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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- For the 19th consecutive year, Tennessee is in the final 16.
All-American Tamika Catchings scored 21 points to lead the
top-seeded, six-time NCAA champions to a physical 75-60 victory
Monday over eighth-seeded Arizona in the NCAA Mideast second round.
"When two teams are as aggressive and as intense as these two
teams were tonight, it's bound to be physical," Tennessee coach
Pat Summitt said. "I thought we adjusted well to it, though."
|  | | Tennessee's Tamika Catchings, who scored a game-high 21 points, drives past Arizona's LaKeisha Taylor. |
Wildcats coach Joan Bonvicini said Arizona didn't get into the
game until midway through the first half. By then, Tennessee was
well on its way.
"The first eight minutes their shooting percentage was
incredible, they were hitting shots from everywhere," Bonvicini
said.
Catchings scored 16 of her points in the first half for the Lady
Volunteers (30-3). Arizona (25-7) exited in the second round for
the second year in a row, but with the best record in Wildcats
history.
Catchings gave the Southeastern Conference champions a 4-3 lead
on a driving layup through traffic with less than two minutes gone.
Arizona played catchup from then on.
"Tennessee is tough," Bonvicini said. "Tamika Catchings is
deservedly the best player in the country. She's just so smooth and
smart, but they had so many players and a lot of weapons."
The Wildcats didn't score a single fast-break point and were
outscored 18-12 by the Lady Vols on second-chance points.
Arizona, averaging 72 percent from the free throw line, was
12-of-21 (57 percent) for the game. Tennessee was 17-of-24 (71
percent).
Tennessee opened a 33-21 halftime lead as Arizona struggled on
the boards, going the first 11 minutes without a rebound, and
missing eight of 10 free throws.
Three 3-pointers by Lisa Griffith kept Arizona close in the
first half, but the Lady Vols toughened up in the second half,
holding her scoreless the rest of the way.
"We gave her too many open looks in the first half," Summitt
said. "We were soft on her and late picking her up. I thought it
was a big difference in the second half in that our perimeter
players were mindful of where she was."
A 10-4 Tennessee run, keyed by a 3-pointer by Kara Lawson and
another by Semeka Randall, pushed the Tennessee lead to 50-31 with
11:31 to play.
Catchings added eight rebounds to her 9-for-16 shooting. Randall
added 15 points and Lawson had 14.
Angela Lackey led Arizona with 13 points. Griffith and Tatum
Brown had 11 each.
"Arizona is really a tough team," Summitt said. "They keep
coming at you and they are very aggressive with the ball. I was
pleased with how we handled the press overall and am just glad to
be going to Memphis and looking forward to the Sweet 16."
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ALSO SEE
Womens College Basketball Scoreboard
Arizona NCAA Team Report
Tennessee NCAA Team Report
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