Game 11 - the SEC Tournament Championship Game: #1 seed LSU Tigers vs. #2 seed Tennessee Lady Vols. Before their quarterfinal game against Ole Miss on Friday, the LSU Tigers got to hoist one championship trophy at Nashville’s Sommet Center when they were awarded the SEC regular season title, earned by posting a perfect 14-0 record in league play this season. But their hopes of raising a second trophy above their heads at the SEC Tournament was dashed by the UT Lady Vols, who defeated the Tigers 61-55 to claim their third tournament title in four years, and 13th overall. Tonight’s loss by LSU marked their fourth straight loss in the SEC Tournament Championship game, with 3 of those losses coming to UT. UT’s win tonight avenged an earlier regular season loss at home to the Tigers which marked one of the worst meltdowns suffered by the Big Orange in recent memory. In that game, UT jumped out to a 21-2 lead, only to watch it inexplicably melt away under the heat of a relentless LSU onslaught. LSU went on to win by 16 points, and that loss proved to be a turning point for this defending national championship team. After meeting with the coaches, UT called a “players only” meeting, and UT coach Pat Summitt said it was after that meeting that the team began to take ownership. “I told them we had gotten away with being a team that played in spurts and played the scoreboard instead of playing the game with great passion for 40 minutes. If you're going to be a championship caliber team you've got to do it. I've said a number of times, it is difficult to motivate a team coming off of a championship,” Summitt stated. Well, tonight the Lady Vols scrapped and played and fought hard for the full 40, and it was the women in orange who were cutting down the nets at the end of the game.

It was a hard-fought ballgame by both teams, with neither squad able to put much distance between themselves and their worthy opponent. LSU was plagued early by turnovers and their shots inside weren’t dropping. SEC Player of the Year Sylvia Fowles missed an open layup on the first possession and started the game 1-for-6 from the field, but a three-pointer by LSU’s Quianna Chaney gave LSU its first lead of the game at 9-8. Tennessee stepped up their defensive pressure in the half court and went on an 8-0 run that was capped by a Shannon Bobbitt 3-pointer. After trading baskets, “Q” Chaney was able to stop the bleeding by hitting her second three-pointer at the 12:01 mark, cutting the LSU deficit to 18-12. Fowles picked up 2 fouls in a five minute span in the first half, but LSU and SEC Coach of the Year Van Chancellor chose to leave her in the game. She finished the half with only the two, but it seemed to truly affect Big Syl’s defensive play. Time and again, UT’s Candace Parker drove inside for 2 and Fowles was unable to challenge as much as she would have liked for fear of picking up her third whistle before the half. Despite Fowles’ limitations, the rest of the LSU lineup stepped it up and cut the deficit to 25-22 at the half.

The second half saw UT come out and extend the lead once again, going up 33-26, but LSU went on an 11-0 run to take a 37-33 lead at the 12:46 mark. Parker scored on a fast-break three-point play at the 11:26 mark which allowed UT to retake the lead at 40-39. Over the next six minutes, UT and LSU traded the lead 11 times before “Q’s” jumper with 3:35 left in the game put the Tigers up 54-51. With the chance to extend LSU’s lead, Fowles missed the front-end of a 1-and-1 and UT’s Shannon Bobbitt made the Lady Tigers pay by hitting a three pointer on the next possession to tie the game at 54-all with 2:50 left in the game. From that point on, things fell apart for LSU with 2 turnovers and a couple of missed shots, and they were forced to foul. LSU was outscored 10-1 in the final 2:50 of the game.

In his post-game interview, coach Chancellor stated: "If this team (Tennessee) is good enough to win a national championship, then we are, too. I don't see much difference in the two teams," and the statistics bear him out. UT and LSU had identical field goal percentages for the game, each shooting 40.7%. UT went 4-of-10 from behind the arc, while LSU connected on 4-of-11. UT committed 12 turnovers and had 13 assists, compared to LSU's 18 assists and 15 turnovers.  UT went to the line more often, connecting on 9 of their 16 free throws compared to LSU's 7-of-13 from the line. The only glaring difference was UT's signature banging on the boards: they outrebounded the Tigers 40-33.  UT was led in scoring by SEC Tournament MVP Candace Parker with 28 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 steals. All-tourney team member Shannon Bobbitt added 12 points, and senior post Nicky Anosike snagged a game-high 11 rebounds.  LSU was led by Sylvia Fowles with 19 points and 10 rebounds, her 19th double-double of the season and the 82nd of her career at LSU. Fowles is the all-time leader in double-doubles at LSU and in the SEC. Quianna Chaney added 13 points for LSU, and she and Fowles were named to the All-Tournament Team.

With this tournament championship win, UT improves to 30-2 and receives the SEC’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. LSU falls to 27-5.

2008 SEC All-Tournament Team:

Sylvia Fowles, LSU
Quianna Chaney, LSU
Dewanna Bonner, Auburn
Shannon Bobbitt, Tennessee
MVP: Candace Parker, Tennessee