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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Boston College freshmen Janelle McManus
and Amber Jacobs were impressed by their first visit to
second-ranked Tennessee. They also left an impression on the Lady
Vols.
Their season highs in scoring helped the Eagles challenge
Tennessee, but were not enough for a win.
|  | | Tamika Catchings (24) scored 16 points as the Lady Vols struggled at times against Boston College and Amber Jacobs. |
Tamika Catchings scored 16 points and Semeka Randall added 13
for the Lady Vols in a 72-57 victory Wednesday night.
"We played the Lady Vols that have won six national
championships, but I think Boston College is a great team, too, and
we came in and showed them that," said Jacobs, who scored 16
points in 38 minutes.
The Eagles (3-3) lost to a third Top 10 team this season. They
were not intimidated and came prepared for Tennessee's uptempo and
pressing style.
Jacobs and McManus, who came off the bench to score 18 points,
broke the press and came away with several easy layups. It forced
Tennessee (6-0) to switch to a zone defense.
"Prior to this game we played Duke and Purdue. I think that
prepared us very well," said McManus, the smallest player on the
floor at 5-foot-6. "Games like this, you dream for."
It was not the kind of game Tennessee wanted.
"They played on their toes, and our defensive pressure was on
our heels," said Kara Lawson, who had 12 points for Tennessee. "I
don't know if we needed this game, but we will learn from it."
"I think they were more determined to come in and battle. This
game got our attention," Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said.
Tennessee, which finished 29-for-65 from the field and had an
uncharacteristic 20 turnovers, wasn't in control until Catchings
scored 11 points in the final 11 minutes to put it out of reach.
"We've been preaching that it's a 40-minute game, and we played
20 minutes. We will learn from it," Catchings said.
The Eagles cut the lead to 53-47 after Jamie Cournoyer made two
free throws with 6:57 remaining. It was the closest Boston College
would get the rest of the way.
Catchings hit a 3 and Gwen Jackson followed with a steal and
layup to put the Lady Vols ahead 58-47 with 5:50 left.
Boston College had tied it at 45 on McManus' 3-pointer with 9:07
to go, but didn't score another field goal until Jacobs' 3-pointer
5{ minutes later.
During that span, Catchings hit a 3 and Randall followed with a
layup to start an 8-0 run in a 1:20-spurt that gave the Lady Vols a
53-45 lead with 7:25 left.
After trading baskets the first 10 minutes of the second half,
the Lady Vols went on an 8-3 run for an eight-point lead. Lawson
hit a jumper for a 43-42 lead with 10:22 left and then capped the
run with a 3-pointer three minutes later for a 53-45 lead.
Tennessee was hanging onto a five-point lead with two minutes to
go in the first half, but the Eagles finished out the half with a
basket and five free throws to tie it at 29.
Boston College, down by as many as nine points in the first
half, used a 14-3 run to take a two-point lead with 9:16 to go
before halftime.
McManus' driving layup cut Tennessee's lead to 17-10 and started
the run in which the Lady Vols were held scoreless for three
minutes. Catchings hit a jumper in the lane and Michelle Snow made
one free throw to maintain a 20-18 lead with 5:48 left. But the
Eagles made the next two shots. Jacob's jumper put the Eagles in
the lead, 22-20, with 3:45 to go.
Tennessee came out of a timeout and scored seven straight
points, including Randall's two baskets and April McDivitt's 3, to
regain a 27-22 lead with 2:02 left.
The Lady Vols have not lost to an unranked team since Auburn's
win in the 1997 SEC tournament.
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ALSO SEE
Womens College Basketball Scoreboard
Boston College Clubhouse
Tennessee Clubhouse
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