UT handles changeup offered by Wildcats
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The matinee crowd began gathering during the morning.
Several Tennessee fans were milling about outside the University of Kentucky's Memorial Coliseum before noon Sunday, waiting for the gates to open on a sure women's basketball spectacle.
No. 1 Tennessee vs. overmatched Kentucky held the potential for one-sided drama. The prospects helped attract several thousand Big Orange fans to Bluegrass country.
But just as they had to share the total turnout of 5,330 with a goodly amount of Big Blue faithful, the runnin' Lady Vols had to share the bounties of a 93-65 SEC victory with their more deliberate hosts.
In measuring their developing program against Tennessee's might, the Wildcats threw a much-appreciated change of pace at UT's usual charge.
"This is the kind of game and the kind of tempo we need to see," UT coach Pat Summitt said. "Consistently, we have not faced this. I thought we handled it well."
Summitt's critique was reflected by the presence of four Lady Vols in double-figure scoring, led by Chamique Holdsclaw's game-high 23 points.
The points gave Holdsclaw 1,800 for her career, moving her into second place on the Lady Vols' all-time list.