Final Four - Game Two

Now for the main event (from my biased perception): Tennessee versus LSU. (I confess I wish they'd played first - I do have to get up at 5 in the morning!) (as with the regional final, post will be updated until the game ends)

Of course the big question is Candace Parker's shoulder. But though she's the mainstay - and will be of any team she ever plays on - the Lady Vols aren't one deep. As for LSU, Sylvia Fowles is SEC player of the year and LSU has been to the Final Four five times in a row now - but has never played for the title, losing four times and losing badly three (Fowles has averaged 8 points - eight - till now; Tennessee is defending last year's championship with essentially the same team plus Bjorklund. Two great SEC teams squaring off for the right to meet Stanford on Tuesday.

Tennessee gets the opening tip. Anosike is fouled as she gets the rebound and hits one, with Bobbitt grabbing the rebound. Fowles got a rebound, and a foul. She misses. Back and forth, up and down, no scoring. Auguste drives for two. 3-0, but Fowles answers. 3-2 after 2 minutes.

Parker shoots a jumper but it bounces out, then Hornbuckle loses the rebound. Parker blocks LeBlanc very nicely. More back and forth, still no scoring. Anosike is guarding Fowles very closely. Nobody scoring - no offensive rebounds, either. Five minutes gone and it's still 3-2.

Chaney finally drives and somebody scores 3-4, answered by Anosike right away 5-4, and then Auguste 7-4, then Chaney - it's scoring-crazy-time all of a sudden. Parker answers and it's 9-6 after nine minutes.

Auguste hits for 2, 11-6, and then Hightower loses it. Thomas forces Parker to pass to Bjorklund and it's a shot-clock violation (Pat is pissed, rightly so). Hightower hits a jumper, 11-8 after eleven minutes.

Fowles misses, Parker grabs the rebound. Another back and forth, one-and-done for both way too often. Then Bjorklund gets a rebound, but Parker is blocked hard and in her face by Fowles. LSU recovers the ball, then Fowles drives and hits for 2, then Bjorklund answers. 13-10 after 13 minutes.

Fowles gets one free throw, Parker hits two, steals the ball and drives down for two more. 17-11, and then Bobbitt feeds her for two more! 19-11 after fourteen minutes.

Fowles is still not hitting anything. Parker is on fire after having Fowles in her face. Bjorklund misses, and LSU promptly turns it over, but then gets it back. Another one-and-done from Williams and ditto from Parker, then Williams again... back and forth. Still 19-11 and seventeen minutes.

. UT is shooting 32% - LSU only 23%! Amazing.

Fowles finally gets a basket - and is fouled by Baugh and converts the three. 19-14.

Bobbitt hits for three! 22-14 after eighteen minutes.

Fowles gets two and then after Parker misses a three Fowles gets two more - 22-18 after nineteen minutes.

Chaney shoots for one-and-one but misses, and it's 22-18 at the half.

Back after half-time, Fowles gets two. 22-20. Anosike is back in and gets her own rebound but misses the second shot. White evens it up and is fouled by Anosike, 22-23.

Parker steals, and is fouled by White. Baugh hits for two, 24-23 after three minutes, answered immediately by Chaney, 24-25. But Bobbitt hits for three! 27-25. Parker grabs the rebound but then Tennessee loses the ball with an offensive foul by Baugh.

Parker spins and fades and spins again, and hits for two. 29-25 after five minutes.

Chaney passes to Fowles who shoots over Hornbuckle. 29-27.

Parker gets her first foul, on Fowles, though it's Candace on her back. Holding called on Chaney... kind of a make-up call, maybe. Fowles is getting rough on Parker and not getting called. LSU loses the ball in a roughhouse - the game is getting very physical. Bobbit brings it down court. Hornbuckle loses it to White. Bobbitt gets the ball and down the court to Parker, who is fouled. She misses the first free throw and then the second, too, unusual for her. Still 29-27 after eight minutes.

Auguste hits two, then Bobbitt grabs the ball and hits for three! 34-27! Chaney is fouled and hits both. Parker spins and gets two and a foul, and hits the free throw. 37-29 after eleven.

Fowles goes to the line and hits one, 37-30.

Chaney hits LSU's first three - 37-33, but Fowles fouls Parker again. Nine and half minutes to go.

Parker has the ball, passes to Bobbitt, who loses the ball. Hightower tries and misses but is fouled. She misses one, then both, and Parker gets the rebound. Hornbuckle bounces it out, then Thomas gets the drop. 37-35 with eight to go.

Bjorklund misses, Thomas gets the ball and drops it in uncontested to tie it up. Fuller gets two - her first basket of the night. White almost scores again - no one's on her - but Anosike manages to knock it out. Time out. 39-37 with seven minutes to go.

Fowles ties it up right out of the time out. Fuller bounces one out, Fowles also misses. 39 all with six minutes.

Anosike comes down with it. Bobbitt drives in and gets two (yes, Bobbitt drives in). 41-39. Chaney misses and misses again. Anosike hits it when she can't find Parker. 43-39 with four and half minutes. Anosike fouled Fowles and she misses both! Hightower grabs the rebound and goes down with it. Time out.

Fowles had a clear shot and misses and Bobbitt forces a turnover. (Bobbitt has always been my favorite! 'Cause I'm short, too!) 43-39 still, now three minutes to go.

Hornbuckle is fouled but misses. They get the offensive rebound, though, and play the clock. Parker tries but Fowles knocks it away. Fowles manages to get 2. 43-41 with less then two minutes to play.

Chaney grabs the ball. Baugh fouls Fowles - fouling out, and Fowles goes back to the foul line. She gets the first, misses the second. 43-42 with 1:10 to play.

Auguste gets the basket! and is fouled. But she misses the free throw. 45-43. Then White runs down and gets two 45-44. 39 seconds to play.

(Why don't they throw a towel over that one clock that's wrong? It's got to be deceiving players!)

LSU puts on the full-court pressure. Hornbuckle to Auguste to Hornbuckle then a foul on White. She hits the first. It's tied with 7 seconds left. One more free throw for White. UT takes a time out. White puts up the last shot and makes it. Damn. LSU takes its last time out. 45-46, seven seconds to go.

Parker takes it down court, to Anosike who misses but Hornbuckle gets the rebound and drops it in! 47-46! Her first bucket of the night! .3 seconds to go. There's some discussion going on about the clock - they settle on .7 seconds. LSU inbounds a long throw but Hornbuckle grabs it!

Poor LSU (yes, I mean it) - once more they fail at the Final Four even holding UT to 47 points. A close game, hard-fought, defensive, not pretty ... Sure.

But what counts is this: UT is going to the Championship game!