY VOLS ON TV

A record 21 Lady Vol regular season games were televised on national/regional television this season. Six non-televised games were available as streaming video with voice-over from Mickey Dearstone on utladyvols.com. All games in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments will be televised as well.

LOOKING BACK

Last year at this time, the Lady Vols were 25-4 and had just lost to Florida in overtime, 95-93, in the final regular season game in Knoxville on Feb. 26.

ON THIS DAY

UT is 9-3 in games played on Mar. 2. The Lady Vols are 2-0 at home, 1-1 on the road and 6-2 on neutral courts. The last time out on Mar. 2, the Lady Vols registered an 84-69 victory at Kentucky in 2003.

REPEAT VERSE OF THE TENNESSEE WALTZ?

What the Tennessee Lady Vols hope to achieve on March 2 at the 2007 SEC Tournament:

• An First/Second Round victory for the 14th consecutive season
• A second consecutive win over South Carolina or a fourth consecutive win over Auburn in the SEC Tournament
• A 14th consecutive appearance in the SEC Semifinal game
• Maintain almost a +20 winning margin versus SEC foes (72.1-53.2)
• Up the current winning streak to 11 games

OUR SCHEDULE THIS WEEK...

This week the #1-seeded and #2-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols travels to the SEC Tournament in Duluth, Ga., Mar. 1-4 at The Arena at Gwinnett Center. Following the SEC's, UT will await their NCAA fate as the bracket will be announced on Selection Monday, Mar. 12.

SURPRISE! UT IS #1 IN SOS/RPI

I know it is a huge surprise but the Tennessee Lady Vols hold a large percentile advantage in both the Ratings Percentage Index and the Strength of Schedule through 29 games (ratings by Jerry Palm).

BIG WEEK FOR PARKER

Lady Vol sophomore All-American Candace Parker has received numerous awards leading into the week of the SEC Tournament - among them, 2007 SEC Player of the Year. To start the week, she was named as the SEC Player of the Week for the fifth time this season and the sixth time in her illustrious two-year stint at Rocky Top. In three games (Feb. 19-25), Parker averaged 25.7 points and 14.7 rebounds per contest, which included two contests against top-15 opponents. The sophomore also blocked 13 shots during that span for an average of 4.3 per outing. Against Arkansas, she grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds. At LSU, she was ESPN2's CISCO Player of the Game with 27 points and 12 rebounds.

PARKER NAMED ESPN THE MAGAZINE ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN

On Feb. 27, Candace Parker was named to ESPN The Magazine's Academic All-America Second Team. It is the first such award for the sophomore standout, who is the youngest member of the 2007 first or second teams. "My parents always instilled in me the importance of education," Parker said. "Growing up, if I wasn't playing basketball, I was studying. I am proud to be honored among some of the nation's best student-athletes." A Naperville, Ill., native, Parker boasts a 3.29 grade point average as she pursues a degree in sport management at the University of Tennessee. In her second year on the hardwood, she has amassed 1,200 career points, 572 rebounds, 167 blocks and has started all 64 games in which she has played. In UT annals, she ranks in the top 10 in 13 different categories a combined 20 times.

LADY VOLS BY DOUBLE DIGITS

TENNESSEE LADY VOLS IN NCAA STAT RANKINGS (2/25/07)