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Catching on Tennessee advances with 75-60 win over Arizona
Posted: Tuesday March 21, 2000 01:00 AM
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." 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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