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KNOXVILLE, Tennessee (Ticker) -- Tamika Catchings scored 16 of her 21 points in the first half and Semeka Randall added 14 as top-seeded Tennessee advanced to the "Sweet 16" for the 19th straight season, 75-60 over No. 8 Arizona in the Mideast Region. The Lady Vols, who have won 17 straight games overall, improved to 36-0 at home in the NCAA Tournament and 44-1 at Knoxville in postseason play. They own a 66-12 record, the most wins and games in NCAA Tournament history. Tennessee (30-3) advanced to the Mideast Region semifinals and will meet Virginia on Saturday in Memphis. The Cavaliers edged Boston College, 74-70, on Sunday. The Lady Vols opened the game on a 20-8 run through the first 6 1/2 minutes and maintained a double-digit for nearly the rest of the game. Catchings gave Tennessee the lead it would not relinquish on a layup that made it 4-3 before scoring seven more points during the stretch. Tennessee shot 46 percent (15-of-33) in the first half and led 33-21. Arizona hit 36 percent (8-of-22) through the first 20 minutes and committed 11 turnovers. The Lady Vols built their lead to 57-36 with 8:39 remaining and shot 45 percent (26-of-58) for the game while holding a 24-17 rebounding edge. Catchings, a strong candidate for Player of the Year, was 9-of-16 from the floor with eight rebounds and four blocks. Freshman Kara Lawson also had a strong game, scoring 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including three 3-pointers, to go with six assists. Angela Lackey came off the bench to lead Arizona (25-7) with 13 points, while Tatum Brown and Lisa Griffith added 11 apiece. While Tennessee and Louisiana Tech are the only schools to participate in all 19 NCAA Tournaments, the Lady Vols have advanced to the regionals each time. The school has won six national championships, but fell to Duke in the East Region finals last season.
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