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Dunked Snow steals show with dunk as Lady Vols rip Illinois
Updated: Saturday November 25, 2000 8:30 PM
LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) -- Michelle Snow managed to upstage one of the best starts to a game a team has ever had. Second-ranked Tennessee opened its game against No. 21 Illinois on Saturday with a 25-3 run in which it made all nine shots it took. Snow capped the first half in a way most women's players have only dreamed of -- she dunked. Tennessee (3-0) went on to a 111-62 victory in the championship game of the inaugural women's Maui Invitational, and its start in which it went 9-for-9 from the field and scored on 11 of its first 12 possessions became an afterthought after Snow's breakaway dunk with 10 seconds left made it 61-25. The 6-foot-5 junior center stole the ball near the top of the key, went in alone and dunked, even hanging on the rim for an extra second or two enjoying the view in the fifth dunk in a game in the history of women's college basketball. "I did grab the rim because the last time they said I didn't grab the rim so it didn't count," Snow said, referring a near-dunk against Texas Tech late last season. "I said the next time I do it there would be no question." There wasn't. Snow joins Georgeann Wells of West Virginia, who dunked twice in the 1984-85 season, and Charlotte Smith and Sylvia Crawley of North Carolina, who dunked in different games for the Tar Heels in the mid-90s. Tamika Catchings, despite playing with five stitches in her left, non-shooting hand after being cut in the opening round, had 21 points on 8-for-9 shooting for the Lady Vols and was the unanimous choice as tournament MVP. She started the game by making a 3-pointer and Tennessee did not miss its next eight shots. When Kristen Clement hit a 3-pointer 4:41 into the game, it was 25-3. All five starters scored in the run, led by Kara Lawson's eight points that included the other two 3-pointers that were attempted. Illinois (2-1), which starts three freshmen and no seniors, was 1-for-7 from the field in that span and committed five turnovers. "I'm pleased to see our team commit to play uptempo," Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said. "The way our starters opened the game made an impression on our bench to keep that standard. We got excellent shots in that time frame and did a good job of getting the ball inside." The Fighting Illini went on a 7-2 run to get within 57-25. But Ashley Robinson of Tennessee made two free throws with 1:02 left and Snow then woke up the crowd of 1,213 at the Lahaina Civic Center. Playing at the top of the zone, she tipped away a crosscourt pass and took off. She slowed as she approached the basket, went off both feet and threw it in. "She's had the green light for a couple of years to do it if she got that steal in the high post," Summitt said. "She got her first steal and her first dunk." The Tennessee bench went wild with players either hugging, jumping or swinging towels. The players from Alcorn State, which lost to Clemson 66-58 in the third-place game, ran from their bleacher baseline seats to a courtside monitor and cheered louder every time the dunk was replayed. "My teammates have been great with the support they've given me and they've been hyping me up to do it," Snow said. "This is the first season I really haven't been thinking about it. I thought if it was time it would be time. Today was the day." The Lady Vols, who shot 64 percent in the first half in tying for the fourth-most first-half points in school history, didn't let up when the second half started, opening with a 15-6 run that made it 76-32 with 15:11 to play. Gwen Jackson had 25 points the Lady Vols, while Lawson and Kyra Elzy each had 14. Snow, who had dunked numerous times in warmups, finished with five points and seven rebounds as Tennessee finished with a 44-26 advantage on the boards. Allison Curtin had 21 points for Illinois, which suffered its worst loss since March 1, 1991, a 112-49 loss to Purdue, the worst in school history. "I'm proud of my team, I really am," Illinois coach Theresa Grentz said. "We are very young and played an athletic, experienced team and didn't quit. I saw some strong points in the second half. There is no question this will help us."
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