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The sequel UConn, Tennessee prep for rematch
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The Connecticut-Tennessee saga takes a twist Thursday. Neither is ranked No. 1 and each has a loss. The Lady Vols' Tamika Catchings will sit on the bench while UConn's Svetlana Abrosimova appears to be back at full speed heading into the game, the second meeting of the women's basketball powerhouses this season. "This is one of the few times that the free world is not riding on the outcome of this game," the second-ranked Huskies' coach, Geno Auriemma, said. Maybe the teams are not playing for the national championship, but No. 3 Tennessee's 24,535-seat Thompson-Boling Arena will be near capacity. The teams, who have combined to win five of the last six national titles, meet for the 13th time since Connecticut vaulted to No. 1 for the first time after beating Tennessee on Jan. 16, 1995. "Great battles have come out of this game," Lady Vols senior Semeka Randall said. "It's a great game period for women's basketball." Connecticut (17-1) won the season's first meeting, 81-76 on Dec. 30 in Hartford, to take a 7-5 lead in the all-time series. Tennessee (21-1) has won 10 straight since the loss, even though Catchings' season came to a halt Jan. 15 when she tore a ligament in her right knee. On the very same day, the Huskies were overpowered in a 92-76 loss at Notre Dame, ending a 33-game winning streak. Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt is looking forward to the matchup not just to even the score but to evaluate her team. "It's a great way to measure our progress from the last time we played and also to see how this team will respond in front of a packed house, playing against a team that has had a lot of success against us of late," she said. The game won't be the same without Catchings, who scored 17 points in the last game as the Lady Vols came back from a 17-point deficit. The first 1,000 fans at the arena will get light blue headbands like Catchings wore in games. "I'm disappointed Tamika is not playing. The kids are too, (and) disappointed, too, for her. It takes a little bit away from the game," Auriemma said. Randall, always known for her emotional leadership, has made it hard to miss Catchings. She has averaged 12.6 points in the last five games and has thrived against UConn, scoring 17.2 points a game in her four-year career.
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