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Closer Look Vols' other Jackson slides under Duke's radarPosted: Monday April 07, 2003 12:34 AM
By Patricia Heys, SI.com ATLANTA -- Pat Summitt's lineup changes have taken her Tennessee team from a struggling contender to the national championship game. She made another smart move Sunday night. A Jackson duo carried the Lady Vols to a 66-56 win over Duke in the national semifinals, advancing to face Connecticut in the final game on Tuesday. Senior Gwen Jackson, the team's leading scorer, carried Tennessee with 25 points, while Brittany Jackson slid under Duke's radar to contribute seven crucial points and give the Lady Vols a needed spark. "I thought that the Jackson girls tonight were pretty awesome," Summitt said. "When Brittany came in, we were looking for a spark off the bench and we knew we needed offensive punch from the perimeter. Brittany played in the Final Four last year, actually started. I'm proud of her aggressiveness on the offensive end and also defensively." The sophomore guard played less than two minutes in the first half, giving starting point guard Kara Lawson a break. But when Jackson entered the game in the second half, she stayed for good. "When I came in in the first half, I don't think I was as focused and ready as I should have been," Jackson said. "In the second half, I had the opportunity to see what our team needed and what we were doing wrong. I just wanted to go in and hit some shots and get the team going." Duke held starting guards Lawson and Shyra Ely, who both averaged double figures in the regular season, to eight and two points, respectively, but gave Jackson enough room to do some damage. When Jackson entered the game at the 10:32 mark in the second half with Tennessee ahead by just two points, she grabbed a rebound and a steal and scored twice in just over a minute. Known for her 3-point shooting ability, Jackson showed no fear in staring down Duke's guards and taking them to the basket.
"Brittany Jackson is a great spark coming off the bench," said Ely. "She brought a lot of energy, and we were really able to use that tonight."
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