lady vols win eighth national title

Tampa, Florida got painted Tennessee Orange Tuesday night after the Tennessee Lady Vols captured their second Women’s Basketball National Championship in the last two years with a 64-48 victory over the Stanford Cardinal.

Tennessee held the high-scoring Stanford offense to just 19 second half points and forced 24 Cardinal turnovers for its eighth national title in program history.

Lady Vols head coach Pat Summitt has directed UT to each of its eight titles and accomplished the unlikely feat of claiming back-to-back championships for the second time in her storied career. Summitt led the Lady Vols to three consecutive national titles in 1996, 1997, and 1998.

“People say all the time, ‘It is so hard to win a championship,’” said Summitt following Tuesday’s Lady Vols’ win. “Last year was hard. This year was hard. I just feel I’ve been so blessed to have an opportunity to coach at a university that really cares about our program.”

The most difficult step during the Lady Vols’ run through the 2008 NCAA Tournament occurred in the semifinals Sunday night rather than in Tuesday’s finals.

The Lady Vols’ quest to give Summitt her eighth championship ring was in serious jeopardy Sunday against Southeastern Conference nemesis LSU, which defeated Tennessee, 78-62, at Thompson-Boling Arena on Valentines Day in the Lady Vols’ last loss. LSU held a 46-45 lead over UT Sunday before Lady Vols’ senior Alexis Hornbuckle hit a last second putback to give Tennessee the thrilling 47-46 Final Four victory and put the Summitt’s team in the championship game with a rematch with Stanford.

Stanford handed Tennessee (36-2) its only other setback this season with a 73-69 overtime win over the Lady Vols on December 22 in Northern California.

Tennessee was led by junior All-American Candace Parker, who finished her final game as a Lady Vols with 17 points and nine rebounds. Senior Nicki Anosike finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and a career-high six steals. Senior point guard Shannon Bobbitt, a former junior college transfer, capped her two-year Lady Vols’ career with 13 points and her second national title,