Day 2 of the 2007 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament is when things start to get serious. The top 4 seeds in the conference, having enjoyed a first day of tournament rest, get to come out and flex their muscles. With the University of Tennessee Lady Vols running the regular season table and going undefeated in the league at 14-0, they easily secured the #1 seed in the tournament. Love them or hate them, there is no denying the Lady Vols have one of the most ardent fan followings in the nation, and this year is no exception. The Orange Nation was out in full force for their 1 p.m. tip-off against the South Carolina Gamecocks. South Carolina kept the game interesting for far longer than many expected, given the fact that UT had actually doubled up the score in beating them on Feb.1 by a score of 72-36. In fact, SC cut the UT lead to 36-28 in the closing moments of the first half. But UT shut the door on any thoughts the Gamecocks may have had of pulling an upset; Coach Summitt, proving why she is the all-time winningest coach in college basketball, made half-time adjustments and her team came out and put the hammer down, quickly stretching the lead to 56-33. Candace Parker finished with only 10 points, but added a game-high 11 rebounds. Sidney Spencer led UT with 22 points. South Carolina coach Susan Walvius is one of about 3 SEC coaches whose teams are on the bubble for receiving a coveted NCAA bid. Whether they make it into the NCAAs or have to settle for a WNIT bid, let’s hope they get the returning services of their starting point guard and emotional leader Stacy Booker. Booker left the game late in the first half with a tweaked knee and was unable to return for the second half.

The day’s second game was not the match-up many had hoped for. Kentucky, another bubble team, had to face the #2 seed Georgia Bulldogs, who were rearing and ready to go. Georgia, playing almost in their own back yard (the Arena at Gwinnett Center here in Duluth, Georgia is only about an hour away from the UGA campus), had a vocal crowd cheering them on. What was very nice to see was the growing sea of Kentucky blue in the stands. Mickie DeMoss is doing an excellent job of growing the fan base for her women’s team at UK, long the hot-bed of men’s basketball in the SEC, if not the nation. Alas, her Kentucky team didn’t show up the way their fans did; Georgia, showing why they are a serious threat to go deep in the NCAAs this year, drubbed UK 72-40. Georgia was led by their All-SEC junior Tasha Humphrey with 14 points and the SEC Freshman of the Year Ashley Houts added 12.

The third game of the day matched #4 seed LSU against Ole Miss. After an uneventful day up to this point, game 3 was an epic battle. Early on, it looked like LSU was going to put Ole Miss away easily, holding the Rebels to 17 points at the half. But Ole Miss came roaring back, going on a 13-0 run to cut the deficit to 2. LSU’s Sylvia Fowles, proving yet again why she is one of the premiere post players in the nation, shut the door on Ole Miss. Fowles, the first player in SEC history to post double-doubles in all 14 regular season conference games, added another to the list, finishing with 11 points and 14 rebounds. Senior Armintie Price led Ole Miss with 12 points. Ole Miss, sitting at 21-10, is the most likely bubble team to get a bid.

The final game of the evening session pitted the Vanderbilt Commodores against emotional favorite Florida. Entering the conference tournament as either a #3 or a #6 seed for more years than I can count, Vandy has had the dubious distinction of being the last game on the second day of the tournament for many years. It obviously didn’t prove to be a distraction, as the Commodores came out on fire. Scoring 54 first half points, they never let Florida in the game. Vanderbilt shot 66% from the field and a blazing 73.3% from 3-point range. Sophomore Christina Wirth led the way with 19 points on 5 for 5 shooting from 3-point range. Caroline Williams, who leads the nation in 3-point field goal percentage, was 4-for-5 on 3-pointers and scored 16 points. Carla Thomas turned in a solid performance, contributing 16 points as well. Vanderbilt knew the emotional high Florida was riding made them a dangerous team to face, so the Commodores were determined to take them out of the game early. Carolyn Peck, who leaves the University of Florida with a 5-year record of 72-76, received a standing ovation from the crowd at the end of the game. It is a testament to how well-liked this talented young coach is. I wish her well in her future endeavors, and hope to see her around the league as either a coach or commentator.

Note: In a press release this afternoon, Arkansas coach Susie Gardner announced her resignation. Having had an impressive run at Austin Peay State University, Gardner was never quite able to turn the corner in the SEC. There are now two coaching vacancies in the SEC.